stan23 wrote:
I have such a love/hate relationship with this lens. In the past decade, i've bought/sold 3 copies. All are awesome and super sharp, but I rarely use 135, and I find the size/weight hard to handhold at anything lower than 160/sec shutter speed.
I'm having a similar issue with shutter speed. In my case, I'm taking pictures of my 2-year old daughter who never stops moving, so I find I need a least 1/250 and better yet 1/500 for adequately freezing movement. But that's not the fault of the lens, of course—just a reality of using a telephoto lens with moving subjects.
I'm thinking of getting one of these lenses. I'm currently using my 35L on a 7D and really liking the quality of images I am getting. So I'm primed for more primes :-)
But I already have a 70-200/4 L IS lens ... is the 135 that much better?
HiredGoon wrote:
I'm thinking of getting one of these lenses. I'm currently using my 35L on a 7D and really liking the quality of images I am getting. So I'm primed for more primes :-)
But I already have a 70-200/4 L IS lens ... is the 135 that much better?
No, not a significantly better lens. Both of those lenses have outstanding image quality. It's just that the 135 gives you that same outstanding image quality, with little to no compromises, at f/2.
HiredGoon wrote:
I'm thinking of getting one of these lenses. I'm currently using my 35L on a 7D and really liking the quality of images I am getting. So I'm primed for more primes :-)
But I already have a 70-200/4 L IS lens ... is the 135 that much better?
I have the 70-200 IS as well. It's a great lens in its own right.
The 135L takes it to a whole new level though - ability to handle low light indoors, excellent colors and IQ. There's no substitute for f/2, and of course it's a bit more stealthy as it's black instead of white.
Richard Nye wrote:
I take my 135 f/2 traveling more than my 70-200 f/2.8 IS II since it is so featherweight. And with a 1.4X TC you get 135mm AND 190mm focal lengths!
I had an opportunity to shoot with the Zeiss 135 F2 APO the other day and did some comparisons between it and my 135 Canon. The only place I see any difference at all is in shooting wide open where the Zeiss has a very slight advantage. The Canon really is just as good otherwise. Great lens!
badlydrawnboy wrote:
I'm having a similar issue with shutter speed. In my case, I'm taking pictures of my 2-year old daughter who never stops moving, so I find I need a least 1/250 and better yet 1/500 for adequately freezing movement. But that's not the fault of the lens, of course—just a reality of using a telephoto lens with moving subjects.
I have a feeling that the physics of the lens - the lightness combined with the length and balance of the lens - makes it more prone to camera shake than, for example, a 70-200 at 135mm. Might just be something that I've convinced myself about, but I also find I need a shutter speed of 1/250 to handhold it.
That said, I love the lens. I've also had a love/hate relationship with the lens. Awesome optics, but I found it hard to use in general. Much preferred the 85L for portraits.
After switching from a 5D2 to a 1DsIII it gets far more use, since I can now rely on the outer focus points, which makes the lens more versatile for my use.
Here are some final shots with the lens before it went back. I noticed a little bit of CA at f/2 but, otherwise, this lens is really sharp and has nice IQ and bokeh.
Several years ago I abandoned Canon to shoot medium format. While I was shooting Canon, the 135 L lived on one of mu bodies at all times and was far and away my favorite short tele lens. I am now returning to Canon and a 135 will be among my first acquisitions...it is a versatile and superb lens.
I take mine with me at all times looking for an excuse to use it. I bought one off craigslist for $600 in mint condition knowing that I could always sell it for more, but I don't think I would ever sell it unless they come out with a IS version.
It is indispensable. If they made a version 2, they could improve the MFD and the buttons - I'd like larger, slightly wider spaced AF and FDRSS (focusing distance range selection switches)
Great lens - use it mainly for portraits. It also gives a very beautiful bokeh. I use my 135/2 copy in addition to my slower 70-200/4 IS lens which I mostly use for landscape and scenery photos. No need to get a 70-200/2.8 lens with this combination.
