Reviews
(53)
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I got this lens as part of the kit for my EOS 40D. It takes pretty good photos, and has a great range. I had it on the camera on a nature shoot while it was attached to my tripod and whenever I carried the tripod around with the camera attached, the zoom rolled all the way out. Seems very loose to me, so I emailed Canon about it and they said that was normal, but if there was NO resistance to send it back to them. It's not that bad yet, hopefully it won't get any worse. After some experience, I probably should have just got the body only for the 40D and got the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS SLR Lens for a walk around lens. Probably would have been cheaper too.
12 price(s)
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I have owned this lens for nearly a year now and am becoming increasingly fond of it. I own several other lenses, but this is the one I now leave mounted on my Rebel XT almost all the time. My love affair with this lens was not immediate, however. At first I was somewhat disappointed with the image stabilization, but after working with it a bit I realized that it was my mode of operation that was at fault. The stabilization doesn't kick in until you partly depress the shutter button (as you do to auto focus) and it takes a couple of beats before it gets up to speed. Also, the lens has to be relatively still (or tracking smoothly) in order for the stabilization to work properly. Initially, I was simply hurrying too much -- raising the camera and clicking off a shot. Now I have learned to work with the lens by slowing down and anticipating the shot, and the results are much better. I recently had the challenge of taking pictures of a performance from the back of a darkened auditorium.
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This is my default walk-around lens on my 40D. The focal length range (28-135) spreads between "normal" (as your eye sees it, approximately) to a pretty decent mid-range telephoto (on a "cropped sensor" camera; on a 5D the range would be from mild wide-angle to low telephoto).
Downsides:
1. The IS is single-mode. There is no "panning" IS mode, which I often find useful on my 70-300.
2. The max aperture is "consumer-level", ranging from 3.5 at 28mm to 5.6 at 135. I often really feel it at the telephoto end, having to go to a higher ISO sensitivity just to get the shot.
3. IS may not be incredibly useful at the wide end.
4. Relatively heavy (although not compared to the L lens you would get to "fix" any of the other downsides here!)
Upsides:
1. Very sharp, crystal-clear pictures at every zoom, even fully "wide open" (at max aperture).
2. Smooth, fast, accurate focusing.
Overall, a solid, go-to lens. When going out on a hike, this is the one I'm most likely to grab from my lens
Downsides:
1. The IS is single-mode. There is no "panning" IS mode, which I often find useful on my 70-300.
2. The max aperture is "consumer-level", ranging from 3.5 at 28mm to 5.6 at 135. I often really feel it at the telephoto end, having to go to a higher ISO sensitivity just to get the shot.
3. IS may not be incredibly useful at the wide end.
4. Relatively heavy (although not compared to the L lens you would get to "fix" any of the other downsides here!)
Upsides:
1. Very sharp, crystal-clear pictures at every zoom, even fully "wide open" (at max aperture).
2. Smooth, fast, accurate focusing.
Overall, a solid, go-to lens. When going out on a hike, this is the one I'm most likely to grab from my lens
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This is a great lens! I've been using it for the past year and have no complaints. For the money it delivers each and every time with great, clear and colorful images. Is it comparable to Canon's "L" series lenses? No, but you have to pay two to three times the price for one of those lenses. If you're budget is small and you're looking for a great lens to be your basic "all-purpose" or "walk-around" lens then this is the one. Check out my website [...] if you'd like to see more sample images from this lens. All of the pictures on the site are taken with this lens mounted on a Canon 40D. You can buy this lens today and have no regrets.
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This lens has quickly become the one that lives on my camera. I shoot with a Digital Rebel XTi and this lens has done wonders for my photography. The IS is especially useful for low light - I have taken some great handheld shots in low light that would have been blurry without it. I would, however, HIGHLY recommend that the IS be turned off when using a tripod. I'm not used to having IS on a lens so I've had to put a reminder on my tripod to turn it off, otherwise I miss some good shots. I posted some of my photos here on Amazon for review. All of the photos were taken with this lens.
