Rating: 
Summary: a great general-purpose lense
Review: I bought this lens four years ago and have shot around 6,000 photos with it (4000 digital, 2000 35mm). Autofocus is very fast and quiet, which is typical of the Canon USM lenses. I would not recommend a Canon lens that does not have the ultrasonic motor (USM) focusing. Optics are sharp throughout the focusing range.The lens is fairly heavy and after a few months of use, you will likely find that the weight of the glass is enough to make the lens telescope out when it's around your neck. If you want a compact lens that will let you take great pictures in a wide range of settings, this is probably the best lens you could get for a Canon camera. If you're a pro, you'll probably have a backpack full of lenses and you're not reading this anyway, so I'm not talking to you. If you want something you can sling over your shoulder and not think about when you take the kids to Disney World, get a cheaper, lighter lens. The Image Stabilizer (IS) makes the lens a lot more expensive (some lenses are offered with and without it), so you should know what you're paying for. Some notes about the Image Stabilizer: - The image stabilizer itself is basically a spinning lens element (piece of glass) that acts as a gyroscope. When the lens moves slightly, such as camera shake caused by your pulse, the gyroscopic element stays put while the other elements move. Because the gyroscopic element is no longer in line with the other elements, it effectively bends the light just enough to compensate for the lens moving. - Having the IS feature does not mean that you can take crisp photos with a 1/20 sec exposure while jumping on a trampoline. What it means is that you can often get away with not carrying a tripod in normal lighting, and in low light when your photos would be very blurry (assuming you're not using really fast film), the IS will make the images significantly less blurry. An obvious corollary is that you can avoid using a flash in many situations when a flash is undesirable or prohibited. - The rule of thumb to get crisp photos without image stabilization is that your shutter speed should not be longer than 1 over your focal length. So if you are taking a picture zoomed in at 135mm, your shutter speed needs to be 1/135 sec or faster, and since no camera I know of has a 1/135 setting, that means going up to 1/160 sec (on cameras with stops in 1/3 increments) or faster. The image stabilizer means that you can go 2 f-stops slower than you normally could using the rule I just explained. So if you're shooting at 135mm and you have the IS switched on, you can shoot at 1/40 sec instead of 1/160 sec. That means four times as much light goes past the shutter, or that you can get the same quality results with 1/4 of the ambient light you would normally need. - There are some times when you SHOULD NOT use the IS feature. You should definitely not use it if you are in a car, on a roller coaster, if you are walking, or in any other situation where the camera is moving or vibrating a lot. You will get blurrier than normal images because the gyroscopic element is constantly moving all over the place, trying to prevent the image from moving. Only have IS switched on when you are using the camera in a normal, stationary, handheld manner. You should also not use IS when you are using a tripod, or when you have the camera resting on a vibration-less surface for an image. The reason is that the gyroscopic element will be spinning even though it's not needed, and while this isn't really bad, the motion could decrease photo quality (I've never noticed this, but this is what Canon claims), and it is unnecessarily using battery power. - Finally, not all of Canon's IS lenses use the same IS technology; many of the more expensive and newer lenses are better, but it was hard enough for me to come up with what this lens cost--it'll be awhile before I can rationalize three times as much for an upgrade. One last note about third-party lenses, in case you're thinking about it. I know the price may be compelling but there genuinely does seem to be major quality differences, and while all Canon EOS lenses work will all Canon EOS cameras, no matter how many years apart they are in design, it has happened several times that even the best of the third party lenses (Sigma, some others) do not function properly with new Canon cameras. I happily buy knock-offs with other things, but not with lenses, flashes, or other camera components that actually communicate with my camera.
Rating:
Summary: a great general-purpose lense
Review: I bought this lens four years ago and have shot around 6,000 photos with it (4000 digital, 2000 35mm). Autofocus is very fast and quiet, which is typical of the Canon USM lenses. I would not recommend a Canon lens that does not have the ultrasonic motor (USM) focusing. Optics are sharp throughout the focusing range. The lens is fairly heavy and after a few months of use, you will likely find that the weight of the glass is enough to make the lens telescope out when it's around your neck. If you want a compact lens that will let you take great pictures in a wide range of settings, this is probably the best lens you could get for a Canon camera. If you're a pro, you'll probably have a backpack full of lenses and you're not reading this anyway, so I'm not talking to you. If you want something you can sling over your shoulder and not think about when you take the kids to Disney World, get a cheaper, lighter lens. The Image Stabilizer (IS) makes the lens a lot more expensive (some lenses are offered with and without it), so you should know what you're paying for. Some notes about the Image Stabilizer: - The image stabilizer itself is basically a spinning lens element (piece of glass) that acts as a gyroscope. When the lens moves slightly, such as camera shake caused by your pulse, the gyroscopic element stays put while the other elements move. Because the gyroscopic element is no longer in line with the other elements, it effectively bends the light just enough to compensate for the lens moving. - Having the IS feature does not mean that you can take crisp photos with a 1/20 sec exposure while jumping on a trampoline. What it means is that you can often get away with not carrying a tripod in normal lighting, and in low light when your photos would be very blurry (assuming you're not using really fast film), the IS will make the images significantly less blurry. An obvious corollary is that you can avoid using a flash in many situations when a flash is undesirable or prohibited. - The rule of thumb to get crisp photos without image stabilization is that your shutter speed should not be longer than 1 over your focal length. So if you are taking a picture zoomed in at 135mm, your shutter speed needs to be 1/135 sec or faster, and since no camera I know of has a 1/135 setting, that means going up to 1/160 sec (on cameras with stops in 1/3 increments) or faster. The image stabilizer means that you can go 2 f-stops slower than you normally could using the rule I just explained. So if you're shooting at 135mm and you have the IS switched on, you can shoot at 1/40 sec instead of 1/160 