- sharp!!! - good color contrast!!! - small

- I wish Canon can make the lenses with a more useable DOF scale.

This little lens is very nice to carry around. One reviever before complained that this lens is not as good as the 35mm f1.4L sibling. However, you get what you pay for. The little brother 35mm f2 provides very good sharpness and color contrast. If I need to choose only one lens to carry around, I will pick either this one or the 50mm f1.4. The focal length is actually very nice for indoor party shots. I usually feel that the 50mm is not wide enough to squeeze 6 to 8 people in the frame at a small living room, but the 28mm can be too wide at times. The 35mm is just about right without a very prominent wide-angle effect.

Customer Service

Haven't tried before.

Similar Products Used:

Canon EF 20mm f2.8 Canon EF 15mm f2.8 fisheye Canon EF 28mm f2.8

Excellent price/quality ratio Big aperture Very very sharp Small and light to take everywhere

No USM Be careful not to break it, the lens is more fragile than other lenses

This is a lens I recommend to anyone. It is cheap, has a big aperture, is very small and most of all: SHARP! On a recent trip to the States, I took six lenses with me, all primes (5 Canon, 1 Sigma). The 35 mm was the only Canon lens without USM, and became the most used lens of them all, although I also had the 50 mm 1.4 with me. I do hope that Canon will upgrade this lens. The built quality could be better, and USM is really something you start to appreciate after a while. This lens still has the old motor in it. I think that I will save some money for the L 1.4 version. If you have a standard zoom lens (for example, one that came as part of a kit) and you are looking for a second lens or a prime, buy this one. I find 35 mm more versatile than 50 mm.

Similar Products Used:

EF 50 1.4, EF 85 1.8, EF 100 2.8 Macro, EF 200L 2.8

superb optics, fast, contrasty and nice color rendition light and compact good handling

AF noisy (but not too slow)

I just ran a couple of rolls thru this lens and I love the results. It is fast, sharp, contrasty and color rendition is superb. Even in cloudy days my chromes have a certain type of "pop" in them. And this lens is light and compact! When combined with a Rebel 2000, the setup is so light you can hike all day and not feel the weight. In fact, if I must travel light and can only take one lens, this setup is what I will bring. It handles well too. It doesn''t have full time manual (FTM), but the focus ring disengages when switched to AF, so you will never damage the motor. Now that is a brilliant idea, I wish all lenses (without FTM) are designed like this! AF is reasonably fast for a lens using AFD motor, but it is quite noisy -- it generates a kind of high pitch sound. If noise is a concern, then I can always use MF. And, the 35mm focal length is just so natural and easy to use. I love my EF 50mm f/1.4, but I only use that one for low light or street photograhy. If I can only use one prime lens, the 35mm f/2 will always be my first choice. On top of that, it is cheap too (about 200 bucks). What more can you ask for in a lens??

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

EF 50mm f/1.4

Light weight len good sharpness f2.0 great for taking a photo in the evening without using flash

no USM motor

This is my first len I bought for use with my EOS 50E body. I love this len because its weight,sharpness and contrast. When I look at the photograph that is taken by this len. I feel happy all the time.Now I still use it every time I go on my vacation. Great Len!

Customer Service

no comment

Similar Products Used:

Canon EF 20 mm f2.8 Canon EF 28-135 mm f 3.5-5.6 IS canon EF 100-300 f5.6L

Moderately priced, compact, light, excellent sharpness and contrast, very little distortion. Big enlargements look good. Smooth manual focussing.

Slight softness right in the extreme corners, but I am nitpicking. Time for an update to USM. Some hunting in AF even with EOS 1V.

This lens is one of Canon''s little secrets. It is an excellent general purpose medium wide lens suitable for any occasion. In my testing it is slightly better than the Leica 35f2 Asph but there is not much between them.

Customer Service

Not needed but Canon Australia is usually excellent

Similar Products Used:

Leica, Pentax 35mm lenses.

Fast, Sharp, Contrasty & Light

none

This is a really fine lens. It kicks the butt of any zoom for sharpness, contrast and speed. With the hood, flare is well controlled, even on sunsets. The 35mm focal length and F2 aperture are perfect for, candid and flashless available light photography.

Although not USM, it focuses fast and sure. It makes my viewfinder is so bright I can focus manually in most light if I need to (unlike my F4-5.6 zoom). Of course, if you want USM/FTM you can pay the big bucks for the 1.4L version of this lens and not gain much optically.

Customer Service

NA

Similar Products Used:

EF24 2.8, EF50 1.8, EF28-105 USM, Sigma 24 2.8

Very sharp, excellent contrast, lightweight. DOF scale right on the lens.

flare control could be a bit better, but it is still not bad. Just a nip of vignetting when using filters. Not as quiet as USM lenses.

This is a great little lens. I doubt you can do much better without spending close to a grand $$ on an "L" series lens. I use for primarily landscape work and couldn't ask for much better performance than what this lens delivers. The sharpness/contrast smokes the consumer zooms. Best used stopped down to f3.5 or higher where the sharpness is absolutely stunning. If you are serious about photography and do landscape work, this lens is a MUST have.

Customer Service

n/a

Similar Products Used:

Canon 28-105 USM

Very light weight.
Extreamly contrast when f-stop down.

Very small and light weight make me hard to handle.

My standart len. Cause the large aperture (f 1:2) make my flash slow sync work very well. Once again outdoor portrait or group of people it produce extreamly contrast for me. I love it.

Customer Service

-

Similar Products Used:

EF 85 f1.8 USM
EF 28-105 f3.5-4.5 USM

Light weight
Track sharp
Contrasy
Fantastic colour
Inexpensive

Not USM, but the focus speed is acceptable for my purpose

Great value for money
I've been told so many good comment on EF 50 1.4, but I believe that the EF 35mm 2.0 is better on the optical sign .... sharper, more contrasy. I think the 35mm 2.0 lens has been ignored by most Canon users, but it really never let me down.
The reason why I bought this lens was to change all my zooms to prime, for the price I paid for this 35mm, I did not expect it to be so excellent. Now it is my first choice for taking scenery pictures.
I do own other 'L' lens, but I don't have any intention to trade up to EF 35mm F1.4, since I do not believe that the F1.4 will outperform the F2.0 optically.
LOVELY.....

Customer Service

Never tried for this lens, but have tried for my BP-E1 booster, quite expensive, but quick service

Similar Products Used:

No other prime 35mm lens
Just EF 50 F1.4, EF 50 F1.8, Tamron 20-40 SP Zoom, Sigma 24mm 2.8

Good quality optics(sharp and contrast wise), light-weight, and inexpensive.

This lens focuses verrry slow and it is quite loud. Lens hood falls off somewnat easily. But want do ya expect for under $300?

Good bang for the buck!

Similar Products Used:

canon 28-105usm, 28-135mm(IS),70-200mm(L)