Canon EF 70200mm f/2.8L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens

great lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Very good lens. Was hoping to get a little better basketball pics but poor gym lighting is tough.

Another Canon great product
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Excellent and versatile lens. A bit pricy but I’d recommend it to anyone with a Canon EOS camera. I have a 20D and this is a great addition to my lens collection. Terrific at most any range.

good
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I choice this lenses for pro shot, but I am short of money; so I didn’t pick IS version. anyway it’s great!!!!

Must Have lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Don’t even bother considering another telephoto in this range. This is the best telephoto lens on the market today, period. The IS version is nice, but I’ve seen reports that it is slower and not as sharp as the original. I’ve owned this lens for quite a while now, and I’ve never regretted for a second buying it. Check out some samples of my work with it at http://www.KenLopezPhoto.com

-Ken

Superb Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens to compliment my Canon 40D. I like the constant f2.8, ultrasonic motor and L quality lens. It’s definitely bigger and heavier than the f4.0 but with the collar attached to a monopod, it gave me stability.

The L-lense that puts the L-lense on the map
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Canon’s legendary L-lense reputation is built on lense such as the 70-200mm F/2.8, this is the lense that gives the credit to the WOW factor associated with Canon L lense. Sharpness, constrast is second to none.

I know many people are probably deciding between the F/4L F/2.8L and the F/2.8L IS. If you want the most bang for the buck go for the F/2.8L. Why, because if you’re serious enough to buy the F/4L you will eventually migrate to this F/2.8L (like many photographers), why because there is nothing going to speed up your shutter speed better than the f/2.8 at the long end when compared to F/4 especially for fast moving targets. Another big advantage is the canon 2x extender which boost this lense to 400mm at the long end with great results and at F/5.6, it is one of the best performing combo at 400mm focal length especially considering the price of a 400mm lense by itself.

If you have cash to burn go for the IS version, but cost increase is a bit steep ($500+), especially considering using a tripod will make the IS an non-issue, and for a shot deserving attention, a tripod or some sort of stablizer should be used anyway might as well save the $500 and put a bit more in for the 17-40mm L lense.

Sharp and Hefty
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
How many ways can you say sharp? If you like to crop and enlarge portions of images you’ll really appreciate this lens. Portraits taken through this lens can show fabulous detail – including every blemish and unshaved whisker. It’s expensive, but is likely to leave you wishing you’d bought it long ago.

At f2.8 the bokeh (blurred background) is wonderfully smooth. Images positively jump off the page.

I’d call it hefty – you’ll know you’re carrying it but I don’t see its weight as a particular problem.

It’s pretty big and conspicuous, especially with the hood. Maybe not quite as big as a beer stein, but close. The customer images posted show the lens well (including the hood and tripod ring), but the Digital Rebel in some of those images also has a battery pack attached, and that makes the camera look proportionately larger. I suppose the battery pack’s weight might help to balance the apparatus. My 20D looks like an appendage to the lens.

I bought it from Amazon, and in the Canon box were a hood, tripod ring, and soft lens case. The product description doesn’t say those are included, but I have the impression that’s the standard product.

CCVI – “Crisp” “Clear” “Vivid” “Images”
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
In a nutshell, it’s my new “favorite” lens. My Canon 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM will be up for sale with this bad boy taking its place. This lens is in a category of its own. Sharp and vivid pictures is what you pay for, and this lens doesn’t disappoint. Like most, I decided on the non-IS version and saved over $500. With that amount saved, I purchased a decent monopod at $130 to keep things steady when needed. Needless to say, I saved $370 which will probably go to a1.4x or a 2.0x T-con for extra reach. But be warned, this big beast is somewhat heavy. Other than that, it is a lens that will be used for most of what I’ll be shooting (weddings, birthday parties, sporting events). I’ll switch over to my Tokina 12-24mm f/4 if I need anything ultra wide. Would I recommend this lens to a fellow photog? Absolutely! Would I trade or sell this lens in the future? I doubt it. It’s versatile mid-range zoom is always needed to some degree. Would I purchase this lens all over again? In a heartbeat! You can’t go wrong with this lens. I highly recommend acquiring one and adding to your arsenal of fine lenses!

Necessary
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
If you are serious about photography, this is one of two or three lenses to own. The 24-70 and a wide angle, 16-35 or 17-40 are part of it. By far and large, this lense is on my camera 65% of the time, whether I’m doing portraits, events, or anything else.

I dropped it, along with my camera, and it shattered, brok the lense, broke the motors, and everything to go along…$500 later, I got a brand new one (well, they said they just put new motors and glass, but the whole thing looks brand new to me). Get and keep insurance on your equipments, it’s worth it, don’t learn your lesson the hard way.

Perfect
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens is worth every penny. While it costs five times the prosumer Sigmaf4-5.6 70-300mm lens it’s a relative bargain. The Sigma lens was not suitable for low light conditions such as the high school soccer and volleyball games that I photograph of my daughter playing outside hitter or goalkeeper.

I just bought it last week and last night I had my first chance to use it to take pictures of the daughter’s soccer team. I shot 274 shots and kept 190. The photos I kept are incredible. Those I discarded were simply bad photography on my part.

WHAT’s in the box

Lens

Hood

Case

Case strap

Instructions

Warranty card

Focus is lightning fast with my Rebel XT.

PICTURE QUALITY

Crisp, clear and sharp describe the images. Color is vivid and very saturated. F 2.8 makes night time high school soccer shots easy to do and still have adequate shutter speed at full 200 mm of zoom. I really like this lens. While image stabilization would be nice, the extra $500 was beyond my hobbyist budget. I shoot with a monopod so on the field shots are crystal clear. If you want to hand hold it save up the extra money.

WEIGHT

It is not an issue for me. I use it mainly for taking shots of my daughter playing soccer and volleyball. Both are low light conditions. The monopod really helps. Hiking with this thing could be an issue.

SUMMARY

If you can afford it buy it. You won’t be disappointed

***************

UPDATE

I have had this lens for a couple of weeks and shot about 3000 pictures with it of both indoor volleyball and night soccer games. My opinion is getting even better. Bar none, this is tremendous lens and it a league of its own. If you can swing it money wise go for it. I shot all evening last night on high school soccer field that was (by high school standards) well lit. Using shutter priority I was able to keep the shutter speed faster than 1/200 of a second and was still operating in f.28-3.5 range on the lens. Weight is not an issue. This is a non-IS lens but the monopod makes that a non-issue.

Now I need to sell my Sigma 70-300 mm lens so I can buy a 1.4 teleconverter for this lens for pre-dusk warmups where there is ample light.

It’s a Canon L lens – there is not much to say.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Crystal clear shots (Canon 40D), amazing AF speed, superb at low-light.

There is a price for perfection though – heavy as a bag of bricks.

Canon 70-200 f/2.8 L Non-IS Lens Is Tops!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Since I got this lens it pretty much hasn’t left my 40D! I wanted to get it before my honeymoon in Kona/Hilo Hawaii so I made sure to get it a week or so before we left so I could get used to the weight. Yes, it is heavy but I knew that before buying it. I don’t get why so many people that buy this lens whine about how heavy it is. You don’t get a lens of this superior quality without trading off something! And I had no problem with paying that much either! You get what you pay for and that money bought me an incredible lens that is worth every penny!

