EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

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Fred Miranda
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p.1 #1 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

The new EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM sets a new standard for everyday photography on APS-C sensors. With a focal length range equivalent to 24-136mm in 35mm format, image stabilization and high-precision optics, the EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM offers stellar performance from wide-angle through to telephoto.

• Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 15 - 85mm 1:3.5-5.6
• Lens Construction: 17 elements in 12 groups
• Diagonal Angle of View: 84° 30' - 18° 25'
• Focus Adjustment: Inner focusing system with USM
• Closest Focusing Distance: 1.15 ft./0.35m
• Filter Size: 72mm
• Max. Diameter x Length, Weight: 3.2 x 3.4 in./81.6 x 87.5mm, 20.3 oz./575g

For more info, please check Canon's website directly.

Edited on Sep 02, 2009 at 02:21 AM

Sep 02, 2009 at 01:51 AM

n0b0
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p.1 #2 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

The MTF chart ain't half bad but damn... it's bloody expensive.

Sep 02, 2009 at 02:10 AM

M Vers
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p.1 #3 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

800 beans for a 3.5-5.6 standard zoom lens--yeah, I'd say that's pretty expensive.

Sep 02, 2009 at 02:16 AM

gene A.
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p.1 #4 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

And yet the kit lens which they are bundling with the new 7D is everyones favorite the 28-135is and its only $200 more than a 7D with no lens.

Sep 02, 2009 at 02:26 AM

jfulton
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p.1 #5 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

There's no way that price will hold up. Great range, slow variable f-stop, + expensive = very few sales. You may as well pick a f/2.8 for a little bit more (or Tamron 17-50/2.8 for less).

Sep 02, 2009 at 02:31 AM

popeshawnpaul
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p.1 #6 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

I don't get this price and lens. Who gets a standard lens at f5.6 and pays this much for the lens? I'm really lost on this lens. It's your standard walk around lens that you will use half the time indoors but at f5.6 it ensures you need to use flash with the lens. I have to pay $800 for an f5.6 lens? Are you kidding? Was this really what consumers wanted was a new 17/15-85 mark II basically? Why would anyone buy this lens instead of paying about $100 more and get a 17-55 f2.8 IS? It's baffling to me.

On another note, if you look at what people are requesting a 100mm IS macro does not seem to be that high on the list. Sure there was a request for a macro with IS, but not at 100mm. The order at which they decide to make lenses really baffles me. Canon states they asked 5000 shooters what they wanted in the new camera. How about ask one more question such as, which lens do you want to see next...

I love guessing what's coming next though...

Sep 02, 2009 at 02:44 AM

EB-1
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p.1 #7 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

I agree. It is too slow.

EBH

Sep 02, 2009 at 02:49 AM

gdanmitchell
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p.1 #8 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

As essentially an update - and, we hope, an improvement - to the EFS 17-85 lens, the price seems quite steep to me.

Sep 02, 2009 at 02:50 AM

Ariel Bravy
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p.1 #9 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

Where to preorder the 15-85:

Amazon
B&H
Adorama

Edited on Sep 03, 2009 at 05:00 PM · View previous versions

Sep 02, 2009 at 02:53 AM

briangg
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p.1 #10 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

Well,

Canon is stating that this is certainly a high quality lens. I have the 17-55 F/2.8 IS, and I had the 17-85 IS for a couple years. I certainly know the huge IQ difference between the two of them. I also have the 10-22 EFS.

I consider my 10-22 to be a excellent quality lens. Certainly just a notch or two below my 17-55, and certainly better than my 17-85 was. If the 15-85 is anything like my 10-22 concerning build and IQ with that excellent range, and 4 stop IS. Well, the price sounds pretty close to me.

Seems to me that this lens has a huge potential for the landscaper who wants a light weight versatile lens with that range, that will be effective on a tripod or a monopod with the IS. I can see that being very useful in the field.

but certainly the quality that hits the sweet spot needs to be there

Brian

Sep 02, 2009 at 03:55 AM

kvolk
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p.1 #11 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

How long does it take for the reviews take to come out? I am certainly interested in replacing a kit lens but I don't want to be the first.

Sep 02, 2009 at 04:53 AM

digitalbug30d
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p.1 #12 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

maybe IQ is as good as the 17-55 ?

Sep 02, 2009 at 04:55 AM

catfriend
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p.1 #13 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

Is it just me? Because I just don't get the point of this lens. It's got a good range, and it would be a decent kit lens on a first APS camera purchase, but other than that I don't see any compelling reason for existing APS camera owners to purchase it. If one owns the 17-55 2.8 (as I do), you might gain some range, but you lose the 2.8 constant aperture, and that's not a tradeoff worth making. If you own the 17-85 (which I used to, and I had an unusually good copy) the range gain is minor, and since this is $ 800 you're going to have to shell out at least 500 more bones after you sell the old lens. If you have the 18-55 it might be a nice upgrade if you have an extra $ 800 around the house, but I'm still not convinced that it would be the wisest move you could make. If this lens had a constant aperture of no more than 4 then it might be worth looking at, but I have to admit I was hoping for a new version of the 100-400. Today's lens announcements just baffle me. If I were looking for a zoom like the 18-135 (it's BIGGGER!!!) wouldn't I just spring for the 18-200? Is anybody else scratching their head over these choices?

