Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM Wide Angle Lens

Good 50mm Equivalent Lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I purchased this lens very soon after buying a rebel Xsi (1.6x crop factor with the APS-C sensor). I bought it because I wanted a fast, 50mm equivalent focal length lens. I was displeased with my kit lens (17-55 f/3.5-5.6) because it was not nearly fast enough to take pictures of people indoors (the majority of my phototaking subjects).

When this lens first arrived, I tested it at night with most of my incandescent lights dimmed to 50%. I was very impressed with its speed; I could shoot perfectly-exposed photos at around 1/60 or 1/30. Since then, I have mostly shot photographs indoors with moderate to dim lighting, and I have rarely been let down by it’s performance. During one of my vocal concerts, my dad was able to take some amazing shots of my group and I from the audience (the stage was illuminated and the house dark). When I tried this a week later at the same venue with my kit lens (I was sitting much further away, and thus needed a longer lens) I was unable to do so because the f/3.5 was not fast enough.

When fully open, the bokeh is pleasing, allowing for sharp DOF contrasts between subject and background

I will admit that I can see sharpness differences with this lens between wide open and stopped down (f/5.6 or so). The differences will vary in significance from photographer to photographer, but in my case, the sharpness decrease was a very small price to pay for being able to shoot flashless indoors at night with available lighting.

I also noticed some minor chromatic aberrations when shooting outdoors at f/5.6 and below. Again, for my desired application, this was not a significant issue.

I would like to note that so far, I have only viewed my images using two media: a calibrated computer LCD and my Epson 280 printer (using premium borderless 4×6 photopaper).

Overall, I really enjoy using this lens. For me, speed is a very important factor and this lens delivers. I have been shooting with it for 3 months now, and I have only detached it once (when I failed at capturing some pictures at the performance venue mentioned earlier). I would recommend this lens for photographers who anticipate a lot of low-light situations where they want a natural field of view (on a 1.6x crop body). I find it to be a great lens for taking pictures of people doing fun things indoors.

28mm
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love this lens. I’m a professional photographer, and during photoshoots I never take it off my camera.

the 28 on a full frame sensor is amazing.

it works great, i love it.

The No-Flash Answer To Everything
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve owned this lens for just over a year now, and it’s on my camera almost all the time – despite the fact that I’ve bought two other lenses.

I’m a fan of shooting candid shots, mostly indoors, and flash is just NOT an option if you really want great pics that don’t interfere with (or annoy) your subjects. I came to this lens because the EF50mm f/1.8 was just a bit *too* tight/long for candid pics without stepping back all the time, or settling for face shots only. This 28mm approaches the ‘standard’ 50mm lens length that shoots pretty much what you see with your eye.

I thought the lens was a bit soft at first, but over time, I’ve gotten to know it inside and out, and my photos are close to tack-sharp most of the time – even though I rarely shoot above f/2.5 with this. I’ll take shooting with this at f/1.8 or f/2.0 over a lens with image stabilization any time. And of course, being a prime (non-zoom) lens means that your pictures are going to be sharper than a zoom lens with IS anyways.

This is a lens that will spoil you forever. You’ll be able to capture photos in virtually any lighting conditions. I love shooting with it, and ISO 1600 shots at f/2.0 are just spectacular – exactly what I need for shooting in *extremely* low light. With a bit of post-processing, I’m making incredible photos that were simply not possible in the days before digital.

Build quality is excellent, and the USM auto-focus does a great job in bright-light and low-light situations with ease, silently.

If you want sharp low-light photos in a compact and lightweight lens, this is your saviour.

A great wide angle lens for your Canon EOS Rebel
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have a Canon EOS Rebel XT, and I have a number of lenses for it, but I use my 28mm f/1.8 mostly for low light conditions! It works great in low light without flash, as long as there is no quick movement! I recently attended a banquet and went around the room and took candid shots of everyone, without flash, and they all turned out great. I took a group shot of everyone and had to stitch the two shots together, and even that worked fairly well. I recommend this lens highly, but you can expect a shallow depth of field in low light, so your focus has to be right on.

