Canon EF 135 2.8 Soft Focus

.Soft is Sometimes Better

Peter Kun Frary

The EF 135 2.8 SF was among Canon's original EF lens offerings during the 1987 EOS System debut. I bought one in 1990 along with an EOS 10S and used the lens well into the second decade of the new millennium.

Blueberry | Canon EOS A2, EF 135 2.8 SF, Speedlite 430EZ and Fujichrome 100. Soft focus Level 2 at F2.8.

This review consists of my opinions and observations as a hobbyist. No scientific measurements, MFT charts or pixel peeking comparisons will be found here.

Compatibility

This lens works on all Canon EOS DSLR cameras such as the 6D, 5D MK IV, Rebel SL3 and 90D. It will also work on EOS R and M series mirrorless cameras with a mount adapter. It does not fit non-Canon cameras such as Pentax, Nikon, Fuji, etc.

EF 135 2.8 SF | Petite (98.4 mm) and light (390 g) telephoto lens.

How Does Soft Focus Work?

The designation Soft Focus refers to the two levels of dial-in spherical aberration that softens and imparts a beautiful glow to the image. Soft focus is engaged via a twist ring on the barrel—similar to a zoom ring—with three settings: 0 (no effect), 1 (soft focus) and 2 (stronger soft focus).

Unlike a soft filter, you can quickly vary the effect by changing the aperture or soft focus setting. AF works perfectly with soft focus engaged, but if you change soft focusing settings after AF, you need to refocus. The soft focus effect is only visible from F2.8 to 4, so use Av or M mode and shoot slow ISO during the day. Highlights, especially on back-lit subjects, enhance and intensify the glowing effect.

Image Quality

When soft focus is turned off, this is an extremely sharp, contrasty and flare resistant (7 elements) telephoto lens. Unlike most of Canon's consumer primes, this lens is surprisingly sharp wide open at F 2.8. Of course, it needs to be sharp as most portraits are shot at F2.8 to 4 to render distracting backgrounds out of focus.

Italian Mandolin | Canon EOS 10S, EF 135 2.8 SF, Speedlite 430EZ and Fujichrome 100. F2.8 and soft focus at zero (off).

Construction

Build quality is 1980s consumerville plastics and a notch down from the EF 85 1.8 USM. Manual focus is loose and gritty, but slightly better than the EF 50 1.8 (MK I). The soft focus dial feels solid and has a lock to prevent inadvertent changes.

The front element does not rotate, nor does the barrel change in length when focusing. Although it uses AFD, it focuses surprisingly fast due to its IF design, almost as fast as ring-type USM. Moreover, the sound of the AFD motor is audible but soft and muted compared to most AFD designs. It has a distance window but lacks FT-M.

Use a penlight while peering down the front of the barrel and you can see one of the odd features of this design: tiny bubbles inside one of the inner elements. I assume the bubbles are used to increase diffusion. At first I thought my copy of defective but soon found the bubble element was a feature and not a defect! Apparently the technique was used in other soft focus designs as well.

I wish the minimum focusing distance was closer than 1.3 m (4.3'), but at least that's near enough for a head and shoulders shot. This lens has 52 mm filter threads and uses the massive ET-65 III (or ET-65 II) lens hood, a clip-on design.

Most women love the glamorous, blemish free glow it imparts. Heck, it looks good on men too. I need it! Plus, the 135 mm perspective makes models look thinner than 85 or 100 mm lenses. Although build quality is light and plasticky, I've had no problems with this lens after over 25 years of use.

Diamond Head Poser | Canon EOS 10S, EF 135 2.8 SF, Speedlite 430EZ and Fujichrome 100. F2.8 with soft focus at zero (off).

Last Blurb

This lens was designed for portraits but I found it useful for indoor sports, club concerts, landscapes and street shooting. It's a little long for studio and household use. Nevertheless, it is one of Canon's hidden gems and is wonderful for a portrait shooter on a tight budget. It's long discontinued but often pops up on the used market for under $300. You won't see better quality this side of an L lens.

At Diamond Head | Canon EOS 10S, EF 135 2.8 SF, Popup flash and Fujichrome 100. F2.8 and soft focus set at level 1.

Diamond Head Road | Canon EOS 10S, EF 135 2.8 SF, Popup flash and Fujichrome 100. F2.8 and soft focus at zero (no soft focus).

More images taken with the EF 135 2.8 SF:

6/21/2001 | Revised 10/19/2023

•••••••