Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
Canon
- 2520A004
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Reviews
(36)
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Great however (just like 85 L) I would add that the lens has some back-front focusing issues. I have a it on a Canon 5D and sometimes pictures are totally out of focus. My Canon 28-70 or 17-40 never had this kind of problem...Any suggestion? I have a few examles at www.usafromabove.com Furthermore, it is a heavy lens!!! :):):)
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This lens is regarded as one of the best three prime lenses that Canon produce (Along with 85mm f/1.2 L USM and 35mm f/1.4 L USM). The images from this lens are very sharp, contrasty and show a lot of details even in wide open at f/2. The depth of field is very shallow at f/2. As a result, the background will be compressed. Because of that features, Canon 135mm is ideal for portrait, especially candid portrait, street photography and indoor sports. Build quality is very good, the best Canon can made. The lens is not as big and heavy as telephoto zoom. But unfortunately, this lens does not have Image Stabilization built-in. Image stabilization in telephoto is quite important so you can shoot with shutter speed lower than the focal length X crop multiplier. For example, when you attach this lens into crop sensor camera such as Canon Rebel series or X0D series, then you need to set a shutter speed to at least 1/200 or greater to get a tack sharp result. It is also depend on how steady
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Pros:
* Very sharp
* Auto-focus is smooth and responsive
* F2 helps a lot with low-light (but see cons)
* Not a white lens so you're not as noticeable
Cons:
* On a crop frame like my 450D, you're effectively at about 218mm. Without any IS, it can be difficult to hold steady in low-light situations, even at F2.
* Very sharp
* Auto-focus is smooth and responsive
* F2 helps a lot with low-light (but see cons)
* Not a white lens so you're not as noticeable
Cons:
* On a crop frame like my 450D, you're effectively at about 218mm. Without any IS, it can be difficult to hold steady in low-light situations, even at F2.
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Some of my best portrait photos were made using this lens. I only use in in good available light, mostly outdoors. f2/135mm/40D combination makes focusing tricky (one eye out of focus), but the whole point of using this lens is f2... I like it's compact size. I would call it a highly specialized lens. It can give me an absolutely outstanding shot once in a while, but at the rate I use it, each of these great shots costs me $[...] bucks... On the other hand, I get 100's of nice shots from other (often less expensive) lenses and cameras. I like having this lens, even though I also have 70-200 f4 IS, which gives similar results and has the flexibility of the zoom. I have a hard time justifying keeping my 135/f2, but I also have a hard time letting it go... I would probably not buy it again for the reason of cost vs. utility, but I would love to receive it as a Xmas gift... I am a reasonably advanced amateur, mostly photos of my baby son, 40D.
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If you are not doing photojournalism where you would really need a telephoto zoom, and you want the most crisp, colorful and bright images possible, then this is the prime lens to get after the 50 mm if you want a little more distance.
Great for portraits as you can really blurr the background and focus sharp on the subject. Also perfect for standing back and not being intrusive to your subjects, this stealth lens takes such amazingly breathtaking pictures. It doesn't draw attention to you like the giant white lens tubes.
You need to know where you are going and what kind of pictures you will be taking before putting this lens on your camera or else you will be swapping out prime lenses a lot. It has a somewhat narrow field, and it really isn't for long distances, but for any subjects from 10 to 100 feet it is great. The low-light capability is fabulous! You will need to steady it on something when shooting as it does have some weight and swing to it.
Great for portraits as you can really blurr the background and focus sharp on the subject. Also perfect for standing back and not being intrusive to your subjects, this stealth lens takes such amazingly breathtaking pictures. It doesn't draw attention to you like the giant white lens tubes.
You need to know where you are going and what kind of pictures you will be taking before putting this lens on your camera or else you will be swapping out prime lenses a lot. It has a somewhat narrow field, and it really isn't for long distances, but for any subjects from 10 to 100 feet it is great. The low-light capability is fabulous! You will need to steady it on something when shooting as it does have some weight and swing to it.