I like everything about this lens. It's a bit heavy, but to me it feels nice and solid. I'll deal with the extra weight if it means my shots will be better. It's very quiet and the auto focus works smoothly and quickly. I have been able to get some pretty good action, landscape and wildlife shots as well as some really nice close ups of my dog. I'm saving up for a 70-200mm f/2.8 IS USM, but this one will
I like everything about this lens. It's a bit heavy, but to me it feels nice and solid. I'll deal with the extra weight if it means my shots will be better. It's very quiet and the auto focus works smoothly and quickly. I have been able to get some pretty good action, landscape and wildlife shots as well as some really nice close ups of my dog. I'm saving up for a 70-200mm f/2.8 IS USM, but this one will
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I love this lens. I use it on my Canon XT. The range is great for that mid stuff that seems to always come up. The IS does allow me to shoot about one stop darker, as long as my subject isn't the one moving.
I do notice a bit of chromatic shift when shooting in high contrast situations.
I do notice a bit of chromatic shift when shooting in high contrast situations.
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Of course with any Digital SLR, most people would probably hate lugging around big heavy lenses. When I plan for a trip, I just pick out the lens that I would be using the most, and just keep that one on the camera. The picture quality is great. Used mostly for pictures my kids soccer games, it's quick and the quality is fine. I'm no expert in picture taking, but I know it does much better of a job than my wife's sony 10 megepixel-- especially with the zoom this one can do.
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As I mention in the title of the review, this is the opinion of a serious amateur. If you are a pro (or have such aspirations) or a large equipment budget, you'll likely be looking for something else. For those of us who have to make our hobby money stretch a long way, here's my review:
I purchased this lens in September of 2007 for use on holiday in Italy. I've used the lens extensively since, but its performance on the trip was an incredible trial by fire. As it was a two week trip and luggage space and weight were at a premium, I wanted to only bring one or two lenses that would cover most of the situations I thought I would encounter. I chose the EF 28-135 for two reasons: its range of focal length and the image stability feature.
With the typical 1.6x crop factor, I found my outdoor shots of landscapes and architecture rather tight, even at the 28mm focal length. This is of course not the lenses fault, but rather my choice and my camera's limitations. Otherwise, the lens
I purchased this lens in September of 2007 for use on holiday in Italy. I've used the lens extensively since, but its performance on the trip was an incredible trial by fire. As it was a two week trip and luggage space and weight were at a premium, I wanted to only bring one or two lenses that would cover most of the situations I thought I would encounter. I chose the EF 28-135 for two reasons: its range of focal length and the image stability feature.
With the typical 1.6x crop factor, I found my outdoor shots of landscapes and architecture rather tight, even at the 28mm focal length. This is of course not the lenses fault, but rather my choice and my camera's limitations. Otherwise, the lens
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I got this lens in a kit with the Canon 40D - I absolutelylove it! Much better range than the 18-55 lenses included inthe XT/XTi kits. The wide end is still a bit too tight forgroup shots, but overall the zoom range is a perfect meanbetween wide and tele. The internal focusing is great, asthe front doesn't spin.I wouldn't purchase this lens outright, but it is a bargainwith the 40D kit.
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Again, this is not an L lens. I have gotten some really sharp images out of it and I have gotten some soft images out it.Like others have mentioned, don't lock this lens in at 28mm or 135mm. I don't know if it has to do with the wobble but images shot at the distances are generally soft, but one of the sharpest shots I've ever taken was with this at 50mm 1/60 f5. So I don't think I would hesitate to use this for portraits. I'm going to have to do more shots and compare it to my 50mm 1.4.The IS works really well. I have shot solid shots at 1/10.Like most equipment, get to know it and you can have great results.I think this is a good kit lens and it is worth the $200 extra with the 40D.I don't think I'd buy this lens by itself.
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Generally good lens. You shouldn't expect this to blow you away or provide great images in difficult scenarios (low-light, particularly color-sensitive needs). It obviously isn't an L-series, but it also isn't the best non-L lens out there. However, if you're starting out, or just need something to keep with you while walking around (as I often do) then this is good buy. Not overly heavy and covers extremely convenient focal ranges. It also isn't that expensive. There's a reason this is now being packaged with cameras as the kit lens - easy to use, good (but not great pictures) and you won't need another lens if you're not getting serious.However, after using it for a while I began to notice the little deficiencies which have made me upgrade recently. You'll notice a big difference when shooting a sunset for example, or ocean, between this lens and a comparable L-series sense.Good buy though - good to have in your bag because it covers a variety of situations and needs.
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This review is pointed towards consumers in the price range of the Digital Rebel family who are looking for their first or second lens. This lens is a great choice.
