Filter Reviews

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.

While I considered purchasing a Canon 10D, I also started looking for a good first lens. Most of the reviewers and Canonites on the various forums suggested this lens as a good starting point.

The 28-135mm IS USM Zoom is the one I use all the time now on the Canon 10D, and that will be the case until I get over the sticker shock of the 10D/28--135mm combo and start adding other lenses to my kit.

In the meantime, this lens gets the job done very well. It gives you good range for a variety of of shots, from portraits to telephotos. There is even a macro mode, which gives you the opportunity to do close-ups--not really a true macro, but okay for shots of flowers, your kitty cat's face, etc. It is the flexibility of this lens that makes it so appealing if all you have is just one lens. And remember that if you mount this lens on a digital camera, like the 10D, the range is actually extended by a factor of 1.6.

The USM focuses fast, and the Image Stabilization (IS) really works. In fact, I've been spoiled by it, and IS is now a must for any of the longer lenses I might purchase in the future.

The IS system "locks" on target so that camera shake is eliminated or at least seriously minimized. This means fewer shots ruined by camera shake, and the IS system allows the user to shoot handheld at slower shutter speeds. This isn't just advertising hype. It works.

The image quality is quite good. I get good color saturation, contrast, and sharpness. After tweaking some shots in Photoshop, I was able to turn out some excellent 13x19 inch prints.

As others have pointed out, if you are just starting out with a Canon DSLR or SLR and want one good general purpose lens, this is it.

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.

I think the best plays to buy a cameras is brandon.s store it is the best.

After shooting Canon's 28-105mm on my Canon A2e for five years, I had to replace it with a similar length lens equivalent for my new Canon 10D. The 24-85mm comes out to be a little longer on the short end, as well as on the long end (38.4-136mm "35mm equivalent"). At twice the price of the 28-105, I can only say that you are getting twice the lens, and it's great. you will pay more for 67mm filters for this lens (as opposed to 58mm for most of Canon's consumer lenses), but it's all worth it!

This is a fantastic lens made from fantastic glass. It's a joy to shoot, and it's a great match to the smaller 22.66mm sensor of the lower-end pro digital bodies. It's worth every dime of the price.

This lens is almost superb for its price! It's a middle-class lens, what appears in the following:

- it has bigger light-factor (3.5-4.0 vs 4.0-5.6 in the low-class lenses). This gives you more possibilities, for instance to use faster shutter speeds or to decrease the depth-of-fild for special effects)

- the first (outer) lens doesn't spin what gives you an opportunity to use square filters; using a poliriser becomes as easy as any other filter.

- the USM (Ultra Sonic Motor) gives you a really super speed of focusing and completely silent engine. You'll catch the fastest actions and nothing will distrub your object!

These are the most important and useful features of the lens. I should also admit, that the focal distance of this lens is almost ideal for everyday photography, because gives you an opportunity to shoot from landscapes (~24-50mm) to portraiture (~50-85mm) with an equal simplicity and quality.

This lens is an absolute steal at under $600. As can be expected of any "L" series lens, it produces absolutely flawless images throughout the entire focal length range, even wide-open. Construction is rock-solid: this lens will last forever. This will be your "work-horse" telephoto lens.

On the down-side, it's heavy, and probably not a good choice for carrying around on hiking trips, though it's considerably lighter (and less expensive) than its f/2.8L cousin. No IS, so you'll want to use a tripod or other support, but the tripod ring mount is not included (about $120 extra).

Still, you should immediately buy this lens before Canon wises up and raises the price, or stops producing it altogether. You'll be kicking yourself later if you pass this one up.

This is my first "L" Series lens and I have to tell you that I'm very impressed. The focus is quiet and the images are sharp and crisp. The zoom is good enough to capture any shot. I think that I'm in very big trouble in the pocket book, because I don't think I'll be buying anything else but an "L" series!!

In my opinion, this Canon lens provides the best value in Canon's entire line up of "L" glass (lenses). If you have never used an L lens before, this will open your eyes to what you have been missing. Very fast focusing, very sharp images, very little chromatic abberation, and consistent quality through the entire zoom and aperature range.

