Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens Review
The Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens holds a wide focal length range in a compact and inexpensive package.
In addition to the wide focal length range, the Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens features a wide zoom ring.
Actually, the zoom ring encompasses most of the lens and is its biggest physical feature.
For the casual photographer, that is a good thing.
What the more discerning photographer will notice is that zoom ring is stiff and not real smooth.
And the focal length does not actually change much in the last (upper) 30mm or so on the zoom ring.
With the large size of the zoom ring, the manual focus ring is - by necessity - tiny (and not easy to use).
There is no distance window (or space to have put one).
Overall, the Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens' build quality is mediocre.
It sports a metal lens mount like the best, but the rest of the lens is just average for a consumer grade lens.
For its size, the Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens is relatively heavy.
It feels short, fat and hefty.
It is not a heavy lens, but heavy for its compact size.
From left to right in the picture above are the
Canon EF 80-200mm f/4.5-5.6 II Lens, the
Canon EF 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6 II USM Lens, the
Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens, the
Canon EF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM Lens and the
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM Lens.
The same lenses are pictured below extended to their maximum length.
AF (autofocus) is not silent, but is reasonably fast.
That is except in some of the medium-low light situations I encountered.
I found a couple of situations that the Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens would not lock focus.
These were situations I felt should have been adequate for the 28-200 on a Canon 1-Series Digital SLR using the center focus point only.
The Micro-USM (Ultrasonic Motor) on the 28-200 does not include FTM (Full Time Manual).
The Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens is a slow lens with an aperture that starts at f/4,
goes to f/4.5 around 45mm, to f/5 around 55mm and to f/5.6 somewhere in the 80mm neighborhood.
The 28-200 aperture is a lower-end 6-blade design.
It is hard to argue with the excellent focal length range provided by the Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens.
There are a lot of subjects that fit between 28mm and 200mm.
With a maximum magnification of .28x, the Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens will capture rather small
and close subjects (as close as 1.5') reasonably well.
Overall, the Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens optically disappoints.
Even on a 1.3x FOVCF body,
the Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens exhibits barrel distortion from 28mm fading to no distortion at 45mm.
Unfortunately, moderate pincushion distortion shows up
through most of the rest of the focal length range.
The Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens has reasonable but not great sharpness.
Good sharpness generally requires at least f/5.6 or f/8 with this lens.
Corners are soft at most focal lengths and aperture settings.
CA (Chromatic Aberration) is present at both ends of the focal length range.
The Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens also shows vignetting until stopped down 1 or 2 stops
from the wide end until about 40mm on a 1.3x FOVCF body.
If you can use f/8 for most of your applications and can live with its optical flaws,
the 28-200 might make a decent and economical one lens solution for you.
Otherwise, I highly recommend looking at one of my other
recommended general purpose lenses
as better choices for optical quality.
Recommended Shopping Resources
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Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens at B&H Photo
Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens at Amazon.com
Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens at Adorama (Imported)
Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens at Adorama
Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens at J&R
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