The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon EF-S 18-55mm F4-5.6 IS STM and the Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
Size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses.Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is the longer of the two lenses at 111mm. The Canon EF-S 18-55mm F4-5.6 IS STM with a length of 62mm is 49mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM also has a larger diameter of 84mm compared to Canon EF-S 18-55mm F4-5.6 IS STM's 67mm diameter.
Weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Canon EF-S 18-55mm F4-5.6 IS STM weighs 215g, which means it is 430g (66%) lighter than the Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM which has a weight of 645g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the 'Standard Zoom Lenses in Canon EF-S Mount for size comparison purposes.
Standard Zoom Lenses in Canon EF-S Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both Canon EF-S 18-55mm F4-5.6 IS STM and Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM has the same Canon EF-S lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF-S lenses are Canon T8i, Canon 90D and Canon SL3.
Focal Range
Canon EF-S 18-55mm F4-5.6 IS STM has a focal range of 18-55mm and 3.1X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 28.8-88mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera. Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM has a focal range of 17-55mm and 3.2X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 27.2-88mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.