Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 III USM Lens

The Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 III USM Lens is a compact, lightweight standard zoom lens introduced in 1995 as a replacement for the earlier EF28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 II USM, retaining the same optical formula while adding a refined, “silky” surface finish, an improved zoom ring, and a knurled manual-focus ring. It’s designed for Canon EF-mount film and digital SLR cameras, covering a useful wide-angle to medium-telephoto range well suited to everyday photography.

Optically, the lens is built from 9 elements in 9 groups, covering a 28-80mm focal range with a variable maximum aperture of f/3.5 at the wide end narrowing to f/5.6 at full telephoto, down to a minimum aperture of f/38, delivering a diagonal angle of view of 75.4 to 30.3 degrees. A 5-blade diaphragm, featuring a flare-blocking design, contributes to the lens’s background rendering.

Autofocus is handled by a micro-type Ultrasonic Motor (micro-USM), delivering quieter, more refined focusing than non-USM versions of this lens, though without full-time manual focus override. The lens uses an extending, ring-type zoom design, with the front barrel extending outward as it’s zoomed toward 80mm.

Build quality centers on a compact, lightweight plastic-and-metal construction, keeping the lens notably small and portable at just 205g and measuring approximately 65 x 63.5mm. It has a minimum focusing distance of 0.38m, yielding a maximum magnification of 0.26x, and accepts a 58mm filter thread. The lens does not include image stabilization, a tripod ring, or compatibility with teleconverters, and is not weather-sealed.

As a full-frame-compatible lens, the EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 III USM produces its standard field of view on full-frame Canon bodies and an effective, narrower equivalent field of view on APS-C bodies.

Key Features
– 28-80mm standard zoom for Canon EF mount
– Maximum aperture f/3.5-5.6 (variable)
– 9 elements in 9 groups optical construction
– 5-blade diaphragm (flare-blocking design)
– Micro-type Ultrasonic Motor (micro-USM) autofocus
– No full-time manual focus override
– Extending, ring-type zoom design
– Minimum focusing distance of 0.38m; 0.26x maximum magnification
– 58mm filter thread
– No image stabilization; not weather-sealed
– No tripod ring; not compatible with teleconverters
– Compact, lightweight construction (approximately 205g)
– Compatible with full-frame and APS-C Canon EF-mount cameras