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Canon EF 28-70 mm f/3.5-4.5 II

Pictures:
Specifications:
Manufacturer Canon
Model EF 28-70 mm f/3.5-4.5 II
Lens style Universal zoom
Focal length 28 - 70 mm
Maximum aperture f/3.5 - 4.5
Angle of view 75.4 - 34.3 o
Closest focusing distance 0.39 m
Maximum magnification 1:4.5
Minimum aperture 29
Number of diaphragm blades 5
Auto focus type AF
Lens Construction 10 elements / 9 groups
Filter diameter 52 mm
Macro No
Available mounts Canon EF
Dimensions 70 x 76.5 mm
Weight 285 g
Additional information Marketed June 1988
Average rating (10 owners reviews)
Build quality
Optical quality
Value for money

Overall

4.30 Good
Owners reviews (10)
  1. Mike
    Mike 15 July 2022, 20:01
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 146.200.x.x
    Owner since: more than 10 years
    Price: 50
    User profile: Semipro

    Cons: You will notice vignetting when you shoot it at 28/3.5 and more on full frame (though not at the levels of the 35-105 3.5-4.5), and Canon elected not to produce a correction profile for it as they did for only slightly less old lenses and many much less good ones. Similarly you might sometimes see light purple fringes towards frame corners against the light. Lacks the ring USM AF of the best of the mid-priced 1990\'s standard zooms that came after it. The physical arrangement (also carried over into the replacement 28-80 3.5-5.6 USM) is odd, with a front cell which protrudes only at some focal lengths, and otherwise recedes into the outer body.

    Pros: Superb optics which are demonstrably better than the good lenses which followed it - 28-80 3.5-5.6 USM i, 28-105 3.5-4.5 USM, and 24-85 3.5-4.5 USM. These are all good, but this old 28-70 is better - higher and more consistent sharpness at a wider range of apertures than all those good lenses. Also better than the good 35-105 3.5-4.5. Good enough to be very good on crop sensor, but really sings on 5 and 6D. It is also small and easy to carry, and to use reasonably unobtrusively.

    Summary: I have used one of these professionally back in the early days of digital SLRs. If you haven\'t tried one, it will probably be better than you think.

  2. els
    els 7 May 2014, 01:05
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 84.77.x.x
    Owner since: 3 months
    Price: 60$
    User profile: Semipro

    Cons: Field curvature at 28mm, corners may appear blurred used on FF at 28-35mm. Outdated mechanics, noisy AF, cumbersome focusing system. Using 52mm filters is not a good option.

    Pros: Amazing optics. Very sharp. Very good colors. Quite little CA and distortion. Great option for full format cameras. Very light, small, and decent built quality, with metal mount and good quality plastics. Better AF than expected. Amazing value.

    Summary: I bought this lens as a backup and to keep my 35mm f1.4 safe in some situations. But it has been a complete surprise. A very nice basic zoom for travel photography.

  3. Benji
    Benji 24 March 2014, 15:14
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 192.54.x.x
    Owner since: 6 months
    Price: 80
    User profile: Amateur

    Cons: Little noisy AF, caps only at 28 & 70mm Vignetting wide open in FF , but no pb for me !

    Pros: Close focus ; Good wide open, Very good at f/5.6 accros the frame and range. Optically better than 28-105 mm f/3.5-4.5 USM and 24-85mm USM, mainly in the corner (in FF).

    Summary: Highly recommended for users looking for a little, lightweight and cheap good AF zoom.

  4. N-i-c-k
    N-i-c-k 12 September 2013, 12:28
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 176.73.x.x
    Owner since: 3 months
    Price: 100$
    User profile: Semipro

    Cons: Very old lens, Manual focus ring is narrow :(

    Pros: Sharp & cheap lens ! MK2 version has Aspherical element , MK1 is without it .

    Summary: Very good lens for every Day !

