Canon 28-80mm f/2.8-4L

EF ULTRASONIC (1989-1993)

Sample Images   Intro   New   Good   Bad   Missing

Compatibility   Specifications   Performance

Compared   Recommendations   More

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4 L ULTRASONIC (metal 72mm filter thread, 33⅓ oz./945 g, 1.6'/0.5m close focus, 0.20× macro ratio, about $325 used if you know How to Win at eBay.) bigger.

This all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.

 

November 2021   Better Pictures   Canon Reviews   Canon Lenses   Canon Flash   All Reviews

EF 28-70mm f/2.8L USM (1993-2002)

EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM (2002-2012)

EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM II (2012-today)

RF 28-70mm f/2 L USM (2018-today)

RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM IS (2019-today)

 

Sample Images       top

Sample Images   Intro   New   Good   Bad   Missing

Compatibility   Specifications   Performance

Compared   Recommendations   More

More samples throughout this review at Bokeh, Macro, Sharpness, Spherochromatism and Sunstars.

These are just snapshots; my real work is in my Gallery.

These are all shot hand-held as NORMAL (stairstep icon) JPGs; no tripods, FINE (quarter circle) JPGs or RAW CR3 files were used or needed.

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Sample Image in Porsche Panamera Turbo

Sofie in Turbo, 9:19 AM, Tuesday, 09 November 2021. Canon 5DS/R, EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM at 46mm wide-open at f/3.5 hand-held at 1/40 at Auto ISO 125 (LV 8.7), Perfectly Clear and dodged in Photoshop CS6. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © JPG file.

 

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Sample Image

Stop Sign, 10:17 AM, Tuesday, 09 November 2021. Canon 5DS/R, EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM at 38mm at f/8 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14.0), Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.

 

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Sample Image

Hibiscus, 10:30 AM, Tuesday, 09 November 2021. Canon 5DS/R, EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM at 75mm at f/8 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100, -1.3 stops exposure compensation to keep the vivid magenta against black from saturating the red channel (LV 14.0), Perfectly Clear. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © JPG  file.

 

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Sample Image Fall Color

Autumn Color in Paradise, 8:42 AM, Thursday, 11 November 2021. Canon R5, EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM at 69mm at f/8 at 1/160 at Auto ISO 100, -1.3 stops exposure compensation to keep the vivid reds and yellows from saturating the red channel (LV 13.4), Perfectly Clear. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © JPG  file.

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Introduction       top

Sample Images   Intro   New   Good   Bad   Missing

Compatibility   Specifications   Performance

Compared   Recommendations   More

Adorama Pays Top Dollar for Used Gear

Amazon

B&H Photo - Video - Pro Audio

Crutchfield

I buy only from these approved sources. I can't vouch for ads below.

This is Canon's first professional autofocus midrange zoom. It was one of the very first exotic lenses promised with a ★ at the introduction of the EOS system in 1987.

It works great today on Canon's newest mirrorless cameras, often adding stabilization, with an EF to RF adapter ring.

Just turn the focus ring at any time in ONE SHOT AF mode for instant manual-focus override.

This one came came from Japan over eBay (How to Win at eBay).

 

New       intro       top

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Canon's first professional autofocus midrange zoom.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Exotic all-electronic focus system.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Electronic manual focus; no mechanical connection between lens and focus ring.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Instant electronic manual-focus override in ONE SHOT AF mode.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Ultrasonic (Silent) Autofocus motor.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Smart electronic manual focus optimizes its speed based on focal length! It becomes more precise at longer focal lengths and faster at wider angle settings so response is always perfect — never too slow or too fast as happens with mechanically-coupled rings on zoom lenses.

