Canon 28mm f/1.8 USM

freefall

freefall

Messages
1,379
Edit My Images
No
Hi all,

I have a 7d and love taking shots with the 85mm f1.8 USM. I'm after a new lens amd i really like shooting with primes. I'm keen for my next prime to be close to what the equivalent of a 50mm would be on a full frame, after all the 7d is a crop.

So, I then stumble across the 28mm f1.8 USM which on the face of it appears to be just like my beloved 85mm 1.8, but a mini version!

Not much has really come of this lens in the searches tbh. Anyone out there have any experiences with the 28mm f1.8 USM they care to share?
 
There's a pretty favourable review of it here, also have a think about the sigma 30mm f/1.4!

Chris
 
haha I've read that review then read the 85mm review too just to see if they really are similar. Turns out they are pretty damn similar just different focal lengths. Think the 1.4 would be too much for me to take on tbh but no harm in looking!
 
I bought one to use with my 50D and thought it was very poor. It needed stopping down to f/2.2 in order to get close to the IQ of my 17-55 at f/2.8, and f/2.5 to beat it.

Given the additional cost, lack of IS, lack of zoom flexibilty and only 1/3 to 2/3 stop usable speed advantage I returned it for a refund. It wasn't a focusing problem. Nothing was sharp at f/1.8 or f/2.0. I mean really bad, not just nit picking.

I probably got a bad copy but I decided not to try another. I dare say it can be a good lens but I'd recommend buying from a place with a reliable and convenient return/exchange policy in case you get a duffer.
 
tdodd said:
I dare say it can be a good lens but I'd recommend buying from a place with a reliable and convenient return/exchange policy in case you get a duffer.
Click to expand...

Will definitely bear that in mind, thanks. I've been lucky with the lenses I have now but you just never know if a duff lens is due to arrive on your doorstep
 
freefall said:
Will definitely bear that in mind, thanks. I've been lucky with the lenses I have now but you just never know if a duff lens is due to arrive on your doorstep
Click to expand...

Apart from the crappy 28/1.8 I've had a 50/1.4 that was unacceptably soft wide open and was returned and replaced some months later. I've had an 85/1.8 that had horrific purple fringing. That too was returned and only replaced months later too. They all came from Amazon and returning them was not a problem. Replacements came from Warehouse Express.

According to the test chart results here - http://www.the-digital-picture.com/...meraComp=396&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp=2 - the lens is pretty pants wide open. Maybe mine wasn't faulty after all, just typical, but still not of acceptable standard when mated to a 50D. On a 7D.... no thanks.

As a replacement for the 28/1.8 I actually splashed out on a 24/1.4L MK I and that was crap too. Mind you, it sounded like there was something loose inside. That went back for a refund as well. That was supplied by Park Cameras, but I think there was something fishy about the lens and I'm not sure Park Cameras were quite clued up on their story. I think it was probably a customer return (because it was faulty) that went back out on sale. :nono:

Final disappointment - Sigma 10mm fisheye - severe AF miscalibration, way outside my acceptance threshold. The return was handled without fuss at Jessops.

Despite those little hiccoughs I do now have ten Canon lenses which are all peachy.
 
"Think the 1.4 would be too much for me to take on tbh"

The thing with an f1.4 lens is that you can use it at other apertures too like f1.8, 4, 8...:)
 
Not that i'm pimping the 35 f/2 or anything but I've just had a look at the photos I took today and all I can say is "wow"

100% crops

Top third of frame f/2
img5762f.jpg



Bottom left hand corner f/2
img5796et.jpg


Centre of frame f/2.8
img5792p.jpg


I haven't done any wall tests etc so couldn't give you conclusive proof but other than a slightly soft corner wide open the rest seems very peachy. Sharpest lens I've tried I think, especially when you include corners...

I know it's not what you want OP but just giving some options as the others seem to have been shot down. The only thing I will say is the lens seems a little noisy compared to the other lenses I've tried (noise as in ISO style noise not AF).
 
I was looking at the Canon 28/f1.8 too and the Canon 35/f2, Siggy 30/f1.4, Siggy 24/f1.8 and the Siggy 28/f1.8. All see to be really good and all seem to have mixed reviews. With all the stories about back/front focusing with the Sigmas you would just have to accept that it may have to be returned to Sigma for re calibration. This would mean at least it will come back 100% spot on.

I have also just purchased a used but mint 85mm f1.8 and it is a real peach of a lens.
 
