On 26, August 2010, Canon has released the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM lens. This new telephoto 'L' lens was targeted mainly to enthusiast photographers. Until now, the best option for an affordable 70-300mm range telephoto-zoom lens was the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM. Canon keeps improving its popular telephoto zoom range lenses, and it does it again with the EF 70-300mm f4-5.6L IS USM. This new L-lens is also compact in size (89mm diameter x 143mm length) and constructed of 19 elements in 14 groups.
As an L-series lens, Canon's brand new 70-300mm IS includes Canon's high quality materials. The 70-300m lens includes two Ultra-Low Dispersion (UD) elements, Super Spectra coatings, Canon latest optical image stabilizer (IS), 8 bladed for beautiful out-of-focus backgrounds & USM AF motor. High quality lenses, means high optical quality and therefore, high resolution. Many of today's latest Canon DSLRs, includes high resolution CMOS sensors. In order to take advantage of this high resolution sensors, Canon keep enhancing the optical quality of its lenses every year.
There are many photographers, which the extra range from 200mm is very important for them. Of course you have have other alternative lenses: (lens | Release date | Retail price)
- EF 70-300mmf/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM (2004, ~$1400)
- EF 75-300mmf/4-5.6 III (1999, ~$199)
- EF 75-300mmf/4-5.6 III USM (1999, ~$234)
- EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM (2005, ~$650)
Being a L-lens, means that you get high quality accessories. The EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM comes with a ET-73B lens hood & LP1424 lens case. An optional accessory is the tripod mount C (WII), which you can attach to the lens, in order to attach it to a tripod. Canon EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 USM IS (non-L) performed very good on PhotoZone.de lab tests. But as you can see from the above lens list, the latest 70-300mm lens is almost 6 years old. It is time to make a debut, well... before the competitors do it.
Now enthusiast photographers can equip themselves with a 24-70mm f2.8L USM lens and the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM for the perfect combination. The 70-300mm focal range is a very popular range among sports photographers and wildlife outdoor photographers. It will probably serve you very well when shooting in good lighting conditions. For indoor sports photography, you will probably better with a faster (low aperture) lens. Even so, taking into consideration the IS and high ISO sensitivities that are available to you on Canon's DSLRs. I see no significant flow, which will prevent you from taking great indoor shoots.
This lens will allow photographers to capture the essence of every subject in great details, sharpness & contrast. The two UD elements will help to keep chromatic aberration, ghosting and flare, as low as possible. Canon's optical image stabilizer (IS) offers 4 stop advantage, compared to non-IS lenses. The USM (Ultra Sonic Motor) AF motor operation is fast and quiet, and you have the ability to use manual focus override. Canon has also equipped the 70-300mm f4-5.6L with Fluorine coating, which protect the lens and makes cleaning the lens, much easier than before.
Canon EF 70-300mm F4-5.6L IS USM lens weights 1050g, takes 67mm filters and has a 1.2m minimum focus distance. This is a high-optical quality lens, which will provide Canon photographers with the well known L-grade lens optical & build qualities. The retails price wasn't yet announced, but I am sure that it will be quite affordable. Mount it on a Canon 7D or the newly announced Canon 60D, and you have a great DSLR camera for closeups, landscape, wildlife (outdoors) and portrait photography. The lens has internal focusing and 35mm: 34-8.15° angle of view. Let's wait and see how the Canon EF 70-300 F4.5-6L IS USM reviews will turned out to be.
More info & specifications on dpreview.com.
How will they sell the 70-300 DO IS lense
ReplyDeleteIt is just the L version of a previous telezoom lens. But the prohibitive price tag will definitely be a factor. A lens of this caliber should not sell for more than $ 1,300/-. I already have EF 400mm f/5.6 L prime which has 100 mm more reach at same aperture bought for 300 dollar less.
ReplyDeleteThe DO was always over priced even before this lens was available - perhaps canon will DO us a favor and put the price down.
ReplyDeleteWe can only hope.
"DO us a favor..", LOL, that's funny Jenkins. Maybe Canon will come up with a new 70-300 mm new DO model, what DO you think?
ReplyDeleteHey I just got this lens, initial results are excellent, far better than the DO which was one of the lenses I sold to fund the purcahse! I think that, for the price, it should include the tripod collar though.
ReplyDeleteDoes the tripod collar of the 4/300 IS lens fit?
ReplyDeleteI had the 70-300is and sold it for the 100-400L. Big difference! Got that one for about $1500 so the 70-300 had to be below that
ReplyDeleteI love the light weight and compact size of this lens. A perfect walk-about lens. It's tack sharp throughout the zoom range, and 4 stops of IS gained, makes handholding in low light and at slow shutter speeds, doable.
ReplyDeleteIt's an outstanding lens and fills a void in the Canon lens lineup.
Mr. Ken Rockwell is well known for his point-blank remarks on anything. He is a Nikon user but, attacks them ferociously whenever found at fault.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, he reviewed this lens and correctly said that this lens performs very much the same functions as the non-L version that sells at one third of the price. Let's not allow Canon to fool us.