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Read the reviews - this is simply an outstanding lens, a great value and of all the lens I own my #1 favorite. It lives on my camera.
Just nothing negative to say and I have owned this for years.....the quality of my images is superlative - beautiful bokeh, very quick focus, fast, fast, fast.....
Color, contrast, unbeatable. I own many Canon L lens, including the 70-200 f2.8, 35L, etc. Use this one for everything from equine photography to landscape and I never regret having it with me. I simply cannot recommend it highly enough. For detailed information about the lens, look at some of the lengthy reviews - they pretty well all give it the 5 stars it deserves.
Buy it.
Just nothing negative to say and I have owned this for years.....the quality of my images is superlative - beautiful bokeh, very quick focus, fast, fast, fast.....
Color, contrast, unbeatable. I own many Canon L lens, including the 70-200 f2.8, 35L, etc. Use this one for everything from equine photography to landscape and I never regret having it with me. I simply cannot recommend it highly enough. For detailed information about the lens, look at some of the lengthy reviews - they pretty well all give it the 5 stars it deserves.
Buy it.
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Perfect as a portrait lens. coming from Nikon I thought the 85mm 1.2 would be my best grab, it sucked, get the 135mm f/2. This lens rocks. The other reviewers have said it all. Excellent, excellent glass at a modest price.
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I own other L lenses and love them all. But I have to say that this particular lens is BAR NONE the ultimate lens. Yes, it's a tad too long in close quarters, but O M G is this lens sharp. The photos taken with this lens always outshine my photos taken with other Canon L lenses.
I read a review once that read, "You couldn't pry this lens out of my hands with a crowbar and dynamite" or something like that. I feel the same way. When the shot really really counts this is the lens I'm putting on my camera. I treat this lens like a 3rd child (I have 2 actual children). I love it and dote on it.
Yep, it's that good.
I read a review once that read, "You couldn't pry this lens out of my hands with a crowbar and dynamite" or something like that. I feel the same way. When the shot really really counts this is the lens I'm putting on my camera. I treat this lens like a 3rd child (I have 2 actual children). I love it and dote on it.
Yep, it's that good.
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uhmmm first off, the picture they have is awkward, its longer, they seem to have compressed the image so that it looks a lot shorter than it really is. but do know that it is a long lens, its great on a full frame, though on a crop camera, like the 30d/40d/rebelxt its rather long for indoor use. great for lowlight if you can handhold the camera. and it is SHARP definitely one of the sharpest lens that canon has even at f/2
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I've had this lens for over 2 years now, coupled with my 20d, and it's given me amazingly sharp results at WNBA basketball games. The Key Arena is where I shoot from the stands as a fan, and I usually shoot vertical format. A white lens wouldn't be allowed into the Arena unless I was a pro, so the black color and small size of the 135 doesn't raise any red flags. Having a fast lens allows me to go to higher shutter speeds, freezing some very fast action. A fellow photo fan recommended this lens to me, and said that it was so sharp, I should forget about zoom. Instead, I should take shots and crop to achieve different compositions, and he was so right. I'm extremely glad I took his advice! If the focal length suits your needs I'd go for it without hesitation.
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Previously, I relied on Canon's EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens for modest telephoto images. There is *no comparison* between the images that the 135mm lens produces and that zoom. The difference is not merely that the fixed lens is a lot faster (in practice, I rarely go wider than f2.8 anyway; the depth of field becomes too narrow for my taste). Rather, the pictures are sharper, colors are brighter, and people seem to have a strong preference for the bokeh in pictures taken with this lens. More than once, I've been asked "How do you blur the background like that?"
You might expect that a fast lens is particularly useful indoors in natural light, and it does produce great results in such conditions, but I've also taken wonderful photos with this lens of children playing outdoors.
No image stabilization, but I've never missed it. I've had mixed results with other Canon lenses but this is by far the best of the lot, I've no criticism of it at all.
You might expect that a fast lens is particularly useful indoors in natural light, and it does produce great results in such conditions, but I've also taken wonderful photos with this lens of children playing outdoors.
