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Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

robstein
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

Ok, so just for no reason, I pulled out the first EF lens I purchased back in the day and whacked it on an R6ii. In its day, I dragged this guy across half the world attached to various film bodies and keep it purely for sentiment.

By any modern measure the EF 35-105 f3.5-f4.5 has a buzz saw auto-focus speed that is best described as "eventually".

I really miss this lens and I love love love the sliding, back hinged, push-pull design which I think was only shared with the 100-400 from memory.

Now Canon has gone back to extending lenses, I wish they would make it this style instead of the extend at the front end. Ok, ok, ok - Push/Pull haters can form an orderly line to the right

.

Edit: I thought I had put in a link but it disappeared.

Edited on Feb 23, 2024 at 05:08 PM · View previous versions

Feb 23, 2024 at 04:45 PM

IlyaSnopchenko
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

I love the push-pull zoom of the 100-400 ver.1!
AFAIR, it was preceded by the 35-350L, which has set the template for the 100-400 and the 28-300, and by some very early EF zooms like 70-210/4.

Feb 23, 2024 at 05:04 PM

TomSchriefer
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

My starter Canon EF lenses were: 28-135, 70-210 f/3.5-4.5 USM, and 100-300. Winners all, in my book. Odd that the only one w/IS was the SHORTEST one.

Feb 23, 2024 at 06:24 PM

robstein
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

TomSchriefer wrote:
My starter Canon EF lenses were: 28-135, 70-210 f/3.5-4.5 USM, and 100-300. Winners all, in my book. Odd that the only one w/IS was the SHORTEST one.

Funny as the 100-300 f4.5-f5.6 was my second lens and it blew that 24-105 out of the water.... I could not believe how quickly that thing focused. This lens is still good to this day. I didn't have the others but having more of the old style push/pull strengthens my case for Canon RF lens like those instead of the new extend at the end twisties

Feb 23, 2024 at 06:45 PM

TomSchriefer
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

My guess is you are referring to the 28-105. The 7-bladed vII of that lens was pretty decent. I preferred the (rudimentary) IS of the 28-135.

Feb 23, 2024 at 08:56 PM

AmbientMike
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

I've had a 20D out recently, partly just going back in time, cool old lens.

How's the performance? OM zuiko 35-105 supposed to be excellent has focus shift though. I could definitely use 35-105 very useful FL, have good 24 & 28mm already, Rf 28/2.8 supposedly very excellent as well

Used to use 35-135 adaptall-2 on a Pentax as a 1 lens solution if mostly doing something else besides photography. Good performer. Tamron had other good zooms in this general range

Feb 24, 2024 at 10:58 AM

MintMar
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

100-300/5.6L is also push pull. I should know, I have one.

Feb 24, 2024 at 11:16 AM

IlyaSnopchenko
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

That and the 50-200/3.5-4.5 from 1987.

P. S. The Canon Camera Museum sure is a nice way to kill time (even when you don't want to). Reminds of some odd designs Canon had in the earlier eras, and of some good old products I've used years ago. Strange that they don't have a separate category for the EF-M lenses, but I guess they want to forget that they ever existed, and wouldn't draw the attention to them anyway.

Feb 24, 2024 at 02:21 PM

Gochugogi
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

As I recall, many of Canon's first generation (1980s era) EF zooms were push-pull designs. Besides the EF 35-105 and EF 100-300, the EF 35-135 3.5-4.5, 35-70 3.5-4.5 and 70-210 4 were all push-pull designs. Probably a few more and I somehow owned most of them during the late 80s and early 90s. I was really happy when the first ring-USM zooms with internal focus appeared in 1990 (think it was the EF 35-135 4.0-5.6 USM, EF 100-300 4.0-5.6 USM and 70-210 3.5-4.5 USM). Blazing fast focus, nearly silent and fast enough to actually use AI servo, albeit they sure ate batteries.

Feb 24, 2024 at 02:29 PM

MintMar
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

The old lenses are good to witness the IQ progress we have made.

