Well built, fast AF, image quality second to none.

None really. For what it is designed for, it is perfect. It costs a lot, but, well, you get your money's worth.

One word: spectacular! The best lens I have ever used. The pictures glow, and seem alive. Even at f/2, the shots are pin sharp. Unreal image quality.

Customer Service

Not used

Similar Products Used:

135 Soft Focus, 100 f/2, 85 f/1.8, 70-200 2.8L

everything about this lens is a strength, compared to any zeiss, leica or other prosumer lens...

i've thought so long.... but i'm realy sorry. there are no weaknesses... okok this lens IS less shapr at closer apertures than say f/7.2 yes really its best sharpness is reached at f/4.0 or something...

just got back from New York, and am so sad I didn't took this lens with me to India last summer... It's an awesome tank and weatherproofness like it's been made for the army. Ok now the potics. Wauw. a picture tells more than 1000 words so just browse some of my pics made with this 135/2.0; contrast; http://www.eftegarie.nl/photos/transport/transport%20volvo%20amazone%20shines%20after%20rain.htm charpness; http://www.eftegarie.nl/photos/pigeonportrait/pigeon%20portrait%20the%20gourmet%20pigeon.htm bokeh; http://www.eftegarie.nl/photos/pigeonportrait/pigeon%20portrait%20the%20naked%20pigeon.htm color; http://www.eftegarie.nl/photos/meidoornlaan/meidoornlaan%20cat.htm depth of field http://www.eftegarie.nl/photos/meidoornlaan/meidoornlaan%20holy%20skies%20evening.htm in comparison with the EF 85mm 1.8 USM (also an awesome portrait lens and more affordable too) i made this review where i compared with some non-web-nerdism- true pratical photo's of my own in my trips in India. it depends on your tase, and the need of weatherproofing or not and your budget to buy the 85 or the 135. both have advanges and disadvantages in some situations.

Customer Service

you mean when i called canon in the deserts of Jaisalmer and asked if they had any spare parts for the 85mm??? hahah just kidding, thankfully none needed although i accidentally had rendered the 85mm useless when i once was in a glass house in amsterdam with a lot of moist and when i cleaned the foremost lens of the 85mm and saw fog behind it i went outside immediately and prayed that it would return to normal and it did... otherwise it would have been an expensive trip to the glasshouse...

Similar Products Used:

Canon EF 85mm 1.8 USM (this one i touk with me to India, also amazing photos; contrast (almost as the 135mm L in b/w) http://www.eftegarie.nl/photos/india/tundla%20village%20children%202.htm bokeh (less than 135mm L); http://www.eftegarie.nl/photos/india/tundla%20beautifully%20strong%20posture.htm filling of portraiture; http://www.eftegarie.nl/photos/india/pushkar%20happy%20good%20looking%20kids.htm ok so now you can compare the 135mm L and the 85mm f/1.8 for your self. color; (less contrasty than 135mm L) http://www.eftegarie.nl/photos/india/pushkar%20gipsy%20can%20i%20try%20out%20your%20dress.htm

Sharpness, contrast, background blur.

Is this a joke?

This has to be Canon's best portrait lens. It has everything going for it: contrast, sharpness and background blur(bokeh). Balances well on an EOS-3, and focuses fast. The color rendition is very accurate, and used at either f/4 or f/2.8, the most beautiful bokeh you will see on a lens. An affordable "L" lens.

Customer Service

none needed

Similar Products Used:

Canon 85 1.8

Amazing performance alone or when used with 1.4x TC. Sensational (literally!) background blur. With the 1.4 TC the lens truly comes alive. I can't see how a 70-200 2.8 can match this at 190mm!

Very versatile & superior image quality

Don't like the hood

Use a 35-350 as my standard lens & use a 135 F2 & 35 F1.4 as low light alternates & for special situations. The F2 is a very nice lens even better than the 135 2.8 SF which I had before. Quality is excellent and I like the feel & heft of the lens. Great value for money.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

135 2.8 SF

Sharp Good Colours Good handling Super Bokeh Don`t tell Canon how good it is cos they will increase the price:-) Hood Included

Not had it long enough yet but with the quality of the results there would have to be something very serious crop up for me not to ignore it in favour of the image quality.

Finally a lens that can do justice to my 1Ds. Right out of the box I took pictures around the house and garden that were head and shoulders above anything that I can remember(inc the 100 2.8 Macro Leica R and the 90 mm f2 Apo Leica M and lenses from Hassy and Contax)I really was very cautious even after reading the reports from this forum till a trusted friend showed me some of his images.I get to use my 1.4 ext and the size and feel of the lens on the 1Ds is just fine. I will only be using my 70-200 2.8 IS lens for special purposes now and will be a lot more comfortable walking around with a normal looking lens.I thought the 100 2.8 Canon macro was good but this lens under controlled conditons for normal subjects beats it without the magnifying glass easily.One poster on this review marked it very low! it must have been a dodgy lens, I would defy anyone not to be over the moon with this lens and I`m fussy.