Sep 02, 2009 at 05:51 AM

skibum5
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p.1 #14 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

catfriend wrote:
Is it just me? Because I just don't get the point of this lens. It's got a good range, and it would be a decent kit lens on a first APS camera purchase, but other than that I don't see any compelling reason for existing APS camera owners to purchase it. If one owns the 17-55 2.8 (as I do), you might gain some range, but you lose the 2.8 constant aperture, and that's not a tradeoff worth making. If you own the 17-85 (which I used to, and I had an unusually good copy) the range gain is minor, and since this is $ 800 you're going to have to shell out at least 500 more bones after you sell the old lens. If you have the 18-55 it might be a nice upgrade if you have an extra $ 800 around the house, but I'm still not convinced that it would be the wisest move you could make. If this lens had a constant aperture of no more than 4 then it might be worth looking at, but I have to admit I was hoping for a new version of the 100-400. Today's lens announcements just baffle me. If I were looking for a zoom like the 18-135 (it's BIGGGER!!!) wouldn't I just spring for the 18-200? Is anybody else scratching their head over these choices?

Should be much higher quality than the 17-85 IS, which face it, may have been worse than the non-IS 18-55.

While maybe $200 more than I thought I guess it is still like $350 less than the f/2.8 and with more range. Still at $600-$650 it would probably seem more attractive since they you really would save a lot voer the 17-55 IS.

Lighter, less expensive, might be a more appealing landscape walk around than the 17-55 IS. But yeah the price is getting a bit close to the 17-55....

Sep 02, 2009 at 06:13 AM

kakomu
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p.1 #15 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

M Vers wrote:
800 beans for a 3.5-5.6 standard zoom lens--yeah, I'd say that's pretty expensive.
That's the MSRP. No lens made by canon is sold for MSRP.

Sep 02, 2009 at 06:17 AM

A.Y.
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p.1 #16 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

The MTF chart shows the IQ of this lens @ the wide end is going to be excellent. We'll see if the actual performance match the claim.

Sep 02, 2009 at 06:20 AM

freaklikeme
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p.1 #17 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

gene A. wrote:
And yet the kit lens which they are bundling with the new 7D is everyones favorite the 28-135is and its only $200 more than a 7D with no lens.

Everyone's favorite what?

And I agree with the grumbles regarding the price. It had better actually be stellar and not just marketing hype stellar throughout its range to justify that expense.

Sep 02, 2009 at 06:29 AM

Venus
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p.1 #18 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

f5.6 at 85 is way too slow!!

5d2 & 24-105 seems to be a better walkabout combo.

Sep 02, 2009 at 06:33 AM

Yohan Pamudji
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p.1 #19 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

$800... oof! For a 3.5-5.6 zoom? Yikes. But yeah that's MSRP. What does everybody think initial street price will be, and where will it eventually settle?

Sep 02, 2009 at 06:39 AM

Daan B
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p.1 #20 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

Too expensive for a 3.4-5.6 consumer zoom

Sep 02, 2009 at 06:43 AM

kahren
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p.1 #21 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

the big difference of this lens is on the wide end, 15 instead of the normal 18 or 17 which zooms normally start at for the crop. this is the 24mm equv for the crop, i dont think there is any other lense out there that have this range. i am not sure if this is canons attempt of 24-105f4L for the crop but it should have been a constant f2.8 in that case.. i can see 15-85 f4 for about 800 or f2.8 for about 1k, i hope this msrp is not indicative of what this will sell for i can see this selling well for about $500-600 i am curious to see how many people will end up owning this lens.

Edited on Sep 02, 2009 at 07:04 AM · View previous versions

Sep 02, 2009 at 07:02 AM

skibum5
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p.1 #22 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

kakomu wrote:
M Vers wrote:
800 beans for a 3.5-5.6 standard zoom lens--yeah, I'd say that's pretty expensive.
That's the MSRP. No lens made by canon is sold for MSRP.

aren't the new TS-E and the 24 1.4 MkII going for MSRP.

Sep 02, 2009 at 07:03 AM

Daan B
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p.1 #23 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

catfriend wrote:
If one owns the 17-55 2.8 (as I do), you might gain some range, but you lose the 2.8 constant aperture, and that's not a tradeoff worth making.

Hah, now crop users also have their 24-70L vs 24-105L dilemma

Sep 02, 2009 at 08:29 AM

alexanderino
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p.1 #24 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

Yohan Pamudji wrote:
$800... oof! For a 3.5-5.6 zoom? Yikes.
Especially for an EF-S lens, which is indisputably less versatile than EF with regard to body compatibility.

Sep 02, 2009 at 09:13 AM

David Collomb
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p.1 #25 · EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS master thread

I don't know any equivalent in terms of wide angle zoom starting at 15, either the range is wider but limited (11-16, 12-24) or starts higher (17-70 or18)

For once I see canon launching something different and I can just congratulate them for that!!

Regarding the price, well according to what I just said, you can call it a market opportunity.

Sep 02, 2009 at 09:59 AM


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