Canon 24-105mm OR Canon 17-55mm: for my first DSLR

[nvitalephotography]

True, I often forget about the difference in ISO performance

[gkphoto]

I am probably in the minority here but I have the 7d I upgraded from a 30d and have the 24-105L, and the 17-40L. I personally find the 24-105 focal length far more useful than my 17-40 in most of my scenarios both inside and outside. It could be that my current main photo subject is small (2 year old daughter). The 2.8 would be great for sure, but if I want good low light performance I toss on my 50/1.4. I absolutely love my 24-105 don't have the 17-55 so I can't really comment on it's quality, but I here it is very good. There is nothing like the focusing from a L lens though in my opinion.