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

2021-09-09T17:16:52

This is a great lens! I wanted a quality lens for every day use and picked this lens after reading many reviews and watching several videos. It takes sharp photos with great colors. The f3.5-5.6 aperture means I have to use a flash most of the time indoors but the photos still turn out great with the built in flash. I like that the lens is wide because it makes it easy to hold when taking photos without using a tripod. Very pleased with this lens.

MARCY C.

2021-09-09T17:11:30

I wanted a quality every day lens without putting a really heavy lens on my small Canon SL3. After reading many reviews I picked the 18-85mmm lens. The lens takes great photos; with sharp and vivid colors. The lens is heavier than my camera but not by much and the chunky lens makes it easy for me to hold when shooting handheld photos. Indoors photos often require flash but I haven't run in to any situation where I get bad pictures. I am quite happy with this lens.

MARCY C.

2019-08-02T20:00:00

This is a great lens. The service was excellent. Quick shipping. Good packaging. Couldn't ask for better. Well, I guess I could have asked for someone to give it to me. :

Leo_B

Originally posted at

2017-11-14T19:00:00

Perfect focal length range, almost L level build quality, true 4 stop IS, tack sharp, quick and silent autofocus.....paired with the new 50mm 1.8 STM.....you can shoot almost anything short of sports and wildlife that require 200mm+ long glass.

Josh

Originally posted at

2015-12-06T19:00:00

For almost 30 years I have used Canon EF mid range zoom lenses. Their zoom range has become wider and longer and IS has been added. Most of my work is travel photography, family shots, and garden club power point shows. I do 90% of my shots with this lens. It is a bit chunky and a hand full with few lens changes it just fine day in and day out. Do not have any complaints with lens construction and durability.

DBH

Originally posted at

2015-09-05T20:00:00

I've owned this lens for about 2 years and it is an OK all around lens however I would put performance at average. As one other reviewer said it is best at mid ranges which is to be expected. At its longer reaches and at small apertures it is fairly soft. I find it quite inconsistent. Also my biggest beef is that it has wobble and looseness in the barrel so that I am not sure if it's the wobble that makes some of the images soft. Otherwise I love the range it has and if I had the money I would buy the "L" series.

unclewillie

Originally posted at

2015-03-09T20:00:00

I've had this lens for a while now, and I'm pretty amazed. The sharpness is on par with the legendary 17-55 f/2.8 and better than some L lenses. Looking at how this lens is cheaper than the 17-55 and all L lenses, I'd say this is a pretty good deal. Colors and contrast are also great. Just beware of chromatic aberration, it is quite strong from 15-20mm and 70-85mm. 24 to 60mm is absolutely stellar. Also, this lens functions best from around f/8 to f/11 in terms of sharpness and overall image quality. Bokeh is definitely achievable, and results are very nice. Build quality is amazing. Finally, the image stabilization on this lens may just be the best on the market, so don't be afraid of using up to one second exposures handheld - they are tack sharp. Overall, this lens is universally a great performer and its price is a bargain. I highly recommend it.

IceBurgess

Originally posted at

2013-11-20T19:00:00

For those with a cropped sensor DSLR this makes a great walk-around lens. Very good optics in a relatively light, compact package. Image stabilization is a big help for stationary subjects in poor light

JOHN P.

2013-09-14T20:00:00

I'm not an expert, nor do I do any pixel peeping, the only thing that concerns me is the quality of the photos that I have at the end of the day, and this lens works great for me. I'm a nature/landscape photographer and I have been extremely pleased with the photos that I have gotten from this lens.It's been used primarily for landscapes, and for close-ups of flowers and insects. Since it focuses down to 1 foot, it almost does the job of a macro lens, but only for larger subjects. I also own a 70-200 mm L series lens, and this lens comes very close to matching the sharpness of the L series. In fact, I get more sharp photos from this lens than the L Series when doing close-ups, as the auto-focus of this lens is more accurate up close than the L series is. I have to manually focus the L series to get photos as sharp as this 15-85 lens produces in auto-focus. It's also faster and quieter than the L series. I also love the larger diameter of this lens, it fits my hand better, and I don't have a problem going from my two long lenses down to this lens as far as it feeling good in my hand. The IS works extremely well, I've gotten usable shots at shutter speeds down to 1/4 second handheld in a pinch, although a tripod would probably have been better. I use this lens on a 60D, and I have the peripheral illumination correction enabled, which may be why I've seen no vignetting with this lens for the most part. I did stack a polarizing filter on the UV filter once, and saw vignetting then, lesson learned. Overall, I'm very pleased with this lens. The sharpness, color, contrast, and color saturation are superb, I couldn't ask for a better wide angle zoom for my crop sensor camera.

Quiet P.

