My Nikon 17-55DX is my 'go-to' lens; it's the one I purchased along with my first body and has proven to be a workhorse for most shooting. If I could only pack one lens with me for any given job, this would be the one.
It's effective focal length in 35FF terms is 25.5 - 82.5mm and therefore it can handle a wide range of subject matter. Colour rendition and sharpness is good when wide open and even better when stopped down to f/4 and beyond.
For PJ work it's built like a tank and can withstand the knocks and bumps that go with the territory - the only downside of this being that it is one seriously weighty piece of glass and therefore takes a little getting used to at first
