5D Mark III Special Kit from Adorama

[puqq]

Mine was certainly a excellent lens.  Perhaps yours has a problem.  You do own one, don't you?

No, I do not.

I have traded my primes  (OM 24mm, Sigma 50mm, Canon 200mm) with friends' 28-300mm for a week, but after reviewing the pictures of the 1st outing I was waiting for a trade back. Perhaps I am a bit on the picky side. The low level of DoF control (I'm into portraits) and uninspiring sharpness created a too gloomy image of the lens in my memory.

[puqq]

+3 or whatever we are up to the argument was rational until comparing the 28-300 to a compact that gave it away as regurgitated internat waffle

On several occasions my friends were shooting the aforementioned 28-300mm on 5D and two compacts (I believe Canon SX230 or something similar, and something else). While the per-pixel sharpness was better of 28-300 (duh!), the real-life pictures (resized to some <50% for galleries, some PP applied) were hardly different.

[neuroanatomist]

Perhaps I am a bit on the picky side. The low level of DoF control (I'm into portraits) and uninspiring sharpness...

Well, no, it's not my 85mm f/1.2L II, but nor do I expect it to deliver f/1.2 DoF.  If you shoot primarily portraits, it's not the lens for you - it's a lens for convenience, when you want to bring a minimum number of lenses but don't want to sacrifice quality.  I often pair the 28-300L with the 35L and 135L for a versatile kit, the 35L for indoor ambient and nighttime walkaround, the 135L for portraits, the 28-300L for everything else.  Regarding sharpness, did you do an AF Microadjustment on the lens you borrowed, and were you shooting with a high enough shutter speed for the slow aperture?  In my experience, most complaints of 'the lens is soft' come down to wetware - the person holding the camera - and not the lens. 

The fact that a lens doesn't suit your style of shooting isn't a reason to bash the lens...

As for poor DoF control and mushy softness, well...

[neuroanatomist]

...Sigma 50mm...    28-300mm...uninspiring sharpness

FWIW, try comparing the sharpness of the 28-300mm at 50mm f/5.6 (less than a stop from wide open) vs. the Sigma 50/1.4 at f/5.6 (4 stops down and about at it's sharpness).  How different are they?

[adhocphotographer]

this seems simple to me...  if you don't like the combination, don't buy it... 

[thepancakeman]

Looks like they've bumped the price up to 7199.95.   

[mitchell3417]

I did try the 28-300. Can't say it was my cup of tea. I was just joking with my original post. It's a fine lens. I would sell it though and get some fast primes instead. But for many people it's great. I just didn't like it for my tastes.