Lens Reviews

[Rex914]

Lens Reviews (Canon)
By the DCRP Community

Table of Contents

|1| Introduction
|2| Canon Zooms
|3| Canon Primes
|4| Third Party Lenses
|5| Head to Head Comparisons

I. Introduction

This guide is a compilation of many lens reviews written by DCRP community members. If you would like to contribute a review, please do so here. If you are unfamiliar with any of the lingo and terminology used in these reviews, consult my Lens Buyer's Guide.

THIS IS NOT A GENERAL DISCUSSION THREAD. All replies to this thread must be praise/criticism of its contents.


II. Canon Zooms

Consumer Zooms
28-135 IS
75-300 f/4-5.6

L Zooms
17-40
70-200 f/4
70-200 f/2.8

EF-S Zooms
17-85 IS


Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS



Standard zoom lens with an Image Stabilizer and high zoom ratio. With the Image Stabilizer turned on, you can obtain sharp, natural-looking pictures in dim lighting without using flash or a tripod. Very handy for places where flash is prohibited. Uses ring-type USM for swift, silent autofocus and full-time manual focus. Closest focusing distance is 20 in. (50cm).

Reviews

• By ReF / 8 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? No

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Canon 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III

Compact and lightweight 4x telephoto zoom lens ideal for shooting sports, portraits, and wildlife. The newly developed Micro USM makes autofocusing quicker and quieter. The improved zoom mechanism also makes zooming smoother. The front part of the zoom ring now sports a silver ring for a luxury touch.

Reviews

• By tsk1979 / 7 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? Maybe

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Canon 17-40mm f/4 L



A new and affordable L-series ultra-wide-angle zoom lens that's ideal for both film and digital SLRs. Superior optics are assured by the use of three Aspherical lens elements, in addition to a Super UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) glass element. Optical coatings are optimized for use with digital cameras. This lens focuses as close as 11 inches (0.28m), and offers both Canon's full-time manual focus and a powerful ring-type USM for fast and silent AF. It has a constant f/4 maximum aperture, and offers the choice of screw-in 77mm filters or a holder in the rear of the lens for up to three gel filters. Finally, it offers weather-resistant construction similar to other high-end L-series lenses.

Reviews

• By ReF / 10 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? Yes
• By Bluedog / 9 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? Yes

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Canon 70-200mm f/4 L



High-performance, L-series telephoto zoom lens combining light weight and compactness with an f/4 maximum aperture. Inner focusing and the ring USM enable quick and quiet autofocusing. Also, a circular polarizing filter can be attached and used without difficulty because the front lens element does not rotate during focusing. The tripod collar (sold separately) is the same one used with the EF 300mm f/4L USM.

Reviews

• By Tyger / 9 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? Yes
• By ReF / 9 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? Yes

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Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L



One of the finest telephoto zoom lenses in the EF line, comparable to a single focal length lens. It has four UD-glass elements to correct chromatic aberrations. Its constant f/2.8 maximum aperture and superb image quality make it one of the most popular professional SLR lenses in the world. Compatible with Extender EF 1.4x II and 2x II.

Reviews

• By ReF / 10 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? Yes / (In-Depth Review and Comparison)

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Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS



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 at speeds up to three stops slower than otherwise possible. And of course, it's optically optimized for digital SLRs. A ring-type USM means both fast and silent AF, as well as full-time manual focus when in the AF mode.

Reviews

• By ReF / 4 / Is this lens worth the price? No / Would I buy this lens again? No

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[Rex914]

III. Canon Primes


Canon 50mm f/1.8 (All Makes)



This is the lightest EF lens of all at a mere 4.6 oz. (130g). Compact and high-performance, standard lens. Its Gaussian optics provide sharp delineation from near to far focusing distances. The color balance is excellent for a standard lens.

Reviews

• By aparmley / 7.5 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? No
• By ReF / 8 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? No

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Canon 50mm f/1.4



Standard lens featuring superb quality and portability. Two high-refraction lens elements and new Gaussian optics eliminate astigmatism and suppress astigmatic difference. Crisp images with little flare are obtained even at the maximum aperture.

Reviews

• By ReF / 10 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? Yes
(IN-DEPTH REVIEW AND COMPARISON)
• By aparmley / 9 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? Yes

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Canon 60mm f/2.8 Macro (EF-S)

A thoroughly modern design that's optimized for select Canon EOS digital SLRs. Its angle of view is equivalent to a 96mm lens on a 35mm camera, with a floating optical system that can focus down to full life-size (1:1) magnification.

Reviews

• By noyjimi / 9 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? Yes

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Canon 85mm f/1.8



A highly practical medium telephoto lens with superb delineation and portability. Images are sharp and clear at all apertures. Through computer simulations, the lens has been designed to give beautiful background blur. Since the front lens group does not rotate during focusing special filter effects are not affected.

Reviews

• By aparmley / 8 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? Yes

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Canon 135mm f/2 L



The fastest 135mm telephoto lens in its class. Ideal for indoor sports and portraits with background blur. Two UD-glass elements correct secondary spectrum for outstanding sharpness and color. Compatible with Extender EF 1.4x II and 2x II.

Reviews

• By Vich / 10 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? Yes

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Canon 400mm f/5.6 L



This high-performance lens was designed with portability and handling ease in mind. One Super UD-glass element, whose characteristics are similar to fluorite, and one UD-glass element result in sharp pictures from corner-to-corner. The lens also has a built-in hood and a detachable tripod mount.

Reviews

• By ReF / 10 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? Yes
(IN-DEPTH REVIEW)

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[Rex914]

IV. Third Party Lenses

All reviews are tested on a Canon mount unless otherwise noted.

