5d mk1 - lens recommendation

mlwprescott

mlwprescott

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I've recently acquired a Canon 5D used and unfortunately can no longer use my EF-S lens, the 17-85mm. I thought this gave good IQ and range on my old 350D. I bought a nifty fifty to give me something wider than the Tamron 70-300 VC I also have and I'm impressed with how sharp it is.

I enjoy shooting landscapes when I'm out and about but clearly don't have anything wider than 50mm atm. I know the Canon 28-135 IS is the equivalent of the above EF-S lens but the fact that it's getting on a bit now puts me off - does anyone here have any experience of this lens/combo?

Also, do you think it's worth saving and getting some L glass like the 24-105, or would a 17-40 suit me better? I've never shot with anything that wide before.

Thanks,
Mike
 
If you can get by with 17-40, nifty fifty and 70-300, that's what I'd do. I think the 17-40 produces better pictures (sharper/more pop/nicer) than the 24-105, although the 17-40 stops at 40 and doesn't cover the very useful range the 24-105 has.
 
Thanks for the tips, but like I said I've never used anything that wide before. Is there a way I can try lenses like that out before I buy?

As an aside, does anyone have a 28-135 that they can comment on?

Thanks,
Mike
 
Nothing wrong with older lenses, some f the best lenses have been around for a while.

The 28-135 is a good all-rounder on an FF body.
 
The 24-70 is a lovely lens, but it's size, weight and price puts a lot of people off. The 24-105 is a great lens, and if you don't need the f/2.8 is probably your best bet for IQ etc. I would consider the 28-105 f/3.5-4.5 if you're on a budget, should be able to pick one up for around £100-£120. Even though it would be a few years old you will be able to try out the range offered for a relatively low price, and if you like it you can upgrade to the 24-105.
 
I've a 5D (mk 1) been using a 28/135 IS on it for a while, its a good lens, plenty sharp/fast enough and has the advatage of IS plus a good zoom range. Just bought a 24/70 2.8L (to go more readily with the 70/200 IS f4 I have) and its very sharp (most of the time), failure beng user error! Weight and size being the main areas of concern. Like a lot of top quality kit in other sports/hobbies you have to be up to the kit to make the purchase worthwhile, for all practical purposes the 28/135 is perfectly good enough but I like to be able to blame me rather than my kit for a poor performance, then I've taken one of the variables out of the problem. For teh price the 28/135 is a very good buy, much like the 50/85 f1.8's.

Matt
 
Thanks for all the replies guys, it's great information. I'm going to look into the 28-135 and the 28-105 (since reasonably close family own both of those) and see how they fare.
 
I had the 28-135 for all of 3 days before returning it. Didnt like it at all. Slow focus, noisy and inefficient IS system, it looked like an antique, the focus was rough and grainy - I really didn't find a single positive thing about it! Oh and the image quality was sub-average too, even at around f8 where it should be at it's best, everything was a big muddy fuzzy dull image with nothing to 'like' about it at all.
I sold it and bought a Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 and have never looked back - what a fantastic lens!! Pin sharp, feels great, fast enough focus (much faster than 28-135), and of course f2.8! Tbh, mine is just as sharp at 2.8 as it is at 5.6 - it's a bloody fantastic lens. Love mine!
 
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Thanks for all your help guys. I dont think I can justify spending that much on L lenses though at the moment so will have a play with the 28-135.

Thanks,
Mike
 
I have a 28-135 on my 1000D and think it's a great lens, although I've nothing other than the kit 18-55 that I got when I bought the camera to compare it to. But in terms of IQ with the kit lens, it's night and day. I never use the kit lens at all now.
 
Although the 28-135 maybe shabby build wise compared to a L lens it will still take decent pictures in lots of situations! just bang it on and enjoy!
 
Just to finish off this thread - bought a used 28-135 and am loving it. The resolving power of this lens on a full frame camera is amazing!
 
Hi,

I've a 5D MkI also, I bought a cheap'ish Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 for £100 to get me up and running as I only had the 5D body, I find it quite a good lens, it's not a top notch 'L' lens, but does the job very well.

I fancy a Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L USM MkII, but it's gonna be next year as I need to start saving, around £1100, meant to be excellent top notch glass!
 
Since the thread has been revived anyway, I use a Sigma 24 1.8 for my wide shots. Obviously the Canon 24L would be a fair bit sharper, quicker to focus and a little bit quicker, but it's a lot more money, the shots I get with the 5D + 24 aren't exactly action (so the focus doesn't matter so much), and the close focusing ability of the Sigma is invaluable for getting a sense of size in images that the Canon isn't capable of (25cm on the Canon, 18cm on the Sigma, which makes an incredibly big difference in a 24mm shot)
 
I've found that to be one of the drawbacks of the 5D; the focus accuracy. I often find myself needing to centre-focus and then recompose to get accurate focus.
 
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