Canon EF 28 135mm F 3 5 5 6 IS USM Review | 54 Data compared

The Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM is a versatile, budget-friendly consumer zoom lens valued for its extensive focal range and effective Image Stabilization (IS), allowing for 2-3 stops slower handheld shooting. It features fast, quiet Ring USM autofocus with full-time manual override and delivers sharp image quality in the center of the frame throughout the zoom range. Conversely, the lens suffers from notable consumer-grade limitations, including significant "lens creep" and a lack of premium damping in the zoom mechanism. Optical performance is hindered by strong barrel distortion and heavy vignetting at 28mm, soft corners throughout the range, significant chromatic aberrations, and weak flare resistance.

📸 Canon 28-135mm Review ⚙️ Sizable build at 97 mm size 📏 Features a metal bayonet mount 🔩 Heavy weight at 540 grams ⚖️ Complex 16 lenses in 12 groups 🔮 Non-rotating front lens design 🔄 Uses 72 mm diameter filters ⭕ Has a smooth USM drive motor ⚡ Built-in image stabilization 🎯 Comfortable & precise rings 🙌 Provides an excellent hand grip ✊ Very stable overall construction 🛠️ Not premium L-grade alloy 🚫 Sizable & heavy body to carry 🎒 Want more detail on image sharpness or autofocus speed?

The Opticallimits review outlines the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 USM IS as a highly successful film-era all-round zoom that shifts into a short telephoto zoom (equivalent to 45-216mm) when adapted to modern APS-C digital SLR cameras like the Canon EOS 350D. The standout feature of this 16-element lens is its early-generation Image Stabilization (IS) mechanism, which uses dual gyro sensors to counteract camera shake by up to two shutter speed steps, making it highly valuable for handheld shooting without a tripod. Additionally, the lens boasts an incredibly fast and nearly silent Ultrasonic (USM) autofocus drive that supports full-time manual focusing, a non-rotating front element ideal for polarizing filters, and a decent 1:5 maximum magnification ratio at 135mm. However, the review highlights several distinct compromises in performance, physical handling, and modern framing. Because of the 1.6x crop factor on APS-C bodies, the lens loses its useful wide-angle versatility, forcing users to pair it with an ultra-wide zoom like the EF-S 10-22mm or opt for the dedicated EF-S 17-85mm replacement. Physically, the lens is bulky and heavy at 549g, featuring a complex...

in english language, be very specific, mention pros and cons inside You sent: 1 tab and said: 2 paragraphs summary of this review in english language, be very specific, mention pros and cons inside Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Macro USM Review - What Digital Camera 2 paragraphs summary of this review in english language, be very specific, mention pros and cons inside

The Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM is a mid-range, general-purpose zoom lens designed for full-frame cameras that can also be used on crop-sensor bodies. Its robust plastic build features a solid metal mount and a smooth matte black finish that resists scratching, though it completely lacks weather sealing. Performance pros include a fast and silent ring-USM autofocus motor, internal focusing that prevents the front element from rotating, and full-time manual focus overrides. However, major cons include an older, noisy image stabilization system that only provides about 1.5 stops of correction, prominent lens zoom creep, and an outer barrel wobble due to its multi-part extending design. Optically, the lens trades absolute image quality for an extended zoom reach, suffering from higher chromatic aberration, more distortion, and lower resolution than its premium L-series counterparts. While it serves as a flexible normal-to-telephoto option, it has largely become an anachronism on modern digital cameras. Full-frame users have better alternatives like the sharper EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, while crop-sensor photographers are better served by the lighter EF-S 18-135mm, which adds true wide-angle capabilities....

The DxOMark review for the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM evaluates this classic standard zoom lens—originally released in February 1998—mounted on the high-resolution Canon EOS 5DS R. Tested under these demanding conditions, the lens achieves an overall DXOMARK Score of 19, showing its best performance at a focal length of 28mm with an aperture of f/3.5. In terms of optical metrics, it delivers a sharpness score of 12 P-Mpix, a light transmission rating of 5.5 TStop, a well-controlled distortion metric of 0.5%, vignetting at -1.3 EV, and a lateral chromatic aberration score of 19 µm. The core optical pros highlighted by the data include highly controlled distortion levels (0.5%) and relatively mild vignetting for a broad standard zoom lens. However, the lens suffers from several performance cons when paired with a modern high-megapixel sensor. Its sharpness maxes out at 12 P-Mpix, which struggles to fully resolve the massive resolution potential of the EOS 5DS R sensor. Additionally, it shows a relatively slow light transmission of 5.5 TStop and a significant amount of chromatic aberration at 19 µm, which can...

