Originally posted by *isteve
Of course, lots of people that dont have one can say anything, but my opinion matches Klaus' very closely. Its a good standard lens. If you get a good one.
Many of us prefer to hear the opinions of those who have used the gear over those who have not. Somehow opinions always seem "tamed down" (good or bad) after a person has actually used a piece of gear. So the quiet voice of reason like yours in this case, spoken as words of experience "Its a good standard lens", are drowned out by people who have never tried the thing but still insist "the 17-70 is the worst".
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.