Canon EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM Lens

To begin with, this is a very heavy lens. It can be cumbersome. Ill also admit, Im teetering a bit on buyers remorse because it is a very expensive lens but every time I look at the photos Ive taken with it, I know it was worth the money. Would not recommend this lens unless you know youre going to need the variety of lengths. 28-300 is a big range and if you can use lenses with a different range (24-70, 70-200, 100-400), there may be another lens that has a wider aperture/lighter/less expensive and would suit your needs better. I will put this lens on when I dont know what Im going to encounter but if I can limit my shooting range, will use a more targeted lens. I travel a lot and for extended periods of time so this lens will always be in my kit as a very high quality safety lens.

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I bought this about a year and a half ago to use on my 7D and I love it! It is a little pricey and a bit heavy, BUT a great lens. Works fine indoors and out. Im able to stand at one end of the basketball court and get good shots on both ends. Doesnt seem to be a big market for it so not a lot of resell value (Im trying to resell my to pay off some debt) but I do love this lens and would consider it at a later point. And would probably be even better on a full framed camera body.

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Highly recommend. I read every review and watched every video I could find on this lens. I feel the reviews are accurate. If you read and watch them you will know exactly what you are buying. The only down side of this lens that I feel is non debatable is its weight. Yes it is a bit heavy. It doesn’t bother me at 6 180lbs but some might be put off a bit. That said I love every other feature and aspect of this lens and I feel the weight is simply a byproduct of a superb design and build. There is one thing the reviews do not mention and it is of foremost importance and must be considered in todays high tech world. Lenses are part of an imaging system. The system consists mainly of the camera, the lens and the software. Comparing this lens to other sharper lenses means nothing unless you plan to make huge prints. With todays sensors and software the final image product is rarely compromised by a quality lens that is only 99% of some other super sharp zoom. Consider the incredible range of FL and the choice for me was simple. As has been stated in many of the reviews, rent it first if you can to make sure you will be OK with the weight. Youll love the photos.

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The specifics of this lens are probably well known to those who are interested in this review. It is a 15 year old design, and among Canons "smaller" white lenses it is the heaviest and most expensive. An 11x zoom range necessitates numerous optical compromises and they are occasionally visible. All of that being said, when you are carrying only one lens, then this is as good as it gets. The lens certainly lives up to its L designation and it is a far better lens than two other all-in-one lenses, the EF 28-200mm USM (which is a 19 year old design) as well as the EF 28-135mm, which both are discontinued. There is a bit of distortion at the wide end, but that is not a significant drawback for me, as I dont often find structures in the viewfinder when walking around with this lens. What particularly impresses me is the sharpness across the focal range. On a recent walk I captured a neighborhood cat with a 300 mm setting, and I must say the lens is as sharp as a cats whisker! The sharpness is obviously aided by the image stabilization, as the picture was shot at 1/250 second. The street scene is meant to show that at 28 mm you can isolate a subject (here the needles on the bush) when shooting at close distance with a large aperture. I must also mention that autofocus is quite rapid at the long end (at f/5.6) even in light that the camera determines (in Auto ISO) to need ISO 32,000! If you can afford it and are strong enough to carry it, then this is a great lens as long as you respect its inherent (minor) limitations.

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Very nice lens for those times you arent sure what youll run into. Its not as fast as the rest of my glass, but its a fine lens anyway. Quick, silent autofocus, easily adjustable friction control for the slide zoom. Its even positioned so that you can change it with one hand while holding the lens. The IS is good enough that you dont need a tripod even as slow as 1/60 or even a few stops slower. It is heavy, but if youre used to carrying gear on your person it wont be a big deal. Its still lighter than my wildlife telephoto, my wide angle prime and my macro prime which is what Id often carry if I wasnt sure where wed end up. This is much more compact and will even fit in my purse, though admittedly, my purse is kind of large.

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This lens is very versatile for video shoots with lots of action. I work at Jordan Winery [...] and spend a fair amount of time shooting video of vineyard crews pruning grapevines and harvesting grapes. Theres a lot of movement and this lens helps me get all kinds of different shots fast without changing lenses. Its the best all-purpose lens Canon makes, IMO. Ive researched them all, as has my husband who is a professional photographer. Highly recommended. The only complaint I have is that the collar slips quite often, so if youre shooting video, make sure to get a level to put on your camera or use an iPhone level app -- or just go out and buy the new Canon 5D Mark iii, which has a built-in level.

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After reading all the reviews, I pretty much have no more to say because they have given very precise opinions about this len. I was spending quite a long time on deciding which len to go, 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM or this 28-300mm. They are both amazing lens and everyone hopes to own both if possible. Finally, be true to yourself, what is this len made for? what is the most desirable feature of this len? Then I realized and went for this baby. The only thing you need to think about is why do you need this HUGE RANGE provided by this single len. Because you dont have time to (or are lazy to, just like me) change lens!!! :-) I like to travel and try to bring as fewer gears as possible. In many situations, you just dont have time to change lens to shoot some once in a life time scenes. And if the schedule is tight, frequently changing lens will degrade sightseeing quality. This is the KEY! Make this as your priority concern then decide which lens to go. 24-70 + 70-200 or 28-300 :) FYI. I got another 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM for low light or in-door conditions. Also the 10-22 wide angle len since I am using 40D with the 1.6x factor. One last thing I would like to remind you is that some gears seem not to be compatible with this len. For example, close-up len, extender. So do check before buying. And this len comes with hood and bag. No need to buy separately. Enjoy it !

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Outstanding product. One of Canons best lenses. It is shade heavy but once you get used to its weight, it serves you well through the entire focal length range from near wide 28mm to long telephoto 300mm.

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Havent had much chance to use it. Bought it used. No physical damage to it. Packaging was fort like and much appreciated. Bought it used to save $500. It isnt as white as my camera or lens installed but that isnt as important as hopefully it works like new. THe lens is quite heavy but with stabilization most shots will be possible. Mahalo.

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I use this lens for everything! Over 5 million pictures since I bought it, never fails!

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