Canon EF 30-80mm

[Robbo7D]

I saw this lens attached to an older digital camera & wondered if anyone owned this lens or has had experience with it. Didn't enquire as to the cost, but may based on the feedback I get.

[Tannin]

I've never heard of it, Robbo, but from the focal length range it sounds like an old film lens. (30-80 is a useful range for general purpose use on film, equivalent to a 19-50mm lens on a standard APS-C body.)

[JM Tran]

its actually the Canon 35-80 lens, comes as a kit for the lower end Canon SLRs back then

they serve a very average life on APSC cameras with ok sharpness and ok bokeh and AF speed, everything is just ok......the 18-55 IS kit lens does the job much better in all aspects

when you wack the 35-80 onto a full frame camera, the bad stuff comes out - such as lower contrast and sharpness, poor edge to edge sharpness, sometimes image being smeared when stopped down to f11 and beyond shooting intricate subjects eg. foilage - because the cheap quality glass cannot render enough details in it.

you wont see anyone or very rarely - an individual or two who will use this lens, but not usually by choice but by circumstance

[Robbo7D]

Thx Tony, I hadn't heard of it either but I could google it. Maybe it was a 35-80mm?? Agree it is a useful range, hence my interest.

[dannat]

I have a 35-70 which was from a similar time late 80 early 90s made for film eos, but fits the d-slr. Focus is slower than today's lens, sturdy construct with metal mount, can be some good ex, some not so good. Some today might say they are a bit soft. Corners can be good as they were made for full frame

[William W]

If the lens is a Canon EF 35 to 80 zoom – then there are actually FIVE of those lenses in the Canon EF Mount, which will work on the EOS digital Cameras:

 EF35-80F/4-5.6 (1990)
 EF35-80F/4-5.6 USM (1992)
 EF35-80F/4-5.6 MkII (1993)
 EF35-80F/4-5.6 MkIII (1995)
And . . .
 EF35-80F/4-5.6 PZ (1990)

All, by today’s standards are a toward “not as good as the EF-S kit lens” – but all are useable at reasonable apertures stopped down a bit, especially with the smaller APS-C sensor DSLR where the edges of the Image Circle are lost: and if AF acquisition is not of nanosecond importance.

Often these older lenses harvest more grief than they deserve from commentators who have not used them or any of their close cousins. (A general comment and not directed to this thread).

I would expect the non USM models to be a little noisy, as I think they all have micro motors, probably the pick of the optics would be the MkIII.

In certain Photographic Circles, there is an interest in the EF35-80F/4-5.6 PZ (1990), The “PZ” is an abbreviation for “Power Zoom” – there are zoom buttons on the side of the lens barrel. Great fun to play with.

The interest today, in acquiring this “PZ” lens, if for (attempted) use on the modern DSLR’s with a video function: but as I understand there is a problem with the Power Zoom functionality, with some (all?) DSLR models, when "Video Mode" OR "Live View" is activated.
I am not fully informed on that issue to comment in depth. BUT – I would be very interested if anyone has any information on this particular point.

As far as I know the Power Zoom idea, died a natural death with this lens.

WW