Good prime for daily/indoor use
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a good prime lens for daily indoor use.

Pros:

- Fast at f/1.8 although soft

- Reasonably sharp from f/2.0, gets better from f/2.2

- Rugged

- Good ‘normal’ lens for APS-C sensor with 1.6 multiplier (mine is the 450d)

Cons:

- Very soft at f/1.8

- My copy has a front-focus problem at times

Overall, happy with the lens since I can take available light pictures indoors where my 50mm f/1.4 prime (must have!) is too narrow. I can see the front-focus issue on some shots when compared to my 24-105mm f/4L in a reasonably contolled test. Also, from shot to shot taken indoors, the focus is slightly off at times. On a second test indoors, the focus was spot on.

My indoor lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’ve had this lens for my Rebels for a couple of years now. It was the first lens I bought with my original Rebel. Coming from a background in 35mm SLR’s (Back in the day) I thought I needed to start with a prime. Apparently that isn’t the case as my 28-135 IS is the lens that has become ‘glued’ to my camera(s).

This lens, however, is my goto lens for indoor shots without a flash. The fast f/1.8 comes in handy when I don’t want to wash out a subject with flash (even with a speedlight).

I only give it a 4 out of 5 because I think it is a bit soft for a prime, but I’ve kept it around while other lenses have gone back to the store or been sold on eBay.

I am using it on my Rebel XT now and I suspect I will use it on my next DSLR body (EOS 30D?) whenever that happens.

For a fast, wide-angle prime, this is it from Canon…

Not a 50mm replacement on a APS-C sensor!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The focusing mechanism is not functioning right out of the box. When the focusing ring is moved by hand nothing is happening (no internal elements are moving). When the camera is attempting to auto-focus, the lens produces two slight thumps with the same negative result. This says a lot about Canon’s quality control practices. I am shocked. I have been using Canon products professionally for a several years and I had never seen anything like that.

Update: Review of the lens itself.

Excellent as a wide angle prime, although 28 is a minimum for wide lenses and will not produce a breathtaking panorama.

I have purchased this lens to use as a 50mm replacement for my Canon 40D. It is great as a walk around lens. I recommend stopping down 2.8 for a considerable increase in sharpness. I found that barrel distortion was strong enough to affect close up portraits even with the subject in the middle of the frame. That was the reason to sell. It held value surprisingly well. Bought Tamron 17-50 2.8 VC, will review later.

Not worth the money
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Good looking quiet lens, but my version is very soft, not even close to a 17-55 f 2.8 EFS zoom. This puzzles me, since the zoom is not for a full frame and is a zoom. But after testing the 28 f/1.8, it doesn’t start to sharpen up till 2.8 or above. which means the 1.8 stop is useless. it’s not much sharper at 2.0 or 2.2. It also has flare, lots of CA and doesn’t always focus correctly. By comparison, my 17-55 F/2.8 is razor sharp even at 2.8, focuses perfectly every time, and has image stabilization. Big disappointment from Canon. I wonder why they don’t introduce primes for EF-S. I have an XSi, 10-22, 17-55 f/2.8 and the 70-200 f/2.8 IS L (a razor sharp lens!) so I guess I don’t need any primes. Save your money and spend it on the camera (7D), not this prime lens.

Hard to take a bad picture
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens is *beautiful*. The quality of shots taken vs the lens that shipped with my camera (even though its a totally different lens) is huge.

Very impressed.

Versatile Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This really is a lovely little prime. I shoot on a full frame camera, a 5D, and the dramatic and largely undistorted images this baby produces are a real pleasure. You really get the best of both worlds with this lens, from a shallow DoF and luminance perspective. The wide glass gathers a lot of light but also keeps the DoF from being as tissue thin as a 50mm at f1.8. The auto-focus is pretty reliable, less so in very low light, but it generally gets the job done. If you like shooting prime and like the cinematic quality of a wide lens the EF 28mm f1.8 USM will spend a lot of time on your camera. If you don’t like to frame with your feet then you might want to look into a zoom that cover this range, but I doubt even the L will look as good.