The week before we left I shot a ton of pics all over of everything from planes overhead to people to flowers to buildings, etc, etc. I’ve been blown away with how awesome every picture has been! Once we got to Hawaii I’ve just been in heaven. I put on a 2x extender and from our hotel room I’ve been able to get shots of the sea turtles in the tidal pool below that makes it seem as if I’m right there. Yesterday we went to the volcano park and since you can’t get right up to the activity this lens and at times this lens coupled with the 2x extender were perfect! I’m thrilled because I got amazing pics of the most beautiful place on earth and I have been saying the whole time “I freaking love this camera and this lens!!!”

Do no hesitate to get this lens! You won’t be disappointed!

Lives up to expectations!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
As the owner of a 24-105/f4 and 70-200/f4, I was well aware of the quality of the “L” class of lenses from Canon. Although heavier than the f4 version of this fine zoom, the wider aperture enables better low-light performance, and the bokeh is great, too.

I use the lens for everything from bicycle racing events to flower “portraits”, as well as “critter” shots, and it easily does all I ask. I use a monopod a lot of the time, but hand-held shots are just fine, as long as I keep the speed up a bit.

I finagled dollars and lenses to afford this lens, and I’m glad I did.

Great without the IS
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
There are many other reviews to this wonderful lens and I can’t add too much on the technical issues. This is an upgrade to the Canon 70-200 f4. I shoot in dimly lit interiors (basketball, volleyball, church settings, etc.) and the extra f-stops is worth it. Outdoors with the 1.4x extender (baseball, football, soccer) is fantastic!

I decided NOT to get the IS for several reasons: 1) I use a Manfrotto monopod almost exclusively when using this lens (used it with the f4 also) and with practice the pictures comes out sharp. The monopod also helps to hold everything during a long shooting session. Having 3 pounds of equipment hanging on your neck or holding it up in shooting position is a pain. 2) I couldn’t justify the IS expense since using the monopod partially defeats the IS feature. Again, practice holding steady regardless. Remember shooting the old Nikon F with the teles before IS, VR, OS were ever invented?

Bottom line: Great lens, great bokah, great in low light situations. Highly recommend a good monopod to hold everything steady!

Excellent Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I keep it short and sweet.

Very Sharp – quick autofocus. I use it with my Canon 20D.

First(ish) L
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens just about a month ago after an endorsement from one of the teachers at a photography class I was taking. (The fact that I was taking an introductory photography class should give you some sense of my skill level, and hence perspective…) I’d previously purchased and returned the 300M L, for both quality and usability issues.

I think the quality of L lenses has been covered pretty thoroughly by other reviews here – and this lens certainly lives up to them – so I’ll try to give some feedback on usability for other amateur photographers who might have more money than experience.

Most importantly, the 70-200 is far more versatile than the 300mm fixed, even if it doesn’t have the reach. I’d also previously purchased the 55-250 S, which literally fell apart after a couple months’ of use. I don’t see that ever happening with this lens as it’s built more solidly than my car, but the shorter reach does come into play more often than I expected. Given the size of this lens, you somehow think it should be able to zoom in to just about anything, but I find that the long end really only covers me to about 25 feet for most of my pictures (flowers, kids, beach, etc.) and that’s on a Canon 40D with a 1.6x crop factor (so the equivalent of 320mm lens).

What that ultimately means, though, is that you can use this lens a lot more frequently than you think, you just have to realize that it’s probably not going to be for taking pictures of dolphins swimming 50 yards offshore, or your annoying neighbor clipping his toenails in the kitchen. Again. When my one year-old son is running around the front yard, this lens gives me the flexibility to zoom in tight to capture a facial expression or pull back to see the rose bush he’s about to run into. The zoom ring is very tight, requiring only about 1/4 turn to go from end to end, so you can get both shots in just a matter of seconds, leaving plenty of time to head to the bathroom for band-aids.

In my (limited) experience, the f/2.8 aperture is great for blurring backgrounds outdoors, but isn’t generally fast enough for indoor use unless you’re willing to push your ISO up north of 800. For the most part, I still default to my 50mm f/1.4 for indoor picture-taking, but I admittedly don’t take many indoor sports pictures, for instance, that might require a longer reach.

The last thing to consider is the weight/IS issue. I find that as long as I can adopt a proper shooting stance, the lens isn’t too heavy to get an acceptably sharp hand-held picture at 1/200th of a second. I do notice the weight more when I’m zoomed in, as smaller hand movements result in more pronounced movement of my subject within the frame. The 300mm L that I returned had IS and it certainly made a noticeable difference in many cases, even outdoors. So if you find that you have trouble hand-holding lighter weight lenses steady, you might want to spring for the IS version of this lens. I’ve carried this lens around for a couple hours at a time, and although it can be a little cumbersome, it’s nothing that bothers me too much. My mom, on the other hand, can’t pick my camera up off the table when this lens is mounted to it, so your results may vary.

Four stars for construction, image quality, usability, performance – I’ll leave a star off just because IS has to count for something.

GREAT LENS!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is my first ‘L’ lens from Canon and I must say I am not disappointed in it, even though it’s a pricey piece of equipment for the bag. I agree with all the 5-star ratings this lens gets – it’s without a doubt worth the money. My only regret may be not buying the IS version, but….I had a hard enough time getting myself to pay for this particular lens!

All in all, I am very pleased with my purchase. It’s one of my favorite lenses for shooting photos at my boys indoor hockey games!

Holy Cow – now that’s a lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I forgot my wife’s birthday and she subsequently hinted that she wanted a telephoto lens… I started by looking at the cheap ones, but decided, that I might as well do it right if I were going to do it at all. When it arrived, my wife took it out of the box and we were both stunned by how massive this lense was. It’s heavier than you might think as well (which means that the mounting ring that come packaged with this lens is an absolute God-send).

The first thing we did was go out and buy a Mono-pod for it. Next we took it camping and then water-skiing and ended up with some of the most incredible, crystal clear shots we’ve ever seen. The autofocus was incredibly fast – I was able to hold down the button and snap through multiple exposures while speeding across the waves. Most of the time – the thing was right on.

We then mounted it on a tri-pod and shot family portraits. This was the first time we had all the kids and grandkids together in six years and once again – the lens didn’t let us down and the photos were fantastic.

I don’t have any real training with a camera (I use the Cannon Rebel and auto-focus most of the time) but this lens was worth every dime. …It also worked to get me out of the dog-house with my wife…

Technical details here are wrong
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens weighs far more than the f/4 version. It really weighs 2.9 lbs, or 1310 grams. Close to twice what is listed in the specs here. Kind of an important detail for Amazon to get wrong considering there are four 70-200mm Canon lenses and that would be one of the more important points of comparison.

reference:

3.3″ x 7.6″, 2.9 lbs. / 84.6mm x 193.6mm, 1310g

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=150&modelid=7341#ModelTechSpecsAct

best lens for sports, day and night
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’m not a pro, but have loved taking sports photos for years with film SLR and digital cameras. I have a Tamron lens that has been great so spending this much money on a lens was questionable to me. I wanted better night shots and all the reviews on line for the canon 70-200 lens were great. After using the lens I can say spending the money for the f/2.8L was worth every penny.