In previous century, the images made by 100-300/5.6L would definitely be seen as pinnacle of the technical quality and produced some oohs and aahs, but now consumer lenses at least caught up to such lens (even though it does have the fluorite element), I've tested the long end against the 70-300 IS USM (the original one) and 70-300 DO, and the 100-300L was not better.

Feb 24, 2024 at 04:07 PM

Pixelpuffin
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

I have a few older ef lenses including a few push pull designs
35-350L, 50-200L, plus a couple more that I can’t remember the exact focal lengths.

All good stuff

However, by far the biggest surprise for me was rediscovering the 28-135is usm
I bought this new back in the 90’s and promptly returned it as I thought it was crap

Last year my interest was rekindled after watching a few YouTube videos. Finally found a mint boxed 1 owner example with hood /paperwork for a silly low price.

It’s knocked me for six!
I have boxes of primes, L’s and modern zooms. Yet for some reason I find the 28-135 on my 5diii delivers wonderfully sharp pictures.
The IS has allowed me to take sharp clear shots as low as 1/5th sec.
The minimum focus is excellent and adding the ext 12mm tube becomes even better.

Definitely a sleeper lens

Feb 24, 2024 at 04:50 PM

Gochugogi
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

I think Canon sold millions of the EF 28-135 3.5-5.6 IS USM—so not a sleeper but a hit! It was immensely popular during the late 90s and early 2000s and was used as the kit lens for both EOS SLR and DSLRs. I wore mine out—zoom was loose as a goose—using it from the film era well into the 5D era. It's been out of production for a long time and I suspect most used examples are beat or broken. Mine was sharp and my only real complaint was flare—not a lens for tropical sunsets.

Feb 24, 2024 at 05:29 PM

MintMar
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

I got one too, looked pretty mint second hand, but it seemed quite soft on my 6D.

It's actually one lens along with old Sigma 15-30EX that I want to get rid of. Okay, I'll try it out on R6/2, there it should be focused as best as possible. I'm not giving it much hope though, when I saw it as soft on the 6D, I could not find a sharper are in the picture in case of AF being off.

Feb 24, 2024 at 08:17 PM

garyvot
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

Back in early 2000s I bought but decided to return used copies of the EF 50mm f/1.0L, EF 20-35mm f/2.8L, and the glorious "magic drainpipe", the 80-200mm f/2.8L.

All of these lenses were introduced in the same year (1989). Oddly the two zooms did not have USM focusing, even though Canon had started rolling it out that year with the 50 1.0L and the 28-80 2.8-4L. They were nevertheless quick to focus, but IIRC lacked full-time manual focusing, something we have taken for granted with Canon USM lenses for decades.

None save the magic drainpipe could be considered competitive today optically, I imagine, but I would love to still have those as artifacts of their time. They were built like tanks too.

I believe I got the 50 1.0 for $600, haha.

------

Note: I posted this yesterday in the wrong thread, intending this one. I figured I'd copy it to the right place. Apologies if you already came across this.

Feb 24, 2024 at 10:54 PM

garyvot
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

Gochugogi wrote:
I think Canon sold millions of the EF 28-135 3.5-5.6 IS USM—so not a sleeper but a hit! It was immensely popular during the late 90s and early 2000s and was used as the kit lens for both EOS SLR and DSLRs. I wore mine out—zoom was loose as a goose—using it from the film era well into the 5D era. It's been out of production for a long time and I suspect most used examples are beat or broken. Mine was sharp and my only real complaint was flare—not a lens for tropical sunsets.

Yes, you are right. Canon had a success with this lens.

I knew a couple of Canon Explorers of Light who swore by that lens back in the day. I think for its time, it was what the 24-105 f/4L is nowadays.

I have been around long enough to have seen lots of sample variability in lenses of this vintage, and sometimes even in newer ones. But I think if you get a copy that is performing as Canon's designers intended, it should still be quite nice.