 

Good       intro       top

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Extremely inexpensive today, only about $325 used if you know How to Win at eBay.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Always-responsive manual-focus override in ONE SHOT AF mode.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Smart electronic manual focus optimizes its speed based on focal length! It becomes more precise at longer focal lengths and faster at wider angle settings so response is always perfect — never too slow or too fast as happens with mechanically-coupled rings on zoom lenses.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Superb build quality.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Ultrasonic (Silent) Autofocus motor.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Works great today on Canon's newest mirrorless cameras, often adding stabilization, with an EF to RF adapter ring.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Not optically stabilized, but works great on stabilized cameras like the R5 on which it gets two to three stops of real-world improvement.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Made in Japan.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com 100% U.S.A.-based high-quality technical support at (800) OK-CANON.

 

Bad       intro       top

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com No lens profile available, so there are automatic electronic lens corrections, so if you count your pixels you may see lateral color and corner light falloff that you won't see in newer lenses - even if this lens' optics are as good.

 

Missing       intro       top

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No Image Stabilization, but works great on stabilized cameras like the R5 on which it gets two to three stops of real-world improvement.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No lens correction profile, so no automatic lens corrections.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No high price for a first-class pro lens; no problem!

 

Compatibility       top

Sample Images   Intro   New   Good   Bad   Missing

Compatibility   Specifications   Performance

Compared   Recommendations   More

I'd get my EF 28-80/2.8-4L at eBay (How to Win at eBay).

This lens works flawlessly on every Canon DSLR and on every Canon EOS 35mm SLR made since 1987.

Use an EF to RF adapter to use this on Canon's Full-Frame mirrorless cameras, with which it works perfectly.

Use the EOS-M adapter to use this on Canon's EOS-M mirrorless cameras.

Use the Fringer EF-NZ adapter to use this on Nikon Z cameras!

This lens can't mount on any FD-mount manual focus 35mm camera.

 

Specifications       top

Sample Images   Intro   New   Good   Bad   Missing

Compatibility   Specifications   Performance

Compared   Recommendations   More

 

I'd get my EF 28-80/2.8-4L at eBay (How to Win at eBay).

 

Name       specifications       top

Canon calls this the EF28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM:

    EF: Electronic Focus, as all Canon's lenses have been since 1987.

    L: Expensive as L.

    USM: UltraSonic (autofocus) Motor.

 

Optics       specifications       top

15 elements in 11 groups.

Front group focussing.

Super Spectra multicoating.

 

Diaphragm       specifications       top

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4 L ULTRASONIC, diaphragm not visible. bigger.

8 blades.

Electronically actuated.

Stops down to f/22.

 

Filters       specifications       top

Metal 72mm filter thread.

 

Coverage       specifications       top

Full-Frame (24 × 36mm), 35mm film (24 × 36mm) and APS-C (16 × 24mm).

 

Focal Length       specifications       top

28~70mm.

When used on Canon's APS-C cameras, it sees the same angle of view as a 45-130mm lens sees when used on a full-frame or 35mm camera.

When used in the 1:1 square crop mode on full-frame it sees the same angle of view as a 64-180mm lens sees when used on 6×6 cm Hasselblad.

See also Crop Factor.

 

Angle of View, Full Frame       specifications       top

74.4º ~ 30.3º diagonal.

 

Focus Scale       specifications       top

Yes; meters and feet.

 

Infinity Focus Stop       specifications       top

No.

You have to focus somehow to get precise focus at infinity, just like at every other distance.

 

Depth of Field Scale       specifications       top

No.

Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.

 

Infrared Focus Index       specifications       top

Yes, a series of red lines under the distance window.

 

Close Focus (distance from subject to image plane)       specifications       top

1.6 feet (0.5 meters).

 

Maximum Reproduction Ratio       specifications       top

1:5.0 (0.20×).

 

Image Stabilizer       specifications       top

None, but works great with in-camera stabilization.

 

Caps       specifications       top

Canon 72mm "Ultrasonic" front cap, included.

Canon EOS "E" rear cap, included.

Canon's newest RF rear caps (p/n 2962C001) also work great.

 

Hood       specifications       top

Canon EW-79 Hood

Canon EW-79 hood. bigger.

 

Size       specifications       top

3.31" ø maximum diameter × 4.70" extension from flange.

84 mm ø maximum diameter × 119.5 mm extension from flange.

