I have an EF 35-105 which I purchased used. I have checked many online resources and haven't been able to find out much about this lens. I am wondering how this lens compares to other Canons of similar range.

-- Russell Boate (rboate@eagle.ca), January 06, 2002

Answers

Canon produced 3 different 35-105 lenses on the EF mount.

The first was in 1987, the 35-105 F3.5-4.5. At a guess, I'll say that this lens has metal construction. It uses an Arc Form Drive, which is slow and noisy to focus.

The second, in 1991, closely related to the third, was a 35-105 F4.5- 5.6. This lens was of plastic construction, and was one of the kit lenses for the Rebel (S)/Rebel II(S).

The third (1992) was a micro-USM version of the above, being one of the first two micro-USM lenses to be released (along with the 35-80, which I owned).

I know nothing about the first lens optically, and little of the others. The plastic lenses are likely to be typical of kit lenses, in that they are slow and probably not very good (the 35-80 wasn't).

For as much information as is readily available: http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/lens/ef/f_ef.html

-- Isaac Sibson (isibson@hotmail.com), January 06, 2002.

I owned the original EF 35-105 3.5-4.5 lens and it is a very nice optic (I don't know about the later kit versions), especially for its day: push-pull zoom, metal mount, 58 mm filter and fast and relatively quiet AF (but not silent like USM). I made many 11 x 14 inch enlargements with this lens and they are very sharp and contrasty. I replaced it with the EF 28-105 3.5-4.5 USM and they're optically about the same. Of course, the newer lens has other benefits: USM, IF, FT-M and 28 mm at the short end. I've seen lots of EF 35-105 3.5-4.5 available for bargain prices in used shops. Here's an image I took with this lens:

http:// alaike.lcc.hawaii.edu/frary/pic89.htm

-- Puppy Face (doggieface@aol.com), January 06, 2002.