| 135mm |
$210 average price |
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Buy the Canon EF 135mm f/2.8 Soft Focus
(From Canon lens literature) A unique portrait lens with built in Softfocus control.
The EF 135mm f/2.8 is a unique lens. its Softfocus control allows sharpness to be adjusted, making it ideal for portraiture, where a soft glow can improve skin tones for a flattering result.
Benefits
- Softfocus control
- Telephoto lens
- f/2.8 aperture
- AFD autofocus system
- 1.3m closest focusing distance
- 52mm filter size
- Super Spectra coatings reduce ghosting and flare
Detailed Features
Focus control
The EF 135mm f/2.8 features Canon's Softfocus function. With this, the photographer can choose between two soft focus settings as well as using the lens normally for razor-sharp results.
Fully Electronic Lens Mount
An integrated AF motor provides fast autofocusing performance. The lens' electromagnetic diaphragm ensures incredibly accurate control over aperture positioning.
Super Spectra coating
Super Spectra coatings ensure accurate colour balance and enhance contrast. They also reduce flare and ghosting a common problem caused by light bouncing off a camera's sensor.
Smooth background blur
A virtually circular aperture diaphragm gives out of focus regions a softer, more uniform feel. Sharp foreground objects stand out against a smooth blurred background.
Canon EF 135mm f/2.8 Soft Focus
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Canon EF 135mm f/2.8 Soft Focus User Reviews
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Quite sharp at all apertures Very sharp stopped down Nice effects from the soft focus Good contrast and colournone significant apart from slow focussing
Got this on Ebay for 89 and did not expect much from it but I was pleasantly surprised. The lens is sharp and I use manual focussing so the slow focussing doesn't bother me. Used on a crop sensor Canon, the results as a normal 135mm lens is excellent and I am well pleased with the purchase, a veritable bargain
reviewed January 29th, 2018 (purchased for $125) -
Small, cheap, optically excellent, fast-focusing, funky soft-focus effectDated build and feature set, hexagonal iris.
The lens's main strengths are in the optics and the compact size and discreet appearance. Wide-open sharpness is very good in the center and good in the corners. Center sharpness improves to excellent at f/4 and peaks at f/5.6. Corner sharpness improves to excellent at f/5.6 and peaks at f/8. Flare resistance is excellent at all apertures. Bokeh is neutral, but improves to pleasing with even small amounts of soft-focus dialed in -- try 1 notch at f/4 or two notches at f/5.6. The soft-focus effect cannot be effectively duplicated in software; uncorrected spherical aberration behaves very differently from a gauze filter.
reviewed January 11th, 2007 (purchased for $295)
Focus speed and precision are very good, and for an AFD lens it's not particularly noisy.
The lens's biggest problem is the company it's in -- the 85/1.8 and 100/2.0 have comparable optical quality and roughly similar price, but are brighter and have more modern builds with ring USM; the 135/2.0L is a stop brighter and a hair sharper wide-open (although twice as big and three times as expensive).
OTOH, if you want the unique mix of features this lens brings to the table, you're unlikely to be disappointed. It has no hidden flaws and one hidden strength -- namely, the options that subtle use of the soft-focus effect will give you. -
Sharp, light, nice soft focus effect, relatively sharp.A little too long on a APS-C DSLR
For its price, this is a very good lens.
reviewed January 4th, 2007
Sharpness is good even at 2.8, and the soft focus gives a dreamy effect to your pictures (but I guess you can have it with software too).
On a APS-C DSLR, its 200mm equivalent focal lenght is a little too long for portraits, but then is perfect for sports. -
nice portrait FL, relatively cheap, sharpa bit too long on APS-C DSLR
This is one FUNKY lens with the soft focus activated. It creates a very 70's or 80's looking glam shot (think Alexis Carrington from Dynasty!).
reviewed December 13th, 2006
When not using the soft focus feature, this lens is sharp - as you would expect from any prime portrait lens. It may be a bit too long for portraits on a APS-C DSLR, though. -
Sharp, bright, good soft focus effect if required.None I can think of.
This lens is a hidden gem. You will only find it on the shelves of specialist dealers. It's less than a third of the price of Canon's 135 f2L and comparable optically.
reviewed November 6th, 2005
Without the soft focus engaged the lens is sharp over the frame. On an APS-C camera it has a field of view equivalent to 200 mm so you can use it for sports and it will take Canon (or Sigma) teleconverters to extend the reach. On full-frame it is an ideal portrait lens and useful for street candid shots. It's fairly light (390g) and unobtrusive.
The soft focus effect only works at apertures from f2.8 to f4. The soft focus ring has two click settings but you can set it between the stops. A setting of 1 at f4 produces a dreamy but focused effect that's hard to achieve with software.
I also use it as a macro lens with an extension tube.