According to Ken Rockwell, the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM is a versatile, lightweight "do-everything" standard zoom lens for full-frame, 35mm, and mirrorless cameras that often outperforms more expensive alternatives. Key pros include a useful 5x range, effective Image Stabilization (IS), fast USM autofocus with manual override, and strong close-focusing macro capability. However, the lens has limitations, such as a variable aperture that restricts low-light performance at the 135mm end, along with significant barrel distortion and vignetting at 28mm. Additionally, it suffers from noticeable "zoom creep" (the barrel extends when pointed down) and lacks a physical zoom lock switch.

The Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM is reviewed as a highly versatile, general-purpose "do-it-all" consumer lens that covers everything from wide-angle to telephoto focal lengths. It serves as an excellent, lightweight travel option that is universally compatible with both modern digital full-frame bodies and older analog film EOS cameras. While the reviewer was initially disappointed by its corner softness during early tests, re-evaluating the lens for street photography revealed superb center sharpness and great image quality when used wide open. Pros & Cons Pros: Superb center sharpness across all focal lengths. Versatile zoom range suitable for a broad variety of photography styles. Image stabilization helps minimize camera shake. Universal compatibility across all Canon EOS analog and digital bodies. Good build quality featuring a metal mount and full-time manual focus override. Digital profile support from Canon allows easy correction of distortion and illumination falloff in post-processing. Cons: Soft corners when shooting wide open. Noticeable autofocus jiggle at the maximum 135mm focal length due to the slow f/5.6 aperture. Prone to lens flare in direct sunlight due to its complex 16-element...

The Canon EF 28-135mm IS USM emerged as the overall best performer among the consumer zoom lenses tested, offering good build quality, convenient image stabilization, and excellent resolution when shot wide open at 28mm. Surprisingly, at 50mm, its resolving power even outperformed the high-end 28-70mm L-series zoom lens from apertures of f/4 and beyond. In portrait applications, it produced beautiful, flattering images at f/8, and it delivered landscape and architectural shots indistinguishable from much more expensive prime lenses when stopped down to around f/16. However, the lens suffers from notable optical compromises, including substantial linear and barrel distortion that becomes particularly objectionable at the wider 28mm focal length. At its maximum telephoto reach of 135mm, image resolution and contrast drop off noticeably, requiring digital post-processing or stopping down to achieve sharp results. Furthermore, its variable aperture limits its capability to create a very shallow depth of field to isolate subjects from background clutter, and the reviewer noted a personal preference for a wider 24mm starting focal length to counteract digital sensor crop factors.

The Imaging Resource review highlights the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM as an affordable, versatile mid-range zoom lens featuring effective built-in image stabilization for handheld shooting and quick, quiet USM autofocus. It provides excellent center sharpness across its range, making it a strong value option for walk-around, general-purpose photography. However, the lens exhibits significant barrel distortion and corner vignetting at 28mm, alongside noticeable chromatic aberration and soft corners when used wide open. The construction is prone to zoom creep and, while versatile, it faces limitations in low-light performance and bokeh due to its variable, relatively slow maximum aperture.

The Canon EF 28-135 mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM is a universal lens with a highly usable focal length range that delivers very good image quality in the center of the frame and good performance at the edges. It features a flawless, accurate, quiet, and fast autofocus system alongside well-controlled distortion, low astigmatism, and highly efficient optical image stabilization. Reviewers highlight that its declining price makes it an exceptionally tempting and budget-friendly choice for photographers willing to compromise on wide-angle performance. However, the lens does suffer from several optical drawbacks, most notably visible chromatic aberration and large vignetting when shooting at the 28 mm wide end. It also exhibits visible coma and shows weak performance when shooting against bright light sources. Ultimately, using this lens alongside a standard EF-S 18-55 mm kit lens yields significantly better overall image quality than relying solely on the alternative EF-S 17-85 IS USM zoom lens.