I’m glad I didn’t go with the fixed 300mm as I wouldn’t have been able to take shots as the boys ran toward me. The 70-200 gives just enough range to get great distance and close up shots. The shots I get of the high school football games are outstanding… stopping grass in the air, catching the fumbles, the sweat on their faces. Now I’m on to basketball and hope to get shots that are just as good.

Incredible, versatile lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
If you’ve found these reviews, you already know this lens is one of the best Canon products out there. I did not bite on the IS version, and I have not found myself ever wishing I did; this lens is everything it’s hyped up to be and performs well in low-light/indoor situations.

I don’t think it’s weight is that big a deal. I really don’t have any problem carrying this lens around for a day — in my hands or in a bag — even with a 1.4 extender attached. It can feel a bit heavy but I don’t mind, and neither will you when you see the results later on.

I’ve used this a lot for shooting professional baseball and it’s landed me front page ink several times. In my mind, I could get the 1.4 extender with this lens and give myself a 70-280 range, which is pretty adequate for most sports and nature photography, considering the 300 f/2.8 and it’s friends are much, much more expensive. The lens works basically just as fast and sharp, in my opinion, with the 1.4 at f/4, although some may debate this. Flip on any baseball or football game and you will see this lens around the neck of most every pro.

If you can swing the price, enjoy it! My advice is to continue reading up on this or similar products, although I found most everyone agreed, this is one of the finest lens around. It’s one that makes people stop and stare and wonder who you are.

You get what you pay for
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This was my first L lens and I am very pleased; zero buyer’s regret for me.

When I first started to seriously consider buying one of the 70-200mm lenses I wasn’t sure which to buy. I first thought about buying the f/4 version because it was cheaper but then found out the f/2.8 comes with a case (~ $40), tripod ring (~ $120), and a hood (~ $35) in addition to the extra stop in aperture. For the $600 difference it reduces down by about $200 by including additional stuff that you, frankly, should have.

Most notably is the tripod ring which takes the lens weight off the camera body but also balances the camera at the tripod mount. With the f/2.8 attached to my 300D it balances just fine on the tripod foot (even with a EX550 flash). In shooting with a tripod it’s very easy to rotate the lens within the ring to go from landscape to portrait without off-balancing the weight.

The extra weight is an issue depending on your muscular build. I can shoot for a couple hours without the weight being bothersome but my fiancee (very petite) has some difficulties. In actual shooting I find the tripod ring comes in handy to put the weight on my palm thus leaving my fingers free to adjust zoom and focus without a hassle while providing a firmer base for stability.

I cannot comment on the f/2.8 IS version since I’ve never used it but I have seen people selling their f/2.8 IS because it was too heavy.

All-in-all this is an extremely good lens and you get exactly what you pay for: quality. Some day I intend on complementing this lens with the 24-70 f/2.8L for wider angle shots. Of course, if you have the chance to test all three versions of the 70-200mm lens at a store then you certainly should test them for yourself. And, by all means, buy a UV/protector lens.

THIS IS A GREAT LENS
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Hobbyist/Enthusiast and I enjoy photography so much

This lens has met my expectations perfectly!!! This by the way is my first L lens.

I love the extreme shapness of this lens.

I use this lens on a Canon EOS 5D

I wish it had come with tripod mount ring though.

well you can’t get everything.

One Sweet Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a beautiful lens that is comparable to prime lens throughout its 70 to 200 range. Pricy, but worth it.

best lens i ever bought
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
i debated over this lens for a month. finally i bought it, best lens i ever bought, the weight isn’t a problem. great colors, great everything. dont hesitate to buy it.

Great Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Good glass, fast focus, and good construction. Great for sports action. Once you use this lens, you will understand why the cost is so high. Cheaper lenses just do not conpare.

Essential for serious and active photographers
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens in January of 2003 after much recommendation. For what I had been shooting (college basketball) the 70-200mm f/2.8L was the most commonly seen lens aside from the 300mm f/2.8L. The fstop of 2.8 along with the zoom were the initial factors that drew me to buying it.

I first shot with it on January 11, 2003 at the Louisville vs. Saint Louis game and I was very impressed with the results I got, much of the unsharpness I thought originally to be attributed to grain was almost completely absent with this lens using the same film I had been using. This lens has spoiled me, it will be very hard on my next lens purchase to buy anything but L glass.

Another thing I should note, this lens is built like a tank, like all L-Series lenses and 1-series bodies, it can take a beating, this is not to say you should actively knock it into things or throw it around on purpose but mine has been sandwiched between me and a basketball player falling out of bounds before. It’s also not a light lens, but focusing is fast and smooth. If you plan on shooting a LOT or have professional aspirations, the lens may not make the photographer, but it can help.

It’s as good as they say
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is my first L lens from Canon. I also upgraded cameras to the 40D. What a perfect match. Great lens for indoor and outdoor sports. Tri-pod mount on the lens provides the perfect balance for lens and camera.

Takes great photos in gyms for sports and stages for school performances. I elected to save money and not buy the IS version as I almost always use a monopod or tripod. This was a good decision as I have yet to see a bad picture due to camera shake.

70-200L 2.8
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I shoot mostly indoor sports. This lens is an upgrade to the 70-200L 4.0. Indoor images are great. The weight was a little more than I expected but I anticipated the weight and upgraded my monopod recently. All-in-all, a great addition. No regrets at all.

Canon Takes Years of Abuse and Keeps working great
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have used this lens for 2 1/2 solid years at Motorcycle Racing Events, this lens has been banged and dropped in the mud, snow and more. I have never had a problem with this lens, the Auto focus is still as fast as it was when it was new. More than 150,000 photos have been taken through this lens and it still produces beautiful photos. If you have ever thought about purchasing one of these lenses

I am a firm believer and would suggest this lens to anyone. I have used this lens on a 30D, 40D, 5D and 1D mark III and the results have always been the same… GREAT!!!

This photo is a comparison photo using with Image Stabilization “IS” turned on and with it turned off

< <<<<< www. photographicaction.com/images/samples/canon_70_200is_on_off1. jpg >>>>>>>>>>>

Camera Used to take these photos:

Canon 1D Mark III

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM

with a Canon EF 1.4x II Extender

How the shot was taken:

Indoors in the evening only other light source was a ceiling fan with 2 60watt Florescent bulbs:

NO TRIPOD!

Flash Used 580ex II – ETTL with -2/3 power Fully Charged Batteries High-speed >> sync Turned on.

Flash pointed to 9 foot tall white ceiling.

I took this shot take from crouched position.