No image stabilization, but I've never missed it. I've had mixed results with other Canon lenses but this is by far the best of the lot, I've no criticism of it at all.
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Other reviewers have already covered the many positive attributes of this lens. I already own an excellent copy of Canon's 70-200 f/2.8 zoom so I was curious to see how the 135 L would compare with a 1.4 TC installed. The 135 is MUCH sharper and has noticeably better IQ (image quality) from f/2.8 to f/8--so much sharper that I am considering selling the 70-200. The Zoom is more convenient and still produces great pictures, but I will be more likely to reach for the 135 L plus the 1.4 TC when shooting at 200 mm (135 L + 1.4 TC = 189 mm). At 135 mm this lens produces absolutely STELLAR results. I am currently using it on a 40D crop camera so it is a little long for portrait work but I purchased it with an eventual move to Full Frame in mind. You absolutely cannot go wrong here if you are in the market for this focal length. Five stars don't seem like enough!!
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When I first acquired Canon Lens Collecting Syndrome about three years ago, I thought to get a few primes, as Common Wisdom runs that primes are uniformly better than zooms. I needed a portrait lens, looked at the 135 f/2 prime and thought "hey, that'll probably work ... f/2 will make for nice bokeh and all the books say to use an 85 mm for portraits but I've got a 1.6 crop, so 135's probably the way to go." I also eventually got a 400 mm prime for wildlife.
Looking at my three years' worth of wildlife pictures, most of the real eye-poppers... were with the 135. The 400's sharp (especially when on a tripod), but the 135 simply blows away every other lens I own. Yup, I do portraits with it sometimes, but in general it is my "go-to" lens when something neat's wandering through the backyard.
The other day the "something" was a gray fox. It was on the ground, I was on a top level deck with no time to get downstairs, and the sun was setting. I grabbed the camera (which had the 135 on
Looking at my three years' worth of wildlife pictures, most of the real eye-poppers... were with the 135. The 400's sharp (especially when on a tripod), but the 135 simply blows away every other lens I own. Yup, I do portraits with it sometimes, but in general it is my "go-to" lens when something neat's wandering through the backyard.
The other day the "something" was a gray fox. It was on the ground, I was on a top level deck with no time to get downstairs, and the sun was setting. I grabbed the camera (which had the 135 on
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Wow! This lens is sharp! It has amazing boken and contrast as well. I have some very nice lenses but this blows them away by far. You can't beat primes. I purchased this mostly as a portrait lens, but I think I'll be finding many more uses for it. It's very well made, as are all L lenses. It came with the hood and bag which is always a plus.
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I needed a lens to use for indoor canine sports where a relatively long focal length was needed, and flash out of the question. This lens does the job and does it superbly! You get nice reach (add a 1.4x tele-extender if you need even more) and those wide apertures that are essential for indoors in low light. I also have a 70-200mm f/2.8 L lens and that just wasn't fast enough to handle these fast indoor sports. This gives me the speed I need and delivers great sharpness and lovely bokeh as well. The size is comfortable to hold and the autofocus fast and accurate. If you need to shoot sports, concerts, dance or music recitals, theater, etc. anything indoors where flash is forbidden, this is the lens you will need!
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Pros:
Sharp, really sharp
Nice smooth manual focus ring
Super fast right on the money auto focus
Bokeh, Bokeh, Bokeh oh how I love thee!!
Bokeh, Bokeh, I just had to say it again!!!!!
Stealth: Nice small black and un-noticed even with the hood
Cons:
No zoom
No stabilization
No room for focus error at F/2
Photo contrast a little lighter than my 70-200 F2.8 L Lens
Background:
I purchased this 135mm F/2L lens to supplement my favorite portrait lens so far the excellent Canon 70-200 2.8 L. I love to do distant portraits at: weddings, renaissance festivals, air shows, public events, etc. and wanted the absolute best lens I could afford for this. Plus I wanted that 2/3 F stop advantage the 135 gives for dark church interiors where weddings always seem to take place and flash units are not welcome.