One note; with a widest aperature of f/4 and a long focal length, you will not be able to take indoor photos without excellent lighting or a flash. I've tried to take photos of ice hockey, where the rinks are notoriously poorly lit, and had very little success. Even with a tripod it is a challenge to maintain a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the action of a kids game (yes, even with ISO at 800). But in good lighting or outdoors in the daytime, this lense rocks.

Great sports photos. Great nature photos. This lense is extremely versatile. I have even used it with flash indoors for portrait photography.

There is not too much to mention on the negative side. Its size and color do make it stand out a bit in public, and people may thing you are a professional photographer. I've also noted that the depth-of-field with a wide open aperature, especially at f4, is very narrow. As long as you've been careful to focus on your subject, the background will be blurry. But focus on something other than your subject and you may find your subject to be blurry.

All in all, this is one great lens that will let you take very sharp photos. And it is a bargain price compared to its f/2.8 and f/2.8IS sibliings.

! was about to complete my order on this item when i saw the shipping and handling costs, so I will now look to some other E business to buy this product.

If you have a coolpix camera and have not yet purchased this filter kit, I highly recommend that you do so. I have the coolpix 4300 and in order to use the filters, I had to purchase the UR-E4 adapter. If your camera needs an adapter to use these filters, then you will also need to get another lens cap to fit over them. If you go to nikonmall.com you can purchase the 28mm lens cap to fit, I think the model ID is LC-E900 (costs $2.50 + shipping), or something like that. But for the price, this is a must have, because I don't know about you, but i would rather need to replace an inexpensive filter than replace my entire camera. I leave the UV filter on at all times for a lens protector. I have taken many pictures with and without the filters, and I am hooked on these.

Take your photos to the next level.

Wow the things you can do with filters.

Lots of fun.

I bought this product due to the extreme dry heat in the nevada desert. What a relief. It can be as quite or as loud as you want it to be. It has a variable speed fan that can be tweaked up or down depending on the level of comfort. I have a small humidifier and it pales in comparison to this. Can't beat it, with the free shipping.

We have had our Bemis humidifier now for over three weeks. We live in Nevada where the air is hot and dry. This humidifier has moistened the air in our home so that we don't wake up with dry throats every morning. Sinus passages are also benefiting from having the moist air circulating in the house. It also has the advantage of looking like a nice piece of oak furniture which fits in beautifully with our decor. Probably one of the nicest features is that it runs fairly quiet. We have become so accustomed to the fan that we don't notice it anymore. I purchased a second humidifier for friends and they love it too. 5-stars!!!

This is the best product I have seen. It is easy to operate, has two seperate water tanks that can be filled easily, it achieves great result in a short period of time and has humidity control and output control.

I just bought a second one as a gift. EXCELLENT PRODUCT!

This lens is simply an AMAZING - fast, quiet, great picture quality and color, and MACRO. If you don't already have a Macro (and not the pseudo-macros like the 28-135), you should strongly consider getting one, you'll be quite suprised by the difference it makes.

Ive had this lens for quite a while and used it in several EOS cameras without one single complaint. I was excited when Canon rolled out the Digital Rebel, since it would allow me to use this fine lens in a digital setting. The results are quite good, with fast focusing and excellent image definition. Using it with the Rebel requires some work in Photoshop (unsharp mask) to obtain superlative results. Overall it is one of the finest macros (if not the finest) that I have ever used.

This lens without a doubt deserves the "L" label that Canon only puts on their 'best' lenses. Not only are the pictures *incredibly* sharp, but the focusing is fast (includes a USM motor with overridable manual focus), quiet, and the lens is constructed like a tank. It's my favorite lens and I highly recommend it.

If you add a 62mm circular polarizer you just did your first step into professional photograpy.

I use this set with my Olympus E-10 and thus far the results are awesome.... recently my boyfriend and I went for a trip into the mountains and both took a bunch of pictures of animals.... I used these filters and my pictures were perfect! He just used a UV filter with his camera and his came out over exposed on most of his shots due to the bright sun that day.... Great results under a variety of photographic shooting....