Good normal lens for APS sensor Canon digital SLRs
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Last summer I sold all my Nikon gear on Eb*y and switched to Canon. This after over a decade of using only Nikon film and then digital SLRs. I bought the 17-40f/4.0L at the same time and consequently found very little use for this lens. I use my digital SLR primarily for travel photography. On my first trip I used this lens less than 5% of the time, preferring the wide zoom even if it was necessary to increase the digital ASA. Still, it’s good to have it just in case especialy at this very reasonable price. Construction quality is slightly below that of L lens, with plasticky feel and some wobble in the focus mechanism.

Excellent Lens on a 1.6 Crop D-SLR
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought mine in August for use with my Canon EOS Digital Rebel 300D (as a complement – and emergency backup – for the Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM Standard & Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras I’d been using as my standard lens). I read many reviews on Amazon and elsewhere before buying, and I had my concerns about this lens because of reports it was soft around the edges. I assumed, however, that any soft parts would be effectively cropped by the smaller sensor in my camera, and this does appear to have been correct.

Focus is fast and quiet, and the lens is very sharp except when opened as wide as it will go, but this is the tradeoff you get with almost every fast prime. At f/8 the results are hard to beat. Field of view on a 1.6x crop camera (like mine) is equivalent to about a 45mm lens on a full-frame SLR, and since the smaller sensor crops out the edges for you there’s little distortion to worry about.

My concerns with this lens are the reported edge softness (which I have no way of testing, since I don’t own a full-frame Canon body – film or digital) and the external lens barrel, which like the 50mm 1.4 protrudes from the front of the lens and makes it susceptible to shock. Having had to send my 50mm for repair I opted for the lens hood when I bought the 28mm. For image quality alone on my camera I’d rate this a five-star lens, but since I have these concerns I’m knocking a star off.

I have no complaint with focus accuracy, but the depth of field can be hard to manage in full program mode. Shooting indoors in low light I generally bump the ISO up to about 400 and shoot in aperture priority mode to give myself a better chance of getting the shot I think I’m getting. Otherwise with moving subjects (people), at close range (likely when indoors), and with a wide aperture (low light indoors) I find that even a small shift is enough to result in front- or back-focus and a lost shot.

If you’re outdoors or have very good light this is an excellent lens for candid shots of friends or family, and in low light it’s still quite a good lens for candids, just as long as you pay attention to the aperture. The angle of view is adequate for scenic photos when traveling, but since a true wide angle lens on an APS-sensor camera is prohibitively expensive, ‘adequate’ is good enough for me. If you grew up with a film SLR and a 50mm fixed lens (as I did) this lens will come very close to the same utility you remember, and I recommend it highly.

A frustrating lens that should have been great
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
The Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 lens focuses quickly and accurately, and can produce nice pictures as long as you keep your subjects away from the edges of the frame. The center is sharp, but even on an APS-C (cropped frame) camera such as a Digital Rebel or 50D, the edges are quite soft at f/1.8 and remain noticeably soft no matter how far you stop it down. On a full-frame camera such as the 5D Mark II, the edges are unspeakably bad. The lens also shows strong chromatic aberrations and heavy purple fringing around specular highlights. Stopping down does not reduce these effects significantly, but it is usually not a problem on indoor shots as long as sunny windows and unshaded lamps (including flourescent tubes) are kept out of the frame.

My goal in purchasing this lens was to improve my indoor martial arts photography, but its optical defects were so frustrating that I found myself taking any excuse not to use it. I simply couldn’t trust it to produce usable images. I ended up selling it. Now when I need a fast lens in about this focal length, I usually reach for the less-expensive but optically superior Canon EF 35mm f/2 Wide Angle Lens. The 35mm f/2 does not have USM, so it does not focus quite as quickly or silently as the 28mm f/1.8, but it produces good pictures without weird color artifacts.

