Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Image Stabilizer USM Autofocus Lens

This is the bigger brother of the 24-85mm and 28-105mm lenses. That gains image stabilisation. It uses a 72mm filter size that is unusual on a Canon lens.

It has fast Ring-USM that offers fast focussing, and full time manual override (you can manually tweak the focus without switch in manual mode, and this will not strain the focus motor). The IS works well, and makes this a very versatile lens.

On a crop body (smaller that 35mm sensor, ie the 300D,350D,400D, or the 10D,20D etc), this isn't very wide angle (28mm is the FOV equivalent to a 45mm) but the 135mm end is very handy.

Quality wise it's probably 75% as good as the 24-105mm L, but this non-L lens is around have the price, and significantly smaller and lighter.

Summary: Handy size and weight, good range of focal length, although not very wide on a crop body. Good value for money, only really bettered by the L lenses at around twice the price.

An excellent mid range telephoto lens, the Image stabalisation enables you to get phgotos in low light that would not have been possible without it. I have 2 of these 1 on a Canon 350D and the other on the 450D and they give excellent results.

Pete Adams