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Technical Details
- 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens with f/4.5-5.6 maximum aperture for Canon EOS SLR cameras
- 3-stop Image Stabilizer for reducing camera shake; ring-type ultra-sonic monitor (USM)
- Electro-magnetic diaphragm (EMD) helps create attractive background at large apertures
- Super Spectra lens coating and lens element shaping suppresses flare and ghosting
- Measures 3 inches in diameter and 5.6 inches long; weighs 22.2 ounces; 1-year warranty
Product Details
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Product Description
Featuring the latest 3-stop Image Stabilizer for outstanding camera shake reduction, the EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM zoom lens also features super responsive autofocus. Replacing the popular EF 75-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM, the world's first interchangeable lens with Image Stabilizer (IS), the lens is expected to appeal to serious amateur nature and sports photographers looking to achieve outstanding results while shooting hand held.
Features
- 70-300mm focal length
- EF mount; telephoto zoom lens
- 3-stop Image Stabilizer for outstanding camera shake reduction
- Electro-magnetic diaphragm (EMD) helps create an attractive, even defocused background at large apertures
- Ring-type UltraSonic Motor (USM)
Available Warranties for This Item
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
787 of 815 people found the following review helpful
The short version:
Pros:
The optical quality is great, the speed is terrific, and it compares well to the 70-200mm lens that people like to say blows this out of the water (I believe they are wrong - but we will get into that later) and finally, the price cannot be beaten. Buy it.
Cons:
No hood, extends as it zooms, and the quality of the picture in low light situation lessens a little.
The long version:
I am writing this in simple terms. I found several, several reviews on this lens but they were all in technical terms and leaves you scratching your head a little. So, if you are like me maybe this review will help you.
I bought this lens a couple months ago from US1Photo.com (check these guys out. They regularly have significant sales and terrific customer service). I use this lens with a Canon 40D.
I take several types and styles of pictures so I needed a lens that would do the best job at several things and have a very affordable price (right at or less than $1,000). I looked through new, used, third party (Tamron, Sigma, etc) lenses, and read too many reviews and looked at too many images to count, and spent four hours in a photography store playing with lenses before I decided to spend money and take advantage of this lens. All in all I spent about a week's worth of time in research and testing before I bought this lens.
---
Edit:
Okay, so amazon won't let me put a link here. This is how you find me.
~Go to Flickr
~Then type in a "/" then "photos" then "/" and last type in "gman_five0"
And that should take you there.
---
Test of comment #1:
~The Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM does not track moving objects very well and the farther to the end of the zoom the slower the tracking.
(Flickr Gallery page 2)
This, I have found, to be completely wrong. I have used the lens at several sporting events and found that it tracks rather nicely. I was able to track every step of a base-runner from first base to second, slide, and recovery after the play without losing ONE shot.
To see what I am talking about check out my gallery on Flickr. The older ones are NOT done with this lens or camera and taken, actually, several years ago. I will reference the pictures in question.
Safe, Got There By a Mile, Breaking Up That Double Play (please note that as time goes on from the date that this was posted the pictures may have been re-moved). Also, "Safe" was used instead of another shot taken at the same time and angle with a 70-200mm IS lens.
To take these shots I used "AI focus" and the "H" settings on my camera for quicker tracking and the H settings for about 6 frames per second.
Test of Comment #2:
~The 200-300mm range is nice in theory, but a tack-sharp photo from the 70-200mm f/4L at 200mm is going to look better cropped than a 300mm full-frame photo from this lens.
Again, I found this to be wrong. Though I have no actual "full sized" picture for this if you comment back with an email address then we can arrange a viewing of one. Otherwise, take my word for it, I own several lenses and this one stacks up well.
(Ref Flickr Gallery)
The pictures from the Dance Theater and Tashina were all taken at the 200-300mm focus lengths. Again, they are not full sized because of photo pirates, but if you email me we can see about full sized shots.
Test of Comment #3:
~The IS motor is loud
I do not know what these people are talking about, but if you call that loud...
On the other hand, I have heard (once), the sound of the IS motor, but if you are not listening for it you will not even notice it.
Things I have found about the lens:
If you spend some time with the lens will be one of your best friends. It is a great lens especially for people on a budget (like me). To take the best pictures you cannot just twist it on and go to shooting. Take the time to LEARN about the lens (change shutter speeds, ISO settings, aperture, white balances, etc) and it will show you where it shines - just like the L series lenses and the 70-200mm IS.
This lens has a solid make and feels like it will last forever. Then again, as you zoom the lens does extend and is plastic. So, watch out if you are doing sports. You may get it knocked off. It did well for me, though. Extending while zooming makes putting a hood on the lens a bit (very little; so little that you cannot tell) awkward and it looks kinda goofy.
I like the lens because it is not as bulky as the 70-200mm lens and it is extremely mobile. It is as quick as some other lenses, not as quick as some, and quicker than others. It will give you great quality pictures. It does have its limits, however: in low light situations not being able to take it back a couple stops and get a wider aperture will not give you the same shot as a 70-200mm. Then again, like I said, it doesn't drop to that f/2.8 and does not cost all that money. This has been the single drawback for me about the lens.
