Reviewed by Ben Lee, http://dslrlensesonline.com editor.

Canon 28-135mm IS
Canon 28-135mm IS

Buy the Canon EF 28-135mm from Amazon and receive FREE shipping.

Image quality – Rating: ★★★½☆
Build quality – Rating: ★★★☆☆
Ease of use – Rating: ★★★★☆
Lens features – Rating: ★★★½☆
Value for money – Rating: ★★★★☆

Today I want to review the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras. Go into just about any photography forum and you will always come across questions along the lines of what is the best general purpose DLSR  lens, or what is the best beginner DSLR camera under $500?

While I believe there is no best lens per se, there are a couple of lenses that tick most of the boxes in each of the beginner, intermediate and professional categories. The Canon 28 135mm IS has two things that photographers love but rarely see together – decent quality at an affordable price.

Of course, many of this lenses benefits can be gleaned from looking at the product name. A highly workable zoom range of 28-135mm and image stabilization technology are the obvious points here. Simply put, you can cover more photographic situations with more assurance.

What you might not have known about this lens is that it is relatively lightweight and small for a lens which spans over 100mm. This is due largely to the plastic construction, but this does not take anything away from the good things about the 28-135mm IS.

So, who is this lens best suited to? It is probably best suited to photographers who are entering the world of DSLR photography for the first time and want a great lens that will ease them into the transition from point and shoot or film SLR photography.

Reasonably priced at just over $400 US, this lens is obviously not comparable to say the Canon 24-105mm L IS, the fact is they are worlds apart in price, image quality and the caliber of photographers who use then. I would say this lens is ideal for photographers who are trying to develop their style, but aren’t sure what direction they are heading in just yet. The large focal range gives you the best of wide angle and telephoto – the latter is amplified on a 1.6x FOVCF body where the reach extends to 216mm.

At a glance..

  • Close focusing distance of 20 inches; 75- to 18-degree diagonal angle of view
  • Measures 3.1 inches in diameter and 3.8 inches long; weighs 18.9 ounces; 1-year warranty
  • Minimum Focal Range: 1.6 feet
  • Maximum Aperture Range: F/3.5-5.6
  • Camera Magnify Power: 0.19
  • Lens System Special Functions: Zoom
  • Focus Type: auto-focus, manual-focus
  • Real Angle Of View: 76
  • Weight: 17.6 Ounces
  • Item Display Diameter: 3.8 inches
  • Length: 3 inches
The Good
  • favorable ratio of performance to cost, in other words – good value for money!
  • great focal range
  • image stabilization technology – a must on any lens in my opinion
  • lightweight
  • reasonably fast and quiet auto focus
The Bad
  • very soft corners at around 35mm, with a slight but noticeable improvement in sharpness when stopped down to f/8
  • strong chromatic aberration at 135mm
  • lens hood not included, but highly recommended to reduce the aforementioned optical imperfections
  • some zoom creep (movement of your zoom setting) especially when held facing downwards

It could be argued that, dollar for dollar, this lens is the best that Canon has to offer. What I like about this lens is its affordable price coupled with important features like image stabilization and fast auto focus that should be in any lens, especially one ideal for photographers trying to find their feet in the industry.

To add to what has been said above, the Canon 28 135mm IS also has a pseudo-macro capability. It offers a surprising (if not refreshing) amount of detail that entry level photographers who love macro will enjoy. Obviously it is not a dedicated macro lens and as such should not be expected to be, but it is just another string in the bow of this very versatile lens.

Overall Rating: ★★★½☆

As for shortcomings of this piece of equipment, I would hazard a guess and say that most people in the market for the 28-135mm are not worried about a slight amount of vignetting or chromatic aberration at certain focal lengths. Those that are concerned probably have the knowledge to remove these imperfections in something like Lightroom anyway.

This lens is extremely popular for a reason, and most enthusiasts in the entry level niche who buy this lens will choose to forgive the minor bad points for the overwhelming number of good points.

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Related posts:

  1. Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM Lens – A Super Fast, High Quality Non L Series Lens
  2. Canon EF-S 55-250mm IS Lens – Is It Right For You Or Worth The Money?
  3. Canon 24-105mm Review – Why Does Everyone Loves This L Series Lens?
  4. Canon 300mm 2.8 – King Of The Canon Telephoto Lens Range

Filed under: Canon DSLR Lenses

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