Initially, two features catch the eye and are probably the reason why you're looking: the focal length (28-135mm) and Image Stabilization. With the 1.6x multiplier of your APS-C cameras (including your Rebels), this lens gives very good reach. If you're looking for maybe one or two lenses total to supplement your kit lens, I would definitely recommend this lens for that reason alone. The IS is Canon's first generation and should give you about 2-3 stops. For me, the IS is most useful when I'm just starting to consider the use of a tripod. However, it is definitely not a substitution for a good tripod when warranted. It doesn't come with IS mode 2 (horizontal and vertical panning) or tripod detection, which are good but aren't really necessary for this to be your walk-around lens.
The lens is good quality. The build
Initially, two features catch the eye and are probably the reason why you're looking: the focal length (28-135mm) and Image Stabilization. With the 1.6x multiplier of your APS-C cameras (including your Rebels), this lens gives very good reach. If you're looking for maybe one or two lenses total to supplement your kit lens, I would definitely recommend this lens for that reason alone. The IS is Canon's first generation and should give you about 2-3 stops. For me, the IS is most useful when I'm just starting to consider the use of a tripod. However, it is definitely not a substitution for a good tripod when warranted. It doesn't come with IS mode 2 (horizontal and vertical panning) or tripod detection, which are good but aren't really necessary for this to be your walk-around lens.
The lens is good quality. The build
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It seemed like a good deal to get this lens with my new 40, and altogether it was pretty cheap. The big pro's for this lens are definitely the IS, correcting for some camera movement. And the IQ is certainly better than you would expect form a kit lens. No real problems with CA or vignetting on my 40d. AF works fairly fast and is accurate.But I'm not that impressed. The images are soft at the long end of the lens, and unusable with an f stop below 7.1 at any focus length. Colors are fairly flat in any kind of light. The most similar lens I own (in this price class) is a Tamron 17-250, and pictures are consistently brighter, sharper, and more vivid. I just used both for a wedding shoot, and the Canon 28-135 was consistently out performed. Finally, the lens seems solid, but when fully extended (I have to agree with some other reviewers) the lens becomes a bit wobbly.So if you have decent lighting, and don't really care about restricted aperture range, you can have a lot of fun with this lens.
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I've had this lens for one month only but, I've taken hundreds of photos with it and it's not been off my dslr. If you need a general purpose lens with a range from moderate macro to telephoto and at a reasonable price, this lens cannot be bettered.
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The more and more I am sure that different lenses from same brand and features present different results, it is like to talk about fruit, for instance, orange are generally round and about same size, However you find many different tastes...I have recently bought a Tamron 18-250 for my 30D. When comparing with my previous 28-135 I found the Tamron much better in almost all of my tests, color,(real white against my yellowish white on canon's), sharpness, contrast, etc.Despite I have heard some people saying that this Tamron produces too soft pictures, mine is for sure better than my 28-135 IS in all aspects.I like my 28-135, specially by its stabilization system, other than that, it would be just a normal zoom.I know this review is about 28-135 not 18-250, but this is something you should think about when buying lenses with same price range and features.My 28-135 produces very nice pictures, specially with day light, however for indoor light, bulb light and no light, better you get a nice
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This is my first purchased lens. After doing some research on a number of lenses. I have concluded that this lens was a great starter lens in terms of:
user friendliness ( image stabilization is pretty neat)
capabilities (good zoom and speed)
price ( around $360, this is pretty decent for a starting lens in my opinion)
the only bad thing i can say about this lens is the weight. i am not a weakling or anything but the weight of the lens is considerable when taking into account how you need to compensate to take pictures. however, the weight is not a big factor when you get used to it, it's easy to grip despite it's size (72mm diameter. i enjoy this lens and i feel you would too.
user friendliness ( image stabilization is pretty neat)
capabilities (good zoom and speed)
price ( around $360, this is pretty decent for a starting lens in my opinion)
the only bad thing i can say about this lens is the weight. i am not a weakling or anything but the weight of the lens is considerable when taking into account how you need to compensate to take pictures. however, the weight is not a big factor when you get used to it, it's easy to grip despite it's size (72mm diameter. i enjoy this lens and i feel you would too.
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This lens is smooth. It offers me so many new photo ops that I never had before. The IS (image stabilization) is a charm. You can't use it with a tripod, but there is no reason why you would want to. It performs well in low light, both indoors and out. An external flash will also give you extra options for shots, but if you are saving money in the short term, this lens will get those low light shots without needing to purchase an external flash as well.
