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347 of 358 people found the following review helpful.
Fast, sharp and solid with IS to boot
By Sean Harding
This is the best lens you can get in this zoom range for the Canon EOS. It's not the cheapest and it's not the lightest, but it's the best. This lens is fast, it has excellent optics, the build quality is very solid and the image stabilization (IS) feature works wonders for hand held shooting. If you shoot hand held in marginal light, this is the lens for you. If you always use a tripod, you don't really need IS -- take a look at the less expensive non-IS version of this lens. If you always shoot in good light, the lighter and even less expensive 70-200mm f4.0 may do the job for you. But for me, the extra stop of light and the IS make the difference between unusable images and great images. This is an awesome lens.
233 of 240 people found the following review helpful.
The Canon EF 70-200mm IS is an awesome tack sharp lens!,
By L. T. Beasimer
I shoot with a Canon 20D and before purchasing this lens, used the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 III USM lens. I've always noticed the limitations of this lens when shooting amateur softball. I reviewed the lens lineup at the Canon website and decided on purchasing the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM Lens. The 100-400mm is a great lens, but it can be a little soft. For that reason I decided to add the Canon EF 70-200mm 2.8/f IS USM telephoto zoom lens to my lens collection.As an L lens, there are numerous features and is manufactured with high quality materials and a higher level of dust and moisture resistance compared to the standard line of lenses. This pro quality lens is meant for serious photographers with high demands of their equipment. The construction is sturdy and consists of 23 elements in 18 groups. The four Super UD-glass elements largely eliminate the secondary spectrum reducing residual chromatic aberration. An improved 8-blade circular aperture offers a more pleasing out-of-focus image. The Canon EF 70-200mm lens weighs in at about 3.24 lbs/1,470 g, and a minimal focusing distance of 4.3 ft/1.3 m. The front thread accepts 77mm filters, be sure to get a good quality UV haze filter to protect the front lens element. This lens is compatible with the 1.4x II and 2X II telephoto extenders.Being white, this lens looks out of place, but helps it stay cool when shooting out in the sun. Some people are concerned that being white, it attracts attention to criminals. From my experience, my 20D attracts attention regardless of what lens I put on it. In addition, I most likely have a camera bag and tripod/monopod with me to further attract attention. I personally doubt a thief looking for something to steal is taking the time to evaluate the cost of the item and are more concerned with the ease of taking something they can unload. I try to make things difficult for would be thieves and have my equipment insured as a back up.The dual IS system has two modes. Mode 1 is for stationary subjects while mode two is for moving subjects. It is recommended that the IS function is not used while using a tripod; however I have successfully used this feature while on my monopod. The IS helps to eliminate camera shake and helps stabilize the lens when shooting from a moving vehicle or in low light situations. While there are limitations to what the IS can do, it can give you a few extra stops. Just keep in mind, the IS attempts to eliminate camera movement, not the movement of the subject being photographed.This lens permits for auto or manual focus depending on how the switch is set. There is also a switch to shift from a 1.4m/4.6ft to infinity or 2.5m/8.2ft to infinity.Included with this lens are the tripod mount, lens hood, and storage case. The tripod mount is the best option to use when mounting to a tripod, helping to maintain balance. Mounting the camera instead creates an unbalanced set up that may topple over. The case is a zippered soft case (LZ1324) that can also be purchased separately. The lens hood (ET-86) is used to reduce lens flare and can protect the front element in certain situations. Often times, Amazon recommends purchasing the lens case and hood, however they are normally included with the lens.The Canon EF 70-200mm is such an awesome lens, it almost fails to compare to the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM telephoto zoom. The EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM telephoto zoom lens is a well used option for me, but the clarity and sharpness of the 70-200mm IS lens is more refined. I doubt the 100-400mm lens will be replaced by this lens as a favorite. I find the push/pull focusing of the 100-400mm lens to be a benefit that the 70-200mm cannot replace. This lens can be used for portraits, landscape, sports or as a general walk about lens. The f/2.8L combined with the IS makes this lens a good option for certain low light situations. The features add creative versatility. The Canon EF 70-200mm IS lens comes at a price, but it is worth every bit of it.PROS:Incredible clarity and sharpnessQuiet and quick auto-focusFeatures add creative versatilityDual IS systemCONS:Heavy and bulky (This should be expected with these types of lenses)
96 of 99 people found the following review helpful.