 

Weight       specifications       top

33⅓ oz. (945 g).

 

Quality       specifications       top

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4 L ULTRASONIC. bigger.

Made in Japan.

 

Announced       specifications       top

April 1989.

 

Discontinued       specifications       top

Replaced by the EF 28-70mm f/2.8L in 1993.

 

Included       specifications       top

Canon 72mm front cap.

Canon EOS "E" rear cap.

 

Price, U. S. A.       specifications       top

November 2021

About $325 used if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

December 1992

$1,139 at deep NYC discount at B&H, or about $2,140 with inflation in 2021. Most people paid way more at long-gone local camera stores back in the day.

 

April 1989

160,700 yen in Japan.

 

Performance       top

Sample Images   Intro   New   Good   Bad   Missing

Compatibility   Specifications   Performance

Compared   Recommendations   More

 

Overall   Autofocus   Manual Focus   Breathing

Bokeh   Distortion   Ergonomics   Falloff   Filters

Flare & Ghosts   Lateral Color Fringes

Lens Corrections   Macro   Min & Max Apertures

Mechanics   Sharpness   Spherochromatism

Stabilization   Weather Sealing

 

I'd get my EF 28-80/2.8-4L at eBay (How to Win at eBay).

 

Overall       performance       top

This EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4 L ULTRASONIC works great, is a joy to own and sells for pennies on the dollar today.

The only gotcha is the lack of electronic aberration correction if you're a pixel-counter.

 

Autofocus       performance       top

Autofocus is silent, except for the soft sound of sliding parts.

It's slower than the newest lenses like the EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L II, but not that much slower.

It's always accurate.

 

Manual Focus       performance       top

Manual focusing is entirely electronic; the manual focus ring isn't connected to anything other than a digital encoder.

Just grab the focus ring for instant manual-focus override in ONE SHOT AF mode.

How to get manual-focus override on mirrorless cameras.

Bravo!

 

Focus Breathing       performance       top

Focus breathing is the image changing size as focused in and out. It's important to cinematographers that the image not breathe because it looks funny if the image changes size as focus gets pulled back and forth between actors. If the lens does this, the image "breathes" by growing and contracting slightly as the dialog goes back and forth.

The image from this lens gets smaller as focused more closely.

 

Bokeh       performance       top

Bokeh, the feel, character or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus they are, is pleasantly organic:

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Sample Image in Porsche Panamera Turbo

Sofie in Turbo, 9:19 AM, Tuesday, 09 November 2021. Canon 5DS/R, EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM at 46mm wide-open at f/3.5 hand-held at 1/40 at Auto ISO 125 (LV 8.7), Perfectly Clear and dodged in Photoshop CS6. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © JPG file.

 

Here are photos from headshot distance wide-open. I'm focused on the DAVIS logo. Click any for the © camera-original JPG files:

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Bokeh

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Bokeh

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Bokeh

Made-in-U. S. A. Davis 6250 weather station, 10:39 - 10:40 AM, 09 November 2021. Canon 5DS/R at ISO 100 at 1/4,000, 1/3,200, and 1/2,000, at f/2.8, f/3.5 and f/4 (LV 15.0, 15¼ and 15.00).

Click any for the © camera-original JPG files.

As always, if you want to throw the background as far out of focus as possible, shoot at f/4 at 80mm and get as close as possible.

 

Distortion       performance       top

The Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L has healthy barrel distortion at 28mm, no visible distortion from 35mm to 50mm, and minor pincushion distortion at 70mm and 80mm.

There is no in-camera correction on any camera.

If any distortion bothers you, use my personal correction factors in Photoshop's lens correction filter.

These aren't facts or specifications, they are the results of my research that requires hours of photography and calculations on the resulting data.

On Full-Frame and 35mm at 30' (10m)

Correction Factor

28mm
+4.50*
35mm
+1.00
50mm
-1.00
70mm
-1.50
80mm
-1.50

© 2021 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.

* Slight waviness remains after this correction.

 

Ergonomics       performance       top

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L. bigger.
Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L. bigger.

This is as chunky as other f/2.8 zooms.

It handles great; electronic manual focus is responsive and soooo smooth since it's an exotic electronic encoder. It also automatically optimizes the speed of manual focus as you zoom so it's always perfect.

There's an AF/MF switch right where we want it, and the direct-connected mechanical zoom ring allows fast and precise zooming.

Perfect!

 

Falloff       performance       top

Falloff can be visible at large apertures. There is no in-camera correction.

I've greatly exaggerated the falloff by shooting a gray field and placing these on a gray background; it will not look this bad in actual photos of real things:

 

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Falloff

 
f/4
f/5.6
f/8
28mm
Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L falloff
Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L falloff
Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L falloff
Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L falloff
50mm
Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L falloff
Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L falloff
Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L falloff
Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L falloff
80mm
Maximum Aperture is f/4 —>
Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L falloff
Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L falloff
Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L falloff

 

© 2021 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.

 

Filters, use with       performance       top

At 28mm there can be a slight amount of vignetting if your filter is too thick; you probably will want to use thin rotating polarizers and thin grad filters, or just zoom slightly longer if it's a problem.

Don't stack filters at 28mm on full frame. You might get away with it on 35mm film since one rarely uses the image all the way out to the edges.

There's no problem at longer focal lengths, and by 50mm I can use quite a stack of standard filters with no vignetting.

 

Flare & Ghosts       performance       top

It has more ghosts than newer lenses, but you won't see them unless you deliberately go out of your way to wake them as I show at Sunstars.

 

Lateral Color Fringes       performance       top

There can be lateral color fringes. There is no automatic correction because there is no lens profile available, so if you sweat this on digital, skip this lens.

There can be cyan-blue/red-magenta lateral fringes which don't seem to vary with focal length.

Spherochromatism is negligible, bravo!

 

Lens Corrections       performance       top

This lens is old enough that there are no lens profiles for it, therefore there are no automatic lens corrections.

Distortion is easy to correct manually, and in the 2000s it was common for people to use Photoshop's lens correction filter to correct for lateral color manually — which should work just as well with this lens.

 

Macro Performance       performance       top

It gets reasonably close:

 

At f/8

It's sharp at f/8:

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Sample Image

Hibiscus, 10:30 AM, Tuesday, 09 November 2021. Canon 5DS/R in square-crop mode, EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM at 75mm at f/8 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100, -1.3 stops exposure compensation to keep the vivid magenta against black from saturating the red channel (LV 14.0), Perfectly Clear. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © JPG file.

 

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Macro Performance

Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, 09 November 2021. Canon 5DS/R, EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM at 80mm at f/10 at 1/400 at Auto ISO 100, (LV 15¼). bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Macro Performance

1,200 × 900 pixel (7¼× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 15 × 22" (1.2 × 1.8 feet or 38 × 55 cm).

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 29 × 43" (2.4 × 3.6 feet or 0.75 × 1.1 meters).

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same insanely high magnification would be about 58 × 87" (4.8 × 7.2 feet or 1.5 × 2.2 meters).

 

Wide-Open at f/4

It's still pretty good at f/4 with a manageable amount of spherical aberration:

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Macro Performance

Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, 09 November 2021. Canon 5DS/R, EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM at 80mm at f/4 at 1/2,000 at Auto ISO 100, (LV 15.0). bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Macro Performance

1,200 × 900 pixel (7¼× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 15 × 22" (1.2 × 1.8 feet or 38 × 55 cm).

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 29 × 43" (2.4 × 3.6 feet or 0.75 × 1.1 meters).

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same insanely high magnification would be about 58 × 87" (4.8 × 7.2 feet or 1.5 × 2.2 meters).

 

Maximum & Minimum Apertures       performance       top

 
Maximum Aperture
Minimum Aperture
28mm
f/2.8
f/22
35mm
f/3.2
f/22
50mm
f/3.5
f/22
70mm
f/4
f/22
80mm
f/4
f/22

 

Mechanical Quality       performance       top

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4 L ULTRASONIC. bigger.

This is a well-made mostly-metal professional lens from back in the days long before digital when we still had professional photographers.

 

Hood

Plastic clip-on.

 

Front Bumper

None.

 

Filter Threads

Metal.

 

Hood Mount

Metal.

 

Focus Ring

Rubber-covered metal.

 

Mid Barrel Exterior

Section with focus scale: Plastic.

 

Zoom Ring

Rubber-covered metal.

 

Rear Barrel Exterior

Plastic.

 

Slide Switch

Plastic.

 

Identity

Printed around front of focus ring, also printed on top of barrel.

 

Internals

Seem like all metal!

 

Dust Gasket at Mount

No.

 

Mount

Chromed metal.

 

Markings

Paint.

 

Made in

Made in Japan:

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4 L ULTRASONIC. bigger.

 

Serial Number

Engraved and filled with paint on bottom of barrel near mount.

 

Date Code

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4 L ULTRASONIC. bigger.

The date code is printed on the rear light shield.

This lens is marked UE0408, meaning it was made in Canon's 3,000 employee, 750,000 sf (75,000 m^2) lens plant in Utsunomiya, Japan in April, 1990.

Most samples seem to have been made in 1990 or 1991.

 

Noises When Shaken

Mild to moderate clunking.

 

Sharpness       performance       top

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Sample Image Fall Color

Autumn Color in Paradise, 8:42 AM, Thursday, 11 November 2021. Canon R5, EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM at 69mm at f/8 at 1/160 at Auto ISO 100, -1.3 stops exposure compensation to keep the vivid reds and yellows from saturating the red channel (LV 13.4), Perfectly Clear. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © JPG  file.

 

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Sample Image of Porsche Panamera Turbo

Porsche Panamera Turbo Typ. 971, 9:55 AM, Tuesday, 09 November 2021. Canon 5DS/R, EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM at 80mm at f/7.1 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.6), Perfectly Clear. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © JPG file.

Sharp? Sharp enough to see starlight pinpoints of solid silver in the GT Silver paint, sharp enough to read PORSCHE on the the hood crest and inside the headlight!

 

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Sample Image

Tree and Bench, 10:03 AM, Tuesday, 09 November 2021. Canon 5DS/R, EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM at 54mm at f/8 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14.0), Perfectly Clear. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © JPG file.

 

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Sample Image

Peterbilt, 8:54 AM Tuesday, 09 November 2021. Canon 5DS/R, EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM at 80mm at f/8 at 1/320 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14.4), Perfectly Clear. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © JPG file.

 

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Sample Image

Storm Drain, 10:14 AM, Tuesday, 09 November 2021. Canon 5DS/R in square crop mode, EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM at 38mm at f/7.1 at 1/200 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13¼), Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.

Lens sharpness has nothing to do with picture sharpness; every lens made in the past 100 years is more than sharp enough to make super-sharp pictures if you know what you're doing. The only limitation to picture sharpness is your skill as a photographer. It's the least talented who spend the most time worrying about lens sharpness and blame crummy pictures on their equipment rather than themselves. Skilled photographers make great images with whatever camera is in their hands; I've made some of my best images of all time with an irreparably broken camera! Most pixels are thrown away before you see them, but camera makers don't want you to know that.

If you're not getting ultra-sharp pictures with this, be sure not to shoot at f/11 or smaller where all lenses are softer due to diffraction, always shoot at ISO 100 or below because all cameras become softer at ISO 200 and above, be sure everything is in perfect focus, set your camera's sharpening as you want it (I set mine to the maximum) and be sure nothing is moving, either camera or subject. If you want to ensure a soft image with any lens, shoot at f/16 or smaller at ISO 1,600 or above at default sharpening in daylight of subjects at differing distances in the same image.

People worry waaaaay too much about lens sharpness. It's not 1968 anymore when lenses often weren't that sharp and there could be significant differences among them; ever since about 2010 all new lenses are all pretty much equally fantastic.

This lens' sharpness is limited mostly by its lateral color, and to a lesser extent by diffraction at the very smallest apertures.

 

Spherochromatism       performance       top

Spherochromatism, also called secondary spherical chromatic aberration or "color bokeh," is an advanced form of spherical and chromatic aberration in a different dimension than lateral chromatic aberration. It happens mostly in fast normal and tele lenses when spherical aberration at the ends of the color spectrum are corrected differently than in the middle of the spectrum. Spherochromatism can cause colored fringes on out-of-focus highlights, usually seen as green fringes on backgrounds and magenta fringes on foregrounds. Spherochromatism is common in fast lenses of moderate focal length when shooting contrasty items at full aperture. It goes away as stopped down.

Its spherochromatism is hidden mostly by regular spherical aberration at close distances:

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Macro Performance

Mondaine A132.30348.11SBB at close-focus distance, 09 November 2021. Canon 5DS/R, EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM at 80mm at f/4 at 1/2,500 at Auto ISO 100, (LV 15.4). bigger or camera-original © file.

 

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Macro Performance

1,200 × 900 pixel (7¼× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 15 × 22" (1.2 × 1.8 feet or 38 × 55 cm).

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 29 × 43" (2.4 × 3.6 feet or 0.75 × 1.1 meters).

If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same insanely high magnification would be about 58 × 87" (4.8 × 7.2 feet or 1.5 × 2.2 meters).

 

Image Stabilization       performance       top

This lens came before Optical Image Stabilization (OIS, IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)) was invented.

It works great with internally stabilized cameras like my EOS R5.

"Percent Perfectly Sharp Shots" are the percentage of frames with 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness I get when I'm shooting hand-held while free-standing with no support or bracing. Hand tremor is a random occurrence, so at marginal speeds some frames will be perfectly sharp while others will be in various stages of blur — all at the same shutter speed. This rates what percentage of shots are perfectly sharp, not how sharp are all the frames:

 

At 28mm on my Stabilized R5 (firmware 1.4.0)

% Perfectly Sharp Shots
1
1/2
1/4
1/8
1/15
1/30
1/60
1/125
1/250
Stabilization ON
0
0
17
50
83
100
100
100
100
Stabilization OFF
0
0
0
0
0
33
100
100
100

I see a 2- to 3-stop real-world improvement, which is great for a lens invented a decade before stabilization!

 

At 80mm on my Stabilized R5 (firmware 1.4.0)

% Perfectly Sharp Shots
1
1/2
1/4
1/8
1/15
1/30
1/60
1/125
1/250
Stabilization ON
0
0
0
17
83
83
83
100
100
Stabilization OFF
0
0
0
0
0
17
0
83
100

I see a 3-stop real-world improvement, which again is great for an unstabilized lens!

 

Sunstars       performance       top

I see little in the way of sunstars. The best I can get are mild 8-pointed sunstars on brilliant points of light at the smallest apertures.

Ignore the the vertical smear at large apertures, this is a sensor artifact called interline transfer smear and not a lens defect.

Likewise ignore the crazy rainbow effects at small apertures; these are sensor artifacts caused by taking a picture directly of the sun and exposing for the dark underside of a huge tree, and using that same tree to hide the sky to accentuate the stars.

Click any to enlarge (shot on Canon EOS R5):

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Flare, Ghosts and Sunstars

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Flare, Ghosts and Sunstars

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Flare, Ghosts and Sunstars

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Flare, Ghosts and Sunstars

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Flare, Ghosts and Sunstars

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Flare, Ghosts and Sunstars

Canon EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L Flare, Ghosts and Sunstars

Click any to enlarge (Canon EOS R5).

 

Weather Sealing       performance       top

As an L-class lens it has the usual weather sealing.

 

Compared       top

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I'd get my EF 28-80/2.8-4L at eBay (How to Win at eBay).

 

All these lenses take the same pictures.

Like all companies, Canon keeps updating the design so people who buy new lenses always get the latest and greatest, but if money is tight, there are few to no reasons why you need to buy a newer version.

 

EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM (this lens: 1989-1993, 33⅓ oz./945g)

This lens has a variable aperture, slowing to f/4 at 80mm — but it goes to 80mm, rather than just 70mm like all the newer versions.

This lens is also unique in having an all-electronic focus system whose speed optimizes itself automatically by focal length.

 

EF 28-70mm f/2.8L USM (1993-2002, 31.0 oz./880g)

This lens, for not much more used at eBay, offers a constant aperture for a stop more speed at the long end.

 

EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM (2002-2012, 32.1 oz./910g)

This lens simply goes a little wider than the older lenses.

 

EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM II (2012-today, 28.4 oz./804g)

If you count pixels, this lens is sharper in the corners than the older lenses, all of which were from the days of film.

It's also the lightest Canon pro f/2.8 midrange zoom ever, which is why it's the one I prefer to own.

 

RF 28-70mm f/2 L USM (2018-today, 50.5 oz./1,433g)

This is a show-off "halo" lens for Canon. It's a stop faster than all the other lenses, but weighs and costs twice as much.

This lens only works on mirrorless camera; it cannot be adapted to the EF mount.

 

RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM IS (2019-today, 31.7 oz./897g)

This lens adds optical stabilization for the first time in a Canon f/2.8 midrange zoom.

This lens only works on mirrorless camera; it cannot be adapted to the EF mount.

 

Recommendations       top

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Want L-class luxury for a give-away price that works on all Canon mirrorless, DSLR and EOS 35mm SLR cameras? Here you go!

I'd get my EF 28-80/2.8-4L at eBay (How to Win at eBay). Most seem to come directly from Japan, which is great because the Japanese respect and take much better care of their lenses than we Americans do. Not only that, but shipping via EMS to the USA usually arrives in a couple of days, faster than what I buy from Americans on eBay!

Don't worry that this lens becomes completely useless if its electronic focus motor dies — and that there are no replacement parts. The lens cannot focus at all without its motor; there is no direct mechanical focus option. If a lens has lasted thirty years and it's still good, I don't foresee it dying, and even if it does, buying a replacement costs about the same as a repair!

Look at its eBay listings; I don't see any broken ones as I often see for less reliable lenses this age. Other products that have problems are found for sale broken all over eBay, but not this one.

I don't worry at all about my exotic 1980s EF 50mm f/1.0 L or EF 300mm f/2.8 L which have the same exotic all-electronic focus system from 30 years ago.

I use a clear (UV) protective filter instead of a cap so I'm always ready to shoot instantly. I only use a cap when I throw this in a bag with other gear without padding — which is never. The UV filter never gets in the way, and never gets lost, either.

The very best protective filter is the 72mm Hoya multicoated HD3 UV which uses hardened glass and repels dirt and fingerprints.

For less money, the Canon 72mm PROTECT and B+W MRC 010 are excellent filters, as is the B+W 72mm 010 and the basic multicoated Hoya filters, but the Hoya HD3 is the toughest and the best.

Filters last a lifetime, so you may as well get the best. The Hoya HD3 stays cleaner than the others since it repels oil and dirt.

All these protective filters are just as sharp and take the same pictures, the difference is how much abuse they'll take and stay clean and stay in one piece. Since filters last a lifetime or more, there's no reason not to buy the best as it will last you for the next 40 years. Filters aren't throwaways like digital cameras which we replace every few years, like it or not. I'm still using filters I bought back in the 1970s!

For color slide film like Velvia 50, I use a 72mm Nikon A2 or a 72mm 81A filter outdoors.

For B&W film outdoors, I'd use a 72mm Hoya HMC Yellow K2 or 72mm Hoya YA3 Pro Orange for most shots, or a 72mm Red 25A filter like the superb 72mm Hoya HMC R (25A) to exaggerate clouds.

More at How to Use Filters for Film.

I'd get my EF 28-80/2.8-4L at eBay (How to Win at eBay).

This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.

Thanks for helping me help you!

Ken.

 

More Information       top

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EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM in Canon's Camera Museum.

 

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Ken.

 

 

 

11, 15-17 November 2021