I've had it for less than a month, but I've already impressed more friends and family than ever expected. It has an option to turn on/off the IS as well as the manual focus, depending on your needs and ability level.
The weight balances well with a battery grip added to the body. And the overall range that it shoots makes it ideal for your every day lens. The macro also impressed me. It performs surprisingly well, and will leave you smiling day after day.
This is a great purchase if you aren't able to jump to the L series
I've had it for less than a month, but I've already impressed more friends and family than ever expected. It has an option to turn on/off the IS as well as the manual focus, depending on your needs and ability level.
The weight balances well with a battery grip added to the body. And the overall range that it shoots makes it ideal for your every day lens. The macro also impressed me. It performs surprisingly well, and will leave you smiling day after day.
This is a great purchase if you aren't able to jump to the L series
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This is a very surprising lens. It does it all. I did not realize I could use the manual setting on the lens and take pictures as close as 9 inches. I have several garden spider pictures that are truly sharp and scary. As for the automatic setting at normal distances, all pictures have been clear and in focus. Love the lens.
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I bought this lens to serve as one lens fits all needs. It definitely served the purpose. However, this lens has inherent flaws - poor motor that makes the lens not to focus quickly, lack of sharpness in the image and the sound during focus etc. I was suffering to get a good sharp picture with this one. I will definitely discourage getting this lens as there are better ones out there - even from Canon. Although I read several discouraging reviews before I bought this, price was the attractive feature at that point.
Sadly, at the end, my digital SLR camera with this lens was stolen by Chennai Airport baggage handlers in India during my last trip.
I am planning to get a new camera and a lens - definitely not this lens.
Sadly, at the end, my digital SLR camera with this lens was stolen by Chennai Airport baggage handlers in India during my last trip.
I am planning to get a new camera and a lens - definitely not this lens.
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I thought this lens would become my everyday, all-around lens, replacing the standard 18-55 lens that came with my camera. The 28-135 lens has a lot of zoom for the price and the image stabilizer means I can get crisper images on the run, but there are two drawbacks that keep me carrying the other lens around. First, this lens is big and heavy. In one sense this is good because it feels more solid and well-built than the 18-55 lens and I have a feeling it will last a lot longer. However, it weighs about a s much as my XTi (if not more) so the balance is weird and the combination is bulky. This is something that may just need getting used to, but right now I am less likely to just pull it out to take a quick snap. The second issue is that I discovered how much I use the 18-28 range on the other lens. 18mm offers almost twice the viewing angle of 28mm, so whenever I want a wide view (either a panorama or when I am in an enclosed space) I go back to my old lens. As I said this is
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I just got the lens this afternoon from Amazon. I'm generally happy as it was way better than the stock lens that Canon included with my Rebel XT.
I tried a couple of shots. And the verdict? I wasn't really impressed. Don't get me wrong, it's a fairly decent lens, the range is wide enough that it can cater to most of any photobugs general shooting needs.
But the reason I wasn't really impressed was because prior to this purchase, the lens I used alot was the Canon EF 50mm F/1.4
I know I shouldn't compare apples and oranges but deep down I was. I wanted this lens to try to be at par with my fixed focal specially with the IS and all. Plus, I remembered all the optimistic reviews I read here at Amazon. But alas, I was wrong. I should have listened to my gutt's gutt feel.
Anyhow you get what you pay for. I mean for a measly $370 you get a decent range coupled with some nifty features such as IS and USM, you simply can't beat that. And then again, it's way better than the stock lens (Canon
I tried a couple of shots. And the verdict? I wasn't really impressed. Don't get me wrong, it's a fairly decent lens, the range is wide enough that it can cater to most of any photobugs general shooting needs.
But the reason I wasn't really impressed was because prior to this purchase, the lens I used alot was the Canon EF 50mm F/1.4
I know I shouldn't compare apples and oranges but deep down I was. I wanted this lens to try to be at par with my fixed focal specially with the IS and all. Plus, I remembered all the optimistic reviews I read here at Amazon. But alas, I was wrong. I should have listened to my gutt's gutt feel.
