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

With Image Stablisation, UD elements and an Ultrasonic Motor, is this feature-filled objective the perfect kit-lens replacement?

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  Excellent handling and IS system

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  Drop-off in MTF curves

The Canon EF-S 15-85/3.5-5.6 IS USM , ( ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ) ( review ) is an improvement over the lens it replaces, the Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM , ( ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ). Image quality has been improved via the use of two additional aspheric elements and one UD element.

The Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens delivers top-tier image quality over an excellent general purpose focal length range in a nicely-sized/weighted/built body with great AF and an excellent implementation of Image Stabilization at a for-what-you-get great price . I'm impressed.

During testing, this lens has proved itself a capable successor to the popular EF-S 17-85mm IS USM. Although it has some flaws, it is capable of producing excellent results, so long as the limitations of the lens are taken into account.

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  Useful zoom range, Excellent sharpness at most apertures and focal lengths, Image Stabiliser, Good build quality

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  Distortion, Vignetting at 15mm, Flare and ghosting performance (no lens hood supplied)

Introduced last year, this extrawide zoom built for Canons with APS-C-sized sensors makes an attractive utility lens for the new EOS 60D or can serve as a wider, longer alternative to the Rebel kit lens.

With very good, if not excellent results for sharpness, resistance to chromatic aberration, distortion and corner shading, Canon has released an excellent general purpose lens.

The Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 USM IS is certainly a desirable lens ... if you can get a good one (ours had a bit of QC issue). The resolution is generally very good from 15-50mm whereas you should expect some border softness at 85mm.

A 5.6x standard zoom for Canon EF-S compatible cameras, which provides an angle of view equivalent to a 24-136mm lens on a 35mm camera, plus a 4-stop image stabiliser.

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  Distortion, Vignetting at 15mm, Flare and ghosting performance (no lens hood supplied)

If you want to be mean, you can summarize this test in one sentence: “Oh, so it is possible!” That’s because you can now see what minimalism it was of Canon to release the 17-85 mm IS USM model, which right after its premiere was sold barely cheaper than now 15-85 mm.

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  Universal focal lengths, Excellent image quality at the center of the frame, starting from the maximum aperture, at all focal lengths, Very good image quality at the edge of the frame, Chromatic aberration medium or small for most combinations of focal lengths and apertures, Coma smaller than in...

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  Large chromatic aberration at 15 mm and around the maximum aperture, Large distortion at the widest angle, Noticeable vignetting, Build quality at this price could be better, Poor standard equipment

The EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens is one of two lenses announced by Canon in September when details of the EOS 7D were revealed. It's offered with the 7D body in the Platinum kit and covers a wide-to-telephoto zoom range of roughly 5.6 times.

This lens spends the most time on my 70D due to its versatility and overall IQ. I got the 18-135 STM with the 70D but subjectively I think this lens produces better quality. I take this, the 10-22, and 70-200 f/4L IS (and 1.4x TC) in my bag to cover the gamut of focal lengths I'm most interested in...

I have had this lens for one and a half years, and it has been a nice mate for my camera. It is great: very sharp from 15 to 85 mm (although not so much in the corners at its widest aperture), very good at f11 for landscape photography.

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  Sharp, quick focus, good range

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  Non constant aperture: f5.6 is a bit slow

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.

The lens appears brand new and I assume it is, but it was not in Canon packaging, so appears to be a 'gray-market' lens. That also accounts for why its price was significantly less than is commonly listed for this lens.

This lens has definitely made a difference in my ability to capture tack sharp images while being handheld. Love the focal range and the minimum focusing distance is adequate for most flower photography that is not micro.

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  Consistent Output, Easily Interchangeable, Fast / accurate auto-focus, Nice Bokeh, Strong Construction

Nice and sharp wide open at all focul lengths. IS works great. No problem for sharp pics at 1/13 a sec at 34mm on 7D.Mine is almost as sharp wide open as it is at F8. No decentering at all.

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  Lightweight, Durable, Fast / accurate auto-focus, Consistent Output

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  Pricey

Comments about Canon EF-S 15-85mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM Zoom Lens: This lens has become the latest to a fairly large collection of Canon SLR lenses I have collected, and since I purchased it last October, 2010, it has become my number one "go to" lens for all around use.

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  Durable, Easy To Use, Lightweight, Reliable

This is a very good lens. I just opened it yesterday and I won't go as far as to say I am thrilled, but I am very encouraged. The first thing that strikes you about the lens is the build quality.

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  Fast, accurate focus, Best built EF-S lens to date, No lens creep - YEAH!, Center sharpness, Its aesthetically a good looking lens, Very useful zoom range, CAs seem to be well controlled

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  Only 3.5 at its widest and drops to 5.6 as you zoom. Wish it were 2.8 for most of the range, but I tend to think the cost would have been prohibitive for an EF-S lens., If you use the lens indoors and want fast photos, you'll need a flash, you'll need a hot shoe flash to minimize the vignetting at...