Camera Settings:

ISO Setting 100

F-Stop 8.0

Shutter Speed 125

Multi Metering (0)

Picture Style Setting at Standard with Sharpness at +7

The Left Side of the Photo is with Image Stabilization “IS” turned on and the right side of the photo is with the “IS” Turned off. There is a very clear difference in the photos. You can notice there is far more detail in the left side and you can see this light switch is painted and not printed. The most noticeable difference is in the letters on the light switch, the letters (ON) is more clear in the side with “IS” Turned on and is not as sharp with “IS” Turned OFF. Basically if you wonder how well IS works then this will give you a great idea… Plus this lens is about 2 1/2 years old and it still works flawlesly.

When I am shooting outdoors with plenty of light I turn it off because the shutter speed of the camera is fast enough to not need it, I have comparison shots with outdoor action sports photos and I get much sharper Images in the day light with it turned off. If it is cloudy I will turn it on from time to time but still prefer it off when shooting outdoors.

I hope this helps someone who just isn’t sure. I know it is alot of money to spend on a lens but having a great lens you will get stunning results with even the entry level Canon SLR cameras like the XSI, spend the money you wont regret it…

Sure to Please
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Once you get over the sticker shock, you will understand why this lens is part of the “L” series. The EF 70-200 f/2.8L is tack sharp and has great contrast. It’s quiet, fast and worth the extra bucks.

This lens is fantastic for sports and portraits since the large aperture allows you to shoot in lower lighting conditions, and also lets you shoot wide open to isolate your subject from the background with a beautiful bokeh. In addition, you can use this with the Canon EF 1.4X II Extender Telephoto Accessory and maintain autofocus. This lens is also great for city and landscape photography.

The weight was a slight problem for me in the beginning, but after a few days I was able to get sharp photos by hand holding it . I think I might need a Bogen-Manfrotto Compact 4-Section Monopod, Black Anodized, #3249B to cover a complete sporting event, but I will try hand holding it (with the aid of the strap) for my first game. It is a white lens, so it will draw some attention, but the length of 70-200s will have the heads turning of the average point and shooter. As for IS, I have not seen a need for me personally, and I’m not always steady, but I take several shots and always get a lot of keepers.

Canon can’t be beat for quality. So far this is my favorite Canon lens! You do not need to be a pro to appreciate this glass. Consider the B & W 77mm UV (Ultra Violet) Haze Multi Coated (2C) Glass Filter #010 to protect this investment.

beautiful results, but VERY HEAVY
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
If you’re looking for a high-quality telephoto zoom lens that is fast enough to use indoors, you may have found what you’re looking for. The 70-200/2.8 lens produces beautiful results that are overall on par with the 135/2 prime lens (although not quite as sharp).

The main downside to this lens is that it’s big and heavy. I don’t mind carrying it around my neck on the camera so much, but when you go to use if you have to put extra effort into keeping the lens from shaking in your hands due to the weight. And it’s not exactly the sort of lens that I would want to toss into my backpack, just due to the immense size.

If you don’t mind spending an extra $500, consider also the 70-200/2.8 IS (image stabilization) version of this lens. It weighs even more, but the built in IS unit should help compensate for shaky hands whilst using the lens.

A must have.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I researched for a while as I have limited resources and can’t buy every lens I would like. This lens is very nice.

Best Lens i own
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is one of the best lens’s I have ever used. If you have the extra cash I guess you could get the IS version but I have not really seemed to need need it with this one. The depth of field is amazing and the lower f stop lets me shot sports inside statuims with out worrying to much about lightning. A must buy if you shot sports

I’ve had the rest, and now the best
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve used am f4 “cheapo” Canon 70 – 300 mm lens (meaning, I suppose, inexpensive but still pretty good)and have been happy with it. On a splurge, I bought the 70 -200 L. It’s in an entirely different league, with colors more (naturally) saturated and (at F2.8) a much narrower field of focus (a good thing). I love it, but a warning. It’s way heavier than the camera it’s attached to, and way heavier and more conspicuous than smaller lenses with the same focal length.

Bottom line, if you’ve got bucks to spare and you don’t mind carrying something heavy around that is heavy and notable to those around you, it’s the best there is, bar none. Many people who will consider buying (or will buy) this lense probably shouldn’t (over less expensive lenses). You should consider whether you will often need its extra capabilities, or often appreciate its much higher quality images. Its all at the margins.

Tom Hurley

Superior Glass
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
When you are ready to take your photography to the next level, you need to upgrade to an “L” series lens. The Canon 70-200 f 2.8 is a perfect lens to start you on your way. While it is a big investment to make for most amatuer photogs, it more then makes up for the cost with the images it will return. If you look at other pictures and say “I wish I could take shots like that”, this is the type of lens that can make that happen.

Stellar Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens is perfect. I was in a internal struggle about purchasing the f/2.8 IS and the f/2.8. I knew the neither of the f/4 models were fast enough for me when I shoot indoor sports events. The question was Image Stabilizer and 400 extra dollars or not. I decided that I could use this lens with monopods or tri-pods if needed the extra stabilization. The IS does NOT stop motion, it only helps stabilize you hand shaking. I this is a misconception about IS and the IS is held in too high regards for what it actually does. I have only had this lens for a week, but I have used it every day and after reviewing the results on screen I am positive that replacing my 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 IS was worth it, even losing 100mm of length (which actually is not much at these lengths). To clear a few things up. Amazon does include the tripod collar, the case, and the hood. This is lens is also NOT white. It is slightly off-white. I was actually a little dissapointed about the color. I wanted it to be as White as the picture on this website and even Canon’s website.

All in all. I use this with my 40d (highly recommended) and it accompanies my 24-70mm f/2.8 and my 17-40 f/4. I have other lenses too and an backup xti, but I don’t use those as much. Great lenses, it you want sharp photos that were easy to get because of fast AF, get this lenses.

This is a serious lens.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I had compared this lens along with the f/4 version which is half the price. Decided after much thought to go ahead with the f/2.8 version instead and I am extremely satisfied with my decision even though, it was hard to let go of $1200 dollars. I couldn’t justify spending an extra $500 for “IS”. If, you practice holding your camera correctly and have a steady pressure on your shutter button you shouldn’t have a problem taking hand held pictures with this lens when it’s at the 200mm end. However, the use of a monopod or tripod is recommended. And, don’t forget that Rebel, 10D, 20D and 30D users will have a 1.6x magnification factor to deal with as well, which makes this lens even more of a value. Along with the hefty price and weight is included the tripod mount, lens hood and case; these items alone are worth at the very least $200. This lens is big and heavy but it didn’t hamper me one bit when I took it to the forest preserve and was walking the trails up and down hills. Shots taken with it are very clear and bright with great saturation, contrast and color. Buyer beware! once you go L-series, you’ll be spoiled and I’m very satisfied with this lens, it’s a good investment.

Canon 20- 70mm f2.8 IS Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Although expensive, this an excellent lens with terrific clarity, speed and image stabilization. Highly recommended for any serious Canon photographer.

Great Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a great lens.

Takes awesome shots.

I love it with My Rebel XTI!

See my pics.