Anyhow you get what you pay for. I mean for a measly $370 you get a decent range coupled with some nifty features such as IS and USM, you simply can't beat that. And then again, it's way better than the stock lens (Canon
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This is a lens that tries to do everything and comes close to succeeding. The auto focus is quiet and sure. But the sharpness is a little soft especially at wide open f stops. Where it has limitations is sports like soccer game photography. You need to shoot at f8 to get half way decent sharpness for an 8x10. I get better shots with a 50mm 1.4 because I can shoot at faster shutter speeds and lower f stops. Even with cropping, the sharpness using the 50mm is way better than the 135mm at f6. I sent this lens back to Canon because out of the box sharpness at any f stop was poor. For sports photography where you need to use really fast shutter speeds a fixed focal length prime lens will give sharper shots every time.
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This is one of Canon's most versatile lenses. I have used it for portraits and weddings since day 1. The IS enables lower light settings. It's a great alternative to the 24-70 L 2.8 lens that is so expensive. This is a lens to have in your bag.
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I recently purchased the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM while on vacation in New York in June. (I hit all the "big boys" and came away from B & H with more than a few bargains).
I found the use of the lens to be more than adequate on my daily "shoots" during my walks thru the city. Since I take some time to frame my shots (I used full manual), I was pleasantly surprised when 99% of my photos came back totally "in focus" Even when I purposely "shook" the camera. The lens was incredibly responsive, even when I shut off the IS during a night Yankee/Mets game. Color return was vibrant.
I do recommend purchasing the following Canon items (don't cheap out with this lens): a good UV-HAZE Filter (L-39 Sharp Cut), Circular Polaring filter (PL-C)and the Canon Lens Hood (EW-78BII).
I found the use of the lens to be more than adequate on my daily "shoots" during my walks thru the city. Since I take some time to frame my shots (I used full manual), I was pleasantly surprised when 99% of my photos came back totally "in focus" Even when I purposely "shook" the camera. The lens was incredibly responsive, even when I shut off the IS during a night Yankee/Mets game. Color return was vibrant.
I do recommend purchasing the following Canon items (don't cheap out with this lens): a good UV-HAZE Filter (L-39 Sharp Cut), Circular Polaring filter (PL-C)and the Canon Lens Hood (EW-78BII).
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I just recieved this lens and quickly shot some photos to test it's proformance. I went from total darkness to bright sunlight and produced excellent photos. The image stablizing feature was remarkable in low lighting situation without flash. I am very pleased so far.
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Just bought this lens for my new XTi and can't imagine being any more pleased. As other reviews all confirm: focus is fast and quiet, slippage isn't an issue (hopefully that will be true over time) and the IS lives up to the marketing for low light shots.
Note that the "wide angle" end of this zoom isn't very wide, so we bought the standard lens with the XTi, instead of buying the body only, so we would have the 18 mm wide angle for shooting in tight areas.
There are just two small warnings about this lens:
1) It is pretty hefty. To get all this quality you need some substance, so beware that the strap might get a little heavy around your neck by the end of the day. For my wife's small hands the weight is significant, so we'll use the 18-55 that came with the camera for when we don't need the big lens.
2) The focal length adjustment ring is a little tight in some areas, which makes fine adjustments jerky. Hopefully that will loosen up over time.
Overall, a great standard lens.
Note that the "wide angle" end of this zoom isn't very wide, so we bought the standard lens with the XTi, instead of buying the body only, so we would have the 18 mm wide angle for shooting in tight areas.
There are just two small warnings about this lens:
1) It is pretty hefty. To get all this quality you need some substance, so beware that the strap might get a little heavy around your neck by the end of the day. For my wife's small hands the weight is significant, so we'll use the 18-55 that came with the camera for when we don't need the big lens.
2) The focal length adjustment ring is a little tight in some areas, which makes fine adjustments jerky. Hopefully that will loosen up over time.
Overall, a great standard lens.
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The lens in concept seems to be a great all around lens. Unfortunately mine has spent more time in repair than on the camera. The Image Stabilization feature was my first encounter with this technology and it really helps. This lens needs the help because it is so slow, especially fully zoomed. I find the image produced to be generally softer than I would like unless you can stop the lens down several stops, but that is not practical in low light situations I find myself in for most pictures. I have tried to use it to take pictures in the evening at High School sporting events. It is not good for this application. I would recommend this lens only for strong daylight applications. With the problems I have had, I frequently regret purchasing it to begin with.