The EF 28mm f/1.8 USM is the worst prime SLR lens in Canon’s product line as far as I know. It is the only such lens that I recommend avoiding.

Responce to Nov 23 review
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
The reason I bought this lens was to use it indoors in lower light conditions. I have had this lens on my Rebel XT for about six months and it does a fairly a good job. It maybe true that the 50mm 1.4 is better but that type of lens on a 1.6 cropped sensor is only good for portraits in my opinion. It is true this lens is a little on the soft side. You will not have to worry about it long as your not blowing up your image too big. Since there is not much to choose from in 28mm f/1.8 arena for a reasonable price, this was the best choice. Take a look at the picture I posted and judge for yourself. Can you purchase a better lens that will break the bank? Sure! But why would you want too!

Get a 50 mm f/1.4 instead (and stand back further!)
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
This lens is not so good. It is quite soft even stopped down to f/2.8, 3.2 or even f/4.0. The color rendition and white balance are also off, with and without flash. I think the sample photos someone else posted are quite telling, they are soft and dull though actually quite a bit better than what I was able to achieve indoors. Outdoors it is probably fine, but for me, I want a fast prime for shooting indoors without a flash. There aren’t a lot of great options in this focal range (the Sigma 30 mm has serious focusing problems–I tried it out; and the Canon L series primes are heavy and very expensive, though certainly intriguing). I have the 50 mm f/1.4 and, man, is that an awesome lens. I’m not sure why this one is more expensive, but I would avoid it. I’d even suggest trying the Sigma before this one, but be prepared to send it back a few times to get a “good copy”. If you have your heart set on this one, you can have mine–I’m sending it back to Amazon tomorrow for a refund.

Compact, solid build, fast/quiet focus, but sensitive to shake, expensive
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Solid and compact, this lens focuses fast, taking crisp photos, but is a bit expensive, sensitive to camera shake, and has an odd effective-focal-length.

The USM AF is quiet and fast, having no trouble finding focus even in very low-light, attached to my Canon EOS Rebel T1i 15.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD and EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens.

However, in the same low-light (nightlife) situations, shooting at Av f/1.8 – f/2.5 (ISO1600), I experienced notable blur. The lens seems more sensitive to shake than I expected; that might just be me, but I think it would benefit from IS. Images seem a little soft at f/1.8, sharpening up by f/2.8, but are usable all throughout the range.

Important to note: on cropped-sensor cameras like the Canon Rebels and 40/50D (check Wikipedia for “APS-C” and for “Crop Factor” for details), the 1.6x crop-factor means this lens is effectively a 45mm. That’s kind of an odd focal length. I have to back up several feet behind where I’d be with my miniature-looking point&shoot to get the typical “small group of people” shot, but a close-up or typical face+shoulders portrait requires cropping.

This seems like the right focal-length for focused outdoor shots (where you’re shooting one subject with some of the surroundings), kids+pets, and general walk-around purposes. The short length and broad aperture also makes this a good walk-around lens, although the limited wide-angle was sometimes frustrating.

The lens is solid and heavy, feels very well-constructed, with “big” glass.

I found the colors slightly cooler and images slightly softer than the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens. Compared to that much cheaper lens, the EF28mm feels much better made, is much quieter, slightly faster focusing, and has a more usable focal length on APS-C cameras.

I found the quality and colors nearly identical to the Canon EF 35mm f/2 Wide Angle Lens for Canon SLR Cameras. Compared to that cheaper lens, the EF28 feels better made, is much quieter, much faster focusing (especially in low-light), and is slightly more useful than the EF 35mm’s effective APS-C length of 56mm.

Recommended for multi-purpose use, but outdoor-only photographers may do better with the cheaper Canon EF 35mm f/2 Wide Angle Lens for Canon SLR Cameras which is much noisier and focus-hunts horribly in low-light, but takes comparable photos for being notably cheaper/smaller.

The best non-L-series lens for this focal length.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love this lens. Excluding Canon’s L-series professional lens offerings (which are all considerably more expensive), this is the sharpest lens I have seen from them. I use it primarily for long-exposure night photography to get wide-angle sky shots. The fast optics allow for short enough exposures that I don’t need a wedge to avoid star trails.

