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Canon
EF 28-80mm Lens Review
Pros: Inexpensive,
light-weight, perfect for occasional shooters
Cons: Cheap, small minimum
aperture
Recommended: No
When I bought my Elan IIE, I had the option of either
buying the body and a separate lens or purchasing a kit. I chose to save a
few bucks and bought the kit, which included the camera and this lens.
LIKES
For the first several weeks I used the lens, I was thrilled. The rubber zoom
ring feels natural and the zoom action is smooth and consistent. The
auto-focus/manual-focus switch falls directly below my left index finger,
allowing me to take control without needing to hunt for the switch. When I
auto-focus, it responds quickly and quietly. It only weighs 7 ounces--an
insignificant amount compared to the camera body. When I got my pictures
back, they were noticeably better than I had gotten from my cheap
point-and-shoot camera.
Using this lens sparked my interest in photography. Ironically, the more I
learned, the less I liked this lens. The maximum aperture of f3.5 at 28mm
and f5.6 at 80mm is too small to take handheld pictures indoors, unless
you're using very fast film (ISO 800+). Consequently, I had many shots
ruined because of camera shake (my new Canon 28-135 IS lens cures this using
Image Stabilization). The front of the lens rotates when it focuses, which
disturbs the circular polarizing filter I use. There is no focus distance
indicator, a useful aid when manually focusing.
NOT
BUILT TO LAST
This lens is showing its age, even though I only shot about 20 rolls of film
with the lens before I upgraded. The plastic lens mount won't last if you
change lenses frequently. Grease that belongs inside the lens has worked its
way onto the lens barrel. The zoom action is now quite rough.
SUMMARY
This lens is a great match for an infrequent photographer with a Canon
Rebel. It is not a good match for the Elan IIE because of the plastic lens
mount and cheap feel. Hope this helped you decide...
| what about the 24-85 mm (8/8/2002, 4:41 PM) |