Crisp, Clear, Bright, Fast lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Not much to say about it…It’s a beautiful, great lens with no cons as far as my opinon goes. Quick, quiet AF. Sturdy Build, awesome price.

Amazing lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I LOVE this lens, It’s amazing, produce a very high quality photos, the only thing I dislike is the weight, it’s kind of heavy.

Highly recommended.

If you’re undecided over the f/2.8 or the f/4 version of this lens…
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
…there are two things that you should know. The first is that the f/2.8 version of this lens is big and heavy. The second is that the f/2.8 version of this lens is the more versatile and, therefore, the more useful of the two choices.

Why is the f/2.8 more useful? It allows you to use Canon’s outstanding extenders and still have a sharp and practical lens. With the 1.4x, you will have a very, very good 98-280mm f/4 lens. With the 2x, you will have a good 140-400mm f/5.6 lens. In both cases the lens will autofocus–very well with the 1.4x and adequately with the 2x. The use of the Canon extenders also allows the 70-200 to make a pretty nice close-up lens. The original close focus of the lens is maintained with the extenders, giving you both 280mm and 400mm focal lengths that focus closer than most prime lenses of the same focal lengths. While you can use the extenders on the f/4 version, it makes for some pretty slow lenses with limited applications.

There’s not much you can say about this lens that hasn’t already been said. It’s one of the sharpest zooms around with a look that, while certainly subjective, is highly appealing. I have a preference for prime lenses over zooms but I still rank this as one of my sharpest lenses.

Is there any reason to choose the 70-200 f/4 lens over this one? Cost aside, I can see a valid argument being made for the f/4. Carrying around the f/2.8 in a full camera bag is no fun unless you’re putting it to use. Since I mostly use shorter focal length prime lenses, sometimes the f/2.8 is a pain in the neck for me–literally. Unless I know I will need it, I have taken to leaving it behind in favor of a lighter, smaller and less sharp Canon 100-300. So I can see the utility of the smaller 70-200. Maybe I can talk myself into owning both. Nah, that’s a little too excessive.

Auto-focus is super fast, quiet and spot on
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
01-01-2009 Canon 5D Mark II Update

Bokeh

Well, the reach my be less but man on man the Bokeh of this lens using the 5D Mark II has to be seen to be believed. Much smoother creamier and richer on the 5D Mark II. Something like double the Bokeh since you can get twice as close, just make sure when shooting at F/2.8 you have enough dept of field.

Sharpness and clarity

The sharpness and clarity wide open at F/2.8 that was just Ok on the 40D is much improved for some strange reason on the 5D Mark II. I would not have figured it this way but it’s just plain better. Putting this lens on the 5D Mark II has transformed it from a so so lens to a sharp, high clarity monster even wide open. You wouldn’t know it was the same lens I has used on the 40D.

Reach:

The reach of the lens on a full frame sensor camera is half but when indoors shooting weddings this can be a good thing. On the cropped sensor cameras you often find yourself running out of space to back up when you want a wider shot but on the 5D Mark II the 70mm end is actually useful. When shooting outdoors if you can’t get pretty close you will want a longer lens. This is when I reach for my excellent Canon 100-400 F/4.5 – F/5.6 IS L Lens.

Vignetting:

On my Canon 40D and Rebel XTi Vignetting or peripheral illumination problems are practically non-existent, but on my new Canon 5D Mark II I use the auto-peripheral illumination correction as with it off it is a problem. But with it ON its no problem at all.

You can either have the 5D Mark II auto-correct peripheral illumination on board for JPEGs or adjust Raw images using Canon’s Digital Photo Professional (DPP) software that came with your Mark II. I have noticed on the full framed 5D Mark II with the peripheral illumination correction turned OFF the 5D Mark II images will severely vignette or be dark in the corners when shot wide open (F/2.8). It’s almost like looking through a dark tunnel. It’s especially noticeable shot wide open with the sky as a background.

Auto-correct to the rescue!! With the peripheral illumination correction turned ON it’s almost magical the darkening in the corners for your JPEG images is gone! If you want you can even shoot in Raw mode and adjust the amount of Vignetting or darkness in the corners for effects such as when shooting portraits and you want to emphasis the person in the middle of the photo. Just open the Raw photo in DPP and click on the NR/Lens / ALO tab and select Lens Aberration Correction Tune and adjust the peripheral illumination to suite by dragging the slider or entering and amount. Or select all the photos in a directory and you can correct all your photos at once. This way you can either have no Vignetting or as much as you want.

Pros:

Tack Sharp at 70-135mm at F5.6 at any distance

Sharp at F2.8 at a distance for some reason but soft up close (10 to 50 feet)

Sharp at F2.8 for indoor non-flash gym / church distance photos any zoom setting. Gets a little soft focused close and at infinity at F2.8

Auto focus tracks moving objects like a laser guided smart bomb! I have many in flight bird photos

Beautifully made with perfect quality

Beautiful deep colors, lots of contrast

Auto-focus is super fast, quiet and spot on even in dim light

White so it’s cooler out in the hot summer sun

Comes with nice case and nice lens tripod mount

Pretty good Bokeh better then the F4 70-200 of course but not as good as primes

Really bright in the viewfinder the brightest long lens I’ve used

This lens has Auto Lens Vignetting correction using peripheral Illumination control see Auto Vignetting comments below:

Cons:

VERY shallow depth of field at F2.8

Costs twice as much as the great F4 70-200

Seems to weigh twice as much as the F4 70-200

Very LARGE and white gets a LOT of attention

Softens a little above 135mm approaching and at 200mm at infinity

Review:

I bought this Lens to use on my Canon Digital Rebel XTi to shoot wild birds, animals at the zoo, sporting events and aircraft shows.

After having taken over 4,000 photos with it and trading out and using my friends F4 70-200 I have the following conclusions.

This lens focuses very FAST!! I have tracked birds in FLIGHT!! It focuses in light so low I don’t see how it’s focusing.

The F2.8 is MUCH larger then the F4 you have to use these two lenses back to back to really appreciate the difference. Also the lens hood sticks way out on the F2.8 which does protect the lens more but makes a long lens even longer. The F4 is more of a hold all day out shooting lens for the average person the F2.8 more of a tripod lens.

I do love this F2.8 lens, but in hindsight I might have bought the cheaper lighter and smaller non IS F4 lens. We tried several tests using a tripod while using mirror lockup and remote release so camera shake and depth of field were not a variable. We found my F2.8 lens is slightly sharper in the middle at 200mm but the F4 is slightly sharper near the edges. Both lenses were tack sharp edge to edge at 70-135mm at F8 with the F4 lens maintaining more sharpness over all from 135 to 200mm. However I found the F2.8 is brighter looking through the view finder then the F4.

The F2.8 does seem to produce slightly richer color but you can easily make up the difference between the F4 in a photo editor program.

This lens also softens some at F2.8 and gets sharper the closer to F8 you get. I tried several test shots on a tripod using mirror lockup and remote release of a photo test card so camera shake and depth of field were not a variable. Speaking of depth of field at F2.8 the depth of field is so shallow at close range F2.8 is almost unusable. You can take a photo of someone and their nose is tack sharp and their eyes are soft. This could be a plus if you are looking for this effect.

