Lens Question: Canon 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

[cpcpjfan]

I am looking to purchase the Canon EF 28-135 IS USM lens for my XTi. Does anyone here have any experience with this lens? Any thoughts and or advice would be appreciated. I have scoped out dpreview.com, but thought some of the great photographers on this site might have an opinion. My primary use for this would be for my baseball/soccer games, but I also want a good general purpose lens for Disney trips.

 

[KeithVH]

Wow, heavy lens for a walkaround. It's a good one but I'm not sure I'll be taking mine this winter. I also have a Tamron 17-50/2.8 that would seem to be a better all-purpose. About one-third the weight. I favor it for the wider aperture but, from my perspective, they return about the same results (minus the faster stop aspect).

 

[PhotoDave219]

I am looking to purchase the Canon EF 28-135 IS USM lens for my XTi. Does anyone here have any experience with this lens? Any thoughts and or advice would be appreciated. I have scoped out dpreview.com, but thought some of the great photographers on this site might have an opinion. My primary use for this would be for my baseball/soccer games, but I also want a good general purpose lens for Disney trips.

For a Disney trip, that sounds like an OKAY focal length for a walk around lens. I've used this lens before on a friends canon. For me, it doesnt get wide enough or close enough. The IS part is nice, great for nighttime but that's not reason enough. Youre not going to get close enough for the stage shows and youre not going to be able to get wide enough to get those "awwwe kid" moments that happen 2 feet in front of you. Just my thoughts there....

For soccer/baseball - Hell no. Nowhere near close enough. For high school baseball, a 300 gets the pitcher decently (from behind the backstop) and the infield.... sorta. Personally i use a 300+teleconverter for baseball and soccer.

As for soccer.... its rough. If they will let you stand on the end line on either side of the goal and get them running towards you, a 300 is the way to go, until they get down in the corners and then its 80-200 range.

Summed up. 28-135 for Disney? Its okay. Soccer/Baseball - No way.

Get the 70-300 for daylight sports, better investment.

 

[cpcpjfan]

Thanks for your input guys. I'm just not sure where to go at this point. I've considered the 70-300, but thought it may have been too wide at the low end for general Disney use. I also have the 50 1.8, but find it to be limiting on shots I want when I am in a crowd and can't move back, like at a parade.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Most of my advise is from the sports photography mindset; thats my bread and butter.

The 50/1.8 will be good for night stuff. The 70-300 is more of a parade/stage thing BUT its more for daytime sports.

 

[KeithVH]

For a couple bucks more you could also look at the 17-85IS. Weighs half as much (I know, I'm a broken record). On a 1.6x body, that's equivalent to a 27-135. To me that's barely wide enough. You can do cool things at the wide end just as much as having reach. It will be short for several things in the park (from experience). Sometimes having that extra reach is nice. You'e just going to have some trade-offs that are unavoidable. What's most important to you?

 

[cpcpjfan]

The most important things for me at Disney in order, are probably my kids with characters, the kids on the rides, disney architecture (the rides themselves, buildings, general scenery), parades and trying to get some decent fireworks shots. I know one lens won't be able to do it all, but I am hoping to limit what I have to carry around. The 17-85IS could be an interesting option, given the 1.6x crop factor. Obviously too short for stage shows and use at soccer/baseball gamnes, but a 300mm could be my wife's next birthday gift for me .

 

[PhotoDave219]

The most important things for me at Disney in order, are probably my kids with characters, the kids on the rides, disney architecture (the rides themselves, buildings, general scenery), parades and trying to get some decent fireworks shots. I know one lens won't be able to do it all, but I am hoping to limit what I have to carry around. The 17-85IS could be an interesting option, given the 1.6x crop factor. Obviously too short for stage shows and use at soccer/baseball gamnes, but a 300mm could be my wife's next birthday gift for me .

In that case... go for the 28-135.