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Darren Miles Photography of Naples, FL

The Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5 - 5.6 USM ($799 MSRP - $729 street) was introduced in September 2009 to coincide with the debut of the 7D. The EF-S designation usually goes along with Canon's consumer grade lenses designed for the crop sensor family of cameras like the Rebel series and the XXD series and with few exceptions (notably the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8) the build and optical quality EF-S lenses are usually inferior to what pros need and expect from their gear. The 7D and the two lenses that were introduced with it (the 15-85 being reviewed here and the 18-135mm) went a long way toward dispelling the notion that cropped sensor cameras and their accompanying lenses weren't for serious photographers.

On to the EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5 to 5.6 lens;

BUILD QUALITY: This EF-S lens is made out of much more quality materials than the usual EF-S fare. Though it is made out of plastic, it is high grade plastic and the lens only suffers from minor lens creep. It isn't light, but it isn't heavy either, the lens balances perfectly with the 7D that it seems to have been designed specifically for. The zoom and AF rings are smooth and well dampened. The focus ring is a bit on the narrow side and as such can be difficult to grasp if you've chosen to focus manually. Specifically, something to keep in mind if you're using the 7D's video capabilities, as the auto focus is darn near useless and manual focussing becomes a bit of a necessity. Overall very good, just shy of great.

FOCUS SPEED AND ACCURACY: The 15-85 carries an USM ring motor and as such offers blazingly quick and very accurate auto focus. It is dead on almost every time. Its a great lens when you want to capture the kids on the playing field, or if they're running around the house or at the park or beach. Great for well lit sports shooters as well. A truly solid effort on behalf of Canon.

OPTICAL QUALITY: This is really where this lens shines. In fact, the images are so sharp, many of my photographer friends and colleagues believe the results must have come from an L lens as the photos are that clean and that sharp from edge to edge of the frame. Much like its older brethren - the 17-55mm f/2.8 - these two lenses really are the stars of the EF-S lineup. The only true knock on the lens is that it is a non-constant aperture lens, which makes it less than ideal if you need to shoot in low light with moving subjects. The IS function of the lens helps tremendously in low light situations if your subject is stationary.

CONCLUSION: Canon is beginning to demonstrate a solid commitment toward their consumer grade of lenses, first with the EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS, which optically speaking is an L grade lens trapped in a consumer body. And now with the 15-85mm f/3.5 - 5.6. Some of the best optics I've worked with are in both of these lenses. The optical quality of the EF-S 15-85 is clearly on par with the 17-55, but with a variable aperture. All in all, the EF-S 15-85mm is a good value, though a tad high priced for a variable aperture lens without a lens hood included in the box.

In a nutshell;

BUILD QUALITY: 8/10
FOCUS SPEED AND ACCURACY: 10/10
OPTICAL QUALITY: 9/10
QUALITY OF RESULTS: 9/10
VALUE: 6/10

OVERALL: 42/50 - Highly Recommend

FINAL WORD: A versatile, high quality piece of glass complete with fast, accurate focus, and decent build. If you're a pro who needs a constant aperture lens for a low light situation, you may want to look elsewhere. The lens is nearly ideal for just about anything else, but really shines outdoors in good light.

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