Test description:
First thing I did was test shoot against my 70-200 mounted on a tripod zoomed to 135mm with mirror lockup and remote cable release manual mode 1/125 s at F2.8 ISO 100 early
Sharp, really sharp
Nice smooth manual focus ring
Super fast right on the money auto focus
Bokeh, Bokeh, Bokeh oh how I love thee!!
Bokeh, Bokeh, I just had to say it again!!!!!
Stealth: Nice small black and un-noticed even with the hood
Cons:
No zoom
No stabilization
No room for focus error at F/2
Photo contrast a little lighter than my 70-200 F2.8 L Lens
Background:
I purchased this 135mm F/2L lens to supplement my favorite portrait lens so far the excellent Canon 70-200 2.8 L. I love to do distant portraits at: weddings, renaissance festivals, air shows, public events, etc. and wanted the absolute best lens I could afford for this. Plus I wanted that 2/3 F stop advantage the 135 gives for dark church interiors where weddings always seem to take place and flash units are not welcome.
Test description:
First thing I did was test shoot against my 70-200 mounted on a tripod zoomed to 135mm with mirror lockup and remote cable release manual mode 1/125 s at F2.8 ISO 100 early
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I must purchase that photo!!! And what kind of camera is that?
That's what customers say every time when they see photos I took with my Canon 135mm F/2 L lens. I've showed family this lens, talked about this lens and all I ever hear is what camera do you have? How did you learn to take such great photos? I've taken photos for years and years shooting many weddings and all I can say is the single most important thing I've done to improve my portrait photography is to purchase this lens and shoot at F2.0 to 2.5. Listed below in-deth are my thoughts and feelings about this magnificent lens.
Pros:
Sharp, really sharp
Nice smooth manual focus ring
Super fast right on the money auto focus
Bokeh, Bokeh, Bokeh oh how I love thee!!
Bokeh, Bokeh, I just had to say it again!!!!!
Stealth: Nice small black and un-noticed even with the hood
Built in back drop anywhere you go courtesy of super Bokeh F/2.0 to 2.5
Cons:
No stabilization
No room for focus error at F/2
Photo contrast a little lighter
That's what customers say every time when they see photos I took with my Canon 135mm F/2 L lens. I've showed family this lens, talked about this lens and all I ever hear is what camera do you have? How did you learn to take such great photos? I've taken photos for years and years shooting many weddings and all I can say is the single most important thing I've done to improve my portrait photography is to purchase this lens and shoot at F2.0 to 2.5. Listed below in-deth are my thoughts and feelings about this magnificent lens.
Pros:
Sharp, really sharp
Nice smooth manual focus ring
Super fast right on the money auto focus
Bokeh, Bokeh, Bokeh oh how I love thee!!
Bokeh, Bokeh, I just had to say it again!!!!!
Stealth: Nice small black and un-noticed even with the hood
Built in back drop anywhere you go courtesy of super Bokeh F/2.0 to 2.5
Cons:
No stabilization
No room for focus error at F/2
Photo contrast a little lighter
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more
+ 0 likes
The finest lens I have ever owned!!
I've shown family this lens, talked about this lens and all I ever hear is what camera do you have? How did you learn to take such great photos? I've taken photos for years and years shooting many weddings and all I can say is the single most important thing I've done to improve my portrait photography is to purchase this lens and shoot at F2.0 to 2.5. Listed below in-depth are my thoughts and feelings about this magnificent lens.
Pros:
Sharp, really sharp
Perfect lens for indoor sports
Nice smooth manual focus ring
Very light compared to 70-200 F2.8
Perfect lens for portrait photography
Super fast right on the money auto focus
Bokeh, Bokeh, Bokeh oh how I love thee!!
Bokeh, Bokeh, I just had to say it again!!!!!