I have the canon 28/1.8 lovely lens lives on the 1d3 as a 35mm or as my WA on 5d, I'd change to the 35/2 if it was a usm lens :(
 
Focus seems pretty fast tbh, loud but fast. Accuracy seems to be spot on as well so it's not really missing much from not having USM. :)
 
I had the 28mm f/1.8 & tried tonnes of Sigma 30mm f/1.4

The Siggy is sharper wide open but tried about 19 copies on three different camera bodies and all mis-focussed at longer subject distances, sometimes way out - like 6 feet out! And before anyone suggests - it was NOT user error, and only one of the 3 camera bodies had any focussing issues (but they were much worse on the Siggy's). I've lots of experience with fast primes and the Siggy was consistently all over the place.

The 28mm f/1.8 is IMHO unusuable @ 1.8 but pretty good from f/2.0 onwards. I may well get another in the future.

The 35mm f/2.0 is a decent little lens too, although the noisy focussing is a little irritating.

Phil
 
Amp34 said:
Not that i'm pimping the 35 f/2 or anything but I've just had a look at the photos I took today and all I can say is "wow"

100% crops

Top third of frame f/2
img5762f.jpg



Bottom left hand corner f/2
img5796et.jpg


Centre of frame f/2.8
img5792p.jpg


I haven't done any wall tests etc so couldn't give you conclusive proof but other than a slightly soft corner wide open the rest seems very peachy. Sharpest lens I've tried I think, especially when you include corners...

I know it's not what you want OP but just giving some options as the others seem to have been shot down. The only thing I will say is the lens seems a little noisy compared to the other lenses I've tried (noise as in ISO style noise not AF).
Click to expand...

That's interesting, spherical abberation seems to be very low for that lens, much much less than either of Canon's cheaper 50mm lenses.
 
Phil, I remember your experiences from when you posted some time back and I wonder if it's more likely that you had 3 slightly iffy bodies rather than 19 slightly iffy lenses. Either way the odds must be absolutely pronominal.
 
Yeah, 19 buggered lenses sounds a bit extreme...

...unless they were all from a bad batch? :shrug:
 
woof woof said:
Phil, I remember your experiences from when you posted some time back and I wonder if it's more likely that you had 3 slightly iffy bodies rather than 19 slightly iffy lenses. Either way the odds must be absolutely pronominal.
Click to expand...

trencheel303 said:
Yeah, 19 buggered lenses sounds a bit extreme...

...unless they were all from a bad batch? :shrug:
Click to expand...


They were not all from the same bad batch, but there could be a batch-element to the issue as on five occassions I went into shops and tested multiple copies (2 or 3) at a time. I tried them on a 400D, 40D and 50D. The 40D was definitely iffy, but the 400D and 50D were fine. I actually sent the 50D to check calibration and they said if anything it very slightly was back-focussing, but the Sigma front-focussed on it. I certainly didn't notice any issues with my Canon lenses on the 400D or the 50D. The 40D did have slight issues with the Canon lenses, but had huge issues with the 30mm Sigma.

I personally think it is hit & miss with Sigma as they are reverse engineering the AF. I've tried two 150mm macros which are fine, but the 50mm f/1.4 was perfect on FF, but a little random on my 50D. I used to have a cheapo 75-300 APO which was fine, but a 50mm Macro I tried (and had re-calibrated by sigma) front focussed when used for standard photography (was fine at macro distances).

Phil
 
There are always going to be odd anomalies as we don't live in a perfect world. If you took notice of every horror story, real or imagined, you'd never buy any equipment. For example look at the panic over 7D focus and noise with people exchanging body after body after body and others being perfectly happy. There are even people who've never had a focus problem with a Sigma 30mm. All we can do is go for what seems to work for us and if a Siggy doesn't a Canon 28mm might.
 
Yeah I can vouch for the 7d comment, I'm more than happy with mine.

Well I'm now in a pickle thanks to you rowdy lot, I hate you all. You give me lens envy on nearly every lens going!
 
Just go with your heart! I'd buy the 28mm f1.8 if i were you and just enjoy it! :)
 
I suspect that there are plenty of people using the Sigma 30mm (and also the Canon 50mm f/1.2 which has an inherent focus shift) that never take shots which show faults.

If you never used the Sigma for longer distance subjects whilst wide open the issue may not occur - for me it ruined an otherwise great series of portraits and that put me off a little!

The Canon 28mm is the safest bet IMO.

Phil
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top