Canon 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 or Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS for Elan 7E system?

[andrew_g.]

Hi. Which lens would be better to use with a Canon EOS Elan 7E? The

Canon 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 or the Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS ? I will

also have in my camera bag a Canon 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS, a Canon 20mm

f/2.8, a Canon 50mm f/1.4, and a Canon 100mm f/2. (I will have all

these lenses, but of course, will not carry them all with me at the

same time.) I shoot a lot of people photography, candid/street

photography, prefer not to use flash when possible, and landscapes,

among other subjects. I have read and appreciate many reviews on the

aforementioned lenses from this forum and outside links, yet have not

yet seen a question corresponding to my situation with a film-based

camera. Thank you.

[walter_strong3]

I own the 24-85 and in my very humble opinion it cannot be called a crack sharp lens.

[del_gray]

Because you already have a very good selection of primes, I would choose your zoom lens based on lens performance rather than focal length. The 28-135 is generally considered a little better lens optically, and the IS feature is often very handy. If you don't think it would be wide enough sometimes, just bring along the 20/2.8. If you think you'll need something faster, bring along the 50/1.4. Of course it's bigger, heavier, and more expensive than the 24-85, but if you want small and light, then just use the primes and leave the zoom at home. Overall, this would be a great kit!

 

Del

[phyrpowr]

For candid/street photography, or what I call "grabshots", that IS function is just what you want. Also for that type shot you'll want the extra 50mm at the telephoto end vs. the extra 4mm at the wide angle end

 

I think you'll be well covered for landscapes with it and your 20mm, and you're already covered out to 300 with the rest of your kit

 

My 28-135 is the only piece of gear I own that, if it broke on vacation, I'd replace immediately for full retail price

[PuppyDigs]

<P>I've got both the EF 28-135 IS USM and EF 24-85 USM. Both are excellent for consumer zooms and are about equal in terms of build quality, ergonomics and optical quality. The EF 28-135 IS USM might have a very slight edge in sharpness at the short end but is very prone to flare and zoom creep. The EF 24-85 USM is amazingly flare resistant. Both suffer from barrel distortion at the short end but the EF 24-85 USM is a bit worse in this regard. However, the EF 24-85 USM is shockingly small and light whereas the EF 28-135 IS USM is a big brute in comparison. The EF 24-85 USM balances much better on light bodies like the Elan 7. I tend to use the EF 24-85 USM more due to the flare resistant and compact size (I shoot lots of sunsets).</P> <P>Here's an image I took with the 10D and EF 24-85 USM. Notice how flare resistant it is. The EF 24-85 USM would have flare and ghosting galore in this type of shot (Waimea Bay, Oahu).</P> <img src="http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/frary/life's_a_beach_images/waimea_sunset57.jpg">

[andrew_g.]

Thanks for the informative answers. I really do appreciate it. I'm leaning towards the 28-135. Yet, I went to camera store and realized that the 28-135 is significantly larger than the 24-85. Thus I'm still not sure which I'll eventually choose. Thanks again. ~~Andrew