Stealth: Nice small black and un-noticed even with the hood
Built in back drop anywhere you go courtesy of super Bokeh F/2.0 to 2.5
Cons:
No stabilization
No room for focus error at F/2
Can be a little long indoors in confined spaces
Photo
I've shown family this lens, talked about this lens and all I ever hear is what camera do you have? How did you learn to take such great photos? I've taken photos for years and years shooting many weddings and all I can say is the single most important thing I've done to improve my portrait photography is to purchase this lens and shoot at F2.0 to 2.5. Listed below in-depth are my thoughts and feelings about this magnificent lens.
Pros:
Sharp, really sharp
Perfect lens for indoor sports
Nice smooth manual focus ring
Very light compared to 70-200 F2.8
Perfect lens for portrait photography
Super fast right on the money auto focus
Bokeh, Bokeh, Bokeh oh how I love thee!!
Bokeh, Bokeh, I just had to say it again!!!!!
Stealth: Nice small black and un-noticed even with the hood
Built in back drop anywhere you go courtesy of super Bokeh F/2.0 to 2.5
Cons:
No stabilization
No room for focus error at F/2
Can be a little long indoors in confined spaces
Photo
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+ 0 likes
All the hype around this lens is true. The images it produces really ARE that good. Amazingly sharp at any aperture. Gorgeous bokeh, colour and contrast. Super-fast and quiet AF.I use it every time I get the chance. My EF 70-200 f/4L (which I also love) has been gathering dust since I bought the EF 135mm f/2L.For indoor sports on a 1.6 crop factor camera (30D) it is as good as it gets (unless maybe you can find an EF 200 f/1.8L second hand).For portraits on a 1.6 crop factor camera it is also superb, but 135mm can be just a touch long for indoor portraits unless you are in a large room. It might be better suited to a FF camera as a portrait lens.
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I was in the market to expand my prime collection. I had a rewarding experience with purchasing an 85 f/1.8 (a fantastic lens), and was interested in exploring the 135. After reading all of the reviews here (yes, every single one) as well as reviews on other sites, I got to thinking: can this lens actually be THAT good? A part of me didn't want to believe it. I wanted to think it was some sort of mass hysteria. But another part of me knew that such accolades aren't tossed so casually here. So I broke down and bought one.
And I haven't looked back.
I've been used to using zooms--and L zooms at that. I thought they were wonderful. I loved them. I never thought I'd want for more. However, this lens really drives home the difference between primes and zooms. The performance of the 135 is nothing short of stunning. I had read the reviews of people using this lens and then marveling at the results. I thought this was quaint, and a result of "lens placebo." But after seeing what this lens produced
And I haven't looked back.
I've been used to using zooms--and L zooms at that. I thought they were wonderful. I loved them. I never thought I'd want for more. However, this lens really drives home the difference between primes and zooms. The performance of the 135 is nothing short of stunning. I had read the reviews of people using this lens and then marveling at the results. I thought this was quaint, and a result of "lens placebo." But after seeing what this lens produced
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I am a sharpness freak. Switching from 6x7cm film toDigital, I am always on the lookout for the sharpest lenses. This is a GEM!If your not used to Pro lenses this will seem big, heavyetc. But it is so bright, with perfect contrast, excellentbackground blur and did I mention it's SHARP! Hi resolutionimages all around. I have used other Canon L lenses andnot all are great. This one is.
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The 135 f2 is probably Canon's sharpest prime. And you know that most of Canon's prime lenses are quite sharp so this speaks to the great quality of the 135.
The 135 is better than any of the 70-200 zooms for the following reasons:
-It's less conspicuous: it's black instead of white, it's lighter and shorter. This makes it the perfect lens for those people 'grab' shots at the mall or street fair. The people will not be taken aback by you pointing a large lens at them. Instead, they may not know you are taking a closeup/semi closeup of them at all since this lens looks like a wider lens.
-It's faster.
-It has better bokeh.
-It's cheaper than the slower f2.8 70-200.
As a semi-pro published photographer, I can recommend this lens. I originally purchased it (and still use it) for headshots (it's great for that) but found that there are a lot of other applications under which this lens excels.
