Great range, poor performance

I bought this lens together with the EOS 7D. The combination of camera and lens range worked great; 15-85mm is equivalent to 24-135mm. This is the range you need in 90% of travel photography. The image stabilisation works very effectively, but what annoyed me more and more in the course of time were the soft images and the low speed of the lens.

Perhaps I just had a bad copy, but at a certain point I preferred my Sony RX-100 (with a much smaller sensor) over the EF-S 15-85 lens, because the images were simply sharper and had more brilliance. That was the point I decided to sell the 15-85. It's a shame because there are hardly any good lenses with this range. I know, it isn't an L-lens, but still fairly high priced.

Conclusion: If you go for the range and IS, this is a super performer. If you go for IQ, don't buy it, you will be disappointed.

halfwaythere wrote:

Erik van den Elsen wrote:

I bought this lens together with the EOS 7D. The combination of camera and lens range worked great; 15-85mm is equivalent to 24-135mm. This is the range you need in 90% of travel photography. The image stabilisation works very effectively, but what annoyed me more and more in the course of time were the soft images and the low speed of the lens.

Perhaps I just had a bad copy, but at a certain point I preferred my Sony RX-100 (with a much smaller sensor) over the EF-S 15-85 lens, because the images were simply sharper and had more brilliance. That was the point I decided to sell the 15-85. It's a shame because there are hardly any good lenses with this range. I know, it isn't an L-lens, but still fairly high priced.

Conclusion: If you go for the range and IS, this is a super performer. If you go for IQ, don't buy it, you will be disappointed.

Every user review should end with: My copy of this lens.... .

Quite. Have to say I was very pleasantly surprised with my copy, and the following applies just to it. I bought the 7D body-only purely for sport and wildlife what seems like half a lifetime ago. I was so impressed with it when used as a back-up to my 5D II that I picked up a 15-85 to use as an alternative to the 5D II/24-105 L combo for a little less weight, and also to give me other options when sport or wildlife was my main focus. It's certainly a very attractive range, and resolution in the real world is effectively as good as the 17-55 f2.8 - this is actually a pretty sharp lens, albeit slightly softer at the edges at 85mm. It has a fair bit of distortion and vignetting is quite serious anything like wide open. And yes, it's fairly slow. But all in all, it's by far the best one-lens option for me for APS-C, as it has a meaninful wideangle, actually has very good IQ, and is neither too expensive nor too heavy. Perfect? No, but the perfect lens doesn't exist.

halfwaythere wrote:

Erik van den Elsen wrote:

I bought this lens together with the EOS 7D. The combination of camera and lens range worked great; 15-85mm is equivalent to 24-135mm. This is the range you need in 90% of travel photography. The image stabilisation works very effectively, but what annoyed me more and more in the course of time were the soft images and the low speed of the lens.

Perhaps I just had a bad copy, but at a certain point I preferred my Sony RX-100 (with a much smaller sensor) over the EF-S 15-85 lens, because the images were simply sharper and had more brilliance. That was the point I decided to sell the 15-85. It's a shame because there are hardly any good lenses with this range. I know, it isn't an L-lens, but still fairly high priced.

Conclusion: If you go for the range and IS, this is a super performer. If you go for IQ, don't buy it, you will be disappointed.

Every user review should end with: My copy of this lens.... .

Quite. Have to say I was very pleasantly surprised with my copy, and the following applies just to it. I bought the 7D body-only purely for sport and wildlife what seems like half a lifetime ago. I was so impressed with it when used as a back-up to my 5D II that I picked up a 15-85 to use as an alternative to the 5D II/24-105 L combo for a little less weight, and also to give me other options when sport or wildlife was my main focus. It's certainly a very attractive range, and resolution in the real world is effectively as good as the 17-55 f2.8 - this is actually a pretty sharp lens, albeit slightly softer at the edges at 85mm. It has a fair bit of distortion and vignetting is quite serious anything like wide open. And yes, it's fairly slow. But all in all, it's by far the best one-lens option for me for APS-C, as it has a meaninful wideangle, actually has very good IQ, and is neither too expensive nor too heavy. Perfect? No, but the perfect lens doesn't exist.

I compared the 15-85 to my Sigma 18-35 ART lens on my 7D which is super sharp. As long as you stick to the wider end and no higher than F5.6 the images compare well. At 100% I can see the slightly softer image from the 15-85 but they are not blurry by any means. Full frame its hard to aee any difference. Even 85mm F5.6 compares well. I rather use it over my Sigma because of its very useful focal range as a walk around lens. Plus its very sharp at 15mm even at F3.5. Unlike other Canon kit lenses when shooting wide open. I grab the Sigma when I want a faster lens or for the most resolution when I need it. The focal range is just too small to use as a walk around lens. The 15-85 is a fun focal range and the lens is relatively small when set to 15mm. Easy to walk around with it. Balance is nice on my 7D too.

I really don't find the images soft. My 18-135 IS is soft wide open compared to the 15-85. The 18-135 is pretty good at F8 though. My fast Sigma lenses beat both of the Canons but they are big and heavy.