The Cream Machine
By Chiew Jen Ong
I will preface this by saying that I bought the 70-200/4L non IS before getting the f/2.8 IS version. The f/4 version is not shabby at all for its price point. A lot of people think that the price of the f/2.8 IS version is very high, and it is. However, for some people, and you'll know who you are, f/2.8 is necessary in order to capture the picture that you want. For those who have not noticed yet, there are four different 70-200s in Canons lineup. Starting off with the f/4 non IS as a base price, you have to add about $500 for either IS or f/2.8, or $1000 for both.Here is a quickie for those deciding if they need either f/2.8 or IS:f/2.8 is useful for two things compared to f/4...1) thinner DOF, yielding a more out of focus background, which is pleasing for portraits2) shooting action in low light environments, in which case f/2.8 can make your shutter speed twice as fast as f/4, all things else the same (ISO, etc).IS is useful for one thing: canceling out the hand movements that you yourself make. It will not freeze the movement of your subject; you need a flash or a faster aperture lens to do that. One thing that comes out of this is the ability to shoot stationary objects much clearer than a lens without IS. Another thing is that on long lenses such as this one, IS can help you compose your picture more accurately, because the viewfinder will be stabilized along with the lens, allowing you to perfectly frame your shot. This is one advantage to Nikon and Canon's implementation of in-lens IS, compared to Sony and Pentax's implementation of in-body IS.Anyways, that tutorial aside, let me focus on two things that matter most: build quality and image quality.Build quality is amazing. If you are used to consumer grade lenses like the EF-S series of lenses or the kit lens, and have never touched an L lens, this thing feels rock solid. The f/4 version had the same build, but the f/2.8 feels more solid. I think this is all due to the weight: this lens weighs approximately twice that of the f/4 versions. The zoom and full-time manual focus rings are very smooth in action. Like its non-IS f/2.8 sister, this lens come with a tripod mount. If you use a tripod, I highly suggest you use the tripod ring to mount your setup on the tripod, because it will provide a better place to balance your lens+body. There is a knob you can twist on the tripod ring that will loosen the ring so that you can swing your camera from landscape into portrait mode and vice versa, without adjusting anything on your tripod. The one thing about build quality that didn't impress me was the included lens hood. It is plastic and my hood doesn't fit the bayonet mount perfectly...it has some play and sometimes rattles when I move the camera back and forth. Not a huge deal, but you would expect more since Canon paid attention to all the small details elsewhere. By the way, this lens is weather sealed. Both the 70-200/4 IS and 70-200/2.8 IS are weather sealed, while their non-IS sisters are not sealed. Note that this sealing is only effective when you have a weather sealed body to mount it on (read: 1D series camera). There is a rubber ring around the lens mount that provides some of this sealing, and the 1D series has the complementary sealing around its lens mount. A note on this: I discovered a speck of dust on an inner element that wasn't there when I first got the lens, which is curious for a weather sealed lens. Not that it really affects anything.Image quality is amazing. Some very choosy pixel peepers will tell you that this particular lens is not the sharpest 70-200 in the Canon line-up. They are being very nitpicky; all 70-200s perform amazingly in terms of IQ (contrast, colors, sharpness). I have done some real world testing myself to clear the fear of shooting wide open at f/2.8, and I have found it produces sharp pictures at f/2.8 until you get to about 200mm, in which case the sharpness goes down a little. However, that said, it is hard to shoot accurately at f/2.8 and 200mm...the depth of field is extremely thin and lack of sharpness could be due to misfocusing. Once stopped down to f/4, it is plenty sharp at all focal lengths. Until you try this lens out, you will not know the meaning of creamy bokeh (an exaggeration, since there are other lenses out there creating awesome bokeh too). At 70mm, the bokeh is still amazing, but once you get to 150mm or longer at f/2.8...the background really starts to get creamy and extremely easy on the eye. My main use for this lens is for portraits, as its longer focal length starts to compress the perspective and is extremely good for tighter portraits. Colors on this lens are amazing straight out of the camera. Of course, in post processing they get even better. One time I did a shoot using my 17-55/2.8 IS and my 70-200/4L non IS, and the colors were very noticeably better on the 70-200. Upon getting the 70-200/2.8 IS, I didn't notice any change in colors between it and the f/4 version, and didn't bother to shoot portraits anymore with the 17-55, but if A>B and C=A, then C>B (A being 70-200/4L, B being the 17-55, and C being the 70-200/2.8IS). Sorry had to put some math in there :). One thing I noticed is that this lens shoots warmer than my other lenses, which is not a bad thing when it comes to portraits. Performance wide open is very good, and stop it down a