EF-S 18-135mm IS vs EF 28-135mm IS USM

[phreaqe]

can anyone tell me which of these 2 lenses are better? i cant seem to find any head to head comparisons.

i am looking for a good walk around lens. i currently have a Rebel XTi with the 18-55 kit lens and the 55-250. I find myself needing to change lenses alot because i cant zoom in far enough with the 18-55 and then i cant zoom out enough with the 55-250.

I am not worried about focal length differences(18vs28), because i dont normally shoot zoomed all the way out, i just want to be able to back out a little bit more then the 55-250 will let me.

What i really want to know, is which one has better image quality. can anyone tell me from first hand experience or find a comparison page? my googlefu is lacking....

Thanks in advance.

 

[ElFenix]

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/...&Camera=474&Sample=0&FLI=0&API=0&LensComp=116

 

[phreaqe]

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/...&Camera=474&Sample=0&FLI=0&API=0&LensComp=116

thanks for the reply. i did see that comparison earlier, but it was the only one i could find. i was hoping for some of the other ones on that site which compare shots of actual scenes so i could get a feel for color as well. based on just that review though it looks like the 28-135 is just a bit sharper overall and had less CA then the 18-135.

 

[AkumaX]

It's a crop lens (EF-S) vs. a FF (EF). If you're gonna be sticking w/ APS-C bodies (up to 7D), you should get the 18-135mm (35mm equiv: 28.8-216mm), for the extra wide end (actually looking at the same lens myself...). Otherwise, you'd actually be getting 44.8mm on the wide end instead...

 

[phreaqe]

It's a crop lens (EF-S) vs. a FF (EF). If you're gonna be sticking w/ APS-C bodies (up to 7D), you should get the 18-135mm (35mm equiv: 28.8-216mm), for the extra wide end (actually looking at the same lens myself...). Otherwise, you'd actually be getting 44.8mm on the wide end instead...

That was my first thought as well. However I have read that 18-24 range on the 18-135 is very soft so my overall feeling was basically that the lenses effectively had the same focal range since the quality would not be very good for the first 8mm or so....i hate making decisions like this. i think i might just have to go to a local camera store and try them myself. Thanks for the input. Keep it coming!

 

[timswim78]

In my opinion the 28-135 has the better IQ. Also, it has USM, which is very important to me. I am not very interested in autofocus lenses that do not have USM.

 

[phreaqe]

In my opinion the 28-135 has the better IQ. Also, it has USM, which is very important to me. I am not very interested in autofocus lenses that do not have USM.

thanks for bringing that up. i was wondering about that. In ready some reviews 1 of the things USM allows you to have full time manual focus right? also faster and quieter focus too right?

 

[AkumaX]

hmmm... I'm taking a hard look at the 17-85mm IS USM. what do you think about that?

 

[phreaqe]

hmmm... I'm taking a hard look at the 17-85mm IS USM. what do you think about that?

i dont know anything about that one, and its not in the running for me because i want a little more zoom.

 

[996GT2]

i dont know anything about that one, and its not in the running for me because i want a little more zoom.

If I had to choose between 28-135 and 18-135, I'd go for the 28-135 despite the fact that 28mm is not wide on APS-C.

Canon's new EF-S superzooms (18-135, 18-200) are both very mediocre, especially when you compare them to the similarly priced Nikon equivalents.

The older 28-135mm is a pretty good lens though if you want something with that kind of a zoom range.

 

[phreaqe]

well i ordered the 28-135 last night. i think i will be happy with it. i will let you guys know what i think once i get it.

 

[AkumaX]

Well, I ended up getting the 18-135mm to replace my kit 18-55mm and 55-250mm (just didn't want to keep changing lenses, haha)

Check out this video w/ the AF noise, then the IS noise activated:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h3abS9eB90

P.S. How can I find out if my lens is soft or sharp (or working 'correctly')?

 

[rivan]

I have a 28-135 and am considering selling it and moving to either primes or L glass.

My only beef with it has been the wide end not really being quite wide enough for my tastes. Other than that, it's been a perfectly fine lens for the price.

 

[BigSmooth]

well i ordered the 28-135 last night. i think i will be happy with it. i will let you guys know what i think once i get it.

Any thoughts? Seems like you're giving up a fair amount of reach going from 250mm in your previous setup to 135mm.

 

[AkumaX]

Any thoughts? Seems like you're giving up a fair amount of reach going from 250mm in your previous setup to 135mm.

The Kit 18-55mm + 55-250mm is exactly what I had before doing this switch. I just hated switching lenses, so going with the 18-135mm (at least for the past few days) has been quite enjoyable.

Overall I only paid an extra +$30 above my 55-250mm after I sold it

 

[phreaqe]

Any thoughts? Seems like you're giving up a fair amount of reach going from 250mm in your previous setup to 135mm.

sorry i didnt update for so long, after i got it i hardly had a change to even use it for a couple weeks.

brief review. Its big. it looks strangely large on my camera, and its heavy. not overly heavy, but it feels solid and well built. i love the USM because i can do manual tweaks of the focus without having to turn off AF.

It is noticeably more sharp then the 55-250 or the 18-55 kit lens. so far i am very happy with the image quality of it. i have not been unhappy with the missing 10mm. the zoom is good enough for most cases, and when i need the extra reach, i still can switch to the 55-250.

i would say overall i am very happy with the purchase because i am able to have a good walk around lens and don't feel the need to swap between the 2 i had before all the time.

 

[speedy2]

How much did you pay for it. I am trying to sell my 28-135 IS lol.

 

[phreaqe]

i don't remember the exact price, but it was in the low 300's. Somewhere around 325 or so from Amazon.com

 

[speedy2]

i don't remember the exact price, but it was in the low 300's. Somewhere around 325 or so from Amazon.com

Cool. Trying to sell mine for around $300. They are pretty cheap used. May have to drop my price to $260ish. I think I lowered it to $280, but zero interest.

 

[AkumaX]

It really depends where you're from. Around here in SoCal, its anywhere between 250-300. I saw the 18-135mm for 230, so I bit

 

[angry hampster]

Cool. Trying to sell mine for around $300. They are pretty cheap used. May have to drop my price to $260ish. I think I lowered it to $280, but zero interest.

It'd sell here in Iowa. Photography equipment is so ridiculous around here, but if you go to Chicago (four hours away) it drops because of Calumet Photo.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Not to bring up an old(ish) thread, but also replaced my 18-55 w/ a 28-135 today. Only got to shoot briefly with it, but man that thing makes my camera look and feel beefy. Solid lens. Will take some test shots later