Feb 24, 2024 at 11:03 PM

IlyaSnopchenko
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

The 28-135 sure was popular back in the day. Interestingly Sigma made something even more versatile - a 24-135/2.8-4.5 lens... But it had no HSM focusing and no IS, of course, because it was from the time way before Sigma had gone upmarket...

It's interesting that we're perennially finding allure in using something old and/or imperfect, despite the clear (and more explainable) desire for newest and greatest. My own secret favour (or maybe not so secret for those who have known me) is with the 24-85 lens, introduced in 1996 (the same year the 135/2 L and 17-35 L were actually premiered, by the way). Just yesterday I was using my copy on a visit to the Hermitage (decent pictures there, although the museum is pretty dark and lens seems to struggle on FF way more than it did on APS-H...) It's also going on a ride with me today to shoot a skiing event so you see, I'm not cutting it any slack...

Feb 24, 2024 at 11:44 PM

Pixelpuffin
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

IlyaSnopchenko wrote:
The 28-135 sure was popular back in the day. Interestingly Sigma made something even more versatile - a 24-135/2.8-4.5 lens... But it had no HSM focusing and no IS, of course, because it was from the time way before Sigma had gone upmarket...

It's interesting that we're perennially finding allure in using something old and/or imperfect, despite the clear (and more explainable) desire for newest and greatest. My own secret favour (or maybe not so secret for those who have known me) is with the 24-85 lens, introduced in 1996 (the same year the 135/2 L and 17-35 L were actually...Show more →

Oh I knew about the the 24-85, I have one along with the 28-105 (both 3.5-4.5) also have the 28-80 mk1 I love the build quality of those lenses. Back in analogue era I had only my eos600 with 28-105 & 70-210 3.5-4.5 usm’s
I thought I was king of the hill, I used that 2 lens set up for anything and everything. Happy times indeed
Another old but gold is the EF 28-70 3.5-4.5 arc drive ( have a mint boxed copy) it apparently has a aspherical element in the optical train and is much valued by some today for being sharper than it needed to be.
Yep, happy times indeed.

Feb 25, 2024 at 03:19 AM

IlyaSnopchenko
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

Oh yes, the first iteration 28-80 USM was the one that had the better build quality before the model was moved way downmarket (though not all the way down, I guess, because there were worse things in the lineup). The 24-85 was reported to be a good deal better than the 28-105 for IQ; and mine is a good one. I'm about to sort a bunch of photos from today's skiing event (1900ish files, around 24GB total... it'll be fun), much of which was done with the 24-85 on either 1D Mark IV or Z9. Let's see how well it has fared (the light was pretty good...)

Feb 25, 2024 at 10:36 AM

garyvot
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

I also had a copy of the 24-85 for a time back in the 5D / 5D II era.

It was kind of a perfect focal length range, really. 85mm is long enough to feel like a true portrait lens (vs. 70mm), and 24mm verges on ultrawide territory. Very versatile. Too bad there's not a modern version. I might choose a 24-85 f/4L over a 24-105L, assuming it was smaller and lighter enough to make a difference.

Feb 25, 2024 at 10:58 AM

AmbientMike
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Nostalgic EF Lens - 35-105

If they'd updated 28-70 II, put it in a plastic mount to make it lighter, and not required computational imaging, I might be looking at Rf. But they haven't really emphasized the f/4-ish 28-85 lenses like used to be readily available, part of the reason I use 18-55, which is 29-88 ff equivalent, which is where that's all gone, I guess.

If they'd put 28-80 Tamron SP adaptall-2 in an af mount I might be pretty interested. It'd make going ff easier than having to buy a 24-105 that is either 1) a train wreck at 24mm or 2) $1200 new. I guess 24-70/4 is in between those 24-105 /3.5-5.6 EF too

I remember using a 28-70 alt on 5D thinking it coveted a lot of ground, really

Feb 25, 2024 at 11:10 AM

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