Originally posted at

2013-08-18T20:00:00

Bought this lens several months ago but wanted to really put it to a severe test before reviewing it. Test just completed: A week on the Big Island of Hawai'i! Took a T4i body, this incredible 15-85mm, a Canon's 10-22mm and 50mm macro lenses. (The 10-22 and 50 macro never even left the camera bag ... As suspected, the EF-S 15-85mm performed flawlessly - it's a 24-135mm lens to us old film shooters - and simply "did it all" as far as taking in every possible scene. Colors are out of this world, clarity and sharpness beyond wildest expectations and in over 30 years of recreational / vacation photography in addition to a professional business, this was - easily! - the most complete and beautifully documented travel adventure ever. Impossible to give a high enough recommendation for this lens! If there was a 10-star category for performance and quality, this lens deserves it! Shoots on par with most 'L' lenses! (Wish we could have bought this lens with the T4i body instead of the excellent 18-55mm "kit" lens - which has just been sold off ... ) Dropping the images into Lightroom for conversion (we shot all RAW files) and a little post-processing, still cannot believe my eyes ...

Flying S.

Originally posted at

2013-07-07T21:00:00

I purchased this lens 4 years ago, when I first got started on DSLR photography. At the time I did not fully appreciate the lenses options and abilities. Now that I am more experienced all I can say is that this lens provides overall excellent image quality, and a range of 15mm WIDE all the way over to 85mm. There are very few options for a 24mm equivalent on a crop and this is a very good one. Sure there are sharper primes out there, but overall colors and sharpness are very good. Highly recommended as a general purpose lens on a crop! (use a grip to balance weight)

DANIEL K.

2013-06-17T21:00:00

First, I should explain that I was testing this lens against my current lens (Canon 18-135mm), to see if there was a substantial difference in image quality, sharpness, color and contrast. Although this is a very good lens, with very good quality and glass, comparatively, I didn't see enough differences to warrant the cost of the lens. I will say, that viewed at 100%, I could see some increased sharpness, contrast and color differences, and I should also mention that there was very little or no purple fringing. But, as I said, the difference wasn't significant enough to justify the purchase. Lastly, I will admit that I am very picky and the type of person who pays too much attention to detail and perfection. I would like to complement Adorama for exemplary customer service and support. They are a model for other businesses.

MIKE E.

2013-06-10T21:00:00

wide-angle to almost telephoto -- this lens does it all during the day ... for night shots, consider a flash ... smooth zoom, fast focus, and sharp pictures ... worth every penny so far ...

andy

2013-05-26T21:00:00

I love the range. 15 to 85 is really great. The quality of the images is great. The build quality of the lens is great. The USM autofocus is outstanding. It is heavy, and the zoom "creeps" if you point it downwards while you're walking around. Also, having the shortest physical length of the lens be the widest focal length means that I often am too wide for what I want to shoot. The kit lens is at its shortest length when the focal length is at about 35mm, which is more "normal".

FRANCIS M.

2013-05-20T21:00:00

I've had the lens for 3 weeks and run a few tests. I've determined that the lens doesn't perform any better in low light then the Canon 18-135mm. In normal light the photos are sharper but the difference wasn't as significant as I expected when viewed at less then 100%. Overall, the lens does perform better then the 18-135mm, but I'm not sure if the difference justifies the price. I should mention that I'm still testing to determine if the lens needs any adjustments such as front/back focus, etc.

Mr E.

2013-05-15T20:00:00

Very durable, good quality lens. Works perfectly with my 7D. This lens is always on my camera. Perfect for birthday parties, weddings, unexpected events, trips to the park with the kids, or a Saturday afternoon bike ride with the family. It's a bit pricey, but if you check around you can get a good deal on one. Highly recommend it.

ArtGeo

Originally posted at

2013-05-05T20:00:00

This lens promises to be a great walk-around lens but I find the image quality to be lacking. And it has developed lens creep, such as when I shoot at 35mm and then tilt the camera down only a little to change settings by looking at the LCD on top of my 50D and 60D, it rotates on its own to 50mm when I bring it back up to look through the view screen. Also, its corner and edge image clarity at the short end (15-24mm) is poor, with lots of distortion, CA, and blur. The kit lens image quality in this range was better. On the plus side, it has a greater zoom range and is sharp in the middle. The front element not moving or rotating is very nice also. Its color reproduction can be very good too. But in the end, image quality outweighs features and I find that it is only satisfactory if i limit myself to f/5.6 - f/8 through the 35-85mm range. This contradicts the notion of a walk-around lens. Bokeh at f/8 is displeasing and f/5.6 is not much better. Perhaps wait until version "II" or pass altogether.

linear

Originally posted at

2013-02-18T19:00:00

I use a 60D most of the time, but needed an extra camera while doing a wedding video, so I got a T2i with the 18-55 kit lens. This lens has a good overall zoom range, and it's good for somebody who only wants one lens, and doesn't want to spend much money. The downsides are that the images are not sharp. Even in the perfect light in perfect focus, the images are fuzzy compared to the other lenses I own. Also, it is plasticky and makes a triumphant roar when it auto focuses. (not as loud as the 50mm 1.8 though) Also, unless I'm shooting in the sunlight, f5.6 can be inconvenient. The upsides are that even though it's a little fuzzy, it's way sharper than what you'd get with a point-and-shoot camera. It is good value for money, and if you want to buy a cheap lens with a nice zoom range, this is a good product.

