Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens USA

Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:

I am an "advanced amateur" photographer. I've studied up on everything my Canon XTi can do. I'm also an engineer, so the technical side of things appeals to me. I finally decided to upgrade my kit lens(18-55mm f/3.5-5.6). After weeks of research and reading reviews like this one, I decided to invest in this 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. The range of zoom is perfect for nearly everything that need to do. On the wide end you can easily cram all the in-laws into the family picture in the living room. (Judge for yourself if that is a good thing.) There is the expected amount of barrel distortion at 15mm. With my kit lens at 18mm the heads in the corner were always warped, even after shooting in RAW and using Canon's software to correct. It corrects the wrong way. With this lens the distortion is there, but I am able to zoom out wide enough to crop out the distorted edges. It's not perfect, but in the end I get a perfect picture with no distortion in the area of interest.

On the other end, at 85mm I can see a bit of bokeh in lower light. I use a tri-pod with timed exposure for some close up pseudo-macro stuff. When stopped down to increase depth of field and fully zoomed it is very noticeable, but I often vignette the shots anyway. That is an extreme case. Under normal operation, higher ISO, Flash ... etc. it is not very noticeable.

The IS works amazingly. can't say enough about it. This is my first IS lens. It does chew up the battery life, but it's worth it to get a great shot without a tri-pod.

I use this with a 430EXII Speedlight, B+H Multi-coated UV filter (the good one), and the Canon EW-78E "tulip" hood. My shots of my little girl are better than the professional one's we've had taken lately.

That being said, I've never used an L lens, so I can't compare it to any of them. When I have an L budget I'll give it a try. This is a big step up from the kit lens and keeps me from having to drag out my 300mm most of the time. This lens will probably always be my go to lens, and will always be in my bag.

Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:

I have many lenses and several camera's, and this lens is now the only lens on my 7D unless I have to go long tele.

For that I use another great Canon Lens. I have read many reviews on this lens prior to purchase, and in many cases those reviews compared this lens to the covetted "L" series. I couldn't agree more. It is pristine wide to long.

I also would tell you to NOT go cheap and get the Canon lens hood specifically made for this lens too!

I can't say enough about it, and have already gotten one of my friends to purchase a week after I received mine, and they are just as happy!

B&H handled the purchase flawlessly, and it arrived in three days for buck in shipping charges! AND, I order on a holiday weekend!

Great experience all around!
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Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:

I bought this as a walk around lens. I already have two Canon L lenses, but this covers a much more usable range for me.

I was hesitant to order this at first because I didn't know what to expect from a non "L" lens as far as image quality. I was very impressed with the images I made on my first outing. The USM motor focuses fast.

I also purchased a Tamron 18-270 PZD lens which I ended up returning. It was a tough decision because the Tamron's image quality was absolutely as good as the Canon in my opinion. And the Tamron covers much more on the telephoto side. But I decided the Canon's USM motor and slightly wider 15mm were more important for what I shoot.

I love this lens and would absolutely recommend it. Especially for anyone who wants to replace their 18-55 kit lens with a much better lens.

Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:

Does everything as described in the reviews.

Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:

I recently bought this lens and have no complaints as of yet. The focal range is perfect for an everyday walk around lens, and the optical quality is excellent. Through my shopping, I found that this was the best deal out of anywhere, and it shipped in 2 days. I highly recommend this lens to anyone looking for a midrange lens without (completely) breaking the bank.

Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:

Takes great pics, both in daylight and at night! It was a great purchase and I'm REALLY glad I bought this

Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:

I find this focal length range incredibly convenient - it satisfies 95% of my picture taking needs. I bought the 15-85 to replace an EF-S 17-85 bought as a kit lens with a 40D about 4 years ago. The 27-85 was satisfactory but the inexpensive construction has taken a toll after about 4000 pics. The 25-85 has definitely better construction as well as improved optical performance.

Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:

I rented this great lens a couple of times before making the decision to buy. I've used it for landscapes and portraits, night photography and in bright light. All around, it is a great lens for the money. It is a definite upgrade from the Canon 18-55mm kit lenses that come with the Rebel series. I own a Rebel XTi (2007).

The best thing for me is the range of this lens. 15 on the wide end covers landscapes nicely. A little soft wide open, but nothing that I can really complain about. The 70 and 85 zoom end is wonderful for getting some up close and personal shots of people or my dog.

The lens creep (or lack of a lock) is slightly annoying maybe because the lens is lighter than the closest L equivalent (24-70mm). Also, the variable aperture can be slow in low light so I use my monopod or tripod when necessary. Since I don't have any flash units, that is likely one of my next purchases for indoor or night photography where it would be needed.

All in all a great lens for the price. I do not think you will be disappointed with this purchase.

Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:

Use with 60D. Haven't had a lot of opportunities to use this lens yet, but on the several occasions I have used it I'm extremely satisfied with the results. Images are as sharp as the EF-S 17-55mm lens. Although I love the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 lens, this lens is smaller and more versatile for walk around use. This lens will stay on my 60D most of the time. With the rebate Canon had the price was more reasonable for this lens.

Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:

I just bought this lens to use on my T2i, and I sadly will be returning it.
The quality of the shot (when it cooperated) was nice. But it had a lot of focusing issues. Either it would take too long to focus or it wouldn't focus at all. A lot of the time I was unable to take a picture using auto focus.
The lens movement was very stiff also. Perhaps it was too new and needs to be 'broken' in.
The weight of the lens was very uncomfortable. My wrist was hurting after using it for less than 5 minutes.
It does seem like a nice lens, but not for me.

Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:

Purchased this lens as my walk around lens in the range I usually shoot in. I wanted above average and specific and not a general do everything lens.
I was happy with the reviews I read and married it to my new Canon 7D. If dollars weren't a consideration I would purchase L glass but for my first Canon lens I have no complaints on its performance or picture quality.

Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:

Great lenses, no problems, as expected.

Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:

How could anyone not love this lens. Perfect with Canon T3i although "the tail sort of wags the dog". Once one uses the lens one forgets the slightly large and somewhat heavy unit. Stabilization makes lowlight shots a snap. I researched lens in this area for a long time and this lens really worked out as advertised.

Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:

I bought this after reading the positive reviews and liked the extra zoom. However, when you look closely at 100% view, none of the pictures were sharp. I thought maybe because its not L lens or out of focus (i tried manual focus to see if i could do better) but then I compared this to the cheap kit lens (18-55mm from the T1i), it was producing better picture (much sharper without fiddling with manual focus; i was taking landscape pictures and I could see the phone numbers on the billboard in the distance but when I use the 15-85mm, it was illegible). I hope this is just a bad copy of the lens as I am requesting an exchange.. otherwise I cannot understand why a lens costing 6 times than the kit lens would lose in sharpness.

Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:

Recently, I used this lens at a couple of synchro skating events. While it does have its limitations at distances, I got some fantastic pictures closer up, even in not so good light (I'm learning that I need to use the Canon 70-200 F4 when further back in the stands). The 15-85mm range let me get the entire team and some individual shots. Great versatility allowing for a good view & perspective.

I think the good pictures were due in part to the capabilities of the Canon 60D I used. Therefore, it may not have worked as well with a lesser camera.

Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:

This lens stay on my 50D all the time. It allows nice wide angle shots and in group settings allows you to zoom in to focus on a single individual.

Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:

this is a awesome lens more than what i expected tack sharp images fast af quiet motor i have used it at every focal length and can find no issues the wide angle is superb i am very please with this purchase

Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:

Recently purchased this lens and simply can't get enough of it. I'm a beginner photo enthuziast and this is the best lens so far for me.

Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:

I have recently upgraded from a standard kit lens (18-135) to 15-85 USM for my Canon 60D and it meets all my expectations. Its superior in quality of optics, solid construction, super stabilization, great range and the USM makes all the difference. Perfect choice for an all-round lens on my 60D

Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:

Great video lens, smooth as silk. But if you're like me you might forget to order a different size lens protection filter. The other Canon lenses I had for my Canon 7D were 58mm, and THIS LENS IS A 72MM lens, so my Skylight and Polarizing filters wouldn't fit this new wider lens. It was a little scary not to have that lens protection immediately available on such a pristine product. Do yourself a favor and if you don't have 72mm filters, buy at least one along with the lens. And yes, I learned something from reading the little product description manual that came with the lens!