So why do I keep this lens?

I shoot a lot using a tripod and love the included lens tripod mount. The camera and lens are MUCH more stable when the lens is mounted to the tripod then trying to shoot with a long lens with the camera mounted to the tripod and the lens hanging out front. Note: You can buy the lens tripod mount for the F4 lens but it’s $150 extra.

I need the extra stops F2.8 gives me for low light indoor photograhy I have gotten shots at F2.8 ISO 1600 I could not have gotten with the F4 lens.

I do like the attention I get and questions.

I love the way this lens is SO bright in the viewfinder, noticeably brighter when framing a shot then the F4.

I don’t mind the extra workout carrying it around I need the exercise.

I’m thinking about also buying the F4 70-200 and having both.

Why only 4 stars:

If this lens were tack sharp edge to edge at 200mm at any distance I would have given it 5 stars but felt that this was enough to pull back to 4.

Also the min distance switch is too easy to move, it doesn’t need this switch anyway the auto focus is great,

Recommendation:

If you have the money and want a bright in the viewfinder, great color, large, imposing presence tripod mounted lens the F2.8 lens is for you.

If you want to save some money and shoot hand held with a lighter lens and don’t need the F2.8 for low light shooting and Bokeh then get the F4 lens.

If you have lots and lots of money buy them both!

9-23-2007 Update

This lens continues to impress me. I have been shooting more around F2.8 at longer reach hand held on cloudy days and inside buildings where flash is not allowed and have found this lens really can work hand held at higher ISO say 400 to 800. I’m thinking about buying the 40D which has higher ISO performance then my Rebel XTi so I can shoot at 1600 ISO and 3200 ISO with less noise.

Filter Update 1-3-2008

After much searching I found the perfect filter. The Hoya Multi Coat HMC Pro1 Protection filter is not supposed to filter the shot just protect the front lens element. I was very worried that it would affect the shot after having tried some other premium filters like the B+W UV which caused the photos to be softer and duller. However, after some tests I found that in some weird way the Hoya Multi Coat HMC Pro1 actually makes the photos seem to have just a little more contrast and be a little sharper then without. I thought I had gotten the test shots backwards and had to retest with a little sign in the photo saying with and without filter in place just to make sure. Really amazing!!! I’m sold!

Update 3-1-2008 Arizona Renaissance Festival

Here’s a brief summary of my thoughts when using both the Canon 70-200 F/2.8 USM L and Canon 135mm F/2 USM L at AZ Renaissance Festival.

The first thing I noticed was the zoom can be much more versatile especially at the bird show where it’s ability to zoom in and out was nice, but it’s minimum focus distance is quite a bit farther. I noticed several times taking face shot close ups that I ran into the stop and it could not focus, so I had to back up. Also knowing that full sharpness was not reached until F/5.6 I kept the lens at this stop to make the shots sharp. But there is no denying its ability to reach out and photograph someone at a distance and then turn around and get a shot close up. Also, the Canon 70-200 really stood out to people. I actually had several people ask what lens it was and could they look at it / hold it. Several workers made jokes about my large canon when I had it mounted.

On the Canon 135mm side there is no denying the quality of the photos and the ability to blur the background and still have a sharp subject at wide open apertures. The creamy smooth Bokeh and quality of the photos make them treasures I will show off and print for years to come. There is some 3d quality that these photos possess that the 70-200 just does not have. The Canon 135mm is much more stealthy with people not really thinking you are taking their photo from far away. No one asked to hold it or even what kind of lens it was. The workers didn’t make jokes about having a large canon in fact there were a couple of workers that said they had seen bigger.

I love them both, but if I had to choose only one to take to the Renaissance Festival it would be the Canon 135mm F/2 USM L. It’s half the weight, black and stealthy and takes photos I will treasure forever.

3-28-2008 Update:

I still love this lens and it was my first L lens. It’s funny how much more attention this lens will get everywhere I go. You will be asked what news agency you are working for, can I see it, can I hold it, how much does it cost? Things I have never been asked about my Canon 85mm F/1.2 L II lens which cost hundreds more. So if you want a great 70-200 zoom and crave attention and can carry the weight this lens is for you. I still love mine and plan on keeping it forever!

8-18-2008 Update:

I find myself falling in love with this lens all over again. A friend has borrowed it for a few months to use and I went on a shoot this weekend with it and wow!! When you use Digital Photo Professional (DPP) to make your JPEG from RAW this lens is a razor blade even at F/2.8! There is that much difference in processing using DPP then usin Adobe Camera Raw!!! It makes my Canon 70-200 F/2.8 look almost as sharp as my Canon 135 F2.

The only strange thing when I first got the lens back it focuses more slowly then normal for a few shots about like the focusing on my Canon 85mm F/1.2 which can be a little slow. But within a few hundred shots seems to be back to the milisecond focus speed. I wonder if he left it out in the car in the hot Arizona sun?

Still get’s a huge amount of attention. You would think it was a Canon 300mm F/2.8 the way people stare. Guess the white L lenses are still pretty rare out and about. My friends Canon 70-200 F4 L is just as sharp but the F/2.8 lets in twice as much light! But the F/2.8 feels almost twice as fat in the hand and after a day of shooting is heavier!! Still when I was already at ISO 3200 and F/2.8 yeasterday at a very dark church function I was stopping action that you could not do with the Canon 70-200 F/4.

11-07-2008 Update:

This is still one of my most used and versatile lenses. And I’ve noticed in some of my photos this really cool almost 3D effect around the main subject usually at wider apertures. My only regret is that it does not have IS. After buying two lenses that have it I can see that in really dark situations IS can really make a huge difference. Also there is the one single spec of dust in the middle of the outer most element. But it does not seem to affect the photos.

It’s taken many beautiful photos for me and I will probably keep it as long as I live.

Auto Vignetting peripheral illumination control:

Canon has this super sweet Auto Lens Vignetting correction that works with this lens both in camera with JPEG’s and in RAW using peripheral Illumination control in Canon Digital Photo Professional (DPP) when using newer Canon digital EOS cameras (Canon Rebel XSi, 40D, 5D Mark II etc.) . No more vignetting when shooting wide open!!! When shooting Raw open the file(s) in DPP and click on NR/Lens Lens Aberration Correction / Tune and click on Peripheral illumination. The cameras listed above have already picked up the amount of vignetting based on focusing distance, zoom setting and F stop from the lens and the camera has saved the information with the Raw file. You can then adjust the amount under Peripheral Illumination if you don’t like the amount automatically suggested. If you shot JPEG then you get the auto amount. SWEET!!!

Verdict:

You can’t go wrong if you need 70-200mm and fast speed.

