canon 28-135 IS usm thoughts?
Discussion
I bought one a week ago, not had a chance to use it much due to the bloody weather here in Northern Ireland 
From all the reviews, it seems to be a popular choice for a general purpose walk-about lens.
The build quality is excellent and it has a really nice feel.
It's a tad heavier than i thought it would be.
I got one off ebay for £195 with free P+P which I think is a bit of a bargain as i have seen them for around £280 if not a lot more.
See here, some more might come on.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
From all the reviews, it seems to be a popular choice for a general purpose walk-about lens.
The build quality is excellent and it has a really nice feel.
It's a tad heavier than i thought it would be.
I got one off ebay for £195 with free P+P which I think is a bit of a bargain as i have seen them for around £280 if not a lot more.
See here, some more might come on.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Sorry to resurrect an older thread, but I've been searching here for inspiration to help me make my mind up! I'm looking to buy a new walkabout lens for my 350D before my sister's wedding and a trip to the Superbikes, where I'll be nosing round the pits. So I want something with a bit of a zoom range and better performance than the basic kit lens. I also have the 50mm f1.8 prime and the basic 75-300 canon lens. I just can't decide whether the 24-135 IS will fit the bill nicely, or if I will miss the wide angle that the basic kit lens gives. The 17-85 IS EF-S is another option but quite a few more £ and I quite like the idea of the longer reach of the 135.
So have any of you more experienced folks found the 24 to be wide enough on a crop sensor, or will it be a bit restrictive for general use?
Or any other lenses I should be looking at in a similar price range?
So have any of you more experienced folks found the 24 to be wide enough on a crop sensor, or will it be a bit restrictive for general use?
Or any other lenses I should be looking at in a similar price range?
28-135IS on 350d...
28mm = 44mm. Almost 'standard' field of view.
Set your kit lens to 28mm and see if you could cope with that beign the widest possible.
Oh and the 17-85 IS is (almsot) the 28-135 scaled down for a crop lens (some elements have been changed a little) so is in effect an identical lens with shifted focal lengths. I've yet to be impressed with any pics from it.
Its a shame the 3rd party lens makers havnt got OS or whatever on their walkabout zooms as yet.
I've been quite impressed with canons new IS kit lens, well worth buying on its own if you like the range of the old one, want IS and a big sharpness bump, yes it lacks f2.8 and proper USM is all.
28mm = 44mm. Almost 'standard' field of view.
Set your kit lens to 28mm and see if you could cope with that beign the widest possible.
Oh and the 17-85 IS is (almsot) the 28-135 scaled down for a crop lens (some elements have been changed a little) so is in effect an identical lens with shifted focal lengths. I've yet to be impressed with any pics from it.
Its a shame the 3rd party lens makers havnt got OS or whatever on their walkabout zooms as yet.
I've been quite impressed with canons new IS kit lens, well worth buying on its own if you like the range of the old one, want IS and a big sharpness bump, yes it lacks f2.8 and proper USM is all.
RobDickinson said:
Its a shame the 3rd party lens makers havnt got OS or whatever on their walkabout zooms as yet.
err try this www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/lenses/dclenses/18-125mmO...RobDickinson said:
Oh and the 17-85 IS is (almsot) the 28-135 scaled down for a crop lens (some elements have been changed a little) so is in effect an identical lens with shifted focal lengths. I've yet to be impressed with any pics from it.
I've not read a properly good review about the 17-85IS, not considering the price.My 28-135IS isn't the best lens in my bag, but it's probably the most versatile, and it is well-built, even 2nd hand.
I have got a proper wide-angle (17-50 Tamron f/2.8) to complement it though, and that IS a sharp little baby...although it feels more fragile...
hmmm, looking around a bit more the sigma 18-200 seems to get better reviews than the 18-125, so possibly another option there!
I think if anything I'm a bit closer to going for the Canon 17-85 IS, although it does seem to get mixed reviews but most of the critisism seems to be at the wide angle end, which I wouldn't use all that often and at least it is there if I need it. I think 28mm is just a bit too narrow to start from, I want something to completely replace the kit lens, I don't want to be carrying it around just in case I need it for wide angle shots.
I think if anything I'm a bit closer to going for the Canon 17-85 IS, although it does seem to get mixed reviews but most of the critisism seems to be at the wide angle end, which I wouldn't use all that often and at least it is there if I need it. I think 28mm is just a bit too narrow to start from, I want something to completely replace the kit lens, I don't want to be carrying it around just in case I need it for wide angle shots.
havoc said:
RobDickinson said:
Oh and the 17-85 IS is (almsot) the 28-135 scaled down for a crop lens (some elements have been changed a little) so is in effect an identical lens with shifted focal lengths. I've yet to be impressed with any pics from it.
I've not read a properly good review about the 17-85IS, not considering the price.My 28-135IS isn't the best lens in my bag, but it's probably the most versatile, and it is well-built, even 2nd hand.
I have got a proper wide-angle (17-50 Tamron f/2.8) to complement it though, and that IS a sharp little baby...although it feels more fragile...
A good review of the 17-85 can be found at Cameralabs.com, dpreview.com or the-digital-picture.com.
http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon1785EFS/
http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/canon_17-85_4-...
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-E...
It's scores very well as an average lens especially with IS and excellent focal range. It's also an EF-S lens so it suits your 350D perfectly.
beanbag said:
I would suggest the Canon EF-S 17-85mm f4~5.6 IS USM as a better walk about lens since you have the wide angle. Keep in mind the 28-135 is the equivalent to a 45-216 due to the cropped frame.
It's scores very well as an average lens especially with IS and excellent focal range. It's also an EF-S lens so it suits your 350D perfectly.
But the Sigma 17-70 is:-It's scores very well as an average lens especially with IS and excellent focal range. It's also an EF-S lens so it suits your 350D perfectly.
- cheaper
- sharper
- much better wide-open and/or at wide-angle
- can use a wider aperture (2.8-4.0 vs 4.0-5.6)
...and all it lacks is IS, a little bit of build quality, and the 'Canon' logo on it.
I have to say that there are certain Canon lenses (sub-L) which deserve a place in your kit bag (e.g. 50mm f/1.8, 70-300IS for motorsport), and some where the competition makes a much more compelling case...the 17-85 strikes me as one of the latter...
But each to their own...
havoc said:
beanbag said:
I would suggest the Canon EF-S 17-85mm f4~5.6 IS USM as a better walk about lens since you have the wide angle. Keep in mind the 28-135 is the equivalent to a 45-216 due to the cropped frame.
It's scores very well as an average lens especially with IS and excellent focal range. It's also an EF-S lens so it suits your 350D perfectly.
But the Sigma 17-70 is:-It's scores very well as an average lens especially with IS and excellent focal range. It's also an EF-S lens so it suits your 350D perfectly.
- cheaper
- sharper
- much better wide-open and/or at wide-angle
- can use a wider aperture (2.8-4.0 vs 4.0-5.6)
...and all it lacks is IS, a little bit of build quality, and the 'Canon' logo on it.
I have to say that there are certain Canon lenses (sub-L) which deserve a place in your kit bag (e.g. 50mm f/1.8, 70-300IS for motorsport), and some where the competition makes a much more compelling case...the 17-85 strikes me as one of the latter...
But each to their own...
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