I am still new to photographyand I do not own the 17-40 butI did just recently get the 17-55 f/2.8 and i love it. This is a great lens and I can say that it was worth every penny. My brother came into town for July 4th (he has a camera similar to mine) and even he was impressed by the difference this lens made. The only thing that I can say was difficult was the price. It is a lot of money for a non-L class lens. The lack of weather sealing isn't really a problem but the IS and the f/2.8 were really important to me so I made the leap. It is much bigger than I expected but a big lens doesn't really matter to me (I am 6 foot 8), especially if it gives me a better chance to get a good shot. Money is always a factor (especially if this is just a hobby like it is for me) but I would definitely recommend the 17-55 if you can afford it.





Best of luck,


Matt