EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM
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5
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Superb telephoto lens
Already owing the 70-200 F/2.8 IS mark II, i bought this lens as a lighter alternative to the big gun, to go to my second, lighter bag along with the 24-105 IS. And i was very surprised by its performance from day one.
First of all, it has half the weight of the 2.8 version. It is so light, you can't believe it is all glass and metal. The build quality is true L but it is so much lighter than the bigger brother... All controls have a very positive feel to them. The zoom and focus rings are so nice.
Then its the image quality. I am so pleased with this glass... It is really sharp, very contrasty and the colours are super. And the image stabilizer, a life saver when needed. I have very steady hands and have managed steady shots at 200mm and 1/5 of a second easily... The bokeh is very pleasant and gives good seperation. Not much difference from the 2.8.
Don't get me whong here, i really adore the 2.8 IS II and i think it is the best 70-200 ever made by anyone, but that lens had two downsides. Weight and price. This one has none. So, if you don't use F/2.8 all the time and want the best 70-200 for your money, go buy this one. You will not regret it, that's for sure! But if you need that extra f stop and can handle the weight, the IS II is the absolutely Best
January 19, 2013
My go to Lens.
Simply put this lens is crystal clear, lightweight and a perfect go to lens when only a quality print will due. I am totally happy with the addition of the 70-200 L. I also have the 24-105 and 100-400 L's to compare from.
October 8, 2012
A Classic lens in EF-lineup.
This is my first L series lens and it took a couple of days for me to get a handle of it. Once we get used to the weight of the lens and feel comfortable, this glass soon becomes our friend. The AF is very fast and quiet, and the IS is very handy. You can actually see that the IS is operational through the view finder. The image tends to become more stable. There is a slight noise when IS is operational. The IS is still on for about 1-2 seconds after pressing the shutter button completely. This is a good feature when you want to quickly capture another shot of the same scene.
I used it mostly for portraits and I am very much satisfied with its performance. At 200 mm and f/8, it gives some amazing results. Additionally, under good lighting conditions, the image quality in terms of colors and sharpness is so great that you cannot stop shooting!
Wide open at f/4, with APS-C body, the image is slightly soft, but that is because of very sharp and narrow DOF, and any slight moment will become visible at 100% crop.
This is a good lens for landscapes too. The color quality is exceptional. Overall, this lens is a valuable addition, and definitely worth the dollar you invest.
August 16, 2012
Fantastic lens
I couldn't decide between it and the non IS version. I finally decided to get this one because it's been updated from the older non IS version with better glass. The reviews said this lens is very sharp from f4 up and even to the edges at f4. Wow is it! It's also sharp through out the zoom range.
I wasn't sure the IS was worth the extra, but this is a newer IS compared to some of my older lens and works much better. It is much more useful then the older IS lenses are.
Another big plus to this lens is that it does not change length when you zoom. When a lens changes length it's acting like a bellows and sucking in dirt. I love that this lens does not change length when you zoom.
Overall I am super happy with this lens. I just wish it were a little cheaper. In this review the form ask where you use it most. There should be an "all of the above."
July 3, 2012
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