This article compares Canon’s three 28mm prime lenses. To minimise duplication of information, detailed reviews of each lens are covered in separate posts:
- EF 28mm f2.8 released in 1987
- EF 28mm f1.8 USM released in 1995
- EF 28mm f2.8 IS USM released in 2012
This post will concentrate to how each lens compares to the others.
Introduction
I don’t exactly know when the 28mm lens usurped 35mm as the wide-angle lens of choice, but in 1987 when Canon launched their new EOS system they included a 28mm prime lens and not a 35 (nor any other rectilinear lens shorter than 50mm –except the EF 15mm f2.8 Fisheye). There was a 28-70 and a couple of 35-to-something zoom at launch so photographers weren’t completely stranded for the five years it took for Canon to release more wide primes: the EF 24mm f2.8 in 1988, the EF 35mm f2 lens in 1990, the EF 14mm f2.8 L USM in 1991 and the EF 20mm f2.8 USM in 1992.
Canon has released three 28mm prime lenses for the EOS system: the EF 28mm f2.8 AFD in 1987 (one of the launch lenses), the EF 28mm f1.8 USM in 1995, and the EF 28mm IS USM lens in 2012, which will probably be the last EF 28mm prime now that the mirrorless R system has its own mount.
The 28mm is an interesting focal length. It’s slightly-but-significantly wider than 35mm which is considered one of the most versatile lenses for landscape and documentary photography. I like the 28mm because it’s a little wider and forces me to get that little bit closer. However, it can also be used as a 35mm-with-extra-room for a full-bleed image on a layout, which always requires some cropping. (I have a theory that cities are becoming busier and more densely populated, making it necessary to be wider and get closer to your subject in street photography. I don’t think it would be possible to use a 50mm lens in a modern city the way HCB did.)
But this isn’t a 28-vs-35 debate, this is a comparison of the three Canon EF 28mm prime lenses, with a quick comparison to five Canon EF zoom lenses that cover 28mm. (Note that the zoom comparison is not even close to being exhaustive: Canon have made 32 zooms that cover 28mm including 13 L-series lenses.) Let’s start with the prime lenses and cover them in chronological order.
All the test images were made with a Canon EOS 5D digital camera. The raw images were processed in Canon DPP software, and lens corrections for all three primes were applied (chromatic aberration, peripheral illumination, distortion, colour blur). Standard sharpness was applied.
Remember that this is a comparison review, and each lens has its own detailed review: the EF 28mm f2.8, the EF 28mm f1.8 USM, and the EF 28mm IS USM.
Testing Method
Reporting is complicated a little because two of the 28mm lenses have f2.8 maximum aperture the other f1.8, however the optimum aperture for all three lenses is around f8 so that simplifies things a bit. I therefore present four comparisons that hopefully represent real world usage which is using the lens around f8 most of the time, using it at f16 when depth of field is needed, using it at f4 when light is low, and wide open.
- wide open f1.8 or f2.8
- aperture closed to f4
- optimum aperture f8
- stopped down to f16
Shown below are full frame and corner images. I haven’t shown centre images because for each lens the centres are very good from wide open, the big differences are in the corners.
Performance Wide Open
EF 28mm f2.8 AFD at f2.8 – full frame 
EF 28mm f1.8 USM at f1.8 – full frame 
EF 28mm f2.8 IS USM at f2.8 – full frame
EF 28mm f2.8 AFD at f2.8 – corner 
EF 28mm f1.8 USM at f1.8 – corner 
EF 28mm f2.8 IS USM at f2.8 – corner
Performance at f4
EF 28mm f2.8 AFD at f4 – full frame 
EF 28mm f1.8 USM at f4 – full frame 
EF 28mm f2.8 IS USM at f4 – full frame
EF 28mm f2.8 AFD lens at f4 
EF 28mm f1.8 USM at f4 – corner 
EF 28mm f2.8 IS USM at f4
Performance at f8
EF 28mm f2.8 AFD at f8 – full frame 
EF 28mm f1.8 USM at f8 – full frame 
EF 28mm f2.8 IS USM at f8 – full frame
EF 28mm f2.8 AFD at f8 
EF 28mm f1.8 USM at f8 
EF 28mm f2.8 IS USM at f8
Performance at f16
EF 28mm f2.8 AFD at f16 – full frame 
EF 28mm f1.8 USM at f16 – full frame 
EF 28mm f2.8 IS USM at f16 – full frame
EF 28mm f2.8 AFD at f16 
EF 28mm f1.8 USM at f16 
EF 28mm f2.8 IS USM at f16
Conclusion
All three are excellent 28mm prime lenses: light, compact and produce nice images on film and digital. Stopped down to f8 there is little to differentiate them, and what differences there are are mostly in the corners at large apertures.