The 135 is better than any of the 70-200 zooms for the following reasons:
-It's less conspicuous: it's black instead of white, it's lighter and shorter. This makes it the perfect lens for those people 'grab' shots at the mall or street fair. The people will not be taken aback by you pointing a large lens at them. Instead, they may not know you are taking a closeup/semi closeup of them at all since this lens looks like a wider lens.
-It's faster.
-It has better bokeh.
-It's cheaper than the slower f2.8 70-200.
As a semi-pro published photographer, I can recommend this lens. I originally purchased it (and still use it) for headshots (it's great for that) but found that there are a lot of other applications under which this lens excels.
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This portrait lens produces beautiful results with my 5D. Build quality is excellent, about what you would expect from a L prime lens. Extreme depth of field at full 2.0 aperture. I enjoy photographing my little llasa apsho puppy. Bokeh is so extreme that face will be in full focus while remainder of subject will be artistically out of focus. Lens is extremely sharp for portraits. It shows every blemish. A diffuser creates a mellowing effect when combined with background bokeh is positively ethereal.
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This lens is sharp. And at the cost of repeating myself, this lens is SHARP.
For 135/2, this is rather compact but dense (borrrderline heavy). That was the first thing that struck me when I took it out of the box. Exactly the same size as a Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 (without the hood), probably twice as heavy. The hood, however, is 75% the length of the lens, so once you put the hood on, it become a big lens. With this lens, hood, a 20D, battery pack and 580EX, you know you are carrying something in your hand that will make heads turn. Take a look at two indoor, low light with flash on. You look through the lens and realize that the opening is W-I-D-E...
Not very handholdable with 1.6X even at f2...minimum 1/250s required, atleast for me. My hands are not the steadiest, quite shaky. So I dont go below 1/250s.
The color saturation, richness, unparalleled. Im tempted to say that the 50/1.8 gives the same amount of sharpness and color..im even tempted to say that the 50 is a tad sharper,
For 135/2, this is rather compact but dense (borrrderline heavy). That was the first thing that struck me when I took it out of the box. Exactly the same size as a Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 (without the hood), probably twice as heavy. The hood, however, is 75% the length of the lens, so once you put the hood on, it become a big lens. With this lens, hood, a 20D, battery pack and 580EX, you know you are carrying something in your hand that will make heads turn. Take a look at two indoor, low light with flash on. You look through the lens and realize that the opening is W-I-D-E...
Not very handholdable with 1.6X even at f2...minimum 1/250s required, atleast for me. My hands are not the steadiest, quite shaky. So I dont go below 1/250s.
The color saturation, richness, unparalleled. Im tempted to say that the 50/1.8 gives the same amount of sharpness and color..im even tempted to say that the 50 is a tad sharper,
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This much vaunted lens has received rave reviews inphotography sites like Fred Miranda, which I used to readwith a pinch of salt until I bought one. Superlative build,speedy and pinpoint focusing even wide open, watercoloreffect background blurs - it's all here. Although it's alittle long for me on my 20D, it mates beautifully on my 1Ds(full frame). The 135 f2L is guaranteed not likely todisappoint, and really shines at portrait photography.
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I sold my 70-200 4.0L lens in order to get this lens and I am very happy with my decision.
The ability to shoot at 2.0 aperture gives you the ability to completely blur distracting elements from the background of your subject.
As with all L series lenses, the image quality, sharpness, color and contrast are all excellent.
Also like all L series lenses, this lens is built very solidly. Keep in mind that this lens may feel somewhat large and bulky to those who haven't used L series lenses before. The extra bulk is because of more high quality glass and the use of more durable materials (metal vs. plastic). I've grown to like the stability and the weight of the lens.
The focal length of 135 is not for everyone, on a full frame camera (film or the 5D for example), 135mm is a great portrait lens that allows you to isolate the face instead of just the head.
