Will soon outgrow
Written: Jun 24 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Inexpensive, light-weight, perfect for occasional shooters
Cons: Cheap, small minimum aperture
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| northrup's Full Review: Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens |
When I bought my Elan IIE, I had the option of either buying the body and a separate lens or purchasing a kit. I chose to save a few bucks and bought the kit, which included the camera and this lens.
LIKES
For the first several weeks I used the lens, I was thrilled. The rubber zoom ring feels natural and the zoom action is smooth and consistent. The auto-focus/manual-focus switch falls directly below my left index finger, allowing me to take control without needing to hunt for the switch. When I auto-focus, it responds quickly and quietly. It only weighs 7 ounces--an insignificant amount compared to the camera body. When I got my pictures back, they were noticeably better than I had gotten from my cheap point-and-shoot camera.
DISLIKES
Using this lens sparked my interest in photography. Ironically, the more I learned, the less I liked this lens. The maximum aperture of f3.5 at 28mm and f5.6 at 80mm is too small to take handheld pictures indoors, unless you're using very fast film (ISO 800+). Consequently, I had many shots ruined because of camera shake (my new Canon 28-135 IS lens cures this using Image Stabilization). The front of the lens rotates when it focuses, which disturbs the circular polarizing filter I use. There is no focus distance indicator, a useful aid when manually focusing.
NOT BUILT TO LAST
This lens is showing its age, even though I only shot about 20 rolls of film with the lens before I upgraded. The plastic lens mount won't last if you change lenses frequently. Grease that belongs inside the lens has worked its way onto the lens barrel. The zoom action is now quite rough.
SUMMARY
This lens is a great match for an infrequent photographer with a Canon Rebel. It is not a good match for the Elan IIE because of the plastic lens mount and cheap feel. Hope this helped you decide...
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
northrup
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Member: Tony Northrup
Location: Watertown, MA
Reviews written: 18
Trusted by: 8 members
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