I use this lens for portraits (Tashina, Samantha), for sports (see gallery), and music (Shawn Pander - See Gallery). So, it's pretty versatile. I have yet to use with it flash, but that is because I simply do not like to use flash. I have yet to use it in a studio setting, but when I do I will amend this review and add a couple of those pictures as well.
This lens comes highly recommended from me. I am not a big time, highly paid, or well known photographer. I just like to shoot and like what I shoot to be of the best quality that I can have AND afford at the time. So, if you are like me and cannot spend the needed $1,500 - $1,700 on a 70-200mm IS lens then spend your money on this lens. You will not be sorry for it.
---
On another note, comments are welcome. This is my first ever review on here so let me know if there anything else that you would like to know about and I will do my best to answer the question in the most plain terms as possible.
Pros:
The optical quality is great, the speed is terrific, and it compares well to the 70-200mm lens that people like to say blows this out of the water (I believe they are wrong - but we will get into that later) and finally, the price cannot be beaten. Buy it.
Cons:
No hood, extends as it zooms, and the quality of the picture in low light situation lessens a little.
The long version:
I am writing this in simple terms. I found several, several reviews on this lens but they were all in technical terms and leaves you scratching your head a little. So, if you are like me maybe this review will help you.
I bought this lens a couple months ago from US1Photo.com (check these guys out. They regularly have significant sales and terrific customer service). I use this lens with a Canon 40D.
I take several types and styles of pictures so I needed a lens that would do the best job at several things and have a very affordable price (right at or less than $1,000). I looked through new, used, third party (Tamron, Sigma, etc) lenses, and read too many reviews and looked at too many images to count, and spent four hours in a photography store playing with lenses before I decided to spend money and take advantage of this lens. All in all I spent about a week's worth of time in research and testing before I bought this lens.
---
Edit:
Okay, so amazon won't let me put a link here. This is how you find me.
~Go to Flickr
~Then type in a "/" then "photos" then "/" and last type in "gman_five0"
And that should take you there.
---
Test of comment #1:
~The Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM does not track moving objects very well and the farther to the end of the zoom the slower the tracking.
(Flickr Gallery page 2)
This, I have found, to be completely wrong. I have used the lens at several sporting events and found that it tracks rather nicely. I was able to track every step of a base-runner from first base to second, slide, and recovery after the play without losing ONE shot.
To see what I am talking about check out my gallery on Flickr. The older ones are NOT done with this lens or camera and taken, actually, several years ago. I will reference the pictures in question.
Safe, Got There By a Mile, Breaking Up That Double Play (please note that as time goes on from the date that this was posted the pictures may have been re-moved). Also, "Safe" was used instead of another shot taken at the same time and angle with a 70-200mm IS lens.
To take these shots I used "AI focus" and the "H" settings on my camera for quicker tracking and the H settings for about 6 frames per second.
Test of Comment #2:
~The 200-300mm range is nice in theory, but a tack-sharp photo from the 70-200mm f/4L at 200mm is going to look better cropped than a 300mm full-frame photo from this lens.
Again, I found this to be wrong. Though I have no actual "full sized" picture for this if you comment back with an email address then we can arrange a viewing of one. Otherwise, take my word for it, I own several lenses and this one stacks up well.
(Ref Flickr Gallery)
The pictures from the Dance Theater and Tashina were all taken at the 200-300mm focus lengths. Again, they are not full sized because of photo pirates, but if you email me we can see about full sized shots.
Test of Comment #3:
~The IS motor is loud
I do not know what these people are talking about, but if you call that loud...
On the other hand, I have heard (once), the sound of the IS motor, but if you are not listening for it you will not even notice it.
Things I have found about the lens:
If you spend some time with the lens will be one of your best friends. It is a great lens especially for people on a budget (like me). To take the best pictures you cannot just twist it on and go to shooting. Take the time to LEARN about the lens (change shutter speeds, ISO settings, aperture, white balances, etc) and it will show you where it shines - just like the L series lenses and the 70-200mm IS.
This lens has a solid make and feels like it will last forever. Then again, as you zoom the lens does extend and is plastic. So, watch out if you are doing sports. You may get it knocked off. It did well for me, though. Extending while zooming makes putting a hood on the lens a bit (very little; so little that you cannot tell) awkward and it looks kinda goofy.
I like the lens because it is not as bulky as the 70-200mm lens and it is extremely mobile. It is as quick as some other lenses, not as quick as some, and quicker than others. It will give you great quality pictures. It does have its limits, however: in low light situations not being able to take it back a couple stops and get a wider aperture will not give you the same shot as a 70-200mm. Then again, like I said, it doesn't drop to that f/2.8 and does not cost all that money. This has been the single drawback for me about the lens.
I use this lens for portraits (Tashina, Samantha), for sports (see gallery), and music (Shawn Pander - See Gallery). So, it's pretty versatile. I have yet to use with it flash, but that is because I simply do not like to use flash. I have yet to use it in a studio setting, but when I do I will amend this review and add a couple of those pictures as well.
