Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens

An L lens on the cheap

Reviewed By: on 1/23/2007

Tech Level: somewhat high - Ownership: 1 month to 1 year

Pros: This lens is L optics at about half the price of its older brothers. While the saying among camera users is "you get what you pay for" seems to hold plenty of general truths, but this lens breaks that key principle - the optics are just as good as the f/2.8, but the rule of thumb comes back into play with the fact that it isn't superb for those indoor shots without excellent lighting. It's also considerably lighter than its older f/2.8 brother. I consider the white paint job to be nice and pleasant, it attracts attention and screams "pro" without the pro price. Can use the 1.4x adapter to increase the range.

Cons: Lack of IS (but this is a trade-off for the amazing price), still a little dark for those indoor shots of basketball games, etc. with the smaller aperture size. After walking around with the lens for a while i understand why pros buy black lenses when taking pictures in less affluent areas.

Other Thoughts: An excellent value. Haven't been able to compare it to its primary competitor( 70-300mm IS ) but from what i have read, this is the lens to have if you are looking for a zoom lens in this price range.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Did you?

Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided!

A Good 3rd or 4th lens...

Reviewed By: Bric on 5/1/2006

Tech Level: high - Ownership: 1 day to 1 week

This user purchased this item from Newegg

Pros: This lens gets very high marks from me on IQ. It is very sharp wide open and the image doesn't suffer much at 200mm either. I bought it for the size and weight. Great for backpacking and such compared to the 2.8 L. I won't miss the stop of light in allot of circumstances. Very light and very compact for this range.

Cons: No tipod colar but it's light enough it won't hurt your mount when supported by camera alone.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Did you?

Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided!

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L

Reviewed By: lalex1971 on 7/1/2009

Tech Level: somewhat high - Ownership: 1 week to 1 month

This user purchased this item from Newegg

Pros: This lense is remarkably well balanced and its' optical performance is exceptional. I should have purchased this lense years ago. I am amazed at the clarity of my images and the saturation of colors in my images.

Cons: Now that has merit to mention.

Other Thoughts: I have used this lense on a Canon digital camera that has been converted for IR B/W and I love the results of my treks out shooting with this combination. For more precise control the IS function would serve me better in lower light hand-held shooting.

Did you find this review helpful?

Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided!

Perfection in Portraits

Reviewed By: Xiggy on 5/17/2008

Tech Level: high - Ownership: 1 week to 1 month

This user purchased this item from Newegg

Pros: First off this is my first lens to buy for my dslr body. It is simply perfect! The touch on the focus and zoom ring feels very good and solid, and after a while the zoom ring gets a little easier to move but not too fast. This lens is tac sharp, ive taken pictures where i could see every single pore on a persons face, and every single detail of the ball inside of a dandelion! The zoom range of this lens is not made for birding unless your about 5-10 feet away from them and that wont fill up the full frame at 200mm (320mm at 35mm) The range is excellent for baseball games (the batters) and for any type or portraits! The f4 is actually a decent speed, and not having the aperture change througout the zoom is very nice to have too. The included lens hood is awesome and the bag that comes with it helps a lot too. The 1.2m or 3m close focus range button definately helps when shooting things through fences. The bokeh is definately awesome and color reproduction is almost perfect!

Cons: My camera with this lens on now costs more then my car.

Other Thoughts: The learning curve for getting this lens steady is about 1 day, which was okay with me. You get a lot of attention in public because the white finish attracts people very easily. I recommend getting a rocketblower or something to keep dust off of the front element.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you?

Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided!

Reviewed By: on 4/24/2008

Tech Level: somewhat high - Ownership: 1 week to 1 month

Pros: Sharp, very fast focusing, ring USM, lightweight.

Cons: No IS, not a very fast lens.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you?

Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided!