The Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 must be one of the most harshly criticized lenses I've come across, in fact the reviews are so bad that I dismissed the possibility of buying one after reading several of these reviews. But after continuing my search for a lens faster than f/2.8 with a focal length shorter than 35mm I quickly discovered that the choices are slim!
I shoot Canon so I started looking at the offerings from Canon and the EF 28mm f/1.8 is the only lens fitting both the sub 35mm and sub f/2.8 criteria for under $1000.00, in fact it is less than half the price of the EF 24mm f/1.4.
What about lenses offered by manufacturers other than Canon? The very good Sigma 30mm f/1.4 is the obvious competitor to the EF 28mm f/1.8. The Sigma does not work on full frame digital or film so this was a huge blow to my interest in the lens but I continued to consider it despite this major drawback. The Sigma is ⅔ of a stop faster and is sharper in the centre of the frame but the EF 28mm f/1.8 is a better performer near the edges of the frame. I did not have access to both lenses to compare for myself so I relied on advice of those who had tried both and it seemed to be a draw. Would I be better off with Nikon or Sony? Nope Nikon and Sony don't even make a lens equivalent to the EF 28mm f/1.8! so Canon is starting to look good.
So I started to ask myself "why is this lens so badly reviewed?" I stopped reading lens reviews done on test charts with no regard for real world conditions and apparently with no regard to budget and turned my focus on the advice of owners of the EF 28mm f/1.8. People who own the EF 28mm f/1.8 are almost always satisfied or very satisfied with their purchase.
So after much reading of technical reviews and owner reviews I decided to purchase the EF 28mm f/1.8. My rational for buying this lens was that I could not afford the 24mm f/1.4L and the Sigma 30mm seemed to be about the same optically but it is crippled by it's APS-C format only.
So I'll offer some of my experiences with this lens along with some photo samples for you to decide for yourself if this lens is for you. This is not a "technical review" but rather a review of my experience as a photographer with this lens.
This is a shot taken at f/1.8
While I agree that the lens is a little weak wide open
I don't thinks it's as bad as many would like to believe.
The lens improves dramatically at f/2 and I use this
Aperture a lot. This shot is f/2 with the subject away from
the centre of the frame and I'm happy with the lens's performance.
Here is another f/2 shot that shows the bokeh.
Bokeh quality is subjective but I usually find that
I like the results with this lens.
Low light is where this lens really performs.
This one is f/2 and it's a dark theatre performance.
In this shot you can see that the lens provides a nicely
blurred background at f/2.2.
f/2.8 and close this lens provides excellent detail and depth
Here you can see how the lens performs in brighter light.
f/8 and wonderful colours.
So there you have a sneak peek into one of the most controversial lenses in Canon's lineup. It offers full ring USM focus technology that is as quiet as any lens I've ever used and it focuses fast and accurately. It is much smaller and lighter than the L Primes and is less than half the price. It has a very nice build and handles perfectly. If you are a landscape photographer (I'm not) then this lens may not fit your bill but for Photographers who shoot environmental portraits, street photography etc and who want a fast lens that works in low light then this lens may just be the best one in it's price bracket!