It’s also very compact and light, making it an easy lens to carry around for general use. With my 300D DSLR and its inherent 1.6x crop, the lens has an effective 45mm focal length, which makes it a good general-purpose lens. Its portability combined with its good performance in low light make it the perfect lens for candid indoor photography.

great all-purpose lens for APS-C
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
For APS-C digitals cameras with a 1.6 crop factor, this becomes equivalent to 44mm with a 35mm film camera. I bought this lens a general purpose prime lens for APS-C with roughly the same angle as 50mm for the 35mm film camera (Canon does not have a 30mm, only Sigma’s 30mm f/1.4 is the closest). I have used this prime lens on my Digital Rebel and 30D for a few hundred shots so far, and I am very pleased with the sharpness of the photos, as well as the speed. I think it is softer at f/1.8, which happens in most cases of any lens, and rather like to used a little to f/2.2 – 2.8. With such low apertures the area of focus is very shallow, thus I appreciate the great autofocus from the USM, which works flawness with the combination of a Canon digital SLR and a Canon lens. Also there are 10 glass elements, producing a nic bokeh, minimum distance of 25cm for focusing, so it is well-built lens. It is about 10 oz, not as light as the f/2.8 version, but it is much stronger in low-light situations, and when used at f/2.8, the f/2.8 version shold be much sharper.

It is not an L lens (these are so expensive, and also heavy), but is exceptionally good in the non-L lens category, especially for the APS-C camera’s. For full size APS sensors, the 50mm f/1.4 would be the choice, but if you use the 50mm in APS-C systems, the crop factor makes this a medium telephoto 80mm equivalent lens, not good for general purpose shooting.

It is realively higher in price to the f/2.8 version. The reasons I chose this f/1.8 version was because of the following:

1. low-light shooting in the f/1.8-2.5 range

2. USM for fast, quiet, and accurate autofocus, espcially helpful targets are moving

3. Nice soft bokeh per Canon (I like it so far).

4. Can use as wide-lens in full-size APS sensors the future if digital SLRs would gradually shift in that direction.

It depends on the type of situations you plan to shoot photos, but I think if you need such features, this lens is very much worth the price.

Good Focal Length for Crop Sensors
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
i have had this lens for well over a year since i bought it from here. i still use it about 70% of the time along with my 85mm f1.8 and 135mm f2. its a great length for indoors and the 1.8 aperture helps with indoor shutter speeds. has a short minimum focus distance, lets you take close ups of food and small objects.

few cons i can think of are the edge sharpness is a little soft and it tends to back focus sometimes.

Fast lens for 1.6x SLR cameras
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This lens is almost a perfect 50mm equivalent for my 1.6x SLR. The large aperture is incredibly fast and allows great indoor shooting in low light. Beware that using a UV Haze Filter causes glare across the lens. It’s almost unusable with the filter on.

Good Lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I tried this lens on a Canon 5D and while the images had great color and resolution, there were soft areas at the sides. I suspect this lens is much better on a camera that is not a full frame sensor.

Not all that impressed…
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
So, I couldn’t wait to get this lens. I finally bought it, and was so excited to put it to use. I quickly found that the focus at 1.8 is very soft.

In my opinion, the value just isn’t there. I mean if your paying double the price of the 28 2.8, you’d think it would keep sharp focus at the 1.8 setting, but it didn’t. I’m just gonna buy the 2.8(which ive rented in the past, and loved) and be happy with my purchase.

Needless to say I returned the lens a couple days later

Another marvelous Canon prime lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
As much as I love the 50mm f/1.4 lens there were times when it just was not wide enough. So I started an detailed search to find, for me, the perfect wide angle fixed focus lens.

As this lens will not get used a whole lot I immediately eliminated the ‘L’ lenses as too costly for the return. I was looking for something in the 20-30mm range. It needed to be a USM as non-USM lenses make too much noise while focusing and this lens will be used at plays & concerts. (I have the 35mm f/2 and it is way too noisy to use at these events.)

