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Lens review

Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM

25 October 2012
Arkadiusz Olech

11. Summary

Pros:
  • compact and solid casing,
  • excellent image quality in the frame centre,
  • good image quality on the edge of APS-C sensor,
  • well-corrected chromatic aberration,
  • slight spherical aberration,
  • moderate distortion,
  • low coma on APS-C,
  • negligible astigmatism,
  • very good work against bright light,
  • very fast and accurate autofocus,
  • efficient image stabilization.

Cons:

  • weak image quality on the edge of full frame at the maximum relative aperture,
  • huge vignetting on full frame,
  • high coma in the corners of full frame detector,
  • modest accessory kit.

The list of pros and cons of the Canon 2.8/28 is exactly the same as in the case of the Canon 2.8/24 IS, tested here not so long ago. However our summary of this one is going to be even more critical. Firstly because of the parameters, which are less extreme so the 2.8/28 model is easier to construct. Secondly, there is a much faster rival of the same make – the EF 28 m f/1.8 USM; the new construction compares unfavourably with it in many categories despite the fact that it is more expensive.


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In our humble opinion Canon would have fared much better if they had presented a typical successor of the 1.8/28 model – after improving the performance on the edge of the frame and at the maximum relative aperture such an instrument would have fond a wide group of fans, even with f/2.0 aperture and the price tag of about 3,000 PLN.

In the current situation many people, instead of buying the expensive 2.8/28 model, will choose a faster 1.8/28 or they will make do with the elderly EF 28 mm f/2.8 which costs as much as one fourth of the price of the new lens.


Sample shots

Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/4000 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 7.61 MB
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/160 s, ISO 400
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 8.16 MB
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/2000 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 8.87 MB
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/100 s, ISO 200
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 6.97 MB
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/80 s, ISO 200
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 6.32 MB
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/60 s, ISO 200
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 7.43 MB
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/1000 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 6.81 MB
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/1250 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 9.3 MB
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/320 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 10.72 MB
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/4.0, exp. 1/1000 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 11.27 MB
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/4.0, exp. 1/1000 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 9.46 MB
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/4.0, exp. 1/1600 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 9.71 MB
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/4.0, exp. 1/1600 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 10.69 MB
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/4.0, exp. 1/1600 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 9.1 MB
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/4.0, exp. 1/1600 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 9.07 MB
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/4.0, exp. 1/60 s, ISO 200
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 8.21 MB
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/5.6, exp. 1/320 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 9.69 MB
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/5.6, exp. 1/500 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 12.12 MB
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/5.0, exp. 1/250 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 10.29 MB
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/5.0, exp. 1/800 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 10.29 MB
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/5.6, exp. 1/1000 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 9.62 MB
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/6.3, exp. 1/500 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 8.9 MB
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/8.0, exp. 1/320 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 10.79 MB
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/8.0, exp. 1/400 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 9.68 MB
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/8.0, exp. 1/250 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 9.75 MB
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/8.0, exp. 1/400 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 9.36 MB
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/8.0, exp. 1/250 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 11.2 MB
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Canon EF 28 mm f/2.8 IS USM - Summary
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/11.0, exp. 1/80 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 9.51 MB
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/11.0, exp. 1/200 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 10.45 MB
Camera: Canon 1Ds MkIII
Parameters: 28 mm, f/11.0, exp. 1/125 s, ISO 100
File: JPEG, 5616×3744 pix, 12.48 MB



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