Canon wide lens test/review database

Index

NEW AND BETTER ARTICLE INDEX AT CANON INDEX
(It is only the new index that will be updated. It doesn't have the ranking yet, but is better and more up-to-date)

Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM 

Image quality rating: 90,00%

Overall rating: 80,00%

Main points:
  • Lightweight
  • Excellent sharpness
  • Falloff at maximum aperture


Test/reviewerOpticsOverallQuoteCamera
ePhotozine
4.5/5
4/5
'On paper, this lens has a lot going for it. It's sharp, well built and has image stabilisation to help tame blurring due to quivery hands.'5D Mark II
SLRGear
'Canon makes an innovative decision to include image stabilization in its wide-angle prime lenses; the lens performs well, better than the lens it is replacing, and the image stabilization will be welcomed by landscape shooters and videographers alike.'7D, 1Ds Mark III
Lenstip
'Of course in order to be honest you must emphasize the fact that the Canon EF 24 mm f/2.8 IS USM is a well done construction with an impressive list of serious advantages. However it has several slip-ups. Does the pros to cons ratio, along with the parameters of this lens and its price, will make it a market hit? I don’t know. My task is to deliver the Readers enough data and materials to make their decision-making easier. I only hope I managed to fulfill my duty well.'1Ds Mark III
Dxomark


Canon EF 28mm f/2.8 USM IS

Image quality rating: 88,33%

Overall rating: 60,00%

Main points:
  • Outstanding sharpness
  • Falloff at maximum aperture


Test/reviewerOpticsOverallQuoteCamera
ePhotozine
5/5
3.5/5
'Although this lens isn't cheap, especially for a prime lens sporting a maximum aperture of f/2.8, it does deliver excellent sharpness, low CA and distortion. Although these attributes are probably worth the price, you'd still be forgiven for expecting this lens to be more keenly priced.'5D Mark II
SLRGear
'Canon makes an innovative decision to include image stabilization in its wide-angle prime lenses; the lens performs well, perhaps not quite as well as the lens it is replacing (at least in terms of sharpness) but the image stabilization will be welcomed by landscape shooters and videographers alike.'7D, 1Ds Mark III
Lenstip
'In our humble opinion Canon would have fared much better if they had presented a typical successor of the 1.8/28 model – after improving the performance on the edge of the frame and at the maximum relative aperture such an instrument would have fond a wide group of fans, even with f/2.0 aperture and the price tag of about 3,000 PLN.'1Ds Mark III
Photozone
4/5
2.5/5
'The Canon EF 28mm f/2.8 USM IS is, undoubtedly, a high performance lens with only a few weaknesses. The center performance is breathtaking and the border quality is also very good if you close the aperture by a stop or so. The lens is also capable of keeping its performance in close-focus scenarios. The low amount of lateral CAs contributes to the high sharpness perception as well. The lens produces a slight amount of mustache-style barrel distortion which is lower than most zoom lenses. The vignetting characteristic is a a weak spot - at max. aperture there's quite a bit of light falloff so you should stop down to at least f/4 to reduce the issue to a more sane level (unless you're after the effect, of course). The quality of the bokeh (out-of-focus blur) is often a problem on wide-angle lenses but the EF 28mm f/2.8 USM IS delivers comparatively smooth results here (although they are not as buttery as on some tele primes). Bokeh fringing can be visible at f/2.8 but this is, again, a lesser issue when stopping down.'5D Mark II
Photozone
4.25/5
3/5
'The Canon EF 28mm f/2.8 USM IS is, undoubtedly, a high performance lens with only a few weaknesses. The center performance is breathtaking and the border quality is also very good if you close the aperture by a stop or so. The lens is also capable of keeping its performance in close-focus scenarios. The low amount of lateral CAs contributes to the high sharpness perception as well. The low amount of barrel distortion is also nothing to worry about in most scenes. Despite the sweet spot advantage on APS-C DSLRs there's still a noticeable degree of light falloff at f/2.8 but stopping down a bit helps to solve this issue, of course. The quality of the bokeh (out-of-focus blur) is often a problem on such lenses but the EF 28mm f/2.8 USM IS delivers comparatively smooth results here (although they are not as buttery as on some tele primes). Bokeh fringing can be visible at f/2.8 but this is, again, a lesser issue when stopping down.'50D
Dxomark


Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM

Image quality rating: 86,17%

Overall rating: 82,00%

Main points:
  • Compact
  • Good quality: very high resolution
  • Strong vignetting


Test/reviewerOpticsOverallQuoteCamera
The Photographer
'I will continue to test out this lens in the coming weeks and further inspect its capabilities, but so far, for under $200, I think this is one heck of a good deal.'
Camera Stuff Review
8.7/10
'In terms of focal length, the Canon 40 mm pancake lens on an APS-C sensor camera is too large for a standard lens and too short for a telephoto / portrait lens. Nevertheless, in terms of price and image quality, it is an excellent lens. Chromatic aberration, vignetting and distortion are all perfectly low. The sharpness of the Canon 40 mm pancake lens in combination with the Canon 650D review is better than all Canon lenses that we have previously tested at a focal length between 50 mm and 80 mm (converted to full frame) on a Canon camera with an APS-C sensor. The sharpness in the extreme corners is nearly equal to the sharpness in the center, at all apertures. Excellent.'650D
ePhotozine
4/5
3.5/5
'Pancake lenses seem to becoming somewhat fashionable at the moment, due to their small size. Whether having a slim lens is that beneficial on a full size SLR body is open to debate, but at least the optical performance of this lens alone, makes it well worthy of consideration.'1Ds Mark III
SLRGear
10/10
9/10
'It's impressive what Canon has managed to pack into a very small package here. Excellent results for sharpness, CA and distortion, and only some corner shading when used wide open on full-frame - which you could call the "character" of this lens. For the price, it's well worth the money.'7D, 1Ds Mark III
Lenstip
'The results of the Canon EF 40 mm f/2.8 STM are a very nice surprise. Preparing myself for testing this “pancake” I expected a lot of problems on the edge of full frame sensor. There were some problems but not very serious ones – you can easily wave them aside. The mere comparison of the cons and pros lists proves this device is really worth your interest.'1Ds Mark III
Photozone
4/5
4/5
'The Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM may not be perfect but that's whining on a very high level. So if you can make sense of the lens' focal length and max. aperture we can certainly recommend it highly!'5D Mark II
Photozone
4/5
4/5
'The Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM represents a bit of a debatable concept on a DSLR - at least when compared to the much smaller mirrorless camera system. Honestly speaking there is also not really much of a size and weight advantage when thinking of its closest cousin - the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 - which is also a faster lens. However, we wouldn't dare to state that it's not an attractive lens. It is just too cute for that. Other than that it has also several hard arguments on its side. The optical performance is certainly very impressive. This is especially true for the bitingly sharp center but even the border and corner quality is on a very high level straight from f/2.8. The low amount of lateral CAs contributes to the very high sharpness perception and the barrel distortion is nothing to worry about either. The lens produces a comparatively high amount of light falloff at max. aperture but stopping down to f/4 solves the issue. The quality of the bokeh is good but we wouldn't really call it a highlight. It's somewhat better on APS-C than on full format cameras though. Bokeh fringing is generally a non-issue. The EF 40mm f/2.8 STM suffers a bit from a focus shift when stopping down (residual spherical aberration). In very shallow depth-of-field situation (thus at close focus distances) this may be noticeable because DSLRs take AF readings at max. aperture only so the guidance for the other aperture settings can be very slightly off.'350D
Dxomark
The Photographer
'To sum things up, I was extremely surprised with the Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lens, the image quality delivered was beyond what I expected from a lens at this price point. I do wish the manual focus feel was a bit more responsive, and the AF speed just a touch faster, but I can certainly live with it as-is and have no issues. '5D Mark II
Better Family Photo
'I enjoyed owning this lens, but since I don't usually shoot "stuff", I don't see a great benefit of owning this lens when I already have and love using the 50mm. If you're a full-frame street shooter, you have to try it, it is tiny, discreet and wide enough. If you're a crop sensor shooter and use a 50mm, give it a try, you'll be able to breath better with the wider viewing angle.'
Camera Stuff Review
9/10
'The combination of a very compact and lightweight Canon 40 mm STM lens on a large, heavy professional camera may seem odd at first glance. Perhaps you expect that this very inexpensive lens does not deliver such a good image quality as the big and heavy professional lenses. However, the Canon 40 mm STM lets the high image quality of the Canon 1D X come out very well, according to our second Canon 40 mm review.'1D X
Dan Carr Photography
'By now you’ve probably gathered that I quite like this lens. I went into this review with high hopes but honestly, reasonably low expectations. Canon have been churning out some fantastic optics in the last few years (100mm f2.8 L IS Macro, 70-300 L IS, 70-200 f2.8 iS MKII, 24-70 MKII) but its been a long long time since they addressed the low end of the market price wise. '


Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM

Image quality rating: 84,38%

Overall rating: 87,50%

Main points:
  • Excellent optical performance
  • May be a little pricey for some


Test/reviewerOpticsOverallQuoteCamera
ePhotozine
4.5/5
4.5/5
'Although it's not cheap, the high price tag is more than justified by the excellent optical performance, build quality and handling. Images produced by this lens have good contrast and are packed with detail. Those who shoot in low light conditions regularly at this focal length can't really go far wrong in giving this lens some serious consideration.'5D Mark II
SLR Gear
9.75/10
9.75/10
'The Canon 24mm Æ’/1.4L II USM is an excellent lens, with only two reservations, both relating to the lens' usage on full-frame bodies. The first is some corner softness when used at wide apertures; the second is substantial corner shading, upwards of two stops when used wide open. Both of these attributes could be considered features, contributing to the unique look produced by this lens, and in either case the performance is improved dramatically by stopping down just one or two stops. While we can't comment on whether its performance is better than the previous version of the lens (not having yet tested it) we can say that if you need a fast, wide-angle lens for your Canon camera, you won't be disappointed with this one.'20D, 5D
Lenstip
'Fortunately the lens has a lot of advantages in other categories. The image sharpness in the frame centre is really outstanding. There will be no problems whatsoever if you want to put this lens on an APS-C sensor body. Chromatic aberration is well-corrected, the astigmatism- negligible, the work against bright light – decent and the autofocus- silent quick and accurate.'1Ds Mark III, 50D
Photozone
3/5
3/5
'The Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 USM L II gave us some mixed feelings during the tests. If you use it at its sweet settings - that's between f/4 and f/8 - the lens will be about as good as it gets for a lens in this class. It's extremely sharp here and there's no significant vignetting to speak of. Lateral CAs are also no serious problem and the distortions are well controlled. The question may be whether this is "good enough" though. At max. aperture (f/1.4) the technical image quality isn't all that great - an extreme vignetting and soft corners are obvious flaws here. This is usually forgivable for a tele lens where the center quality is paramount but it may be more of a question mark for an ultra-wide lens if you desire more than just shallow depth-of-field here. The quality of the bokeh could also be better although we haven't really seen a really good performance from a (moderate-) ultra-wide lens here so far anyway. Please note that we don't question the immense creative potential of such an ultra-large aperture lens - if you require the capabilities of an f/1.4 lens there's no substitution of course.'5D Mark II
Photoreview
9/10
9/10
'Best performance for the prime lens was between f/4 and f/8, while the zoom peaked at f/6.3 but delivered relatively high resolution from f/4.0 to f/9.0. The performance of both lenses tailed off from f/8 on and the differences between them increased from about f/11. The graph below shows the results of our Imatest tests covering apertures from f/4 to f/22.'
Dxomark


Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 L

Image quality rating: 78,90%

Overall rating: 85,00%

Main points:
  • Outstanding performance across the frame when stopped down
  • Soft edges at wide apertures
  • autofocus is quick, silent and accurate


Test/reviewerOpticsOverallQuoteCamera
The Photographer
'At the moment, we have the Canon 24-70mm f2.8 L USM II in for review. As an owner of the Canon 35mm f1.4 L and 50mm f1.4, I decided to put the lenses in a test against one another to provide some insight into whether or not someone should spring for the all in one zoom or some nice primes. Also, this test is an informal measure of just how far the optical technology has come.'
ePhotozine
4/5
4.5/5
'Despite its age, this lens is still capable of producing excellent results. The resolution recorded in the centre is high, even at wide apertures. Although the resolution may fall off towards the edges, I find this acceptable in use with wide aperture lenses such as this.'1Ds Mark III
ePhotozine
'The build quality and heritage of his lens is unquestionable and for full frame sensors or 35mm, it is still in the top flight. As a standard prime on a cropped sensor dSLR it will do a good job, but might just be out-performed by some of the younger opposition.'
SLRGear
9.56/10
9.75/10
'This isn't a cheap lens, so it should probably come as no surprise that it's performance on sub-frame cameras is really stellar. Even wide open (which at f/1.4 is very wide indeed), this lens is only slightly soft, and only slightly more so in the corners, rapidly improving as you stop down. Chromatic aberration is modest, geometric distortion is low, at only 0.26% barrel distortion, and even shading (more commonly called vignetting) isn't too bad, at 0.44 EV, once again decreasing rapidly as you stop down, dropping to less than 1/10 EV from f/2.8 onward.'20D, 5D
Lenstip
'Can the advantages of this lens compensate the disadvantages? To tell you the truth, the advantages are significant – a fantastic, sometimes even record-breaking picture quality and a lens barrel fit for the most demanding atmospheric conditions. Something no professional can ignore.'20D, 5D
Photozone
3/5
3/5
'The Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 USM L is certainly an impressive piece of engineering but it struggles a bit on full format DSLRs - at least technically. The center resolution is excellent straight from f/1.4 but the borders and extreme corners are soft here. That said it is certainly capable of delivering images with a very shallow depth-of-field and that's the primary point of this lens after all. The quality of the bokeh could be a bit better better towards the borders although we haven't really seen a really good performance from a moderate wide angle lens here so far anyway. The EF 35mm f/1.4 USM L has naturally some very shiny sides as well. At f/2.8 it produced a new record in terms of center resolution and at f/5.6 it's pretty much excellent across the image frame so it can be bitingly sharp for mainstream photography.'5D Mark II
Photozone
4/5
4/5
'The Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 USM L is highly regarded in the Canon community and it also shows in the lab. The resolution figures are exceptional and among the best tested so far. Typical for ultra-large aperture lenses vignetting is a little on the high side at wide-open aperture even on an APS-C DSLR but the issue remains correctable via imaging tools and stopping helps to resolves the issue if needed. CAs are a little on the high side unfortunately. Apart from the sheer lab related figures it's simply pure fun to use the lens and the large aperture option is an inspiration for creative photography. The build quality is typical for a Canon L grade lens - simply superb. The EF 35mm f/1.4 USM L is not exactly a cheap lens but nonetheless - highly recommended.'350D
Dxomark
The Photographer
'That left one lens in the bag: the 35mm f1.4. Initial tests have come out testing the lens. Here’s a super quick and very informal comparison of the two; and this will be the first of a couple.'5D Mark II
Ken Rockwell
'The Canon 35mm f/1.4 L is optically superb, handles very well and no Canon lens is better made. I wish everything was this good.'6D


Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L USM

Image quality rating: 78,35%

Overall rating: 87,80%

Main points:
  • Go for the new version


Test/reviewerOpticsOverallQuoteCamera
SLR Gear
9.67/10
9.67/10
'Very very sharp and wonderful colors...1.4 sharpness is incredible and I couldn't notice any distortion.'
Photozone
3/5
3.5/5
'The Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 USM L left some mixed feelings during the tests. The peak performance is about the best that I've seen at this focal length but it is reached late (f/8). The center quality is surely very impressive throughout the tested aperture range but this isn't quite as true for the borders which are soft at f/1.4 and the quality only increases slowly towards medium aperture settings. The distortion and CA figures are acceptable for such a lens but vignetting is way too pronounced on an APS-C DSLR even though the problem is only visible at f/1.4. The build quality is typical for a Canon L grade lens - simply superb.'350D


Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye

Image quality rating: 75,00%

Overall rating: 76,67%

Main points:
  • Special purpose


Test/reviewerOpticsOverallQuoteCamera
SLRGear
9/10
8.5/10
'I bought this lens as ultra wide for my Canon 40D and when I upgraded to 5D and 1D Mk III I rediscovered the lens once again. The only non-L lens in my bag.'
Photozone
3/5
3/5
'Fisheye lenses are a matter of taste and the type of distortions limits its scope to special effects. Other than that the Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye is a very decent performer with high resolution figures and good construction quality (apart from the cap design). However, there´re some question marks whether the APS-C format doesn´t destroy most of the fisheye effect. On a 1.3x and full frame DSLR the lens will make more sense in this respect.'350D
Dxomark


Canon EF 24mm f/2.8

Image quality rating: 75,00%

Overall rating: 72,87%

Main points:
  • Go for the new version


Test/reviewerOpticsOverallQuoteCamera
SLR Gear
8/10
7.43/10
'Compared to modern equivalents, the 24mm Æ’/2.8 seems to be due for an update. We've had some interesting discussions about the nature of focus and field curvature in wide-angle lenses, and it could be that if you arranged your subjects to match the curvature of the lens, everything would be sharp. That doesn't regularly happen in real-life, though: people tend to compose along flat planes, and that's conveniently how our tests measure sharpness. In this regard, shot wide-open, the 24mm Æ’/2.8 shows high levels of corner softness (extremely high, on full-frame bodies), which may or may not be a desirable effect. CA performance is good, corner shading is good (except on full-frame, where it's objectionable) and distortion is about what you'd expect for a wide-angle lens.'20D, 5D
Photozone
3.5/5
3.5/5
'At the optimal focus distances the EF 24mm f/2.8 is an excellent performer capable to deliver images as sharp as it gets on an 8MP APS-C DSLR. For most situations this is generally true but residual spherical aberration can be a problem at close-focus distances (as explained in the MTF chapter above). Other than that vignetting is a little on the high side at f/2.8 but no issue beyond and the slight barrel distortions are usually very acceptable as well. The construction quality is decent though not stellar.'350D


Canon EF 35mm f/2

Image quality rating: 71,83%

Overall rating: 75,70%

Main points:
  • Loud AF- motor
  • Affordable


Test/reviewerOpticsOverallQuoteCamera
SLRGear
8.55/10
8.14/10
'Unless you really need the light-gathering capabilities of the 1.4 lenses, this Canon f/2 does a very fine job (particularly from f/4 on). A true "best buy" in the Canon EF lens lineup!'20D, 5D
Photozone
3/5
3.5/5
'The Canon EF 35mm f/2 is an old lens design but it's still a good one. The center resolution is very high throughout the tested aperture range. The border quality is usable at f/2 to f/2.8 and more than decent from f/4 onwards. The amount of vignetting leaves something to be desired at f/2 and also at f/2.8. Lateral CAs aren't something to worry about - the same goes for the moderate level of barrel distortion. The major weakness of the lens cannot be found in the more formal performance characteristics: the bokeh (the quality of the out-of-focus blur). In critical situations it is clearly sub-standard which is disappointing for a large aperture lens. Mechanically the lens is a little outdated by now and Canon should really consider to update the lens with a USM drive and especially a decent focus ring.'5D Mark II
Photozone
3.5/5
3.5/5
'The Canon EF 35mm f/2 may not be the most sexy lens around but its performance is generally very solid. The resolution is very high and evenly distributed across the image field even at max. aperture. The amount of vignetting leaves something to be desired at f/2 - 1.1 f-stops is too much for a full format lens within the tested APS-C scope. That said it's not an issue anymore from f/2.8 onwards. Lateral CAs aren't something to worry about - the same goes for the moderate level of barrel distortion. The major weakness of the lens cannot be found in the more formal performance characteristics: the bokeh (the quality of the out-of-focus blur). In critical situations it is clearly sub-standard which is disappointing for a large aperture lens. Mechanically the lens is a little outdated by now and Canon should really consider to update the lens with a USM drive and especially a decent focus ring.'350D
Dxomark
Ken Rockwell
'There's really no reason to pay more for the newest 35mm f/2 IS (2012-) or professional35mm f/1.4 L (1998-), unless you dislike having to slide a switch to get manual focus, or need tougher build and faster speed (35/1.4L) or Image Stabilization (35/2 IS).'


Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L USM

Image quality rating: 68,00%

Overall rating: 72,00%

Main points:
  • Go for newer version


Test/reviewerOpticsOverallQuoteCamera
SLRGear
6.8/10
7.2/10
'The Canon 14mm f/2.8L is a sturdy smooth-functioning lens that exhibits very good Center Sharpness across its f/2.8-f/22 aperture spectrum on both full-frame and sub-frame bodies. Corner Sharpness is, at best, mediocre; Chromatic Aberration is quite poor; Shading is reasonably good; and Distortion is average. '20D, 5D


Canon EF 28mm f/2.8

Image quality rating: 63,15%

Overall rating: 70,87%

Main points:
  • Go for the new version


Test/reviewerOpticsOverallQuoteCamera
SLRGear
6.63/10
6.63/10
'The Canon 28mm f/2.8 illustrates this nicely. Despite selling for well under $200, it delivers excellent sharpness wide open and lower distortion than all but the most expensive zooms.'20D, 5D
Photozone
3/5
4/5
'The Canon EF 28mm f/2.8 may not be the most attractive lens on the market but it is still interesting nonetheless. It is very affordable in combination with a pretty impressive optical performance (except CAs) and quite decent mechanics. However, it faces pretty stiff competition from the Sigma AF 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM which is a little better in the center but worse at the borders. The Canon is much cheaper though.'350D


Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM

Image quality rating: 62,50%

Overall rating: 71,67%

Main points:
  • very good image quality in the frame centre,
  • fast and noiseless autofocus