I agree.  My 15-85 is my go-to lens for walkaround on my 70D.  I prefer it to my 18-135 STM.

Dave Sparks wrote:

I agree. My 15-85 is my go-to lens for walkaround on my 70D. I prefer it to my 18-135 STM.

Why?

I agree.  My 15-85 is my go-to lens for walkaround on my 70D.  I prefer it to my 18-135 STM.

I tried the EFS 17-55 f2.8 and I thought the 15-85 lens was sharper at 15mm wide open. The 17-55 is a little soft at F2.8 indoors at close range and again the focal range isn't as fun as the 15-85. I have my Sigma lens when I want a faster lens so the 15-85 was the better choice for me. I love it!

Cenk wrote:

Dave Sparks wrote:

I agree. My 15-85 is my go-to lens for walkaround on my 70D. I prefer it to my 18-135 STM.

Why?

I feel my 15-85 has better overall IQ than my 18-135 STM and I also like the additional 3mm at the low end.

Dave Sparks wrote:

I agree. My 15-85 is my go-to lens for walkaround on my 70D. I prefer it to my 18-135 STM.

Is 15-85 better than 18-135 is stm. I am thinking of selling my 18-135 is stm and Sigma 17-50 f2.8, get 15-85mm. I have sigma 30mm 1.4 for low light situations and 55-250 is stm. Presently I have 18-135mm and sigma 17-50. I feel like, I have too many lenses. They are overlapping and taking up my budget.

ritholtznue wrote:

Dave Sparks wrote:

I agree. My 15-85 is my go-to lens for walkaround on my 70D. I prefer it to my 18-135 STM.

Is 15-85 better than 18-135 is stm. I am thinking of selling my 18-135 is stm and Sigma 17-50 f2.8, get 15-85mm. I have sigma 30mm 1.4 for low light situations and 55-250 is stm. Presently I have 18-135mm and sigma 17-50. I feel like, I have too many lenses. They are overlapping and taking up my budget.

You'll get arguments both ways on this.  For me, my 15-85 provides subjectively overall better-looking shots than my 18-135 STM.  I'm going on a trip later this week and I'll take the 15-85 and leave the 18-135 at home.  The STM has an advantage on the video side as the STM focus is dead quiet.

Dave Sparks wrote:

I agree. My 15-85 is my go-to lens for walkaround on my 70D. I prefer it to my 18-135 STM.

Is 15-85 better than 18-135 is stm. I am thinking of selling my 18-135 is stm and Sigma 17-50 f2.8, get 15-85mm. I have sigma 30mm 1.4 for low light situations and 55-250 is stm. Presently I have 18-135mm and sigma 17-50. I feel like, I have too many lenses. They are overlapping and taking up my budget.

I have a faster lens to fall back on when the 15-85 is too slow. The Sigma 17-50 is supposed to be a pretty sharp lens and its a constant F2.8. Faster lens than the 15-85. Never had one to try tho. I like the 15-85 because its a nice usable range in one lens...I also like to shoot wide. Since you have the 55-250 you could sell the 18-135 but then again if you shoot video its probably quieter and faster focusing than the 15-85.

petrock wrote:

petrock wrote:

I got 15-85 for my T2i. I found that it had a bad problem with blurriness in the right quarter, particularly in the 16mm-to-35mm range. In manual focus, it varies depending on whether you reach focus clockwise or counter-clockwise. Also, if the lens/camera is rapped onto the open palm, the next images can improve, but not predictably. My guess is that a lens element, or the IS unit, is loose.

Sent it Canon on warranty and was told 'looks good to us'. It's now out of warranty, so my only choice is to send it into Canon for repair, on my own dime. Any suggestions on this ?

Correction of my above post: I said "In manual focus, it varies depending on whether you reach focus clockwise or counter-clockwise."

It's been awhile since I've played with the lens. What I should have said was "It varies whether you reach your zoom setting clockwise or counter-clockwise." Sorry.

That sucks.  I had my 15-85 repaired late last year (dropped it, broke focus mechanism) and it was $255 ($219 is their "Out of Warranty Standard Labor Charge"), not counting shipping & insurance to send it in.  Have you been able to confirm the problem on a second body?  Is there a local authorized Canon dealer that you can take the body and lens to for their look at it?

there is also a focusing type issue. If you use a native focusing system through the mirror it does not work so well as the live view ...

toomix wrote:

there is also a focusing type issue. If you use a native focusing system through the mirror it does not work so well as the live view ...

This is an old thread but if you're referring to the 15-85, I still have it and use it as my main lens, now on the 70D, and I don't see what you're describing with mine. I've had zero focus issues over many thousands of shots (40D & 70D).

Dave Sparks wrote:

toomix wrote:

there is also a focusing type issue. If you use a native focusing system through the mirror it does not work so well as the live view ...

This is an old thread but if you're referring to the 15-85, I still have it and use it as my main lens, now on the 70D, and I don't see what you're describing with mine. I've had zero focus issues over many thousands of shots (40D & 70D).

Likewise.

I don't recognise the lens the OP was referring to.
Mine has always focussed perfectly whether in "live" or normal focus mode, and still delivers sharp and high contrast images with my 80D.