DrParmesan

Originally posted at

2013-01-28T19:00:00

This lens is noticeably sharper than the kit lens and the 50-250mm lens that was bought separately. It equals, to my untrained eye, my F1.4 50mm in sharpness, especially from F6.1 (or so) to F8.0. A little expensive but worth every penney.

Hal

2013-01-16T19:00:00

Very good general walk around lens. Not fast but good for landscape, outdoor photography. Good focal range and good build quality.

GREG S.

2013-01-09T19:00:00

This is a great lens for outdoor photography. Pair it up with one of the the 70mm-200mm L models and a 50mm 1.4 and you can get most anything done you want. It is not the greatest for indoor stuff like school functions etc but then it likely wasn't built to be.

Wally C.

Originally posted at

2012-12-12T19:00:00

I bought this lens to use as my walkaround lens for my 7D, as well as to give me the extra width on the low end for landscapes. I have not been disappointed at all. It has a great range for everyday use, and while it's not as 'fast' as say a 2.8, it still has served as a great lens for outdoor as well as indoor use. It may not have the 'L' designation, but it's probably as close as you're going to get in the EFS line. The image quality is EXCELLENT! If you can only get one lens right now for a crop sensor body, then this is THE lens to get. The zoom range you'll get will cover you for almost everything you'll need...if you need the extra reach of say a 70-200mm, you know who you are, and you'll probably already have it covered. If the 85mm (136mm effective) end of this lens isn't enough, zoom with your feet. ;) The only downside of this lens is that you won't be able to use it if you ever upgrade to a full frame body. But, if you're upgrading to a full frame, you'll probably go for the 16-35 2.8L or something along those lines. Bottom line: I would recommend this as the go-to lens for anyone with a APS-C sensor body. You will be very happy.

Byeemer

2012-12-12T19:00:00

The 24mm equivalent wide angle solves many problems while the telephoto capability is good for all but special events. Would like a faster lense but the tradeoff in weight would not be acceptable.

JOSEPH Z.

2012-12-02T19:00:00

This is my initial review after having had it for two weeks. I bought it to replace the standard 18-55mm kit lens - it will be my general walk around lens on my Xsi. Now, I've only had it a couple weeks, but so far I am quite pleased. Extremely crisp photos and quick USM autofocus are the highlights. It's also sturdily constructed - not like an L lens of similar range but much better than the kit lens. Other people have had issues with lens creep. This hasn't arisen yet and I don't expect it to based upon the lens' performance. I find the zoom solid - not loose but not too stiff. I think the major drawback is substantial vignetting that occurs at 15mm when shooting wide open. Stopping down eliminates the problem. Other benefits of the lens outweigh this issue in my mind, but it is a bummer that you have to think about it. This had been well documented in other reviews, so google around for more detailed reactions and tests. As an ameteur making his first move into higher quality lenses I've been excited so far with it's performance. It's spendy but it's already been more than worth the cost.

Empid

2012-09-22T21:00:00

Bought this lens as a walk around lens for my Canon 7D for a cruise I took to Alaska. I am glad I bought it. I got some really great pictures. It's the lens I keep on my camera all the time.

New U.

2012-09-22T20:00:00

i have a t4i, and the 135L, and this 15-85. this 15-85 is as good as the 135L on my crop camera. i would assume that if i put the 135L on a 5d, it would outperform the 15-85, but on a crop, they're the same. the IS is very good, but takes a lmost a full second to spin up

Timcredible

Originally posted at

2012-09-02T21:00:00

Used to document family outings and home visits by grand kids. Sporting events that contain action soccer play for agency monthly newsletter/magazine.

Donny B.

2012-08-08T20:00:00

I purchased the T3i with the standard 18-55 mm lens. After using the kit lens, it was decided that a higher quality lens was needed. Purchased the 15-85 mm and the difference is like night and day. Optics,ease of use and the outstanding photographs make this the best all around lens available in my opinion. The lens is as close to perfect as you can get. The lens costs more than the camera but after using you will understand why. A quality and superior lens.

George

Originally posted at

2012-07-10T21:00:00

I was not sure if the range would be good for most of my shooting but it seems to be fine. I wanted a good all purpose lens for everyday use. The pictures are sharp.

Photo J.

2012-07-08T20:00:00

I really love this lens with my 7D. BUT, was really disappointed when autofocus motor started to squeak after one and a half years! And unfortunately it's no longer under warranty so it will cost to get repaired. I don't use auto focus anymore because its so embarrassing having a 800 dollar lens squeak like crazy when shooting photos! This is an amazing lens but sadly didn't end up so good for me after 1 1/2 years of purchase.

StevenB

Originally posted at