sec. That means four times as much light goes past the shutter, or that you can get the same quality results with 1/4 of the ambient light you would normally need. - There are some times when you SHOULD NOT use the IS feature. You should definitely not use it if you are in a car, on a roller coaster, if you are walking, or in any other situation where the camera is moving or vibrating a lot. You will get blurrier than normal images because the gyroscopic element is constantly moving all over the place, trying to prevent the image from moving. Only have IS switched on when you are using the camera in a normal, stationary, handheld manner. You should also not use IS when you are using a tripod, or when you have the camera resting on a vibration-less surface for an image. The reason is that the gyroscopic element will be spinning even though it's not needed, and while this isn't really bad, the motion could decrease photo quality (I've never noticed this, but this is what Canon claims), and it is unnecessarily using battery power. - Finally, not all of Canon's IS lenses use the same IS technology; many of the more expensive and newer lenses are better, but it was hard enough for me to come up with what this lens cost--it'll be awhile before I can rationalize three times as much for an upgrade. One last note about third-party lenses, in case you're thinking about it. I know the price may be compelling but there genuinely does seem to be major quality differences, and while all Canon EOS lenses work will all Canon EOS cameras, no matter how many years apart they are in design, it has happened several times that even the best of the third party lenses (Sigma, some others) do not function properly with new Canon cameras. I happily buy knock-offs with other things, but not with lenses, flashes, or other camera components that actually communicate with my camera.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, sharp pictures; extremely versatile lens
Review: I bought this lens to use on a Digital Rebel and a Canon Elan II. What sold me on it was the image stabilization feature which allows photographers to take pictures in lower light without requiring a tripod for stabilization. The image stabilization feature works extremely well. I tested it on my first outing with this lens by taking it to 6th street in Austin just as the sun was going down. I took several sets of pictures, some with IS on and some with it off. I also took seven or eight comparison sets where I shot first without IS and then with it. This system really works, and pictures shot with the Image Stabilizer were much sharper in lower light. What has also impressed me about this lens is the image quality. It is definitely a step above the Digital Rebel kit lens, and shows much finer detail than that lens. It also shows better contrast. There is a very slight amount of chromatic aberration, but it's only noticable on very close inspection, and is no worse than any other zoom lens I've used. Overall, this is an excellent addition to any Canon user's outfit.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, sharp pictures; extremely versatile lens
Review: I bought this lens to use on a Digital Rebel and a Canon Elan II. What sold me on it was the image stabilization feature which allows photographers to take pictures in lower light without requiring a tripod for stabilization. The image stabilization feature works extremely well. I tested it on my first outing with this lens by taking it to 6th street in Austin just as the sun was going down. I took several sets of pictures, some with IS on and some with it off. I also took seven or eight comparison sets where I shot first without IS and then with it. This system really works, and pictures shot with the Image Stabilizer were much sharper in lower light. What has also impressed me about this lens is the image quality. It is definitely a step above the Digital Rebel kit lens, and shows much finer detail than that lens. It also shows better contrast. There is a very slight amount of chromatic aberration, but it's only noticable on very close inspection, and is no worse than any other zoom lens I've used. Overall, this is an excellent addition to any Canon user's outfit.
Rating:
Summary: I.S. is the only way to fly
Review: I have nothing to add that others have not written about the quality of the lens in regards to sharpness and contrasts, however, I found that the I.S. really excells with stationary subjects in low light. I shot a wedding in a dark church with this lens and hand held. even at 1/4-1/8 second got me acceptable sharpness. I also tried 1/2 sec but sharpness started to really drop off. Granted, for a lens that is not in Canon's "L" series, it's a great performer in helping me get acceptable sharpness where I couldn't before. It's a great lens to hone skills with before you jump in to the much more expensive "L" series pool...You get what you pay for
Rating:
Summary: Good lense
Review: I have this on a Canon Elan 7e. It's really great.
Rating:
Summary: Exceptional Canon Quality
Review: I purchased this along with my Canon EOS Digital Rebel. Probably the most versatile lens you could buy, covering about 95% of the range one would ever use. The quality of this lens makes the 18-55mm lens almost obsolete. Although this is somewhat pricey, it is well worth the money. Canon lenses are always top-notch and compatibility with your digital camera is assured. Be sure to purchase from a reputable retailer so that you get a USA warranty. You should never compromise quality, otherwise you'll regret getting something that wasn't the best. Your camera is expensive, and your memories are priceless -- why short change both with a second rate camera lens?
Rating:
Summary: Best non-L Zoom Lens
Review: I use this lens as my single "walk around" lens on my Canon 10D. It's versatile, wide enough to catch most scenes, with enough telephoto to be useful outdoors - and the IS works great! The optics are also exceptionally sharp. If you have the money, this is my recommmendation for a first lens, esp with the 10D.
Rating:
Summary: THE Canon beginner Lens
Review: I use this lens as my single "walk around" lens on my Canon 10D. It's versatile, wide enough to catch most scenes, with enough telephoto to be useful outdoors - and the IS works great! The optics are also exceptionally sharp. If you have the money, this is my recommmendation for a first lens, esp with the 10D.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite everyday lens
Review: My photography falls mainly into two categories: outdoor photography of railroads, and typical around-the-house photos of my family. This lens has become the one most often attached to my camera for both purposes.
At the wide end, 28mm is pretty good for indoor shots which aren't too close. The zoom out to 135mm is a decent standard zoom and allows one to get closer to the action.
What sets this lens apart are the very quiet and fast USM motor for focusing, and the image stabilization features which are helpful when making handheld shots.
I would highly recommend this lens as a must-have for any Canon photographer.
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