Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Reviews

Rating
Reviewed by:

shadowlands
( Intermediate)

Review Date
December 14, 2007

Overall Rating
5 of 5

Value Rating
5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5,
1 votes

Review 1 of 17

Price Paid: $299.00 from adorama (canon refur

Summary:

I purchased this lens (canon refurb) recently and I adore it. It's now my daily carry lens. Back when I was daily carry lenses with a max range of 105 or 135mm I was missing out on a greater range. I would miss certain shots due to this. I've always wished for a lens that would do the job of my daily carry and my longer zoom. This lens does just that!
Yes, it's large and heavy compared to a kit lens or the 28-105, but it's right on par in terms of weight and size with the Canon 28-135.
I honestly like the 72mm filter size.
I got the hood for mine and I'm snapping photos like crazy.
Again, like I mentioned before, I tend to take more shots with this "always on hand" greater range.

Strengths:

Zooming range of 28-200mm without needed to change lenses.
Build quality is solid. I feel like it's a tough lens.
fast and silent zoom thanks to the USM.
Pretty short for a lens that zooms out to 200mm. And when it does, it's nice and long in appearance.
Front element does not rotate and that's outstanding.

Weaknesses:

zoom creep, though it's way less "creepy" than the 28-105 or 28-135.
not the greatest for indoor photography.

Similar Products Used:

Canon 28-105mm
Canon 75-300mm
Canon 80-200mm

View Comments (1)

Would you like to Comment?
Join PhotographyReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.

Rating
Reviewed by:

farsight
( Expert)

Review Date
August 21, 2005

Overall Rating
2 of 5

Value Rating
3 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.44 of 5,
9 votes

Review 2 of 17

Price Paid: $0.00

Summary:

For a long time I thought this lens was decent. Then I got a wide format printer and realized that nothing I've taken is sharp, even with a tripod. I let my friend borrow it for a week while I borrowed her 28 & 50mm primes, and at the end of the week we were both crying (she was crying about the bad quality of the pix she had taken with this lens, I was crying because I had to give back the sharp primes). This lens is going on eBay post haste, to be replaced by some sharper lenses. The only people I would recommend this to are those who will for sure not want to print anything bigger than 8x10, or are ok with convenience over quality.

Strengths:

Convenient focal lengths for full frame cameras/film

Weaknesses:

Soft as a marshmallow Died after about a year Too long at the wide end for APS-C digital chips

Similar Products Used:

Canon 28-80 (garbage) Canon 75-300 (garbage)

Customer Service:

Got it fixed quickly by Canon when the AF died. Can't remember if it was still under warranty. Don't think it was, but it wasn't too expensive to fix.

Would you like to Comment?
Join PhotographyReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.

Rating
Reviewed by:

Tim C.
( Expert)

Review Date
March 11, 2005

Overall Rating
4 of 5

Value Rating
4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.00 of 5,
5 votes

Review 3 of 17

Price Paid: $359.00 from Local Store

Summary:

I bought this lens as a travel and a non serious knock aroud lens and am well pleased for what it is. The photos are sharp enough for general snapshots and places where carrying more than one lens would be back breaking

Strengths:

Good zoom range Has a nice heft to it and feels solid As I said before, it takes great snapshots when being serious does not matter

Weaknesses:

You get what you pay for! It's NO "L" The USM is louder than I would like but OK Sometimes gets confused on what to focus on.

Similar Products Used:

Canon 24-70mm L Canon 70-200mm L IS Canon 16-35mm L sigma 120-300 2.8 Tamron 28-200mm XRII

Customer Service:

It's Canon - Never needed

Would you like to Comment?
Join PhotographyReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.

