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55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens

Started Aug 11, 2016 | User reviews
calebkeiter New Member • Posts: 8
55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens
7

I've had this lens for over a year now. After thousands of images, I decided to put together a very in-depth and real-world review.

The short of it - if you've been thinking about this lens, stop thinking. Buy it.

It's sharp. The bokeh is beautiful. The autofocus is blazingly fast. It's a near perfect lens. Love.

Check out the full review.

Caleb

Canon EF 135mm F2L USM
Telephoto prime lens • Canon EF • 2520A004
calebkeiter's score
5.0
Average community score
4.8
RonBr Forum Member • Posts: 66
Re: 55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens

Fantastic review!  Excellent details, great examples, real world experience.  Thanks for taking the time to put all that together and sharing with us - it must be a lot of work!

Ron.

Keith Z Leonard Veteran Member • Posts: 6,134
Re: 55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens

Well done, fantastic lens, my personal favorite of the Ls.

 Keith Z Leonard's gear list:Keith Z Leonard's gear list
Canon EF 70-200mm F4L USM Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Canon EOS 400D +16 more
Spotted Cow Senior Member • Posts: 1,586
Re: 55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens

Great review of the this lens. I've used it for a everything from a head and shoulder portraits lens to "environmental" portrait of a family of 4 that turned out great.

The only thing would be for me that would be different from your review is that I would take the IS over the weather sealing.

Al Downie Senior Member • Posts: 1,407
Re: 55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens

Agree - this was the lens that made me choose Canon.

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Flickr photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHsjXbgGu9
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 Al Downie's gear list:Al Downie's gear list
Fujifilm X-Pro2 Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R Fujifilm XF 23mm F1.4 R Fujifilm XF 56mm F1.2 R APD +1 more
WindwardHaole Senior Member • Posts: 1,550
Re: 55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens

Great lens, one of two reasons I shoot Canon/Nikon.

cpharm86 Senior Member • Posts: 2,742
Re: 55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens

Thank you for the nice review. I also own this lens. Great piece of glass.

OP calebkeiter New Member • Posts: 8
Re: 55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens

Thanks for the great compliment, Ron! I'm glad you enjoyed the review.

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Be well,
Caleb

OP calebkeiter New Member • Posts: 8
Re: 55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens

Thanks, Keith. It's my favorite L lens as well.

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Be well,
Caleb

OP calebkeiter New Member • Posts: 8
Re: 55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens

You're probably in good company, wanting IS over weather sealing. Glad you enjoyed the review.

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Be well,
Caleb

OP calebkeiter New Member • Posts: 8
Re: 55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens

I don't know much about Nikon, honestly, but I can't imagine they have a lens like the 135.

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Be well,
Caleb

OP calebkeiter New Member • Posts: 8
Re: 55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens

What's the other reason?

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Be well,
Caleb

OP calebkeiter New Member • Posts: 8
Re: 55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens

Thanks for the compliment. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

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Be well,
Caleb

WindwardHaole Senior Member • Posts: 1,550
Re: 55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens

Actually 3 reasons. 70-200, f/4, IS and the ability to adapt lenses of other make.

Scott Larson Veteran Member • Posts: 7,505
Re: 55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens

calebkeiter wrote:

I don't know much about Nikon, honestly, but I can't imagine they have a lens like the 135.

The Nikon 135mm f2 is about as wonderful as Canon's optically but the last time I checked it still had the old screw drive autofocus. I wish they'd get around to putting an ultrasonic motor in it but Nikon seems to be busy designing new zoom lenses.

 Scott Larson's gear list:Scott Larson's gear list
Sony RX10 IV Canon EOS 5D Canon EOS 5D Mark II Canon EOS-1D Mark IV Canon EOS-1D X +17 more
James Larsen
James Larsen Veteran Member • Posts: 4,500
Re: 55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens

Great review - I would love to see Canon put out a version with IS and weather sealing...because those 2 things are important to me.

Welcome to the Forum!

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15 yr old Aspiring Wildlife Photographer. Hoping to be a Cinematographer.
http://jameslarsenphoto.weebly.com/
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 James Larsen's gear list:James Larsen's gear list
Canon EOS 6D Canon EOS 80D Canon EF 85mm F1.8 USM Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Canon EF-S 10-18mm F4.5–5.6 IS STM +3 more
WindwardHaole Senior Member • Posts: 1,550
Re: 55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens

As a Cannon/Nikon user, I have owned Nikon's 135 DC and currently own Canon's 135 L. From my experience, Canon's offering is the preferable lens.

Damoo Senior Member • Posts: 1,102
Re: 55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens

Lovely lens.

Probably the best except that the Zeiss 135mm f2 is a notch better. I do miss AF on this lens but won't part ways with this lens ever.

And the Samyang 135mm f2 is damn good for its price too.

 Damoo's gear list:Damoo's gear list
Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) Olympus OM-D E-M5 Canon EOS 6D Sony a7S Canon EOS 5D Mark IV +16 more
JerryriggedTECH
JerryriggedTECH Senior Member • Posts: 1,098
Re: 55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens

I am very interested in this lens, but just have a few reasons for hesitation: 1) I have the 70-200 f/2.8L IS II... would I notice much of a difference (image-quality wise) between the two? Don't really care about weight / size difference.  If I can get shallower depth of field, then that would be a plus.  2) Lack of IS. For outdoor daytime shooting, not a big deal, but I shoot lots of weddings and indoor events. Might be OK if I can get by with 1/160 sec, but if I have to use 1/250 or faster, then that kind of defeats the value of the better light gathering with f/2.

Hoping the image quality is significantly different, and that I could shoot at ~1/160 without shake blur (I don't have perfectly stable technique).  What do you think?

 JerryriggedTECH's gear list:JerryriggedTECH's gear list
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Canon EOS R Canon EF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8L IS II USM Canon EF 24-70mm F2.8L II USM +5 more
WindwardHaole Senior Member • Posts: 1,550
Re: 55 Reasons to Buy and Love This Lens

A quality fast prime like the Canon 135 L will very likely give a different look than a quality 70-200 zoom, and f/2 will give shallower DOF than f/2.8. If you are a successful photographer with the equipment you are using, adding the 135 L may make no difference at all.

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