01-03-2009 Canon 5D Mark II Update:

This lens is actually just behind my Canon 100-400 IS L Lens in the zoom sharpness and clarity department but it’s no where near as versatile on my 5D Mark II as the 100-400. Still it’s a must have lens when shooting weddings when you need the super Bokeh background melting power of an F/2.8 aperture and lower light power of an F/2.8 aperture. The Bokeh that was Ok on the 40D is smoother creamier and richer on the 5D Mark II. Still I almost wish I had bought the Image Stabilized version instead. I’m finding that on the 5D Mark II you can really sharpen up images when shooting in raw and processing in Canon’s Digital Photo Professional. As that and the price were my only complaint about the IS version of this lens I now wish I had purchased it instead.

Lenses I currently own:

Canon EF-S 17-55 F/2.8 IS Zoom Lens Ultra sharp, great colors, great low light, poor zoom action

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Rebel XTi Kit Zoom lens Muddy, slow, pile of junk

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L Zoom Lens Fantastic colors, sharp zoomed 17 to 24mm and stopped down, ultra smooth zoom action, light weight

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L Zoom Lens Fantastic colors and contrast, sharp zoomed 40 to 70mm, zoom a little stiff at first, heavy, repair prone!

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Good budget portrait lens, light weight, disposable, sharp from F/2.5

Canon EF 85mm F/1.2 L II The best portrait lens for female and children clients, buttery smooth Bokeh, heavy and expensive it shares sharpness with 135mm

Canon EF 135mm F/2.0 L The best portrait lens for males and tied with Canon 85mm F 1/.2 for sharpest lens I own, buttery smooth Bokeh

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L Zoom Lens Fantastic colors, sharp for a zoom, very versatile ego boosting and attention getting and heavy! My favorite zoom lens that I own!!!

Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS Zoom Lens super colors, sharp for a zoom, extremely versatile, variable Bokeh can be great or bad, even more ego boosting and attention getting when extended and 400mm reach!!

My next lens purchase I’m saving for right now: Canon EF 300mm F/2.8 IS L the finest lens ever

What I would expect from an “L” series lens…
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’m not going to rehash how great this lens is, and yes it is. As of yet, I have no IS lenses, but try to stick to “L” series glass. I had thought about purchasing the IS version, but would rather put the extra $500 into another high quality lens. With the quality of today’s cameras, you can reduce the need for IS by upping the ISO and shutter speed a bit. With the 2.8f, you will have enough light to do this while shooting at 1/200th of a second. At this speed, IS is no longer needed. I recommend this lens very highly.

This really is a great lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have a few ‘L’ lens, and this is by far my favorite. Reviews saying this is their favorite lens are not kidding. There are plenty of other reviews going over all the features, but I would like to add to the IS v Non-IS.

I purchased the NON-IS version because I did not want to fork over the extra million-dollars for IS. If I knew I was to like this lens so much and it would become my favorite lens, I would have splurged for IS.

Somewhere on the great-big-internet I read a comparison between the two versions. The IS version clearly shows less sharpness, but it was not clear if that is only when IS is on. And I’m not sure if it would be noticeable on Digital.

Built like a tank
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I don’t personally subscribe to the notion that the big brand manufacturers always make the best lenses out there, but this is one instance where they really, honestly do. This thing is lightning fast, sharp as a tack, the bokeh is much better than Sigma’s equivalent, and you’ll have a hard time finding a use for your raw processor’s chromatic aberration correcting sliders when coupled with a digital body (you CAN still get some purple fringing around backlit subjects, but genuine CA bad enough to show up in a print has so far proven non-existent for me at any focal length or aperture). The weight is a serious downside, but it’s one I can live with.

If you’re a nature photographer who really has a problem holding still or if you plan on using extension tubes, the IS version might be worth the extra $700 to you, but if you’re doing event photography where the subjects are the ones jumping around like rabbits, save your money and your battery power; ain’t a thing wrong with this lesser model.

worth the weight
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
a great companion for the 100-400LCanon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras miss the IS but a monopod is a great help. the f/2.8 is worth the extra $ in added light on a subject. the close up switch is a big help in all cases on both lenses. both lenses literally grab a subject from the air compared to my 70-300 IS USM which is also a good lens for the size and weight.Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras

Wonderful lens, takes great pictures, very durable
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I received this lens as an engagement gift from my fiance’s father. I’m currently using it on my Rebel XTi, with the EF-S 17-85 as my standard zoom lens. The lens itself is considerably larger than the f/4, and about a pound heavier. Its size and color also attract a lot of attention in public, which I have found may or may not be a bad thing. During autoracing I have found that track workers and drivers all instantly respected me, thinking I was a professional for having a white lens. The instant respect meant I was allowed on parts of the track spectators usually aren’t, which allowed me to take pictures from awesome vantage points. At other times, people just stared. In other words, be prepared to be treated differently just because of the lens itself.

The lens is incredibly sharp. I’ve reviewed track shots, portraits of people and animals, as well as landscape and sea scape shots, and the color in those pictures is amazing. They’re vibrant, alive, and clear. Chromatic aberration is extremely well controlled, especially when comparing to my 17-85, which does a decent job most of the time. At f/2.8 I can get extremely shallow DOF with beautiful bokeh, and at f/2.8 the lens focuses quickly and accurately. This is certainly a step up from my 17-84 f/45-5.6, which would often hunt for something to focus on and at last focus on the wrong object. This lens also allows for low light photography, especially indoors. There have been times that I have wanted the version with IS, but then I realize the IS would be about a pound heavier, and at that weight might be enough for my hands to shake, thereby canceling the IS benefits.

The lens came with a lens hood and soft lens case, which are very good quality. The hood is stiff and a bit hard to screw on and off the front lens element, but offers good physical protection and reduces flare in bright lighting. The case is nice and would be useful mostly for storage. As I pack my camera gear so that I’m always ready to leave in a moment’s notice, I keep this lens in my camera bag with my other stuff, and not in the case it came with. I have a feeling that toting around a camera bag and a case would make me forget one or the other somewhere.

I’m a very small person, around 5’1″, so carrying this lens around was not trivial. As I am decently fit from working out, my arms and neck did not get as tired as I expected they would after carrying my camera and lens around about 12 hrs a day for 4 days straight in 100F weather, but the weight and bulk may be a concern if you have a small frame. I also had to change how I hold a lens and my camera so the weight wouldn’t affect my balance and picture taking. One thing that might help with ballast is buying a battery grip, or using a heftier camera. My XTi is a very small, light camera, and is probably not the best camera to use with this lens without attaching a battery grip.

One last thing to consider as that because this lens is large and fairly heavy, you may have to upgrade your camera bags. I have a Kata R-101 backpack and a Crumpler 4 Million Dollar Home, and the lens would not fit in the Crumpler as I expected. What I didn’t expect was that it would be such a tight fit in my Kata backpack, which looks quite roomy inside. I had to re-arrange the partitions, but even then it’s hard to squeeze the lens, my camera, 17-85, EX 580 II flash, lens cleaner, and other small things with it as the tripod ring takes up a lot of room.

Overall, I love this lens and I’ve made changes to my camera gear and my picture taking to accommodate it. I’ve taken some very wonderful pictures with this lens that would not have been possible with a cheaper lens that didn’t control chromatic aberration, lens flare, etc as well. I highly recommend this lens — you’ll have fun with it!