On a digital camera with a crop factor (like the 20D, digital rebels or the 30D), the 135 becomes something like a 210mm lens. This may
The ability to shoot at 2.0 aperture gives you the ability to completely blur distracting elements from the background of your subject.
As with all L series lenses, the image quality, sharpness, color and contrast are all excellent.
Also like all L series lenses, this lens is built very solidly. Keep in mind that this lens may feel somewhat large and bulky to those who haven't used L series lenses before. The extra bulk is because of more high quality glass and the use of more durable materials (metal vs. plastic). I've grown to like the stability and the weight of the lens.
The focal length of 135 is not for everyone, on a full frame camera (film or the 5D for example), 135mm is a great portrait lens that allows you to isolate the face instead of just the head.
On a digital camera with a crop factor (like the 20D, digital rebels or the 30D), the 135 becomes something like a 210mm lens. This may
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more
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I sold my 70-200 4.0L lens in order to get this lens and I am very happy with my decision.
The ability to shoot at 2.0 aperture gives you the ability to completely blur distracting elements from the background of your subject.
As with all L series lenses, the image quality, sharpness, color and contrast are all excellent.
Also like all L series lenses, this lens is built very solidly. Keep in mind that this lens may feel somewhat large and bulky to those who haven't used L series lenses before. The extra bulk is because of more high quality glass and the use of more durable materials (metal vs. plastic). I've grown to like the stability and the weight of the lens.
The focal length of 135 is not for everyone, on a full frame camera (film or the 5D for example), 135mm is a great portrait lens that allows you to isolate the face instead of just the head.
On a digital camera with a crop factor (like the 20D, digital rebels or the 30D), the 135 becomes something like a 210mm lens. This may
The ability to shoot at 2.0 aperture gives you the ability to completely blur distracting elements from the background of your subject.
As with all L series lenses, the image quality, sharpness, color and contrast are all excellent.
Also like all L series lenses, this lens is built very solidly. Keep in mind that this lens may feel somewhat large and bulky to those who haven't used L series lenses before. The extra bulk is because of more high quality glass and the use of more durable materials (metal vs. plastic). I've grown to like the stability and the weight of the lens.
The focal length of 135 is not for everyone, on a full frame camera (film or the 5D for example), 135mm is a great portrait lens that allows you to isolate the face instead of just the head.
On a digital camera with a crop factor (like the 20D, digital rebels or the 30D), the 135 becomes something like a 210mm lens. This may
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more
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Everything that other reviewers have said is true. This lens is SHARP even wide open and the bokeh is so beautiful. In fact, this is the sharpest lens that I own and I own several L lenses. It is even sharper at f/2 than my 70-200 f/2.8 IS at f/2.8. The image quality only degrades very slightly when coupled with the 1.4x TC. Highly recommended!
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I've had this lens for about 5 months I think.... and it's incredible. The bokeh is unreal, sharpness is fantastic... it's just amazing. I'd say it is a hard lens to shoot with though, you really have to be careful with the focus, on portrait/face shots, if you put your center focus on the nose, the eyes will be blurry (this is at f2)... so, the DOF can be extremely shallow for that.
It's heavy and solid, the USM focus is awesome and very fast. I have NO complaints about this lens. It was my first L and my first big lens buy, but you can't go wrong. I can't give this lens enough stars. There are a lot of shots on my photoblog that were taken with this....[...]
It's heavy and solid, the USM focus is awesome and very fast. I have NO complaints about this lens. It was my first L and my first big lens buy, but you can't go wrong. I can't give this lens enough stars. There are a lot of shots on my photoblog that were taken with this....[...]
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I've had this lens for about 5 months I think.... and it's incredible. The bokeh is unreal, sharpness is fantastic... it's just amazing. I'd say it is a hard lens to shoot with though, you really have to be careful with the focus, on portrait/face shots, if you put your center focus on the nose, the eyes will be blurry (this is at f2)... so, the DOF can be extremely shallow for that.
It's heavy and solid, the USM focus is awesome and very fast. I have NO complaints about this lens. It was my first L and my first big lens buy, but you can't go wrong. I can't give this lens enough stars. There are a lot of shots on my photoblog that were taken with this....[...]