  5. MichaelMcGrath
    MichaelMcGrath 17 July 2012, 00:38
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 89.126.x.x
    Owner since: 3 years
    Price: £68
    User profile: Professional

    Cons: Build is tough but I docked it one in marks because of the awkwardness of putting filters on - you can get two cheap 52 mm filters , knock out the glass and screw them one over the other into the lens filter screw, that way you can then add screw-in filters and lens caps and lens hood. The lens hood for this is very rare and hard to find, even on Ebay. Plastic, but it's tough hard plastic that I think is tougher than steel, like in the original Canon EF 50/1.8 Mk 1 that I also have. I accidentally catapulted that little 50mm across my livingroom with a camera strap, it smashed off my marble fireplace with force - but no damage , it's perfect, it 's working perfect since, not a scratch anywhere. That plastic they used back then is really tough - as I remember a materials engineer telling us in Waterford Institute of Technology. Same plastic technology in this 28-70 lens as it feels and looks like it and it was made in the same years.

    Pros: Lovely metal mount, tough hard build as I said above, this lens will is built to last. It has an aspherical element, it's as good as most L lenses in Image Quality. It's as good as the 24-70 L from 40 mm to 70 mm , and better than any other prosumer Canon zoom from 28 to 70. It doesn't flare or ghost, never has on me at any rate. Though I don't use it that much because the EFS 18-55 IS lens is so good in Image Quality and with IS too, as is the 55-250 IS that I've got as well, and anything around the 50mm I use the prime. But it's nice to have, especially for landscapes and portraits on tripod. For street work, urban landscapes that I do, the colour is lovely, better than any of the lenses I mention here.

    Summary: All that said I'd swop it for an L if you're willing ...

  6. scotty2512
    scotty2512 9 April 2012, 13:28
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 81.156.x.x
    Owner since: 1 month
    Price: £50
    User profile: Amateur

    Cons: Build feels a bit dubious, especially after Leica lenses!. Limited in terms of night landscapes.

    Pros: Lightweight, cheap to aquire

    Summary: Not bad and useful to have in the kit, but i will be looking for a 2.8 version as soon as i can afford it!

  7. Nike
    Nike 16 January 2012, 15:36
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 153.96.x.x
    Owner since: more than 10 years
    Price:
    User profile: Amateur

    Cons: Zoom ring feels stiff and scratchy. No USM. Front lens rotates while focusing.

    Pros: Amazing optical quality for such a small and light lens. Very good colors, little CA and distortion. Good for full format and APS-C cameras.

    Summary: This is a perfect "always on" lens that will do an excellent job in most shooting situations. Not much worse than a prime lens (except for max aperture of course). Recommended.

  8. pixee
    pixee 3 August 2011, 15:00
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 88.115.x.x
    Owner since: 6 months
    Price: 90€
    User profile: Semipro

    Cons: plastic

    Pros: light, optically a real surprise. Works well with FF.

    Summary: bought an unused mint copy from eBay. Very good travel-lens with FF, 5DMk2.

  9. pronai
    pronai 14 July 2011, 10:50
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 194.140.x.x
    Owner since: 1 year
    Price: cca 50 EUR
    User profile: Amateur

    Cons: Old and cauld be problem for instance with cabling. Ficusing a bit slow and noissy, but OK for me. Front lens rotating while focusing.

    Pros: Light, sharp, cheap, nice.

    Summary: It is a really good lens, if you want a sharp and nice one as a basic zoom for a FF body. I did not buy the 28-70/2.8L but bought 2 of this old 28-70 instead... (One is for spare parts, it having sometimes problem with working, it should be a contact error in the cable somewhere, so because it is nor reliable I bought a second one). Between 28-40mm the L was sharper just a bit, then between 40-70 mm I did not see difference, or maybe this was sharper.

  10. Cezary
    Cezary 21 December 2009, 07:06
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 174.3.x.x
    Owner since: more than 10 years
    Price: US$280
    User profile: Amateur

    Cons: Weird construction of the zoom, when you zoom in or out, the cap gets detached. Just get Tokina cap which is flush with the barrel of the lens. Images soft wide open but great after f/5.6 Zoom range not very practical on cropped sensor 45mm-112mm (28-70 on full sensor)

    Pros: Light and small. Amazing picture quality!

    Summary: I have this lens for 20 years and I had had it on my camera 90% of the time in the film era. The range was good and the lens was capable of producing high quality pictures, rivaling those from a prime lens (it was matching my 50mm f/1.8II and was better than my 28mm f/2.8) Because of impractical range (on cropped sensor) I do not use it too often but when I get my 5DII I will get back to this lens!