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Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8



The most compact and lightest in the history of fast zoom lenses. Thanks to the revolutionary downsizing "XR" technology employed by Tamron in the development of high-power zoom lenses such as the 28-200mm and 28-300mm, the dramatic compactness that makes this lens the world's smallest and lightest is achieved. Its compactness makes it look and feel like an ordinary standard zoom lens, yet the versatility that a fast constant maximum aperture offers will definitely reshape your photographic horizons.

Reviews

• By Vich / 9 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? Yes
• By ReF / 8 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? No

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Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8



The SP AF17-50mm F/2.8 is a lightweight, compact, fast standard zoom lens designed exclusively for digital SLR cameras, expanding the product concept of the popular SP AF28-75mm F/2.8 zoom lens.

Reviews

• By DonSchap / 10 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? Yes

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Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC



This lens offers a large aperture of F2.8 over its entire range of focal lengths and its large depth of field offers greater freedom of creative expression. This lens is perfectly suited for low light conditions indoors or at dusk. It covers wide angle to medium telephoto and is ideally suited to a wide range of subjects. It is an ideal large aperture standard zoom lens for digital SLR cameras featuring APS-C size image sensor.

Reviews

• By coldrain / 7 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? Maybe

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Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DC



From wide angle to telephoto, this new zoom lens can capture a wide range of subjects. As there is no need to change lenses, there is no risk of missing those great shots. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 50cm (19.6in.) at all focal lengths and a maximum magnification of 1:5.3. A distance scale on the focus ring makes the lens convenient and easy to use.

Reviews

• By George Riehm / 8 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? Yes (NIKON MOUNT)

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Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC



From wide angle to telephoto, this new zoom lens can capture a wide range of subjects. As there is no need to change lenses, there is no risk of missing those great shots. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 45cm (18in.) at all focal lengths and a maximum magnification of 1:4.4. A distance scale on the focus ring makes the lens convenient and easy to use.

Reviews

• By JTL / 7 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? Maybe

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Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO



The high performance telephoto zoom lens is ideal for digital SLR cameras. This lens has two SLD glass elements in the front lens group and one in the rear lens group It is able to shoot with maximum magnification 1:2 at the focal length of 300 mm. It’s the ideal lens for portraits, sports photography, nature photography, and other types of photography that frequently use the telephoto range.

Reviews

• By aparmley / 7 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? No

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Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX



This diagonal fisheye lens has an angle of view of 180 in the diagonal direction as well as minimum shooting distance of 15cm (5.9in.)

Reviews

• By ReF / 9.5 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? Yes

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Tamron 90mm f/2.8 MACRO

Tamron introduces a new version of the famous 90mm macro lens for film and digital photography. Tamron's 90mm macro lens, often referred to as "the portrait macro" and loved by photographers all over the world, is now reborn as a Di lens that is perfect for use with both film and digital cameras.

Reviews

• By coldrain / 8.5 / Is this lens worth the price? Yes / Would I buy this lens again? Yes

[Rex914]

V. Head to Head Comparisons

Canon 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 vs. Canon 28-70mm f/2.8 L
Sigma 55-200mm f/4-5.6 vs. Canon 75-300 f/4-5.6 IS vs. Canon 80-200 f/2.8 L
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 vs. Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 vs. Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 vs. Canon 50mm f/1.8 II
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 vs. Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 vs. Canon 80-200mm f/2.8 L

Peleng 8mm f/3.5 Circular Fisheye
Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6
Canon 17-40mm f/4 L

[Rex914]

Major updates to the lens reviews. I've added in ReF's new reviews on the 70-200/2.8 and 400/5.6. Check them out as they're incredibly detailed and thorough. They also compare similar lenses to each other.

[Hangman]

Hi all

My first post to this forum, I am new to all of this and I just bought my Rebel XT last week. I got the kit lens ef-s 18-55mm and added on the the ef 75-300mm f/4 -5.6 III zoom. I just bought my first 50mm on ebay after reading wonderful things about the 50mm f/1.8 from the eos 650 on this forum.
My question is : Is the CANON 50mm F/2.5 a good buy for an entry level amateur like myself? I am looking for the versatility and macro of this particular lens. I have just spent a whole lot of money (at least for a newbie like myself..lol.) and the lens would increase my rebate to a triple meaning an additional $115.00 off $239.00,I'm pretty sure . The lens would then cost me around $125.00 . Thanks for any insight and I do need to know as the lens has to be purchased soon to qualify.

Mark White
p.s. this is the best purchase I have made in a while ,I love this camera.

Life is too short to drink bad coffee!

[vdrummerdon]

I also just purchased the Canon EOS Digital rebel XT. I added on the 75 300 f/4-5.6 LLL. Have you tried this lens yet? If so how is it?
Thanks for any input.
VDD

[vdrummerdon]

Shopped for a new lens for my Canon EOS Rebel XT. The salesman suggested the EF75-300mm f/4-5.6 lll. Now I learn it's the lowest end of the line and will not produce the sharpest of image.
Although I'm within the 30 day return period at the camera shop, I had cut the UPC and serial number off the box for the rebate at Canonusa. NOW ! No return for full exchange due to not having original, undamaged box. !!
I've been hoodwinked for sure.
Anyway, I'd like to move up to a better lens. Any suggestions?





"I'm just a soul who's intentions are good, Oh Lord, Please don't let me be misunderstood" (The Animals)

[kaya3]

i have the tamron and it ROCKS! it lives on my 20D. I also have the 50mm 1.8 that is great for 70.00

i have also heard great things about the 85 1.8 and the 35 2.0 both canon.

[Rex914]

Please make lens inquiries in a separate thread. This thread is for offering praise and/or criticism of the lens reviews on this site. Thanks.