This is a very lightweight and compact zoom lens for its almost 7X zoom ratio. It is the first ever EF 28 to 200mm, made possible by the five group design with all five groups moving during zooming. It achieves the high zoom ratio while keeping the number of optical elements to a minimum by using two aspherical elements. Inner focusing using the second lens group gives focusing to 0.45m at all focal lengths and maximum magnification of 0.28X at 200mm. Inner focusing combined with the USM focusing motor give silent, high-speed focusing. Another advantage is that front-mounting accessories, especially polarizing (PL) filters are much easier to use since the lens does not rotate while focusing.
The silver ring at the front of the zoom ring presents high-quality appearance, and the optical system uses only environmentally friendly lead-free glass.
Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras This is a fast lens. This is a very economical lens. The weight of this lens and the 28-200mm zoom allowed me to take photos at wide angle and zoom without having to carry multiple lens as I did in the past.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Good Overall Lens, Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
2.8
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
3.0
AF Speed
2.0
Value for Money
3.0
This is a good lens for all around shooting, especially outside. It does well in bright light but blurs badly in low light. With a tripod it does OK but this would not be my recommendation for inside or low light shooting without a flash. However for an all around carry lens at a reasonable price this is great.
the zoom range makes it really nice.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Lens, great buy for the $$!!, Friday, 08 August 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I bought this to go with the new Rebel I bought. EXCELLENT lens, makes the camera look and feel and best of all, take photos like a much higher-end camera. Highly recommend!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1 lens for many events, Friday, 11 July 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
3.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
3.0
i bought this lens to use on vacation or other when i didn't want to carry 2 lenses. this lens does that - i know some of the reviews stated that this lens was not the quality they were looking for but so far, i have seen that. pro - it's canon, and it covers a lot of range con - it is a heavier lens
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Great Lense, Thursday, 12 June 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
This is a great mid range zoom lense with the wide angle of a 28mm. I use this lense with my Canon 40D. It has very good optics and is very easy to use. A very good value.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Great lens, Saturday, 31 May 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.0
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
4.0
This is great lens that i use all the time. There is only one problem i had and that is dust. After less then a year i got one big peace of dust on the inside of the lens that cost over $100 to have removed. As long as you take care not to let this happen it is a great lens to have.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Great budget lens, Tuesday, 01 April 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.3
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
5.0
This is a good lens if you are on a budget, I use mine with a digital rebel xti.
Its wide to tele coverage reduces the need to take several lenses, making it a good lens for travelling on foot. As for issues with sharpness, unsharp mask in Adobe Photoshop should take care of that. Sure a 24-105mm L and a 70-200mm F/4 L IS would be great, but once you can work photoshop, this lens should suffice until you can save up a few thousand dollars for these two.
A speedlite EX430/580 would also be a wise investment with this lens.
Why should you care what I think?
My relationship with this item: I own it Where did you buy this item?: B&H Photo Price paid: 359 When did you buy this item?: March 15, 2008
Conclusions at a glance
Would you recommend this Item: Yes Pros: Great wide to tele coverage, nice everyday lens Cons: A Bit on the soft side
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Probably acceptable for most..., Monday, 14 January 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
3.0
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
3.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
3.0
This is a pretty handy lens, given it's 28-200mm range, you can capture almost any scene.
However, if you're a serious hobbyist, and have a desire for tack sharp images, this lens just doesn't cut it. When I had it combined with my Rebel XT, it produced images that were comparable, to slightly better than, old point and shoot. But, even with a tripod, the images produced were too soft for my liking.
That said, I still think this is probably a pretty good starter lens - if you're used to the reach given by super zoom point and shoots, this is probably your best option if you don't have thousands of dollars and don't want to carry a bunch of lenses around with you.