To make a long story short I selected the 28mm f/1.8 USM. This lens approaches the ‘standard’ 50mm lens length that shoots pretty much what you see with your eye. It excells in dimly lit interiors, such as auditoriums, for instance. Use it wide open with confidence, but focus carefully – DOF is narrow even with a 28 at 1.8.

Pros: Lightweight, Consistent Output, Strong Construction, Rugged, Easily Interchangeable, Durable, Sharp Focus, Wide Aperture

Cons: my only complaint is the same as with all non L lenses, that I have to pay extra for the hood.

Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM Wide Angle Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Good multi-purpose lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a great lens I was able to use right away for a conference. I was able to get multiple shots without the use of a flash.

Great Lens!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I recently purchased this lens and it is a fantastic lens. I currently own the Canon Rebel XTi and with this lens it makes a great ‘normal’ lens. The focus is fast and very quiet as a USM lens. I love the f/1.8 for low light situations or for a different look with portraits. I love prime lenses and recommend it to anyone!

Cons:

None that I found so far.

Okay lens, but could be much better for the price…
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I rented this lens for a week to see how it would perform. I tried various shots indoors and outdoors in a variety of settings.

I was looking at a wide angle lens for my XSi, which is a crop factor, so this would end up around 45mm on a full frame.

Good:

1) Very fast focus

2) Able to perform a manual focus override

3) Lightweight and small

4) Good bokeh

Bad:

1) You need to stop down to f/4 in order to get anything resembling a sharp image. The center was generally fine, but the corners were terrible, even on a crop camera. This was an huge disappointment, as the 50mm f/1.4 was razor sharp at f/2.

2) I noticed a lot of CA until you stop down to about f/2.8, when it became reasonable.

3) Price – it’s a little high (~$500) considering you can buy the 17-40 f/4L for about $200 more, and you get more focal range to boot.

Overall, I was very disappointed with the results, especially when this was after using the 50mm f/1.4, which was simply incredible. You would be better off in the long run by purchasing the 17-40 f4/L, which is what I’ll be purchasing next.

My new favorite lens.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I just got this lens used from a marketplace seller. The first several test-shots were breathtaking. My seller included the lens hood. The lens hood even installs backwards for easy storage.

Yes, it has a very narrow depth of field at f/1.8. But that’s the idea sometimes. Backgrounds are totally obfuscated one foot past the focus point. It gets deeper and sharper the more you stop it down.

If you’ve been looking for an EF AF lens that will shoot in awful, low-light conditions, this is a great one. Neither my EFS18-55 nor my EF35-80 can come anywhere near the low-light performance! I’m using a Digital Rebel/300D, and I was able to manually focus perfectly in very dim light. The USM AF works great, but you have to choose your focus point very carefully at f/1.8.

I’m a fisheye-guy, so the pictures are a little un-artistic for my “Artwork” but for portraits, landscapes, architecture, even drunken snapshots (I’m assuming) it’s tack-sharp every time! If you hate the curved lines from shperical wide-angles, this lens will tickle you pink!!

I’m going to take some pictures at night, I’m hoping for cloud definition in near-total darkness. I will post them with the other customer images. (Even if they’re bad, I want to test the LIMITS of this very fast/bright lens!)

Find a good used one if you can, but it would have been worth an extra $100 if a used one wasn’t available.

Every time I buy a more expensive Canon lens, I wonder if I’m finally going to get something that’s not quite worth the high price; but it hasn’t happened yet!!

My next purchase will be:Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens My wife will kill me when she sees that pricetag!

Stay Tuned!

Very good lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Very good lens. Not the best one Canon offers but does exactly what I needed.

I considered buying Canons 24mm 1.4 L for about a year but could not justify the price. I could buy three of these for the price of the 24mm.

All i wanted was a good low light, fast, lens to take candid shots with out the crappy flash on the camera.

The images are great. Actually converts to about a 44mm film lens on my DSLR.

No regrets.