Conclusion

The Canon EF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM is a capable but pricey wide-angle prime that will appeal most to landscape and reportage photographers looking for a small, lightweight and responsive lens.

Despite its lack of an L-series billing, the Canon EF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM build quality is reassuring and it makes a good partner to a full-frame Canon DSLR like the 5D Mark III. Auto-focusing is quiet and quick, with the ability to override it and focus manually if required proving a nice touch. The capable image stabilisation system used in conjunction with a high-ISO monster like the 5D Mark III is a low-light shooter's dream ticket, making it easy to hand-hold the camera and get the shot.

Image quality is generally excellent. Chromatic aberrations are very well controlled, geometric distortion is impressively low for a wide-angle lens (unless you are focusing very close), and the Super Spectra coatings successfully prevent contrast loss attributable to flare, The only real optical issues are obvious corner shading at the maximum aperture, a lack of edge sharpness from f/2.8-5.6, and poor results in both the center and edges of the frame at the minimum aperture of f/22.

If you can afford the rather hefty price-tag and don't mind the non-L billing or sharpness fall-off at the edges of the frame, we can recommend the Canon EF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM as a great wide-angle prime lens for Canon full-frame DSLR owners.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4
Features	4
Ease-of-use	4
Image quality	4
Value for money	3.5