Canon 135L f/2

[Loswr]

Noticed this post and wanted to inquire since most of you shoot with the 135 L apparently. Do any of you ALSO shoot or have you with the 100mm L 2.8? I am literally trying to make a decision between these two lenses this week... I will use them on BOTH a 7D and 5DII, mainly for portrait/fashion/editorial, location 75%/studio 25% when I need more compression than my 85mm affords.

I have both, and for your needs I'd stick with the 135L. IQ on both is excellent, not really a differentiating factor, IMO. If you really think the IS on the 100L would be beneficial for you, that's a point in favor of the 100mm. But in bright/artifical light, your shutter speeds will be fast enough that IS would be of less benefit. I find that the 100mm L Macro focuses more slowly than the 135L (not as slow as the 180 L Macro, but noticeably slower than the 135), and has an occasional tendency to miss and have to rack back and forth to find focus (the latter is helped if you remember to set the focus limiter). In a portrait session AF speed might not matter so much, but for fashion/editorial work I suspect you'd benefit from the faster focusing of the 135L.

 

[JR]

Finally got the 135L two days ago and having a lot of fun discovering this lens...

 

[JR]

...and one more...I found the lens very useful for simply walking around grabing a coffee today and not having too much weight to carry on...Now I understand why so many of you view this lens as a good complement to a 70-200 2.8L IS II lens...

 

[funkboy]

Glad you were able to pull the trigger on it. The 135L is really my favorite Canon lens. The bokeh is beautiful. Nice & long on APS-c but very useful where a 200 would be "too long". In general, I really feel that just as a lot of folks are using 28s or 35s on APS-c as a "normal" lens, the 135L serves as a perfect "200" for this format. There's a reason that it's such a common focal length; it's really all the telephoto you need most of the time & anything longer is just too close unless you're out in the open (e.g. not indoors or in a city environment). It's short, it's black, & it's really fast, kinda the Muggsy Bogues of the Canon world.

BTW if you need to go a little longer you can just keep a 1.4x TC in your pocket.

 

[phoenix]

Does this work perfectly on a crop with f/2.0? I heard this only work with f/2.8 better from the canon review website

 

[Loswr]

Does this work perfectly on a crop with f/2.0? I heard this only work with f/2.8 better from the canon review website

Can you rephrase the question, or give a link or quote from the review? The 135mm f/2L works just fine on a crop body at f/2.

 

[Ew]

I finally picked up my 135L and joined the club today. Feel as though I've been putting it off forever.

Did the normal run throughs in-store - but once back home, I noticed that the autofocus "sound" while the lens shuttles min-inf and back is quite loud - considerably more so than I've experienced with any of my other lenses.

Not the grinding kind, more like pieces of plastic slipping against each other.

I know there are some big chunks of glass to move - but is this normal?

Thank you in advance.

 

[bdunbar79]

I've been shooting basketball this winter with the 135 f/2L at f/2, f/2.2, and f/2.5, depending on lighting. I absolute love this lens. I use it with the 70-200 f/2.8L II IS. If lighting gets bad, I can depend on the 135L for an extra stop of light, and it's still razor sharp at f/2.

 

[Ew]

Any noise on during focusing on your 135 compared to the 70-200?

My 135 is considerably louder than the 70-200 4L IS. Are your findings similar?

I've been shooting basketball this winter with the 135 f/2L at f/2, f/2.2, and f/2.5, depending on lighting. I absolute love this lens. I use it with the 70-200 f/2.8L II IS. If lighting gets bad, I can depend on the 135L for an extra stop of light, and it's still razor sharp at f/2.

 

[Standard]

Any noise on during focusing on your 135 compared to the 70-200?
My 135 is considerably louder than the 70-200 4L IS. Are your findings similar?

I have both and have never noticed any noise from the 135L. The 70-200 4L IS in IS mode gives off a slight noise.

 

[Quasimodo]

Finally got the 135L two days ago and having a lot of fun discovering this lens...

Beautiful shots

 

[bdunbar79]

Any noise on during focusing on your 135 compared to the 70-200?

My 135 is considerably louder than the 70-200 4L IS. Are your findings similar?

I've been shooting basketball this winter with the 135 f/2L at f/2, f/2.2, and f/2.5, depending on lighting. I absolute love this lens. I use it with the 70-200 f/2.8L II IS. If lighting gets bad, I can depend on the 135L for an extra stop of light, and it's still razor sharp at f/2.

You know, I never paid attention. I'll check it out. I do notice that electronic noise on my 200 f/2L and 300 f/2.8L though, just during focusing with IS off.

 

[Quasimodo]

Any noise on during focusing on your 135 compared to the 70-200?

My 135 is considerably louder than the 70-200 4L IS. Are your findings similar?

I've been shooting basketball this winter with the 135 f/2L at f/2, f/2.2, and f/2.5, depending on lighting. I absolute love this lens. I use it with the 70-200 f/2.8L II IS. If lighting gets bad, I can depend on the 135L for an extra stop of light, and it's still razor sharp at f/2.

You know, I never paid attention. I'll check it out. I do notice that electronic noise on my 200 f/2L and 300 f/2.8L though, just during focusing with IS off.

The 200/2 is the loudest lens I ever shoot. The IS wants you to knop that it is there

 

[Quasimodo]

Any noise on during focusing on your 135 compared to the 70-200?

My 135 is considerably louder than the 70-200 4L IS. Are your findings similar?

I've been shooting basketball this winter with the 135 f/2L at f/2, f/2.2, and f/2.5, depending on lighting. I absolute love this lens. I use it with the 70-200 f/2.8L II IS. If lighting gets bad, I can depend on the 135L for an extra stop of light, and it's still razor sharp at f/2.

You know, I never paid attention. I'll check it out. I do notice that electronic noise on my 200 f/2L and 300 f/2.8L though, just during focusing with IS off.

Btw, I have never noticed any sound from my 135 or 70-200 II

 

[bdunbar79]

I haven't noticed any noises from those two lenses either. I'm going to get them out tonight and see. You're right about the 200 lens! LOL.

 

[Axilrod]

JR I noticed you shoot both Nikon and Canon, I have to ask, do you use the D800 or 5D3 more?

 

[RLPhoto]

I would argue that the 135L is the best portrait lens under the 6K$ 200 f/2L. It's fantastic and is a truly legendary lens that continues to amaze me when I use it to its fullest capability.

Dare I say, it's equal or better than the 85L II for pure portraiture.

The only thing possible to improve on this lens is a reasonable f/1.8 aperture and IS. If this lens were made, I'd lose complete interest in a 70-200 for my bag.

 

[RS2021]

Buy the current one. I just don't expect a replacement very soon.

Happy Marti Gras!

 

[archiea]

I got mine in 2009 and it still dazzles me. Still. The uniform sharpness, the contrast and colors... the iamges stand out even in thunbnails. I don't get why or how. they just do.

There are obvious reasons to get primes. But in context of shooting, in live events, the 70-200 is so versatile. I remember swapping between my 50 and 135 at an event.... Nutz!!! then I borrowed a sigma 70-200. Very functional to being able to zoom. However in any non-live event, or one where you don't require to change your field of view often, the 135 will just shine!

 

[florianbieler.de]

Weather-proofed my 135 today. Well, at least temporarily.