Compare lenses

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM vs Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM Contemporary

The Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM and the Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM Contemporary side by side, computed from this guide's catalogue.

Which to pick

Pick the Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM if you want more reach (to 128mm equivalent) and the flexibility of a zoom. Pick the Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM Contemporary if you want a brighter f/2.8 (1.0 stops more light), for dim light and softer backgrounds and a fit on more cameras (51 against 14 in this guide).

Still torn? Ask the guide about the Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM and the Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM Contemporary

Specs side by side

Rows that differ are in full colour; the better value is marked where one is better by any measure.
Spec	Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM	Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM Contemporary
Maker	Canon	Sigma
Focal length	17-85mm (zoom)	17-70mm (macro)
Full-frame equivalent	26-128mm on APS-C	26-105mm on APS-C
Maximum aperture	f/4-5.6	f/2.8-4brighter
Made for	APS-C	APS-C
Mounts	Canon EF	Canon EF, Nikon F, Pentax K
Stabilised	yes	yes
Autofocus	yes	yes
Zoom range	5.0×more range	4.1×
Cameras it fits	14 in this guide	51 in this guidefits more cameras

Focal range, in full-frame terms

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM: 17-85mm on APS-C, like 26-128mm.

Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM Contemporary: 17-70mm on APS-C, like 26-105mm.

Aperture

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM: f/4 wide open.

Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM Contemporary: f/2.8 wide open.

Each opening drawn to scale against f/1.4: a smaller f-number lets in more light and blurs the background more.

Field of view

How wide each sees, at each end, on the sensor it was made for.

Cameras they fit

14 cameras in this guide take both, so either works on the same body. In all, the Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM fits 14 and the Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM Contemporary 51.