Rating: 
Summary: AF is super fast and the focal range is great...
Review: Otherwise this lens is merely good. I've had this lens for a little over a year and have taken numerous rolls on it in all kinds of settings and conditions. It does what it promises to, which is to provide a nice wide-to-medium telephoto focal range (suitable for 99% of casual photography) with the fast ring type Ultra Sonic Motor autofocus. It also lets you focus manually even if the switch is on AF, which is really slick. If it weren't for these features I might not have given it a 4 because the optics are just not that good. It's not very sharp at any focal length, and it produces duller colors than the other 2 lenses I have. But like I said, the lens performs as it's meant to - as a better than entry level consumer grade lens. The USM is so fast that it justifies the lens's optical shortcomings. Your subject simply *pops* into focus instantaneously when you start to depress the shutter. I'm about to move on to a sharper and more "contrasty" lens, but it'll be heavier, bigger and won't focus as fast. The time that I did spend with this lens produced some very nice results and it served its purpose quite well as a solid stepping stone in my continuing education as a photographer.
Rating: 
Summary: Good lens for the price
Review: This is a good, general purpose lens. It feels solidly built, and has a nice distance window.
This lens is light, but well built. I highly encourage you to buy the lens hood with this lens, as it is prone to flare.
Overall, I have been very satisfied with this lens. Not as good as an "L" lens, but at the low price of $250, you can't get better.
I am very happy with this lens.
Rating:
Summary: Great, all purpose lens
Review: This is a great all-purpose lens for Canon cameras. It covers the vast majority of situations that a typical photographer will run across and it works admirably across all of the major functions that one needs: autofocus is quick and accurate; zoom functions easily; lens quality is good; weight is reasonable; et cetera. There is nothing to dislike and the price is very reasonable too. One additional note: with the new 10D which I use this with, the digital magnification factor translates this to roughly a 45-160mm lens.
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite lenses!
Review: This is probably the most used lens in my camera bag. The construction is great and the lens feels good to the touch. The focus and zoom rings move smoothly without any catch or "grit". The ultrasonic motor is both very quiet, and very fast. Autofocusing this lens is a joy as it snaps to focus so quickly compared to other autofocus lenses that I have used. The focal range is nice going from a wide angle to a short telephoto adequate for the vast majority of casual shooters. Even the macro settings are good, although they could be a bit better only going to about 12 inches. But with everything else this lens has going for it I can over look that. This lens is definetely worth having, and most photographers could get by with only this lens.
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite lenses!
Review: This is probably the most used lens in my camera bag. The construction is great and the lens feels good to the touch. The focus and zoom rings move smoothly without any catch or "grit". The ultrasonic motor is both very quiet, and very fast. Autofocusing this lens is a joy as it snaps to focus so quickly compared to other autofocus lenses that I have used. The focal range is nice going from a wide angle to a short telephoto adequate for the vast majority of casual shooters. Even the macro settings are good, although they could be a bit better only going to about 12 inches. But with everything else this lens has going for it I can over look that. This lens is definetely worth having, and most photographers could get by with only this lens.
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite lenses!
Review: This is probably the most used lens in my camera bag. The construction is great and the lens feels good to the touch. The focus and zoom rings move smoothly without any catch or "grit". The ultrasonic motor is both very quiet, and very fast. Autofocusing this lens is a joy as it snaps to focus so quickly compared to other autofocus lenses that I have used. The focal range is nice going from a wide angle to a short telephoto adequate for the vast majority of casual shooters. Even the macro settings are good, although they could be a bit better only going to about 12 inches. But with everything else this lens has going for it I can over look that. This lens is definetely worth having, and most photographers could get by with only this lens.
Rating:
Summary: A fine lens
Review: This lens is a good buy. It is not too expensive and has a good telefoto range. The only thing I did not like was that the macro feature. It can only get as close as 12 inches. Otherwise I can say that is a perfectly acceptable lens. Buy this lens if you are only looking to buy just one. FYI, this lens has a 58mm focal length for those who use filters.
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