Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 II Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

by Canon

Product Details

• Item Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004THCX
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 31, 2000

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

For many EOS users, this is their first EF lens. Light, compact and affordable, it covers a practical range of focal lengths--ideal for almost everything from family snapshots and travel to event photography. A lightweight DC-focusing motor provides brisk autofocus, as close as 1.3 feet (0.38m), enough to fill the frame with a subject about the size of a postcard.

All-Around, Practical Lenses
Very likely, your first EF lens will be (or was) one of these lenses. After all, they feature the most popular focal lengths. From wide-angle to telephoto, you get the best of both worlds. The smaller the maximum aperture, the smaller and lighter the lens.

Product Description

28-80mm side zoom lens for Canon 35mm and Digital SLR cameras / Provides Wide, Normal, Portrait perspectives

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Barely Acceptable, October 24, 2000

By 

C. Burgess "chico_bkny" (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 II Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (Electronics)

I received this lens as part of a kit when I bought an EOS Elan II, and I quickly realized that I needed to upgrade. The optics are mediocre at best, making it nearly impossible to get ultra-sharp pictures. The price is cheap, and so is the lens; the overall workmanship and quality is low. If you are a beginner just getting into SLR photography, you will be much better served by getting a couple of prime lenses (I recommend 50mm and 80mm) of higher quality. If you absolutely must have a single zoom lens to cover a range of focal lengths, spend $100 more to get the better lens. It will make a HUGE difference in the quality of your pictures.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Diamond in the Rough: A Good Affordable Tool When Used To Advantage, October 5, 2010

By 

TX-One (Plano, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 II Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (Electronics)

I haved owned the Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 V USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras for nearly one year. I purchased this lens used for a very small amount of cash. After learning what this lens does best ... I have been generally pleased with the exposures that I have made with it. Sometimes the exposures with it really pop and that has kept me from selling it. This is so even after I have purchased "better lenses." I did take some test shots to post. See the bougainvilla, cat, and "Wild Thing" test images above. Before uploading they looked a lot better. It is unfortunate that Amazon is unable to display good images.

It has been my lot (my budget) to own a few of what the world has labeled "bad lenses." In general, I have not found the lens to be "bad" but instead to be a "good lens when used appropriately." It does have its problems and it is not an L series quality lens. But, I try to subscribe to the old quote that goes something like this:"It is a poor workman that blames his tools."

I am going to share excerpts from a posting that I read that has kept me from selling this lens. I read this "johnhopkins" posting about this lens on the "fredmiranda-com photo site." Johnhopkins from the United Kingdom posted it Sep 20, 2005 according to "fredmiranda-com." The poster "johnhopkins" stated that he had tested this lens against a Canon 24-70L. He found that:"The 28-80 could not match the Canon 24-70L in colour and contrast, but at f/11 there was no difference in resolution anywhere in the zoom range. At 28mm the 28-80 performed pretty respectably (though not as well) relative to the L zoom. Resolution at f/11 was identical to the L and only a little worse at f/5.6-f/8.

Performance drops off further in the zoom range. At 50mm the 28-80 performed as well as the 24-70L at f/8-11 but resolution tailed off at f/5.6 and especially at f/4.5. The corners especially were poor.

At 70mm the 28-80 only really performed well at f/11. Resolution was still OKish at f/8 but tailed off badly at f/5.6."

My recent tests of the lens and my use of the lens for the most part confirms the (fredmiranda-com,johnhopkins) conclusion that:"If used at f/11 anywhere in its zoom range or at f5.6-f/11 at 28mm then this lens can produce very decent results. Set the camera to Aperture Priority f/11 and leave it there if possible." I to have also found that my copy has decent performance at 28mm.

I think that this lens is a good value for just a little cash.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars not bad.... but you should consider paying a little more, August 15, 2003

By 

"asabat86" (WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 II Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (Electronics)

I, like most people, got this lens when buying a kit. Unlike one review, I found this lens to have excellent optics. While not quite like a Nikon lens, the quality of pictures the lens produces is more than enough for most users. For the past 4 years, I have thouroughly enjoyed using it. Unfortunately, something is not ligning up on the connections between the lens and the camera body and the camera is unable to read/set the aperture on the lens, therebye making it impossible to take pictures. I have used other lenses on the body, and they work fine, so I'm assuming it is a problem with the lens. Consider paying a little more when buying a lens... in the long run, it might save you money.