The Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM is a general-purpose lens designed for Canon's range of cropped-frame DSLRs, which means all bodies apart from those belonging to the 5D or 1D series.

The Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens delivers top-tier image quality over an excellent general purpose focal length range in a nicely-sized/weighted/built body with great AF and an excellent implementation of Image Stabilization at a for-what-you-get great price. I'm impressed.

The new EF-S 15-85mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 IS USM sets a new standard for everyday photography on APS-C sensors. With a focal length range equivalent to 24-136mm in 35mm format, image stabilization and high-precision optics, the EF-S 15-85mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 IS USM offers stellar performance from wide-angle through to telephoto.

The EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM is one of the best standard zoom lenses Canon make for APS-C cameras. It combines a great zoom range and a modern image stabilizer with a fairly compact size.

At a casual glance Canon's 15-85mm lens looks inferior to Nikon's 16-85mm in one important aspect: it has only a single-mode image stabilisation system against the Nikkor's dual-mode system. In fact, thanks to 'automatic panning and tripod detection', Canon's lens is smarter and does not need manual intervention when combating camera-shake.