I'm selling mine and upgrading to a Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Great zoom lens, Sunday, 25 March 2007
Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I really wanted an IS lens but they were all really expensive. I settled for this on because the price was right and it was a Canon product. I was not disappointed with my selection at all. For an amature photographer this lens will do everything I need it to for now. I may get a wide angle lens. But I think this one will work.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
A good choice for a walk-around lens, Tuesday, 20 March 2007
Overall rating (weighted)
4.0
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
5.0
This was my first EOS zoom lens, purchased years ago with my original D30. Decent sharpness, decent range, and nice, smooth operation. I personally prefer the 28-135 IS, but if you need the extra reach the 200mm gives you then this is good choice for a walk-around zoom.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
A good film lens, maybe not so good with digital. , Wednesday, 31 January 2007
Overall rating (weighted)
3.8
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
4.0
I got this lens for a wedding I shot. Since I only had one camera at the time, I was afraid of losing shots as I switched back and forth. Since I was in need, I paid full retail price. Couple of comments. You need to have an external flash and be able to do bounce lighting for this lens to be really useful inside. Its a slow lens as the aperature is small. This lens is what I would call an "average" lens. It does everything good but nothing great. The advantages of this lens is the great focal length capability. 28-200mm covers alot of ground. If you travel and you just want to keep memories for yourself and keep your film/digital camera at full auto or f/ 5.6 to 8, you will get great results. use a 580 or a 430 ex flash and that will help compensate for indoors. I think the focal lengths work better for full frame or film cameras over the small sensor digital cameras.
The thing about this lens is the greatest asset of the lens is also the greatest weakness. To be able to provide 28mm-200mm at 350-500 bucks, it requires alot of compromises. Its slow indoors or requires flash which for most people is okay. you will get softness if you blow pictures up past 8x10. Its heavy and long. It doesn't have a small Depth of focus for your close ups, it needs to be on a tripod for 200mm unless you can hold it very steady and even then you will want a flash.
If you want a good all around lens under 400.00 this is your lens. If you want to spend a little more you get IS and USM with the 28-135mm. My feeling is, you take great pictures with a lens you have, not a lens you don't have. I think for begineers and for a fun day just shooting regular pictures, this is a great lens. Save the artsy pictures and the emotional pictures for a 50mm 1.4 or a 85mm 1.8 or a up close picture for the 70-200mm. This is a good all around for good pictures, not great ones.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Canon Lens, Sunday, 21 January 2007
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I love this lens. It adds a little weight but still able to hold with one hand. It does exactly what you expect it to.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Good Initial Results, Thursday, 18 January 2007
Overall rating (weighted)
4.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
3.0
The initial results were excellent, but I must admit I was a little surprised to see how long the lens becomes when at maximum focal length. The weight also intimidated me at first, but when mounted on a Canon Digital Rebel XTi with a battery grip attached, it seems to balance out decently.
I do have to say that, in accordance with other reviews, low light is not a friend of this lens. I haven't done much outdoor photography (due to time contraints, time of the year, etc.), but what I've done has turned out very clear and pleasing. I have a feeling that well-lit outdoor shots is where this lens might excel best.
This is definitely a massive upgrade over the kit lens (in focal length, size, weight, and quality), so be prepared for all four.
I'm not sure if the price justified the purchase, but I think that if good care is taken of this lens, then over time it will surely pay itself off.
Do I recommend? Only if you find the Digital Rebel kit lens too limiting, and want that extra focal length, if you don't mind the extra size, if you have a need for the extra zoom, and are ready for upgrading. Otherwise, practice on the kit lens or a cheaper lens for a while before moving up.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Only One, Wednesday, 10 January 2007
Overall rating (weighted)
4.3
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
This lens is the perfect all around zoom for your camera. There is really no need to have to keep switching lenses when this 28-200mm is attached. Quick auto focus and clear pics. The only drawback I have experienced so far is the lack of a lock on the lens. It has a tendency to entend itself from the movement as you walk. But all in all I am extremely satisfied.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Good All-Purpose Lens, Monday, 31 July 2006
Overall rating (weighted)
4.0
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
4.0
If you're a professional photographer, you can probably ignore this review. But then you probably won't be thinking about buying this lens anyway, as you'll be off to purchase a nice L series.
However, if - like me - you just happen to have a nice Canon Digital Rebel camera (or equivalent) and enjoy taking decent pictures, this lens will probably work out very well for you. I've taken well over 1000 pictures with it in a couple of weeks, and it has performed very much as expected. For the price, it's perfect for a go-everywhere lens.
A few main points. Okay, it's not the best image quality. Even on low/medium ISO it seems a little grainy and its not as sharp as some of the more expensive Canon lenses. It struggles indoors unless you have a good flash unit, but for well-lit outdoor shoots it's works very well.
Of course, it would be nice to have a nice L series with IS, but if you can't afford that then this is a very good value lens. Not for the real professionals, but great if you don't take things too seriously and just want a bit more zoom - and, let's face it, who doesn't want a but more zoom!