9.8 out of 10 from a trusted user review site email me 4 more
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
If you would like a list of sites with reviews email

gumby (at) dontquotemeonthat (dot) com

Pros: Excellent build and amazing picture quality. Fast AF and beautiful Bokeh. This is what separates the L’s from the rest.

Cons: Maybe could be cheaper but it’s definitely worth the money

Pros: It’s all been said already. Phenomenal value. Perfection in a tube.

Cons: Gives a false sense that all Canon ‘L’ zooms are this good. They aren’t.

Pros: Tack-sharp at f/2.8, nice size, easily hand-holdable, practically glued to the camera, works great with the 1.4x TC.

Cons: Hood fits a little bit tight, but other than that, nothing!

if your a newbie here’s some info

A lens is “fast” when it has a low f-stop… ok so when you have a smaller number the apature is bigger which allows more light through, so this means you can up the shutter speed. and still have enough light reach the sensor.

ok so lets say you have an out door shot if you have say an f/4 lens the shutter speed could be 1/250 of a second and you would get a good exposer. Now this lens can only go f/4

but if you in the same outdoor setting, had an f/2.8 lens you could jump to 1/500 of a second and get the same exposer. and freeze the action mmore effectivly, this i believe is why it’s a “fast” lens.

ok have fun and get it done

A “Must Have” Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is probably Canon’s best value in a mid/long zoom.

I got this the same day I purchased my 30D…along with the EF-S 10-22 and the EF 24-70 2.8L. Talk about pleased! No regrets whatsoever.

This lens just screams quality. Images just pop out at you. If you’re considering the f/4 model…take a hard look at this one. Add a hood (cha-ching) and (yikes) the $100+ tripod ring and the value of this lens really shows. It’s a bit larger & heavier but look what you gain! If you’re one of those that considers the sweet spot of a lens to be stopped down a step or two just look at where that puts you on the f/4 compared to this one. And the focus speed is nothing short of “holy mackerel that’s fast!”

Sure, you could spend a few more bucks and get the IS version…but frankly, to me at least, if it’s that important I’ll be using a tripod anyway. Hmmm, just took the shakes out of the equation.

All in all, a great lens at a decent price.

Fantastic Image Quality, Better than IS Version
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
OK, first off, I won’t repeat how professionally sharp this lens is. It’s expensive, and there’s a reason. Image quality is stupid amazing. This is the best zoom in its focal-length class.

But–the IS version is not quite as sharp as this non-IS version. I know, I know, people may balk at the statement, but the Canon tests and the real pro photo reviews don’t lie. One reason is less elements bogging the image. Only in a hand-held lower light situation will the IS version get you a sharper image, no doubt, at slower shutter speeds such as 1/30 etc. BUT, you’d better be taking shots of a museum or something, because if the subject is moving (people at a wedding for instance), you’ve got subject blur and IS becomes useless. But in a brighter setting where IS doesn’t help because you have a fast-enough shutter speed (that’s right, IS doesn’t kick in there), this non-IS lens wins quality-wise, ESPECIALLY tripod mounted.

So you’d really need to have a dedicated reason to spend 500 bucks more and be willing to carry almost a pound more of lens weight for IS. The non-IS lens is heavy enough as it is. I use a monopod and boost up my ISO on my near-noiseless Canon 5D, and viola, I’ve gained the same 2 to 3 stops that IS can give you, and at a faster shutter speed to boot. Oh, credit where credit is due, I’m fairly sure the IS version has weather sealing where the non-IS does not. I wouldn’t take my lens out in the rain anyway, but that’s a point to note.

For those of you wondering about the f/4 version, I can see that being very useful if you do nature photography on a tripod and don’t need f/2.8. The f/4 is WAY lighter in your backpack. Pick up a tripod ring on the popular auction site (f/4 version doesn’t come with one), it’s way cheaper there. Again, IS not needed here at all. For the price of the IS f/4 you can get the non-IS 2.8.

This 70-200mm 2.8 non-IS is the best lens I’ve owned image-wise, and the 500 bucks saved can be used for a 100mm Macro or a 580EX flash or a couple TCs or a 50mm 1.4 (plus a good LowePro backpack) or almost the cost of the 17-40mm L. I think it’s a no-brainer there!

awesome lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
my cousin’s wife is a professional studio photographer who occasionally lends out her lenses to me for clothing / lifestyle photoshoots (I’ve been pretty active in this area for some time, just now starting to go full digital), and I’ve used the f/2.8L about four or five times and this is one of the best lenses I’ve used. period. shooting wide open allows you to retain high shutter speeds for night shots, as well as get very interesting and vibrant long shutter shots (of crowds, the freeway at night, etc). when shooting action shots, the tripod mount can get in the way of zooming and focusing, but it can be removed easily enough.

I personally just purchased the f/4.0L, which, coupled with a relatively wide max aperture and shooting at either 1600 or 3200 on my 20D, should do nicely, but I still rate the 2.8 high up on my list.

My newest lens, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have agonized over this purchase for some time; “to buy or not to buy” that was the big question. So many reviewers have said “WOW” already, so I won’t go that route! I only recently aquired this lens. I ‘MUST’ say that I am positively thrilled with the pictures I made with it. It is an eye opener to see the results! The drawback is that I now want a FULL frame camera (I am currently using the Digital Rebel XTi), but I don’t have the money right now. This lens does everything all the other reviewers said it would do, and then some! The weight you will have to get used to, it is really “HEFTY”, but you don’t have it on the camera all the time. Needless to say, bring a sturdy tripod when going somewhere on a shooting spree (NO pun intended). “Why did it take me so long to buy this lens?” You actually will have to get used to a number of people looking and pointing at you, but that is a small price to pay for superb results. Some people actually come over and ask a lot of questions, many quite interresting I might add. It is so much fun to see what a good piece of equipment can help you do!

In short, this is a purchase you will not regret!

Excellent L Class Zoom Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Excellent Lens, superb sharpness, great contrast, not so heavy as i thought it would be, focus super fast, and you have f2.8 all the way !!!

SIMPLY AMAZING!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Don’t bother with IS – but DO bother with 2.8 – I can’t imagine shooting with anything smaller than 2.8 now. This lens is incredible – and everyone thinks you’re a pro before you’ve even taken a shot! : ) My shots are amazing. Speed – amazing. Quality – amazing. Durability – amazing. GET ONE NOW!!!

Canon’s Amazing Zoom
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
At first i was really unsure if i should get the F4 version of this lens, or the 2.8. I finally decided to get the 2.8, and i’m VERY glad i did. I only have one complaint with this lens and that is that it gets kind of heavy after a while, which you soon get used to. I would suggest this lens to anyone looking for a pro grade zoom. Always fast, always sharp.

great lense
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
does not zoom as much as I would have hoped, but I have been able to take some great picures I would have otherwise missed

Excellent, but Watch out whit the filter Diameter
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens is outstanding, it has a very solid and strong construction. Any thing i could say may be redundant, my only advice is that the filter Diameter must be 77MM not 67mm like amazon’s says.