Tiffen Without A Doubt Makes The Best Round Filters Out There...But They're Also The Most [costly]...This Kit Provides A Solution For That Dilema...A Circular Polarizer Would Normally Cost About.., And For ..More, You Can Get An 812 (Warming Filter), And A UV Protector - With A Pouch...WOW...Every Camera Should Have A UV Filter - Even Just For Protection...Polarizers Are Pertty Handy Outdoors - To Bring Down Glare, And Add That Extra Burst Of Colour...And Warming Filters Are Great For Portraits...

With This Kit, You Can't Go Wrong...Will Fit Any 62mmWide Lense...

Hello my name is cornelius tinderwitt,I am a retired insurance adjuster and tend to spend most of my time gardening and avoiding the better half, although which half is debatable.anyway to make along story short I've recently come into some money and have been in the market for a new pollen mask. It seems my dearly beloved( by who is any ones guess)mistook my old one for a coffee filter , and ever since then I've had to postpone re-tarring the roof. However I've just received my new mask in the mail and the world has revealed to me its hidden pearl once again. Thank you 3M once again I am in your debt.

Allergies are a killer, especially in the spring when so many home-renewal projects hit. Clean up the yard? Do a little woodwork? Painting? Maybe you're blessed with a lack of allergies, but I for one am often impaired by that sort of thing. So if you have to knock down the Scotch Broom that is infesting the yard, or some other high-pollen-count invader... one of these can be quite handy.

Well put together and a solid product. Glad to see Amazon carrying it.

If you've ever worked in a dusty environment, these little dust pollen masks are just superb, and often necessary. If you work in either an enclosed environment where there is sawdust, sand, drywall compound dust (the worst), smoke, hair, these little babies can be life-savers. I keep a few in the glove box, just in case there's a fire nearby or I plan to do some construction work.

These are, however, not good to be wearing if you are dining in an elegant restaurant or going to the opera. I have seen people cut little holes in them so they can smoke, though. This defeats the whole purpose of the mask, as they are brilliantly designed to keep out particulates and contaminants.

No doubt about it, everryone should have some of these around, just in case.

This is a 'bump' cushioner as well as well functioning lens shade. I recommend it, definitely, as a minimal basic purchase. You'll never regret it.

This is the kind of product, you must have in your camera bag because you don't know exactly when you are going to use it but, I'm sure you are going to need it sometime. Compact, light and price affordable, don't hesitate and order yours.

This item retracts when not in use so that you can put your lens cap on. I use it after my UV filter and it serves as a "bumper" for my lens.

The new WEGA flat screen CRT evelops the viewer in the richest colors that can be imagined on a tv set. The combination of flat screen and wonderfuly loud and rich speaker set really makes your Movies come to life. Its price is a bit high, but compared to HDTV models that are out there, this one is a steal. Sony maxes the features of your current TV signal. And DVD, yes, DVD offers sharper better images than VHS but its only as good as the set it is played on. Trust me, you get no better image and color seperation than you will find on this sony WEGA flat CRT. This is a worth while buy for movie lovers everywhere.

I looked at lots of TV's and decided the SONY flat screen tube TV's were the best picture short of HDTV. I liked the 36" model but I found the 32" model to be just as appealling and at a lower price. I think the extra size doesn't add much. And 32" is a reasonable size for most rooms.

This TV supports Picture in Picture, favorite channel functions, and stereo sound. Hooked up to a decent stereo, you have a compact home theater that would please anyone. Later on when the price of HDTV comes down and you want to upgrade, this TV would be great moved to the bedroom or elsewhere.

Pick one up and you will not regret your decision. Enjoy.

After purchasing my Wega I can't watch non-flat TVs anymore. I guess you get used to good things very fast. The picture is brighter, clearer and sharper compared to a conventional TV. The sound is also richer, even though I would recommend connecting the TV to an amp. Given the tremendous improvement in performance, I think the price is fair, especially compared with HDTV televisions. You would not gain any advantages by buying a more sophisticated model if you watch cable and it performes no worse if you watch DVDs. Also, I think that 32" is probably the best size, unless you plan on watching it in a very large room. The size of the screen is small enough not to blur or display lines, nor it is too large to hurt your eyes. The screen almost doesn't glare, so you can sit comfortably close and not worry about damage to your sight.