Canon EF 28mm f2.8 review

The 28/2.8 is like the Rodney Dangerfield of Canon lenses. He don't get no respect! Honestly, it would be easy to pass this lens up and buy something else. The design is ancient (circa early 1990s), is "only" F2.8, it doesn't have USM, and while 28mm is wide angle, it's not *that* wide angle. So what does this lens have going for it? It's cheap, it's small, and it covers a full frame. If you've got an APS-C camera, there are better choices (mostly zooms), and if you're looking for razor sharp pictures corner to corner on your 1Ds mark III, there are better choices. In the days of pocket sized cameras with 47x zoom lenses, this little prime lens seems almost quaint. However if you're looking for a small, cheap, simplistic lens for your full frame camera (digital or film), this guy won't take up much space in your bag and is still a great choice.

I must have gotten a bad lens based on these reviews but then again maybe they don't have to look at thousands of images at 100% in a photo editor. This is the worst lens I've ever owned. It is soft, soft, soft. Even my cheap 50mm 1.8 is significantly sharper.

One reviewer said it's sharp on all four corners; not mine. It is embarrassingly fuzzy on the corners at any aperture and the edges as well as the middle too and forget about zone focusing. One of the great things about a lens like this is you can supposedly zone focus so that at .f.8 everything from 5 ft. to infinity is in focus - wrong.

For the price this lens is a rip-off. This lens does have a sweet spot but you'll wait a long time finding it and it'll happen once in a blue moon. How can an image from a lens shot with a Canon 5D at 1/500 and .f.8 on a sunny day be soft? Unbelievable. Another reviewer wrote it can be had used for 30 Euros - I don't doubt it. Whoever buys mine when I upgrade should call the police.

Great lens and the price makes it less stressful to take anywhere without worrying about it getting damaged. the pictures are very clear, having 2.8 is great, and it feels well-made. I use this lens more than the other two I purchased with the camera.

Because this lens is not very popular you can pick one up for a great deal. In fact I got mine used for 30 euros recently! The person just wanted to get rid of it. I've used it already for some studio shots and the images are great. I am using it on a T2i. The image quality meets that of my nifty-fifty. Even at f/2.8 it is very sharp. Focus is fast, not too loud. Color reproduction is amazing. For me, though, I don't think I'll use it much because my sigma 18-50mm f/2.8-4.5 (the $200 one) is just as sharp at 28mm (when stopped down) and it has OS. If you're using a crop-sensor body, a newer kit lens with IS or OS will serve you just fine, or get the 28mm f/1.8 for the extra stop and awesome shallow DOF. I'm going to keep this little lens though because I want to try it on a full frame body when I upgrade...I imagine it will be just as good, maybe a little soft in the corners wide open but who cares. I hope this helps any cropped-sensor folks who are looking at this lens...it is a fine lens, and if you can find it for cheap, get it, the image quality is great. Another note for crop-sensor folks...if you just have to have a wide prime for your crop sensor body, I would recommend the 24mm f2.8 as a wide-ish walk-around lens...this 28mm is not very wide...good for wide-ish portraits but not too good for landscapes or large crowds or in small rooms.

I wanted this lens but who has that kind of money, Look up diana lens adaptor, If you get that and the 20mm fisheye lens you just saved a ton of money. thats what I did and Im never going back. the quality is just fine and the fisheye effect is non existent, you cant tell its a fish. I put it on my canon digital XTI and its great for getting in peoples faces. Id say its about a 30mm. I have a tamron 18-200 and the photos still look great with the diana lens. I mean if you want to be professional and have some weird thing to prove buy the expensive one. yeah you focus with your hand and stuff like that but man you can die in a ditch ya lens. I use the diana lens for party photos, everyday around town and lovely ladies. My photos look wayyyy cooler than yours and I still have money.