24-85 v 28-90

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I have an EOS 300/Rebel 2000 with the non-USM 28-80 lens. I want to replace this with a better USM lens but I'm undecided. The 24-85 sounds like the dream general purpose lens but there's been some criticism in several answers so I am also considering the 28-90 USM.

This is my 4th EOS camera. I am not seeking perfection but I do take a lot of photographs and want to continue to do so with one not too costly general purpose lens. I live in the UK where Canon EOS lenses are far more expensive than in the United States. Thank you

-- Robert Harris (robertwmharris@hotmail.com), May 01, 2001

Answers

There's not much improvement in switching to the 28-90. It's the same quality as the 28-80. You would be adding 10mm to the long end and an imitation USM that would provide slightly faster and quieter focusing.

The 24-85 is sharper, built better and has a real USM (much faster) with Full Time Manual focusing. There might be some critisism about the lens but these same people would cry if they had to use Canon's 28-90.

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), May 01, 2001.


Get the 24-85. I had a 28-80, and it wasn't as bad as everyone lets on, but it obviously wasn't that good either. Like Jim said, the new 28-90 is basically the same lens with an extra 10mm. The 24-85 on the other hand is a completely different lens. It is much sharper, focusing is nearly instant, and it is well made. Also, it is internal focusing, so if you use polarizers you don't have to worry about the front of the lens turning.

-- Brad Hutcheson (bhutcheson@iname.com), May 02, 2001.

Thanks gentlemen, that's pretty decisive. I'm aware that the 24-85 lens has FTM but I'm not certain what it does, could someone please explain.

-- Robert Harris (robertwmharris@hotmail.com), May 02, 2001.

FTM--Full Time Manual Focus--is one of Canon's greatest features. FTM allows you to seamlessly alternate between AF and manual focus without flipping a switch for manual mode. This is handy for pre-focusing, saving batteries or when AF needs a little touch up.

FTM is found only on Ring USM lenses such as the 24-85, 28-105, 28-135, 100-300 and most of the big white L glass. The cheaper Micro motor and Micro USM lenses such as the 28-80, 28-90, 75-300, etc., lack this feature.

The 24-85, like similar USM lenses, also sports a metal mount and a distance scale.

-- Puppy Face (doggieface@aol.com), May 02, 2001.


When Popular Photography (the big amateur photo magazine in the US) reviewed the 28-90 along with the Elan 7, they seemed to have a lot of trouble saying anything good about its optical or mechanical qualities. Since they generally love any piece of crap they review (especially equipment from big advertisers), their lack of enthusiasm for the 28-90 is not very reassuring.

The 24-85 is a nice lens and the extra 4mm on the wide end will provide you with a different prospective compared with the 28-80.

-- Ken Katz (socks@bestweb.net), May 02, 2001.



Please note that I don't think that FTM is available on any of the Rebel series of cameras. To use it, you have to move the autofocus activation from the shutter button to the AE-lock button via a custom function. I don't think the Rebel has this capability. For what it is worth, it is a great feature for some aplications, but it is not something I use. The lens is still a winner, and it is helpful to know what lenses support FTM if it is something you would find useful if you upgrade cameras at some point. As far as the 24-85 itself is concerned, having 24mm available in a reasonably high quality lens at a reasonable price is great.

-- Brad Hutcheson (bhutcheson@iname.com), May 02, 2001.

Actually FTM does work on the Rebel, just not as well as it does on the better camera bodies. You have to hold the shutter button down until it locks focus, keep holding it while you adjust manually and then shoot.

The ability to move AF activation to the AE Lock button is a great feature on cameras that have it, especially with ring type USM lenses. That way, you AF with the "*" button, refine your focus manually and then press the shutter.

With the Rebel, if you don't HOLD the shutter button down while manually touching up the focus, it will refocus where IT wants to as soon as you press the shutter to take the picture.

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), May 02, 2001.


Well, you learn something new every day. I don't have a Rebel, so I tried Jim's trick on my EOS 3. It works great as long as the camera is set to One Shot focus, and not AI Servo. I kind of figured that part, but had to try it of course.

-- Brad Hutcheson (bhutcheson@iname.com), May 02, 2001.

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