| Brand: | Canon | ||
| Average Rating |
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EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM telephoto zoom lens * Image Stabilization allows in-focus shots with longer exposure times (up to three stops slower shutter speed) * Micro Ultrasonic Motor for fast autofocus * compatible with all Canon EOS SLR cameras * minimum focus distance: 4.9 feet * lens is 5-13/16 long, 3 in diameter * more info
Popularity: 1% [?]
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Best Canon all-purpose zoom
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens a few years ago before I got serious about photography. Since then everything else in my kit has slowly been upgraded, but I just never seem to find a good enough reason to replace the 70-300mm.
The major downsides of this lens are its slightly kludgy focus with a rotating front ring, and its slightly slow aperture compared to whats available.
But then the upsides:
1) 3-stop image stabilizer. I can’t give this enough praise. I’ve taken crisp photos at 300mm with 1/15s shutter speed, sharp enough to make it onto Flickr’s blog.
2) Lightweight – as a travel zoom you can’t beat the versatility versus weight.
3) Sharpness, colours and contrast are top notch. People who’ve seen photos from this lens have assumed I had a big white expensive lens, and are shocked when they find out.
Sure it feels very flimsy and isn’t weather sealed, but the reality is, mine has been to dusty game drives in Africa and air shows on a windy beach, and is still like new. For similar money one can get a 70-200mm F4L, but for me the lack of IS on a 200mm lens is a deal breaker.
I’ve often considered upgrading to the 70-200mm f2.8L IS or 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L, or primes such as the 300mm f4, but every time have to ask myself: as a serious hobbyist (rather than a professional), can I really justify the huge expense when this is almost always good enough?
excellent lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is an excellent lens. It was lighter than I was expecting and so far seems to be very sharp and much better than its predecessor. It is smaller and lighter than the 70-200 or 100-400 mm and therefore very likely to accompany me on distant journeys.
Wow, I love this lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’m just getting into back photography after 25 years. I received this as a gift and was overwhelmed at first. But in no time I was having a ball with this and how easy it was to use. Love the lens!
Amazing Lens!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was a little hesitant about spending this much on a lens, due to the fact it costs as much as my rebel xs, but I am sure glad I went for it! I’ve taken some amazing shots of the moon, dragonfly’s, and birds, that I never though possible! Its a really great lens for wildlife, and general outdoor shooting because of its range, but as I got used too it I really began to want more than 300mm…L series here I come!!
As far as sharpness at 300mm, images still look extremely sharp. The autofocus works well, but I couldn’t get a beep from my camera at 300mm? My only real complaint is the noise. The focusing makes a weird plastic rubbing against plastic noise, and it gets a little old. The Image stabilization, which by the way works amazingly, is also a little loud (high pitched whine). These are just minor complaints though, the lens really impressed me! One review on a photography website, called this lens a L series in disguise.
If you would like to see some samples check out my photostream on flickr[...]
Pretty good lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I have owned this lens for over a year now. I owned the 75-300 IS USM before this and was satisfied with it. I have taken some great pictures with this lens. Having never owned an ‘L’ lens, I do not have too many issues with the construction. However, picture quality is not exceptional, it is good. With decent light, especially 5.6 and up, it really shines. The IS is a must have for the focal length this lens covers.
Excellent for the price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Use it on 40D and 5D, based on real world use, not target pattern shooting.
Pro:
- IS
- light weight
- AF accuracy (when subject is reasonably close with reasonable contrast)
- black (as oppose to the big white L. I’ve been looking for an IS tele but too stingy and shy to use a big L, so I got this one – a refurbished one for $410.)
– reasonable price
Neutral:
- build quality – good, but nothing to brag about. Zoom ring excellent, but MF ring is loose and tube wobbles during MF but not when zoomed.
- The canon shade is expensive, but got one from eBay for $7, not bad
- AF not fantastically fast, but comparable to my Canon 50/1.4, works ok under normal light.
Con:
- not yet
Bottom line: great for low key day-to-day use – it’s cheap/black/light weight. I tend not to agree with ‘you get what you paid for’ – good shots can come from anywhere. Great if you can afford big white stuff, for the rest of us, this zoom is fantastic.
P.S.
