A new and affordable L-series ultra-wide-angle zoom lens that’s ideal for both film and digital SLRs. Superior optics are assured by the use of three Aspherical lens elements, in addition to a Super UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) glass element. Optical coatings are optimized for use with digital cameras. This lens focuses as close as 11 inches (0.28m), and offers both Canon’s full-time manual focus and a powerful ring-type USM for fast and silent AF. It has a constant f/4 maximum aperture, and offers the choice of screw-in 77mm filters or a holder in the rear of the lens for up to three gel filters. Finally, it offers weather-resistant construction similar to other high-end L-series lenses.

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Telephoto lens with a softfocus feature. It can give razor-sharp snapshots as well as softfocus shots that do not look blurry. You have a choice of two softfocus settings. Even for softfocus shots, focusing with AF is quick and accurate.

Read more at Canon USA

Reviews

Crystal Vodka: the Canon 135/2.8 SF

The 135/2.8 SF’s main strengths are a highly useful focal length, compact size, reasonable cost, and very respectable optics — and, of course, the unique soft-focus effect that gives the lens its name. On the other hand, it doesn’t have the cleaner looks and ring USM of its younger siblings, nor does it pack the optical shark-bite of its three times more expensive and twice as heavy L sibling. In other words, if you’re looking for an inexpensive, compact medium telephoto lens with high-quality optics that’s especially suitable for portraits, and don’t consider USM a deal-maker, I say go for it. Otherwise, you, probably like most people, are better served with one of its other three siblings. Compared to:

* the 85/1.8 USM, the 135/2.8 SF has (arguably) better bokeh, is longer, a bit lighter, a good deal cheaper (in the USA), and over a stop darker.
* the 100/2.0 USM, the 135/2.8 SF has (arguably) better bokeh, is a bit longer, a bit lighter, a good deal cheaper (in the USA), and a stop darker.
* the 135/2.0 L USM, the 135/2.8 SF is a lot lighter, a great deal cheaper, a bit softer, and a stop darker.

Canon EF 135mm f/2.8 With Softfocus Lens Review by the-digital-picture.com

The unusual feature of this lens is its softfocus capability. The Canon EF 135mm f/2.8 With Softfocus Lens has a ring that allows continuous soft focus settings ranging from locked at 0 (none) to 2 with detents at settings 1 and 2.

Set at 0 (no effect), the Canon EF 135mm f/2.8 With Softfocus Lens is somewhat soft open (f/2.8) and, like many other lenses, becomes sharper as it is stopped down. Corner sharpness trails the center of the frame by a stop or more. So this is a somewhat-sharp soft-focus lens? As Canon carefully denotes this lens as being “With Softfocus”, a soft focus setting of 0 allows this lens to function like a standard 135mm lens.

Canon EF 135mm f/2.8 With Softfocus Lens Review by slrlensreview.com

Canon EF 135mm f/2.8 Softfocus did not produce particularly impressive results in the field – while center image quality was pretty good across the aperture range, borders were noticeably soft on both APS-C as well as FF cameras. Unfortunately, stopping down the lens did not improve image resolution around borders. Furthermore, the lens produced images that were washed out and lacking contrast. Color reproduction was more on the warmer side, which is typical for most Canon lenses.

Links

Short user review comparing with Canon EF 135mm f/2L (forum)

Highly practical and portable telephoto zoom lens. The five zoom groups make the length only 4.8 in. (121.5mm). With rear focusing, the lens does not change length or rotate during focusing. Any filter effects therefore remain intact. It also makes autofocusing quick and quiet.

Read more at Canon USA

Reviews

Canon EF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM Lens Review by the-digital-picture.com

Introduced in 1990, the Canon EF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM Lens is built reasonably well. The finish does not appear modern, but the build quality is decent. A metal lens mount shows that the 100-300 is not a bottom-of-the-line lens.

Canon EF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM – Review / Lab Test Report by photozone.de

The Canon EF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM can probably described as the next quality step up from the el cheapo kit tele zooms but at around 300€/US$ it is also already 50% more expensive than e.g. the EF 90-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM. On APS-C DSLRs the field of view is equivalent to 160-480mm so it is fairly suitable for sports or wildlife photography, less so for portraits. The 100-300mm USM is a full format lens so it is compatible to all EOS cameras out there. Released back in 1990 it is a fairly old design by now.

Canon’s newest “L” series lens is its first mid-telephoto macro lens to include Canon’s sophisticated Image Stabilization. With the highest quality optics available, combined with near-silent Ultrasonic focusing and life-size close-up capabilities without an adapter, the EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM is simply unrivalled.This is the first lens on the market to incorporate Canon’s new Hybrid Image Stabilization Technology. Hybrid IS effectively compensates for both angular and shift camera shake during close-up shooting. The lens was developed to expand users’ photographing range and allow a wider range of users to easily enjoy macro photography.

Read more at Canon USA

Reviews

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM Macro revoew by the-digital-picture.com

The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM Macro Lens is an extremely fun lens to use. It combines excellent image quality with a useful focal length, a relatively small/light body, fast/quiet AF with 1:1 (1x) macro capabilities – and HIS (Hybrid Image Stabilization).

Canon EF 100mm F2.8 L IS USM Macro Review by DPReview.com

There’s little doubt that, all round, this is one of the very finest lenses we’ve seen – optically it’s superb, and operationally it works very well too, with fast and positive autofocus, and one of the most effective image stabilization systems currently available. Throw in the high build quality, including dust- and splash-proofing, and it all adds up to a very desirable package indeed.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM review by slrlensreview.com

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro is an excellent macro lens for the Canon photogs. The lens is certainly a worthy descendant of the excellent previous generation 100mm macro lens. Image resolution, good flare handling, color rendition, low distortion, you name it.

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