This product is is very nice for the price and is quite versatile. Sharpness and contrast are quite good when stopped down to f8 or higher, which is where I used the lens mostly.

Has a tendency to distort a little bit and at wider apertures, it is not as sharp as primes. Flare resistance is not very good. Vignetting is a problem when using lower apertures- especially when using a lens hood or polarizer+ haze or UV. When the zoom is extended the barrel seems loose. This didn't seem to affect the pictures I took, though. Build quality could be better.

Overall, a very good lens for the price. Definitely a lens to buy if you are an amateur, but I think you'd do alot better to get the primes or the L-zooms if you are a real serious photographer- be prepared to cough up the dough for the "L's". I have outgrown the quality limitations for my landscape work, and have upgraded to 24mm f2.8, 35mm f2.0, 50mm f1.8 (mk1), and the 70-200L zoom.

Customer Service

Didn't need any.

Similar Products Used:

Canon EF 50mm 1.8 prime (mk. 1). Canon EF 35mm f2.0 prime. Canon 75-300 USM mkII

Very useful zoom range. Decent sharpness (not as sharp as my 50/1.4), but sharp enough for most occasions especially when stopped down to f/8. Lightweight and compact. Fast and quiet AF. Does not shadow cameras built in flash (used without hood).

Slightly high distorsion especially at wide end.

This is a favourite lens. It covers most of my needs, I always bring this one with me. Someone complained below it only has 5 aperture blades resulting i bad bokeh, actually the newer ones have 7 aperture blades, (newer ones can be distinguished by the text MACRO instead of the flower symbol on the lens), I find bokeh quite good. Use the dedicated hood (except when using the cameras built in flash), it improves contrast a lot. Don't ever use more than one filter on this lens, it will cause severe vignetting at wide end.

Customer Service

Not needed yet

Similar Products Used:

EF 28-80/3,5-5,6 DCII
Rikenon 28-100/4

versatile zoom range, decently fast aperture range, sharp stopped down, high contrast, super fast USM focusing, decent build quality.

tends to be soft wide open at the long end, a little vignetting at 28 wide open. barrel is polycarb, does not hold up against scratches well. hood dependent flare control.

a good all around lens, especially for lightweight travelling. it is probably the best consumer zoom for the canon eos system, minus the 28-135, but then again, the 28-135 is more than double the price. can't complain about this lens...

Customer Service

let's knock on wood and hope i don't need it.

Similar Products Used:

canon 28-70 mkii, tokina 28-105, sigma 28-105

Great lens! Great for composing, travel light with good range of focal lenths. I am fairly new to the new gear, my old gear was the old, but great Ftb with the fd lens series. I have always been satisified with the FD series lenes. I was a bit aprehensive with these AF lenes, esp. the zooms. I shoot mostly slides, and so far, this lenes measure right up there with the old FD primes! The slides come out sharp, well exposed with my Rebel G and Elan II. It is my new "workhorse" lens!

I suppose it could be faster.

Would highly recomend this lens to anyone who the convience of a zoom, with good range, and sharpness.

Customer Service

None needed so far!

Similar Products Used:

35 - 80 Canon AF
80 - 200 Canon AF
Canon FD Prime Lens

Compact, reasonably lightweight, reasonable speed for a consumer zoom. Quick, silent focusing with full-time manual focusing due to ring USM. Quick focusing and non-rotating front element due to inner focusing. Two-step zoom design doesn't block pop-up flash units. Good optics - this lens takes sharp pictures.

You'll want the lens hood to avoid flare problems. Can vignette wide open. Significant distortion at wide end (though distortion is minimal around 50mm and not bad at the long end).

Very good first lens, or step up from 35-80 or 28-80 lenses sold in kits. Versatile zoom range. Reasonably priced. Note that some older units have 5-blade diaphragms; newer ones use 7 for better bokeh.

Similar Products Used:

Canon EF 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

Seems to take sharp pictures. I have also shot into the sun with the sun in various places in the frame and not had a big problem with flar. I think it is a great lens seems to be well built

None that I can think of

I think this lens is great especially for the price you pay. I bought the lens hood with it and use it on there just about all the time. If anybody was looking to upgrade from the lens that can on your body, without spending a lot this would be the one! I am very happy with it!

Similar Products Used:

35-80 4-5.6
75-300 4-5.6 USM

Lightweight, compact, reasonably sturdy for a consumer-grade lens.
Good optical performance, especially in the wide-to-normal focal length range.
Full-time manual focus is definitely another plus.

Sometimes tends to self-zoom when pointed downwards or upwards.

Very good value for the money, at least in my country. Has become my favorite lens for over 60 % of my pictures (several thousand a year)
The lens hood may present a problem for people with big fingers (not me), as it makes a bit difficult to remove the lens cap.

Customer Service

Excellent, no complaint whatsoever.

Similar Products Used:

Sigma UC 28-70
Canon EF 35-105 (now discontinued)

This lens covers my most used focal lenghts. it has quick, quiet autofocus that makes it a joy to use.

The optical quality of this lens is Ok for a consumer lens but can and will disappoint you often. I sold it because it just did't deliver the image quality I needed. This lens also doesn't handle contrast well in the 70 to 105mm range.

This is a great starter consumer grade lens for casual picture taking. however, If image quality is really important this lens will disappoint you. The image quality doesn't come close to that of the Tokina 28- 70mm F2.8 pro II lens and I didn't like the images this Canon lens took above 70mm anyway.

Customer Service

The lens is well built so I never needed to have it repaired.

Similar Products Used:

Tokina 28-70mm f2.6/2.8 Pro II
Canon 85mm f1.8
Canon 50mm f1.8
Canon 80-200 f2.8 L
Canon 100mm f2.8 macro

light weight, silent, non-rotating front element, can withstand AMAZING abuse (see below).

easy to get vignetting at 28mm.

yesterday i was snowshoeing up in rocky mountain national park and was trying to compose a shot up on a rock fin near longs peak. a BRUTAL gust of wind came up and hit me and the face, and picked up my backpack which was at my feet and flung it 60 feet down the mountain. my 28-105 was sitting loose in the top of the bag. it fell about 20 feet into some powder where i managed to retrieve it ten minutes later. a half hour later i was shooting with it.

though i haven't doublechecked the image quality as of yet, the autofocus is fine and the apeture is working just fine. all this on top of more or less dropping the lens (while attached to an elan ii) in a maine river in '98.

this lens is an absolute trooper for someone who might put their equipment through abusive situations but doesn't have the money for the L equivalent. other arguments about sharpness aside, i have to give it five thumbs up.

Customer Service

no experience

Similar Products Used:

28-80 usm ii

Light, small and portable. Very usable zoom range. Reasonable lens speed for general use. IF and non-rotating front element good for polarizer and specialty filters. A Good hobby and travel zoom.

Poor image quality: excessive barrel distortion at short end, lack of contrast and sharpness at long end, heavy flare. Cheap "Canon style" 5-blade diaphram produces poor background blur.

This lens emphasizes on features and conveniences while sacrificing optical quality. Good "Print Grade" lens. A nice casual/travel/starter lens but if you are picky about your photo quality better get something else.

Customer Service

No problem so far but I heard this lens is easy to catch dust between the elements.

Similar Products Used:

Canon EF 28-70 3.5-4.5 II: Optically excellent!
Canon EF 24-85 3.5-4,5 USM: Very similar to 28-105
Sigma 28-105 2.