Did some quick comparison test in the backyard: Tamron18-250, Canon 200L, Canon 70-200F/4, Canon 70-300, Sigma 170-500. As expected, no miracle here: the L prime is the indisputable best, closed followed by 70-200F4, , then 70-300, then 18-250, with the big old Sigma in the dead last place. I tried on both 5D and 40D, RAW and fine JPEG. As expected, 70-300 is very consistent, AF is accurate, color/contrast are nice. Just not that sharp especially when the subject is far away (20 yard+). It’s IS works beautifully.
Great lens for a photographer on a budget!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is one of my first lenses, so understand that my experience is that of an amateur somewhat new into DSLR.
Regardless of that factor though, it is clear to see that this lens is a very good value for the cost. Comparable lenses in quality cost significantly more money. Comparable lenses in cost suffer from poorer quality.
This lens is an EF lens, meaning unlike its EF-S cousins, it will work on all newer Canon models. The EF-S lenses cannot be mounted on a full-frame camera as-is. Thus, for compatibility, it is a good purchase in case you ever want to upgrade your camera (as compared to the 55-250 EF-S lens)
The build quality is quite sturdy. It’s significantly larger and heavier than the 18-55mm IS kit lens included with my XSi (450d), which feels a little strange as the bulk of the weight is in the lens as opposed to balanced between the lens and camera body. It’s not too bad though, since in general you’d be using a second hand to steady the lens.
Image Stabilization on this lens is great. I’ve noticed a significant difference between photos with and without my iS enabled, and have definitely been able to slow the shutter speed down and still take clear photographs.
I’ve only found two flaws with this lens thus far. One is that the manual focus ring is slightly loose–it’s very easy to rotate, though that really isn’t an issue for me since I hold the lens slightly closer to the body. (and generally keep in autofocus anyway) Secondly, I have noticed a slight tendency to hunt for focus when in dark situations. It’s not terrible, but on a couple of occasions I have switched to manual to get a better focus.
All in all though, the lens is quite sharp, the image quality is good, and though I haven’t tested it that thoroughly yet, the bokeh seems to be nice as well.
I strongly recommend this lens for anyone looking to extend the focal range of your lens collection, especially if you are starting new with the 18-55mm IS kit lens like I was. However, keep in mind the additional size and weight, which are pretty significant considering the kit lens’ light plastic build.
Great lens!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this lens so that I get better pictures of my son at his football games. I have been very impressed with the results.
Great product
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was thinking about getting a 70-200MM f/2.8 or f/4 IS. I decided on this because of price and weight (very light, can carry for hours). Works great. What ever you decide GET AN IS lens. Trying to hold still at 200mm+ is very hard and even more difficult to get a non blurry image. I was a little concerned about getting good blur @ f/4-5.6, no worries.
Cons: When zooming, lens extends, though has zoom lock
Not all that fast, if your shooting sports get something faster
Minim focus distance is almost 5 feet, that’s a lot, can be annoying.
Fantastic Purchase
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I did quite a bit of research on zoom lenses in this range and decided that this would be the one I would purchase. I am glad I did. The quality is superb and having the Image Stabilization really makes it a pleasure to take pictures in less than perfect lightening conditions. I would recommend this lens to any and everyone.
great
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
i feel like paparazzi, this is fantastic
worked WONDERS while photographing my last wedding; it was like i was standing at the altar with them
recommend
Less than satisfactory
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I am very disappointed with the performance of this lens. I expected better from Canon since I am a long-time Canon user and have many lenses by them. Images are soft to semi-sharp at all focal lengths. 300mm is never sharp. When enlarged even 25% all images go very soft and become noisy and would be useless for printing. I get much better results with all my other Canon lenses. For the price of this lens I expected much better. My son has a cheaper canon telephoto and gets better images. Looking at the reviews others have written on Amazon, it may be that this particular lens has an inherent optics flaw. The IS works fine in both settings, but the images are still not crisp.
The lens is excellent. I am very pleased with the price , Your price beat a well known competor by 100 plus dollars.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The lens is excellent. the image stabilizer works as specified. So far nothing but good results with the product.
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am interested in taking photos for about 5 years. This product actually open a new age for me. Considering the price of the product and comparing it with others, I admit that this lens is excellent and meets my need. From now on, everybody and every detail of everything will be the models on my new coming photos.
Great Lense
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I agonized about which lens to purchase. I wanted one that gave me a range of features and crisp sharp images. This lens gives me everything I wanted.