It's heavy and solid, the USM focus is awesome and very fast. I have NO complaints about this lens. It was my first L and my first big lens buy, but you can't go wrong. I can't give this lens enough stars. There are a lot of shots on my photoblog that were taken with this....[...]
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I couldn't understand how a lens could get such high ratings until I purchased one for myself. Wow! I guess what makes this lens so amazing, especially for portraiture, is the way it captures a sharp image against a beautifully blurred (bokeh) background. Using this lens, and seeing the photos, people tell me, "I've never been able to get photos as beautiful as those." My secret? I let the lens do the work! BTW, this is a handy 220mm f/2 lens on my Digital Rebel.
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I couldn't understand how a lens could get such high ratings until I purchased one for myself. Wow! I guess what makes this lens so amazing, especially for portraiture, is the way it captures a sharp image against a beautifully blurred (bokeh) background. Using this lens, and seeing the photos, people tell me, "I've never been able to get photos as beautiful as those." My secret? I let the lens do the work! BTW, this is a handy 220mm f/2 lens on my Digital Rebel.
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While it isn't fashionable to use anything but a zoom lens anymore, this L series 135mm fixed focus lens is the "real deal". It is superbly sharp, and fast, and easy to use. I took it to Africa with me and was astounded with its brilliant clarity. Great for portraits... and for anything requiring a mid-length telephoto. Highly recommended!
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I bought this lens specifically for photographing an indoorflyball competition, and I don't think I could have made abetter choice. However, where this lens really shines is inmore day-to-day photography... candid portraits, dogs,flowers... the colors are vivid and beautiful, and thesharpness is remarkable.A most excellent lens, if you can make use of the 135mmfocal length.
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Despite reading glowing reviews about this lens, I was still surprised to see how well it performed. The lens is SO sharp you can get very good cropped pictures of running athletes, from a distance of three quarters of a Football field away, shooting hand held, with late afternoon light, which will print a 5x7 and still look like a Pro took them!
If you want a tack sharp lens for indoor sports pictures and can't afford, or otherwise do not want another long lens for outdoor sports pictures, then you should give this lens your serious consideration.
If you want a tack sharp lens for indoor sports pictures and can't afford, or otherwise do not want another long lens for outdoor sports pictures, then you should give this lens your serious consideration.
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Everyone gives this lens a rave so maybe i should approach this terrific lens from a shooting POV.
Shooting wide open at f2at 135 gives your pictures a distinct quality you would never get from zooms, there isn't a zoom at this focal length that is this speed either. A few primes come close but they're nowhere near as sharp wide open.
the af is fast and very accurate and the lens has a great feel on a 20d/5d/10d body even wo the battery grip of the cameras.
Close up magnification of .19x to.21 therabouts is a nice bonus of this lens, letting you get closer wo being too in your face for tight headshots.
I always felt that photographers usually have a sweet spot when shooting certain things like some portrait photographers like the distance the 85mm gives them when approaching a subject, turns out I'm liking the 135 focal length quite a bit for headshots and the 85 for torso and head shots.
One thing I like about this 135/f2 combo is that there's enough DOF to get most of the main subject
Shooting wide open at f2at 135 gives your pictures a distinct quality you would never get from zooms, there isn't a zoom at this focal length that is this speed either. A few primes come close but they're nowhere near as sharp wide open.
the af is fast and very accurate and the lens has a great feel on a 20d/5d/10d body even wo the battery grip of the cameras.
Close up magnification of .19x to.21 therabouts is a nice bonus of this lens, letting you get closer wo being too in your face for tight headshots.
I always felt that photographers usually have a sweet spot when shooting certain things like some portrait photographers like the distance the 85mm gives them when approaching a subject, turns out I'm liking the 135 focal length quite a bit for headshots and the 85 for torso and head shots.
One thing I like about this 135/f2 combo is that there's enough DOF to get most of the main subject
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