Customer Service

Not needed

Similar Products Used:

Sigma 15-30 super lens(and not just for the price) 50 1.8 Mk 11 28-135 IS( now defunkt) 100 2.8 macro usm 135 f2 L 70-200 2.8 IS

98% usable f2.0!! FULLY usable f2.8 790 g - a feather regarding its quality fast autofocus can be combined with teleconverters offered at reasonable prices in Ebay etc.

shade is a bit bulky for my bag; I personally favour extendable shades I tried to find more cons, but I can´t!

Just recently, I invested into a Canon EOS system. The only reason was the highly reputed line of telephoto lenses. My results with the 135/2.0 were indeed breathtaking. Unlike the 50/1.4 and 85/1.8 lenses, this L glass is contrasty and sharp even when used wide open. Sharpness only slightly increases (especially towards the corners) if stopped down to f2.8 or f4. Further stopping down does not increase the image quality. Almost no vignetting at f2.0! Likewise, the flare suppression is close to perfect. I just shot several rolls of Velvia and Elitechrome with architecture motifs in Berlin at night. Contrast and flare are REALLY exceptional. No ghost images even in extremely critically lit situations. Moreover, I am a little bit shy. Thus, this lens is my favourite for portraying people. For this purpose this lens may be perfectly used to blur the background. But be careful with focussing; in most cases AF servo worked much better than single-shot AF!

Customer Service

not needed so far

Similar Products Used:

EF 300/4.0 L USM EF 85/1.8 USM EF 28-80/2.8-4.0 L USM Contax/Zeiss Sonnar 90/2.8 FD 70-210/4.0

Sharp image at F2 Extreme sharp at F4 light weight and good handling Good price (especially like the used one I got) Nice colour rendition, better than my 28-70L and 70-200L

May be mine is an used one, I soon find very tiny dusts, just a little bit, going into the barrel.

It is Sharrrrrrpp from edge to edge on my D60, even wide-open. Extremely (I mean Extremely )sharp when stopped down to f4. I like the slightly warm colour compared with the 70-200L. I think I can have much fund by blowing up some of my son's images (3 years old) taken with this lens to 20X30 inches when I were old. It is the most balanced lens on my D60 (no, I don't have protrait grip) that shooting with it is simply a great pleasure. At an effective 210mm and coupled with the high ISO's quality images produced by my D60, I found it unbeatable for indoor and outdoor candids, or serious protraits, sports. Besides, it is Much more easy to carry around and shot unnoticed, compared with "white" lens. I would definitely keep this little beauty, while still hesitating on my 70-200L IS, which just hurts with its weights. Besides, I found not much difference in VOF between its 135mm and the 195mm at the long end of the IS lens.

Customer Service

not yet

Similar Products Used:

50/1.8 85/1.8 28-70L2.8 70-200L2.8 IS 70-200L4 (sold for the 135L2)

build sharpness bokeh autofocus QUALITY

?

This is THE SHARPEST LENS that I have used, built like a tank, sharp as a tack, soft bokeh, fast autofocus, wide open this lens is SUPERB, from f2.8 to f4.0 this lens is THE LENS, optical quality is a jewel, "yes, purchase this lens",

Customer Service

high quality

Similar Products Used:

100 2.8 macro USM 70-200 2.8 L USM 28-70 2.8 L USM 70-200 4.0 L USM 300 4.0 L USM

Hmmm... 135mm F2! Great for many applications, combined with amazing sharpness and contrast, this lens is perfect optically (Sharpest objective I have modified my vision with;-). Mechanically, speed in AF, wonderful even with limiter off and it feels like a rock! MF is a joy, reminding me off my old FD lenses. So many great things about this prime. Shallow DOF is great for critical focusing!

Ummm... I seem to have better results with petal shaped lens hoods... which this doesn't have. Ghosting and flare is not a big issue, but lens hood could have extended a little more. Maybe heavy, but feels great on 1N with booster.

My decision to go with this lens was between the 200 2.8, 70-200 2.8 and this with a 1.4x teleconverter. After using all, feeling the weight of the zoom and feeling stuck too far out with the 200, I went with this beautiful lens. This 135 is an amazing performer, fast in AF and light, very low key and unobtrusive. I have no reserves in giving this lens a 5/5!

Customer Service

Non required

Similar Products Used:

135 F2.8 SF (not my own), 100-300 5.6L (AFD:-(, 70-200 2.8 (not my own)