The Shake Down of the Canon EF 28-135 IS Lens

The Canon EF 28-135 3.5-5.6 USM* Image Stabilization IS lens is one of several IS lenses available from Canon. There is the EF 75-300/4-5.6 USM IS, EF 100-400/4-5.6L USM IS, EF 300/2.8L USM IS, EF 300/4L USM IS, EF 400/2.8L IS and EF 600/4L USM IS.

• USM stands for Ultra Sonic Motor

I use this lens for general and portrait photography. The 28mm focal length is ideal for those wide-angle shots for real estate and landscape photos. For automobiles or motorcycles, I tend to use 35mm through 75mm more often than other focal lengths. For portraits, I use the 135mm range exclusively with this lens.

THE GOOD

In the field, this lens is very versatile and easy to use. There are only two switches for you to remember. One is the manual/auto focus switch. This switch allows you to either use this lens in manual (you have to focus the lens) or auto focus (you let the lens focus for you). The second switch is your Image Stabilization switch. Now here's where it gets a little confusing. Canon designed the IS switch with a "I" and an "O". Well, what is the difference between the two? It took me about an hour to figure it out. "I" means ON and "O" means Off! So how did you figure that out? Easy, I selected "I" and you can barely hear the IS motor kick in. Obviously, in the "O" setting, the IS doesn’t work.

THE BAD

I always install a filter on all of my lenses. Usually I stack a skylight and a polarizing filter together. Then I have my Canon EW-78B lens hood installed. Well, on one eventful photograph shoot, I mistakenly left this triage installed and was horrified to see a black tinge on the upper left and right corners of my slides. This vignetting was caused by stacking my filters plus it didn't help I had my lens hood on either.

So how did I save the day? I scanned my slides and used Adobe Photo Shop to mask the vignetting and my clients didn't even blink an eye! Thank God for Adobe Photo Shop!

Suggestion: When using this lens, leave ONE filter on only. Stick with a known quality filter brand like Hoya (I've never had any problems with Hoya). Use the lens hood for outdoor use only when the sunlight appears a bit harsh. You might not need it for early morning or late afternoon shooting.

THE UGLY

How I wish Canon made the minimum aperture 2.8! Canon technical representatives could not explain Canon's reasoning behind a maximum 3.5 aperture. Arrrgh!

While doing exposure tests starting at 28mm f/3.5, 4. 5.6 etc. and working my way up to 135mm range I could not find any discernable flaws that is noticeable to the average photographer. Some photographers have told me they see a minute distortion at certain apertures but it was NOT confirmed.

BATTERY CONSUMPTION

When using this lens, I highly recommend that you do not rest your finger on the release button. Doing this will cause unnecessary battery drain. In my tests, even if you use the Image Stabilization 40% of the time, you will replace your 2CR5 lithium battery after about 25 rolls of 24 exposure film. Using a Power Booster E-1 (with a Canon EOS-1N), I did not see too much battery consumption. I did not test this lens with the Canon EOS Rebel G or 2000 cameras.

MY BOTTOM LINE

This is the Image Stabilization lens I use most often due to its size and ease of use. Now, the IS is a real big issue for me. I rarely, if ever, use it. It is great for subjects that move like an African safari, sporting events, etc. Is it worth buying? If you are prone to shaking your camera, I would highly recommend it. The Image Stabilization is definitely not fast as a human eye but that is to be expected because this is using artificial intelligence. Nothing can duplicate the human brain, which can process more complex information than any computer chip can ever do.

This lens would definitely be a great companion to a sports or travel photographer.

THE SPECIFICATIONS

Estimated Retail Price: $589.00
Filter size: 72mm
Closest focusing distance: 1.6 feet
Weight: 1.2 pounds
Lens Construction: 16 Elements in 12 Groups