- Wide open the EF 28mm f2.8 IS USM is the sharpest of the three lenses in the corners. The EF 28mm f1.8 USM has softest corners and reduced contrast overall wide open: the contrast is easy to fix in post.
- At f4 the extreme corners are still soft: the EF 28mm f2.8 IS USM is the sharpest, the EF 28mm f1.8 USM is next best and the EF 28mm f2.8 AFD third, but the difference is small and all lenses can be considered very good to excellent.
- By f8 all three lenses perform equally well across the frame and into the corners.
- Flare and internal reflections: the EF 28mm f2.8 AFD is the least affected by backlight and sun in the frame, due primarily to its modest 5/5 optical formula. The EF 28mm f1.8 USM’s fast aperture and 10/9 optics makes it the most affected, while the EF 28mm f2.8 IS USM ‘s 9/7 optics has it somewhere in the middle. For all lenses, use a hood and shade the front with your free hand when necessary.
- The EF 28mm f2.8 IS USM is the only lens of the three to have image stabilisation.
Not surprisingly, the newest EF 28mm f2.8 IS USM lens produces the sharpest and most even images. It is noticeably better wide open particularly in the corners, and slightly better at all other apertures though the difference is often minimal because the other lens are equally good at middle apertures. It has USM focusing with full time manual, and is the only lens with image stabilisation. However, it’s the most expensive of the three, and the only lens of the three that is available new.
Most surprising is that the oldest lens, the EF 28mm f2.8 AFD, is almost as good. It is only slightly softer wide open in the corners, and nearly matches the IS USM lens at all other apertures. For real-world photography the image quality is equally good. The only complaints that can be made about his lens is the AFD autofocus is noisy and it doesn’t have full-time manual focus. Since I hardly ever manually focus, a lack of FTM is not a deal breaker.
Which leaves the EF 28mm f1.8 USM… at f4 it is the same in the corners than the old f2.8 AFD, and just slightly less sharp than the new f2.8 IS USM. In the centre there is little difference between the three, and at all smaller apertures there is very little difference in image quality. It lacks IS but has USM and FTM. Uniquely in its favour the fast f1.8 aperture offers the brightest viewfinder image and for street photography image quality is perfectly fine even wide open because any corner softness usually coincides with out of focus background or foreground.
My recommendation: If you have the money get the newest EF 28mm f2.8 IS USM and enjoy the image stabilisation. If on budget the original EF 28mm f2.8 AFD is almost as good across the entire aperture range, and may be the best of the three for flare and internal reflections. If you really want a fast wide angle (and who doesn’t) get the EF 28mm f1.8 USM.
Gallery
Images made with the EF 28mm f2.8 AFD, EF 28mm f1.8 USM and EF 28mm f2.8 IS USM lenses. Some are digital images made with a Canon EOS 5D, others are analog made on Canon EOS 650, 620 or 630 cameras on Ilford FP4 Plus or Ilford HP5 Plus film
EF 28mm f1.8 USM lens, Ilford HP 5 Plus film 
Canon EOS 630, EF 28mm f2.8 lens, Ilford HP5 Plus film 
EF 28mm f1.8 USM lens, Ilford HP5 Plus film 
EF 28mm f1.8 USM lens, Ilford HP5 Plus film 
EF 28mm f1.8 USM lens, Ilford HP5 Plus film 
Wentworth Point, NSW 
EF 28mm f1.8 USM lens, Ilford HP5 Plus film 
Canon EF 28mm f2.8 IS USM, EOS 5D 
Canon EF 28mm f2.8 IS USM, EOS 5D