bit and you'll get a little more contrast and sharpness, as it is with any lens.If you guys are curious about the large number of switches on it, here they are, from top to bottom:1) focusing limiter switch: either 1.4m to infinity or 2.5m to infinity. Use the latter if your subjects are farther away from you, in order to get the fastest AF possible. I don't bother with this switch, since AF is lightning quick. There is a reason lots of sports shooters use this lens2) AF switch: either manual focus or automatic focus. Not of much use, since this lens includes full time manual, meaning that you can adjust focus manually by turning the ring, even when the lens is set to autofocus.3) IS stabilizer switch: on or off. I leave mine on all the time, but sometimes when its bright outside, I just turn it off to conserve battery4) Stabilizer mode: mode 1 or 2. Mode 1 stabilizes your lens in all directions, while Mode 2 is for when you pan, in which case the lens will sense which direction you are panning in, and disable that axis of the stabilizer. (I wish my 17-55/2.8 IS had this feature, as the viewfinder jerks when you have IS on and are trying to pan).In use, this thing is much heavier than the f/4 version (of course, since it weighs twice as much). On a 40D, it will require two hands (one under the lens, one on the camera) most of the time due to the center of gravity being in the lens and not the body. The 70-200/4 was a much better balance on the 40D, and it was easy to hold that setup by one hand on the camera grip. The 70-200/2.8 IS is also large and noticeable with its white coating. One time I took it to my university's basketball game, and an official told me to put it away, since it was too long for their regulations. He told me that those regulations were put in place by the media, since the media basically wants to be the only people selling shots. I looked at the sideline and all the media shooters were using the same exact lens to cover the game. Basically, you will get lots of attention with this lens, wanted and unwanted. With the hood on, it is very long. The tripod ring gets in the way sometimes, so I settled on leaving it on but twisting it 180 degrees so the leg is on the top side of the camera, out of the way. In such a location, it can serve as a handle of sorts, though I wouldn't carry it by that all day. One minor annoyance I have with the lens in operation is that the MF/AF switch is easily moved. A couple times I pulled it out of my bag to shoot with only to notice that it would not AF because it was in MF mode. I have heard of people fixing this by putting tape over the switch, to keep it in AF mode. I have not done so myself, as it has only happened to me a couple times.Notes on the IS: I barely shoot this on the tripod, since I can take advantage of its IS. Canon advertises this lens as having a 3 stop stabilizer, meaning that you can shoot stationary objects clearly in 1/8 the amount of light you would normally need. Therefore, at 200mm, you would only need a shutter speed of 1/25 on full frame, and 1/40 on crop bodies, instead of 1/200 and 1/320, respectively. I have been able to shoot still objects clearly at 1/15 at 200mm (320mm equivalent on crop). Amazing, considering the focal length!I use this lens on a Canon 40D, and cannot wait to use it on a full frame. On the 40D, it provided an excellent lens to cover dance shows, fashion shows, etc on stage in the venues I frequented at my university. However, now that I have graduated and will likely attend less shows, I am looking to convert this lens more into my go-to for portraits. A 70-200 on a crop body puts a little too much distance inbetween you and the subject. This can be a good thing, since not everyone is the most comfortable when a big lens is pointing at them from a few feet away. However, in order to maximize blur, I had to stand farther away and use the longer focal lengths. On full frame, one can stand closer and still use long focal lengths, thus taking advantage of this lens's bokeh at closer range. Also, personally, I find the thought of carrying this much glass around for a crop body a bit wasteful, and can't wait to use its full imaging circle in all its glory.A note on other lenses: If you don't want the f/2.8, the f/4 versions are just as good in the build and image quality departments, at a much lower price and weight. Also, if you want lens with good, creamy bokeh at a focal length less than 100mm, consider the 85mm f/1.8 prime, which provides the same pleasing bokeh at 85mm wide open that the 70-200/2.8 does wide open at 150mm or more. The 85 is significantly cheaper and lighter, too.Summary: Stellar build quality, excellent image quality (colors, contrast, sharpness). Image stabilizer is very effective. An f/2.8 zoom in this focal length range is very useful for covering stage events and sports with moving subjects in dim lights, so that you can minimize motion blur. It is also a great lens for portraits, providing extremely pleasing, creamy out of focus blurring, and excellent perspective for tight headshots. It is relatively heavy and a bit front-balanced on a 40D, but this is the price to pay for so much fast glass in a zoom. The ultimate low light zoom, if you can swing its price and weight!
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Auto-focus is super fast, quiet and spot on
It is what it is