Test/reviewerOpticsOverallQuoteCamera
SLRGear
9/10
8.75/10
'If you were reading this in order to decide whether an upgrade from the current Canon EF 14mm Æ’/2.8 is worth it, the answer is an unequivocal yes: Canon seems to have improved just about everything that is physically possible to improve upon with this lens. If you were looking at getting into ultra-wide angle photography and were wondering whether to buy one of the above four lenses, the choice is going to be more about how much money you're willing to spend. Thankfully, this choice only becomes truly difficult if you have a full-frame body: APS-C sensor body users are better served with the much more reasonably-priced (and excellent) Canon 10-22mm. We can't definitively say that the Canon models outperform the Sigma or the Tamron, not having yet tested those lenses, but we can say that if you do decide to buy the Canon EF 14mm Æ’/2.8 II USM, you probably won't be disappointed.'20D, 5D
Lenstip
'The Canon EF 14 mm f/2.8L USM II lens comes with a price tag of at least 8,000 PLN. The rival Samyang 14 mm f/2.8 ED AS IF UMC is available for a bit more than 1,000 PLN. The difference in price is so huge that we can speak here about a clash between a Goliath and a David. Like in the Old Testament the underestimated David wins that clash. The Samyang provides a better resolution in the frame centre and on the edge of the frame, lower chromatic aberration, lower coma, astigmatism and vignetting. In the case of the work against bright light we have almost a draw although you still can find slight Samyang’s advantage there. The Canon is better in the category of distortion, autofocus and build quality. However, with such an enormous price disparity, those are not strong assets at all. The small focal length makes autofocus, by and large, redundant and the decisively better build quality is nothing important when for the price of one Canon you can have eight Samyangs; even more if you haggle about it. After all, buying eight lenses is almost a wholesale deal and every shop is going to give you a discount.'1Ds Mark III
Photozone
3.5/10
2/5
'The Canon EF 14mm f/2.8 USM L II is an impressive lens both in terms of optical performance as well as mechanical quality. It provides an exceedingly sharp center resolution combined with very good borders/corners all the way up to f/11. A highlight is the moderate amount of barrel distortion which stands out compared to zoom lenses such as the EF 16-35mm f/2.8 USM L II. Typical for such ultra-wide lenses there's some light fall-off at f/2.8 and, to a lesser degree, at f/4 but the problem is comparatively well controlled for a lens in this class. A rather obvious weakness is the high amount of lateral CAs at the image borders. The large bulb-like front element is also somewhat prone to producing ghostings from strong peripheral light sources - this is, of course, nothing unusual but it seems as if the lens has slightly more problems here than most. It may not be a primary aspect but the quality of the bokeh (out-of-focus blur) is on the rough side. However, this is, again, rather typical for such lenses (with multiple aspherical elements). The biggest problem of the Canon lens is not the lack of quality but its extremely high price of > 2000EUR/US$.'5D Mark II


Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM

Image quality rating: 54,43%

Overall rating: 60,85%

Main points:
  • Good image quality
  • average image quality at the frame edge


Test/reviewerOpticsOverallQuoteCamera
ePhotozine
'As a wide-angle lens for cropped sensors, this lens falls a little short, with virtually all of the standard zooms giving a wider angle of view. However, on the full frame sensors that Canon are now producing, this lens still warrants its place in their line-up. Nice results combined with ease of use will ensure it will stay there for some time to come.'300D
SLR Gear
6.33/10
6.67/10
'For full-frame digital SLR or film users, the 20mm Æ’/2.8 shows off its poorer performance issues, especially for sharpness and light falloff. Whether this performance is poor however, depends on your point of view; if you're looking for a lens which isolates a centrally-located subject by means of sharpness and light falloff, the lens does it spectacularly. If you need even light distribution and even sharpness, the 20mm prime will disappoint, especially at Æ’/2.8. At other apertures, you have a better chance of getting what you need.'20D, 5D
Lenstip
'Our tests are supposed to answer one main question - whether or not a given instrument is worth buying. In the case of the Canon EF 2.8/20 mm the answer is unambiguous – it isn’t! Spending almost 500 $ we get picture effects that are possible to achieve using cheaper and much more universal lenses like a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 or a Sigma 18-50 f/2.8. If the difference is not visible why should you overpay?'20D
Photozone
2/5
2/5
'The Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM is not a bad lens but it shows that its design dates back to the early 90s. The technical resolution is actually pretty good with a very sharp image center and pretty good borders. The corners are also very decent at medium aperture settings. However, the lens suffers from a high degree of field curvature unless you adjust your shooting style you will end with relatively soft outer image region. The amount of vignetting at f/2.8 and f/4 is another weak spot although this is not unheard of from other ultra-wide angle lenses. On the positive side there's only a low amount of barrel distortion and lateral CAs aren't really disturbing either. '5D Mark II
Photozone
3/5
3.5/5
'Since the release of the EOS system we have seen several updates to Canon ultra-wide zoom lenses but they didn't really care about their fix-focals in this range ever since their initial release back in the early 90s. The Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM feels a little dated by now - less so regarding its mechanical qualities but optically it isn't really something special anymore. Most good quality zooms can match its quality by now. The fix focal lens can still convince regarding distortions and CAs. Resolution-wise it is still a good to very good lens for sure - just not more than that. Vignetting is a little on the high side at f/2.8 which is a little disappointing for a full format lens tested on an APS-C DSLR. So unless you require an affordable, large aperture lens in this range there're few reasons left to favor this lens over e.g. the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 USM L.'350D
Dxomark


Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM

Image quality rating: 49,66%

Overall rating: 66,40%

Main points:
  • Poor optical performance at fast apertures
  • weak image quality at the maximum relative aperture
  • low resolution at the frame edge of an APS-C and full frame sensor alike


Test/reviewerOpticsOverallQuoteCamera
ePhotozine
2/5
2.5/5
'With the lens stopped down, it can yield pleasing results, but then if this lens can only be used stopped down, it may be worth saving your £380 to put towards a high quality zoom in the same range, or any other alternative, for that matter.'1Ds Mark III
SLRGear
8.83/10
8.92/10
'All in all, a fine lens at an affordable price. As with its smaller-aperture brother though, we'd like it better with less chromatic aberration. It does get way soft in the corners at f/1.8, but if you're shooting in limited lighting, that nearly stop-and-a-half advantage over the f/2.8 model could be well worth the extra $200-plus.'20D, 5D
Lenstip
'To sum up when you take into account the price of the tested lens, which is not the lowest for such a simple “prime”, Canon ought to show us a successor soon. Full frame digital sensors with the number of pixels reaching over 20 million are too demanding for such an old version of the lens.'1Ds Mark III
Photozone
2/5
3.5/5
'The Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM is not a great lens but from a real world perspective it is not all that bad. At large apertures the center is very sharp - and that's probably the priority spot at such settings anyway. However, the border and corner performance is certainly disappointingly low here. The situation isn't all that bad anymore at f/2.8 and the quality is actually decent at medium aperture settings. Lateral CAs are clearly visible but not excessive (less so than on the high pixel-density APS-C cameras). Vignetting is, of course, an issue at f/1.8 but that's rather normal for such a fast wide-angle lens. The light falloff is acceptable from f/2.8 onward. In critical scenes you may spot some barrel distortion but it is not overly disturbing. The quality of the bokeh is certainly a major aspect for such a lens. You can achieve a very pronounced degree of background/foreground blur but don't expect wonders in terms of smoothness - this is a fate that it shares with most lenses in this class though. Bokeh fringing can also be present at large aperture settings. '5D Mark II
Photozone
2/5
2.5/5
'Generally the verdict for the Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM cannot be better than for its Sigma counterpart - high center performance but substantially worse borders. This is more so disappointing because this full frame lens was tested on an APS-C DSLR. The sweet spot effect has a positive effect on vignetting which is nothing to worry about. The distortion figures are pretty low but chromatic aberrations are hefty comparable to ultra-wide zoom lenses. So in total the lens may be good but we expect more from a fix-focal lens even though the design of a large aperture lens with a moderate pricing was certainly far from being simple.'350D
Photozone
2/5
2.5/5
'The Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM disappoints on the APS-C format. It is a full format lens yet the border quality leaves something to be desired even when stopped down. The fairly heavy amount of lateral CAs reduces the subjective quality perception even further. However, the center quality is actually very good. From a real world perspective this characteristic may still be fine. The border quality is usually not a top priority at very large aperture settings and at f/8 it may be "good enough". There is a bit of light falloff at f/1.8 but it's not overly disturbing and already gone when stopping down a tiny bit. The level of distortion is good. The bokeh (quality of the out-of-focus blur) of the lens is quite rough but that's rather typical in this lens class. Really nice aspects are the high build quality plus the silent and fast AF. The pricing is pretty low in absolute terms although you may debate whether it is a good offer from a price/performance perspective.'50D
Dxomark


Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM

Image quality rating: 0,00%

Overall rating: 0,00%

Main points:
  • Coming soon


Test/reviewerOpticsOverallQuoteCamera
SLRGear
Ken Rockwell
'If you would you pay almost three times as much as the perfectly good previous-modelCanon 35mm f/2 just to get instant manual-focus override and Image Stabilization (IS), this lens is for you.'


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