Canon 28mm f2.8 IS -- sharp, sharp, sharp!

on my way to deciding whether to buy the sigma 35mm f1.4 or the canon 35 f2 IS i discovered the canon 28mm f2.8 IS. everything i've read led me to believe that the 28mm f2.8 IS is the sharpest wide open of the three new canon IS primes.

i believe the f2.8 IS is sharper than either the sigma 35 or the canon 35 IS at f2.8. in fact it edges my 24-70L f2.8 IS at f2.8. when the 28mm f2.8 IS nails focus in the right light there's a certain "pop" that i just don't see with the other primes i have mentioned.

in fact the only lenses i've owned that were similar at f2.8 were the 300L f2.8 and the 100mm macro (non IS). the 35L is also close but lenses like the canon 50 1.4 and canon 28 1.8 aren't in the same ballpark at f2.8.

when i first got the idea to buy the 35 f2 IS i was hoping that it would be this sharp at f2. it's not. the 35 f2 IS is certainly useable wide open but i knew i would always be tempted to stop down at least a partial stop with that lens to improve sharpness.

if the 35 f2 IS were as sharp as the 28 2.8 IS wide open i would have bought it immediately at full price -- $849. but as it turns out i bought a lens that a little shorter than i prefered for $549. but it's also lighter and smaller and superb wide open!

Thanks for the report. How do you like the IS?

nightcat wrote in post #15618576
Thanks for the report. How do you like the IS?

thanks. the IS works for me.

i'll add that i didn't really push the limits of "handholdability" with this lens because i did that with the 35L f2 IS which gave me a solid 3-stops.

That does look sharp. Hey maybe I am going to have to start admitting there is a reason for it to exist!

tkbslc wrote in post #15618608
That does look sharp. Hey maybe I am going to have to start admitting there is a reason for it to exist!

i have two f2.8 L zooms and the prime is sharper wide open and it has IS. the 24-70L II is close and also has a certain pop to it but it doesn't have IS. plus it's huge.

the 28 is smaller than i thought it would be. close the the 50 1.8 or like a slimmer 50 1.4.

i could see making a minimalist kit for FF with the 28, 40 and 85 mm primes, which would give you the ability to stop motion and shoot in the dark without a tripod, excellent IQ and no camera bag.

Sure, I could see that.

Plus IS would actually be very useful for lower light scenery shots at 28mm.

I am waiting to see how the 24 2.8 IS stands up if it's sharp it would replace my Zeiss 21 2.8.

Thats nice. For $549 I definitely see a reason for the lens to exist. For the full price, no.

Lenstip shows the Sigma to be quite a bit sharper at equivalent apertures though.

shadowcat wrote in post #15618890
I am waiting to see how the 24 2.8 IS stands up if it's sharp it would replace my Zeiss 21 2.8.

Exactly what I already did.

Picked one up a couple of weeks ago, although I haven't had a chance to shoot it much. It's going to be part of my prime landscape set....I have 15 (Zeiss), 21 (Zeiss), 28, and 35mm (Sigma) covered. I don't shoot much in the winter, so I really can't wait until the spring. Love the size and weight of this lens.

-Tim

Where is this lens $549?

Cheapest I've seen it as of late is B&H. Looks like discounts just started today again... Not quite $549, but still good.

Ed, shots look good. Curious as to why you picked this lens when you have this focal length and aperture well covered. For the IS and/or smaller size? For me, this might be a bit wide for general purpose, so for a lightweight option, I like the 40mm pancake. I love my 35 L for the faster aperture, but I put it up for sale to help fund the more versatile 24-70 II.

looks good but wish there were 35L and Sigma 35mm f1.4 shots along with it to really show the comparison. Hard to believe that non L is that sharper wide open while L is not even when stopped 2 stops.

What do you think?
24-70 II at 2.8 at 28mm
28 2.8 at 28mm

http://www.the-digital-picture.com …omp=0&FLIComp=0​&APIComp=0

Looks close but I would have to give it to the 24-70 II