Canon EF 70/300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

[ernie90]

Am new to photography and have a question about lenses please, Have just bought a EOS 7D along with a Canon EF 70/300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens, 50mm f/1.8 & camera came with a 15-85mm am wondering if I need to get a CANON EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM LENS to add to my collection ? I have read reviews and they get a top rating, what will it give me that the 70/300mm wont ?
cheers :mrgreen:

 

[Dao]

- Faster
- Weather seal
- Sharper
- Better build quality
- Lens will not extend (zoom)
- Looks cool
- Feel cooler in hot summer days
- Work out (arm)
- Lighter wallet
- Turn you into a Professional Photographer instantly

 

[ernie90]

Dao, thanks for the info it sounds like it is a must for me then ;-)

 

[Dao]

That is the lens that most of the Canon users want to have.
Currently I have the same lens as yours 70-300mm IS. If I have the extra cash to spend on telephoto lens and want to have the result I need from that lens, I may get it. Especially if I need it for a job. Otherwise, I will stay with what I got now. After all, most of my photos I took in the past 1 1/2 years were below 200mm (usually between 17mm to 100mm)

It is a much bigger lens and is heavier. Some forum members here will get the other version of the same focal range lens because of the weight saving.

i.e.
EF 70-200mm F/4L non-IS USM (least expensive)
EF 70-200mm F/4L IS USM
EF 70-200mm F/2.8 non-IS USM

 

[Big Mike]

what will it give me that the 70/300mm wont ?

The biggest difference is the maximum aperture. There is a big difference between F2.8 and F5.6, two whole stops (4 times as much light).
So if you are shooting in less than ideal light, it may be hard to get fast enough shutter speeds with something like the 70-300mm. IS does help to combat camera shake and give you less blur...but it won't help when your subjects are moving. Only a faster shutter speed will help, and having a larger maximum aperture is the key to faster shutter speeds.
Of course, you can also turn up the ISO to get faster shutter speeds...but that introduces noise.
Also, a larger aperture allows you to get a shallower DOF, which can be especially good for isolating a subject from the background.
I have the 70-200mm F2.8 L IS, and it's my favorite portrait lens.

Also, the 70-200mm is an L lens...meaning that it's a top of the line Canon lens and as such, has great image quality. The 70-300mm IS, is pretty good (and much better than the other 70-300mm lenses) but it's no L lens. Plus, there is some prestige associated with L lenses. They have the red ring on the front and the one in question is one of the large white lenses that will certainly garner some attention when you are using it.

On the flip some, maybe you don't want that kind of attention. Also, the 70-200mm F2.8 L IS, is a big, heavy lens. I don't even wear the camera strap around my neck when using this lens....I either hold it in my hand or use an extra long strap and put it across my chest/shoulder.

 

[gsgary]

Am new to photography and have a question about lenses please, Have just bought a EOS 7D along with a Canon EF 70/300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens, 50mm f/1.8 & camera came with a 15-85mm am wondering if I need to get a CANON EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM LENS to add to my collection ? I have read reviews and they get a top rating, what will it give me that the 70/300mm wont ?
cheers :mrgreen:

It all depends on what you are shooting, you would have been better off getting the 70-200 instead of the 70-300 because it will blow the 70-300 out of the water

 

[ernie90]

gsgary, thanks for the response, a friend of mine who claims to be a pro photographer told me to go for the 70/300 ;-( Not sure of his reasoning but I went with what he told me, then started to do some reading like I should have done at first hence my questions.

 

[Big Mike]

A friend of mine has the 70-300 IS. And it's a good choice for him. He's certainly not a pro but he does care about image quality. He travels a lot and likes to take leisurely walks without much gear. Something like a 70-200mm F2.8 would be much too big, heavy and cumbersome for him.

So the 'best' lenses aren't always the best choice. It really depends on your own uses.

 

[gsgary]

See how the 70-300 goes before you go mad, personally i like primes but do have the 70-200F4L perfect on the 1D for shooting horse events