This lens comes highly recommended from me. I am not a big time, highly paid, or well known photographer. I just like to shoot and like what I shoot to be of the best quality that I can have AND afford at the time. So, if you are like me and cannot spend the needed $1,500 - $1,700 on a 70-200mm IS lens then spend your money on this lens. You will not be sorry for it.
---
On another note, comments are welcome. This is my first ever review on here so let me know if there anything else that you would like to know about and I will do my best to answer the question in the most plain terms as possible.
195 of 200 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
After debating between this and the 70-200 L series I decided to purchase this lens. I have been pleasantly surprised by the results. I also own the 17-85 and the 50mm 1.8 lenses and I have found that I have gotten the "most pleasing" results from this lens. The pictures have been very sharp from my 20D - even in the 200mm - 300mm range. I've also been happy with the quality of the bokeh.
The primary drawback I see is that the AF tends to hunt a fair amount when confronted with low contrast images. That being said, I used it for some flying bird shooting at the wildlife refuge and was surprised to see how many of the shots were in sharp focus. However, it was a little bit of all or nothing. Several shots were also wildly out of focus. Since the lens is fairly slow to focus, you never know what you're gonna get with such a fast moving object against the distant sky.
I had much more consistent results when shooting soccer, softball and football in the park. The AF speed did not present an issue for any of these activities and the results were excellent.
I wish the lens were a little less expensive but I the prints I have gotten from my 13 X 19 printer have been worth the extra money.
The primary drawback I see is that the AF tends to hunt a fair amount when confronted with low contrast images. That being said, I used it for some flying bird shooting at the wildlife refuge and was surprised to see how many of the shots were in sharp focus. However, it was a little bit of all or nothing. Several shots were also wildly out of focus. Since the lens is fairly slow to focus, you never know what you're gonna get with such a fast moving object against the distant sky.
I had much more consistent results when shooting soccer, softball and football in the park. The AF speed did not present an issue for any of these activities and the results were excellent.
I wish the lens were a little less expensive but I the prints I have gotten from my 13 X 19 printer have been worth the extra money.
160 of 163 people found the following review helpful
I bought this lens as a replacement for the earlier 75-300mm IS lens. I was generally happy with that lens, but it had definite limitations - I needed to shoot at f8 or f11 and bump up the ISO to get a decent shutter speed.
This new version seems sharp at full zoom even wide open, allowing me to use a lower ISO setting. Size is similar to older version, but the IS seems more effective - looking through the lens when it kicks in you can actually see the image become more stable and less shaky. I got this over the Canon 70-200 f4 L because of the extra reach, smaller size (slightly) and the images I've seen from both are very similar.
UPDATE: There have been reports of soft images when using this lens in a verticle orientation - however I have not experienced this on my copy. I'm happy to say that after months of using this lens, I still consider it great.
This new version seems sharp at full zoom even wide open, allowing me to use a lower ISO setting. Size is similar to older version, but the IS seems more effective - looking through the lens when it kicks in you can actually see the image become more stable and less shaky. I got this over the Canon 70-200 f4 L because of the extra reach, smaller size (slightly) and the images I've seen from both are very similar.
UPDATE: There have been reports of soft images when using this lens in a verticle orientation - however I have not experienced this on my copy. I'm happy to say that after months of using this lens, I still consider it great.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
LOVE MY NEW REBEL
I NEEDS SOME HELP....WILL THIS LENS WORK ON MY REBEL T3I~Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras
,,,,I'M NEW AT THIS
,,,,I'M NEW AT THIS
Published 8 days ago by MO
PLEASE DON'T BUY THIS LENS
I can't imagine how in the World Canon can charge $400.00 up for this lens. For some of us that's a big chunk of change. I have 3 L series lenses in my arsenal. Read more
Published 11 days ago by Denise
Very nice lens
I got my wife a new camera, a Canon Rebel T3i, after using her old camera, a Canon Powershot S5 IS, to shoot a full moon rise. Read more
Published 13 days ago by Raymond E. Sterner
Very good lens
I have used this lens on 5D mark III. It is really good. Quick and precise focus, sharp image, efficient IS.
Published 14 days ago by pChao
Great lens
Love using this lens. It really has increased my overall use of my DSLR. I am able to take photos from a distance and really capture a natural shot since I don't have to be close... Read more
Published 15 days ago by Franzalopolis
Great lens
Thrilled to see the price drop and I'd been waiting for the telephoto lens for awhile. I weighed the pros and cons of getting this one for my Canon 40d vs an L series lens but... Read more
Published 22 days ago by Hikermom
Great product
This is a great product for doing moderate distance photos. It shipped on time and a great buy for the money.
Published 22 days ago by Don M
Is worth purchasing
Very easy lens, to take the result is also very good! I recommend a friend also bought, I hope that he will like it.
Published 29 days ago by sooyo
Nice Economical Lens
I bought this mainly for those long shots while on vacation. I don't use it too often, but when I have, it works great. Read more
Published 1 month ago by FullSynthetic
CANON EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens
I bought this lens to go with my canon rebel t3i. I would recommend this lens. The image stabilization is excellent. I shot a pic of the full moon, no tripod just hand held. Read more
Published 1 month ago by bender101
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