Equivalent to a 28-135mm lens, this new EF-S lens brings true wide-angle to tele coverage to EOS 20D and Digital Rebel shooters. It has Canon's Image Stabilization system, allowing safe hand-holding a...
Summary Got this in a kit with Canon 40D.
The lens has a very useful focus range, well built for the prices and boast very efficient image stabilization.
The image quality is simply horrible, the images looks much softer than my EF 28-135, which was developed much earlier.
I had to send the whole kit back.
Strengths Good focus range, build quality, light, focuses fast and silently.
Summary This is an all round very able lens . It is a "Walk Round" lens. Therefore there are compromises in its design / construction.
When you consider it is a L O N G Zoom with near "L" quality optics you will realise that it is not as expensive as it first appears.
Nicely balanced, a little soft at f4 17mm and yes fringeing is noticable from time to time. All round though this is a fine piece of glass. If you want an f1 1mm-1000mm with NO vices then start to save your money 'cause when they invent one it WILL be expensive. For now we have this, which is probably the best compromise availabe at this time... Excellent lens.
Summary An excellent mid-range zoom. Photos are slightly soft but sharpen up nicely in Photoshop although at least it's consistent through all apertures and focal lengths. IS is impressive, and the lens is built tough by consumer lens standards. I dropped my 30D with this attached, and the lens hit the deck hood-first which bent the lens completely out of shape, but given a good yank it snapped back into shape and shows no damage or image quality problems at all.
Purple fringing is a bit of an issue but only when at 17mm or so. Lightroom or DxO correct this so no worries.
Very happy with this lens, would certainly get another if I ever destroy it completely!
Strengths Well built
IS is amazing
Light and small-ish
Consistently excellent photos, given a little sharpening in Photoshop
Weaknesses Expensive for a non- L lens - NZ$1100
Some CA
Soft, but see above.
Doesn't come with a hood
Summary I got this lens as part of a deal which included it and the Rebel XT. If you can buy it as part of this kind of package, then it is a really GREAT deal. This lens is extremely convenient, specially for travel and those situations (quite common) in which you just can’t take too many lenses with you. Its versatility means it will be the only lens many will need. Some criticize its image quality and its distortions. The distortions can be fixed in very affordable programs such as PTLENS, and the image quality, specially above 35mm is extremely good. It is a great lens to have as a low-light alternative for situations such as those in museums where no tripod/flash is allowed. Besides, if you check out resolution figures which compare the famous “85 1.8” at 1.8 and this lens at 85 f/5.6 (+ 3 stops with IS which would be more or less equivalent to 1.8), you will see that the figures are almost identical (see, www.photozone.de). This lens also allows for nice bokeh.
All in all, a convenient lens for those who are ready to sacrifice some image quality for the chance to take photos which otherwise might never be taken.
Summary Not good. Have had two brand new off the shelf samples of this lens from 2 very different suppliers niether sample was what I would classify as suitable for commercial use. Unsharp is the key word here. Even when stopped right down F11 and beyond the results are soft images. Sent one back the other is going on sale.
(106 views/week)
2 of 5
3 of 5
5 of 5
5 of 5
4 of 5
4 of 5