Rating
Reviewed by:

SF Rebeldude
( Beginner)

Review Date
November 26, 2004

Overall Rating
5 of 5

Value Rating
5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.17 of 5,
6 votes

Review 4 of 17

Price Paid: $350.00 from eBay

Summary:

I am defineately no professional. Unfortuneately, I cannot describe this lens with a great deal of technical terms. However, I have found this lens to be very good in terms of quality of my pictures and lens construction. After some 20 years of using 35mm Point and Shoot I have now began my trek to one day (hopefully) becoming an accomplished amateur photographer. I recently purchased a Canon EOS Rebel Ti and Rebel 2000 in April of this year. I have also put together a nice little collection of lenses. In the past six months I have shot well over a 1500 pictures. I had a Fugica 35mm and a Canon AE 1 some 20 years ago, but a great deal of time has passed so I view myself as a beginner again. This is one of my favorite lenses for landscape and travel photography. The focal length covered in the zoom range is fantastic. This lens is far better than the Sigma 55-200mm Lens I also have. Plus it is more versatile than my other Zooms. Canon Quality is defineately evident. Ultra Sonic Motor focuses fast and quietly. I want to purchase the Canon EF 28-135mm AF Image Stabalization USM for indoor use without flash. However, since I have that focal length covered, I find it hard to justify the cost. I still want it though. I use this lens on my Canon EOS Rebel Ti and Rebel 2000. This is one of my favorite lenses.

Strengths:

Versatility Outdoors. Ultra Sonic Motor. Sharpness for the price. Quality of Construction. Focal Length Range of Zoom.

Weaknesses:

No Image Stabalization. Not the greatest indoor lens. Cost of Filters

Similar Products Used:

Sigma 28-80 AF Mini Zoom Macro, Sigma 100-300 Telephoto Zoom AF DL, Sigma 55-200mm AF, Tamron 19-35 AF Super Wide Angle, Sigma 50mm AF EX Macro (Prime), Sigma 105mm AF EX Macro (Prime).

Customer Service:

Canon Customer Care via email has been fantastic.

Would you like to Comment?
Join PhotographyReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.

Rating
Reviewed by: patrick
(Casual)

Review Date
December 14, 2003

Overall Rating
2 of 5

Value Rating
2 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
1.74 of 5,
27 votes

Review 5 of 17

Price Paid: $1000.00 from japan

Summary:

GOT THIS LENS TRHU A FRIEND WHO WAS IN JAPAN SO I COULDN'T REALLY TEST IT (THE SHOPS IN THE CITY WHERE I LIVE IN AUSTRALIA DIDN'T HAVE IT ON STOCK) SO IT WAS THE ZOOM RANGE THAT APPEAL ME THE MOST, AS I HAD THE BASIC KIT 28-80 PLUS 75-300 AND WAS SICK OF HAVING TO SWITCH LENSES ALL THE TIME...I FINALLY GOT THE LENS AND DECIDED TO TEST IT AGAINST THE OTHER TWO IN THEIR RESPECTIVE FOCAL RANGES USING A TRIPOD AND A CABLE RELEASE, USING THE BUILT IN FLASH OF THE CAMERA AND NOT USING IT...I COULDN'T BELIEVE I PAID SO MUCH FOR SOMETHING THAT OPTICALLY IS NO BETTER THAN THE TWO BASIC LENSES! THE 200 END IS NOT 200!!!!!!AND IS BLOODY SOFT IN THE EDGES IT'S NO JOKE, AS WELL AS IN THE 28 END. IT HAS BARREL DISTORTION TOO AND YOU CAN ONLY ATTACH ONE, YES "ONE" SCREW-IN FILTER AT THE TIME, OTHERWISE YOU END UP WITH SOME TERRIBLE, DISGUSTING VIGNETTING ON ALL FOUR CORNERS!!! I RECKON CANON SHOULD PULL THE FINGER OUT AND PULL THEIR SOCKS ON THIS ONE!!! I TEST IT LATER AGAINST THE 28-135 IMAGE STABILIZER, AND WHAT A DIFFERENCE...FOCUSSING WAS FAST AND SMOTH AND EVEN LOOKED LIKE I HAD MORE LIKE COMING THRU THE LENS TO THE VIEWFINDER.. NEVERTHELESS IS A GOOD LENS FOR TRAVELLING I THINK . I SOLD IT A MONTH LATER...END OF STORY

Strengths:

SIZE COMPACT

Weaknesses:

SOFT NOT SHARP CUSTOMER SERVICE IN AUSTRALIA(BRENT) SUCKS, HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW OF IT EXISTANCE IN THE CANON LENS RANGE

Similar Products Used:

28-80 75-300 28-135

Customer Service:

SUCKS IN AUSTRALIA

Would you like to Comment?
Join PhotographyReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.