Canon 28-135 IS USM – talk me into/out of it

[Barracuda]

Short and sweet version, I’ve got a sickness and it’s called buying stuff for an expensive called photography. 😆

Seriously though, 28-135mm 3.5-5.6 IS USM, used, $220 on the local CL.

I’ve got the 18-55 and the 55-250, the new 50mm f1.8 arrived yesterday (!!!) and I’m already cruising CL for more gear. My thought is that this would be a good single lens for hiking and the like so I can leave it on the camera and not swapping in the two other zooms back and forth.

[fluffybunny]

Not that I did exhaustive research on it, but this was in contention for me at one point before I bought the Sigma 100-300 f4:

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

I realize it’s not as wide as what you quoted, but it is in the same $ range and got good reviews.

I think if part of your hiking is wildlife, you’ll wish you had more than 135mm.

If it was me, I’d take this and a wide zoom in a pouch.

YMMV. IANAL. BFFBBQOMGWTF.

[Yoyo]

First things first: I too have the 18-55, 55-250, 28/1.8, 50/1.4, 85/1.8, & Tamron 10-24. Just so you know what I’m choosing from.

I was photographing a cheer leading competition for a friend whose daughter was on the squad, both the EF-S 18-55 and EF-S 55-250 were the wrong lens for the size of the gym. The telephoto was too narrow at 55mm to get shots of the whole team, and the standard was too wide at 55 to get individual close-ups when they were at the far side of the gym floor. I was swapping back and forth like a crazy person. A similar thing happened when I was at a blacksmith convention where I wanted to get full shots of the lecturer as well as detail shots of his work pieces.

On both those days, I wish I would have had the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, or something is a similar focal length range. The new EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS looks really tempting as well. I however still harbor illusions that I might someday upgrade to a 1 series body, plus I prefer the larger apertures provided by prime lenses, so I’m not planning to expand my collection of EF-S lenses anytime soon.

Canon seems to have expanded the EF-S line to a total of 8 since last I looked. Seems like the prelude to a new mirrorless APS-C body, if you ask me. The EF-S aren’t just the low budget consumer grade kit lenses they started out as. The EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM lists for $30 more than the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM.

Bottom line, if it were me, I would do it. I’d probably offer $200 to start with, but go to $220 with no hesitation at all.

[orionid]

I was photographing a cheer leading competition for a friend whose daughter was on the squad, both the EF-S 18-55 and EF-S 55-250 were the wrong lens for the size of the gym. The telephoto was too narrow at 55mm to get shots of the whole team, and the standard was too wide at 55 to get individual close-ups when they were at the far side of the gym floor. I was swapping back and forth like a crazy person. A similar thing happened when I was at a blacksmith convention where I wanted to get full shots of the lecturer as well as detail shots of his work pieces.

Obviously, the easy answer is to get a second body.

[ennuipoet]

I was photographing a cheer leading competition for a friend whose daughter was on the squad, both the EF-S 18-55 and EF-S 55-250 were the wrong lens for the size of the gym. The telephoto was too narrow at 55mm to get shots of the whole team, and the standard was too wide at 55 to get individual close-ups when they were at the far side of the gym floor. I was swapping back and forth like a crazy person. A similar thing happened when I was at a blacksmith convention where I wanted to get full shots of the lecturer as well as detail shots of his work pieces.

Obviously, the easy answer is to get a second body.

I second that! Shooting with two bodies makes life so much easier and it is almost always cheaper than buying more lenses. Buy an older camera for your 2nd Body used, you’ll be glad you did.

/Sold my 2nd last year when I lost my job, I miss it.

[Barracuda]

I may consider a second body this time next year, but I’ve committed myself to not buying one till then. Good advice Yoyo, and seems like the types of situations where I had this lens in mind. I may swing through CL again on Monday and see if it’s still up there or if something similar gets posted.

[Curious]

got a 18-55 kit lens and bought a 55-300 when i got the D3000. to have a better one lens solution got a 18-105 and i’m happy with it. don’t hike with it but i do day trip to the MS coast all the time and it works well for that.

[sleeping]

My thought is that this would be a good single lens for hiking and the like so I can leave it on the camera and not swapping in the two other zooms back and forth.

Are you really removing your 55-200 to get at the 28-55mm range on the 18-55 lens all that much, vs the 18-28mm range? Personally, I couldn’t manage without something considerably wider for walking around purposes….

[Barracuda]

Good point sleeping. I think I’ve come up with the solution – rent a 18-135 from BorrowLenses for the week of my trip, when I get back I can look through the shots and determine where most of the shots focal length range fall in and make any future purchases on a more informed basis.

[Yoyo]

Well, a second body would be nice, but I would want it to be the same as my current body to simplify stereo 3D photography, and then I would have to get another 50mm lens and RF remote.

[fluffybunny]

Are you really removing your 55-200 to get at the 28-55mm range on the 18-55 lens all that much, vs the 18-28mm range? Personally, I couldn’t manage without something considerably wider for walking around purposes….

That’s kinda what I had in the back of my head when I suggested the 70-300. You can (most of the time) “zoom with your feet” to cover the missing 55-70mm if you had that pair, but it’s hard to use that tried and true technique to get the shots you can at 300mm or 18mm. While a second body is a good thing sometimes (events and action), I don’t think I would hike with a second.

[fluffybunny]

Have not researched the lens at all but this is on CL today:

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/pho/2992536870.html

Sigma 18-200 OS DC 3.5-6.3

Seems like all the specs you’re looking for.

[Author]

Posts