There’s no image stabilisation on the Nikon DX 17-55mm f/2.8 ED-IF AF-S but it’s an excellent performer.The build quality of the Nikon DX 17-55mm f/2.8 ED-IF AF-S is outstanding, boasting a solid feel and refined mottled black finish. It’s the biggest and heaviest lens on test and while the size and dimensions feel in proportion on larger D-SLRs like the D300S, it does feel a bit off-balance on smaller bodies like the D3000.
The zoom ring at the rear is a little on the thin side and, probably owing to the size of the lens, struggles to offer a really smooth action making zooming hard work. On the plus side the larger focus ring towards the front is nicely weighted.
Performance is excellent, featuring a Silent Wave Motor (SWM) for quiet and fast autofocus, which we found impressive – this also means full AF on Nikon bodies without a motor like the D3000. It also boasts an Internal Focusing system and three ED glass elements, but there’s no image stabilisation so if that’s a feature you want, you’ll need to look at third-party options.
www.nikon.co.uk