Product Description

High-performance, L-series telephoto zoom lens combining lightweight and compactness with an f/4 maximum aperture. Inner focusing and the ring USM enable quick and quiet autofocusing. Also, a circular polarizing filter can be attached and used without difficulty because the front lens element does not rotate during focusing. The tripod collar (sold separately) is the same one used with the EF 300mm f/4L USM.

Product Details

• Brand: Canon
• Model: 2578A003
• Dimensions: 5.40" h x 5.40" w x 9.90" l, .88 pounds

Features

• 70-200mm telephoto zoom lens with f/4 maximum aperture for Canon SLR cameras
• Inner focusing system and ring-type ultra-sonic monitor for quick and quiet autofocusing
• Compatible with same tripod collar (sold separately) as EF 300mm f/4L USM lens
• 3.9-foot close-focusing distance; supports use of circular polarizing filter
• Measures 3 inches in diameter and 6.8 inches long; weighs 25 ounces; 1-year warranty

Amazon.com Product Description
Capture the far-off action of fast-paced sports or zoom in for an intimate portrait with the Canon EF 70-200mm telephoto zoom lens. This high-performance, L-series telephoto zoom lens is distinguished by such features as an f/4 maximum aperture, an inner focusing system, and a ring-type ultra-sonic monitor (USM). The last two features combine to deliver quick and quiet autofocusing--a priority for many amateur and professional photographers. In addition, photographers can attach and use a circular polarizing filter without difficulty because the front lens element does not rotate during focusing. Compatible with the same tripod collar (sold separately) used with the EF 300mm f/4L USM lens, the lens carries a one-year warranty.

• Focal length: 70-200mm
• Maximum aperture: 1:4.0
• Lens construction: 16 elements in 13 groups
• Diagonal angle of view: 34 to 12 degrees
• Focus adjustment: Inner focusing system with USM
• Closest focusing distance: 3.9 feet
• Zoom system: Rotating type
• Filter size: 67mm
• Dimensions: 3.0 inches in diameter, 6.8 inches long
• Weight: 25 ounces

From the Manufacturer
A truly professional L-series telephoto zoom lens, with reduced size and weight for applications where portability is important. Superb optically, it combines a Fluorite element with two UD-glass elements for outstanding contrast and performance. Its ring-type USM is fast, silent, and permits full-time minimum focus, as well as the closest MF of any of the L-series 70-200 designs. It’s also compatible with EF Extenders 1.4x II and 2x II, and accepts an optional accessory tripod collar.

Isolate the Interesting Part
The eye tends to see the whole rather than the individual parts. It also sees what’s near and not what’s far. By bringing attention to those things missed by the eye, you can create many interesting pictures. It could be the grimace of an athlete, the grill of a classic car, or a girl against a blurred background. Telephoto lenses can also compress images to give dramatic effects. You are limited only by your imagination.

Customer Reviews

Good Lens but......
Like many people my decision on a telephoto zoom lens came down to buying the Canon 70-200mm f/4L or the Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM. The trade offs seemed clear at first. The former performs slightly better (see Canon website for MTF data), is better designed & built, is faster and has the "L" lens status. User comments and ratings (at more than one site) are slightly more favorable for the L lens. The 70-300mm has an improved IS and of course a longer focal length. Both cost about the same so money was not a factor in my decision.

I eventually decided on the L lens and was initially disappointed. Photos ranged from wonderful to not very good at all. In fact, I almost returned the lens. Eventually I figured out the problem. My yard is heavily shaded so most of the initial photo's were taken in low light and I had selected shutter speeds that were too slow. To avoid camera shake you need to shoot at the reciprocal of the focal length or faster. Sounds simple but with the Digital Rebel XT (which I was using) you need to consider the camera's 1.6 multiplication factor. So at 200mm you need a shutter speed of 1/320 or faster not 1/200 like I initially thought. Once I made the speed adjustment things changed for the better.

Still I have some mixed feelings about my decision. When the light is good this is a fantastic lens but with the IS feature offered on the 70-300mm I would probably get photos that I will miss with this lens.

I can't fault the performance of this lens for its limitations and I have given it 5 stars. In other words it does what it is supposed to do very well but my message to other buyers is to consider where you are most likely to use the lens before buying. Remember IS becomes increasingly important as you extend the focal length. If your camera is already extending it by a factor of 1.6 you may find IS a very attractive feature.

(Note the 70-300mm has a recall on certain model numbers because of problems when using the lens in a portrait position.) By the way, I purchased from Amazon and it was a flawless transaction!

Perfect on-the-go lens
I have to say, "Wow I love this lens."

I'd recommend this lens for three kinds of people:

1) People who want to get a taste of the L-series lenses who need a lens in the 70-200mm focal length relatively inexpensively;

2) People who already own the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens who have to lug that huge thing around for a long time;

3) People who want a L-series 70-200mm lens who don't NEED f/2.8 or IS.

Call me a wimp, but shooting 1000-2000 shots a day in the field with the 70-200mm f/2.8 IS gets tiring, especially if you're hand-holding. This lens is relatively inexpensive for being L-series glass, the difference in optical quality is almost imperceptible from the f/2.8, and it's sturdy and ergonomic enough to use all day long.

When I plan on shooting the whole day, especially over the course of several days, this is the lens I take with me, NOT the f/2.8 IS. It's shorter, narrower, and lighter. While you may not feel the difference when shooting for a couple of hours, take two people of equal endurance and strength and give them the f/4 and f/2.8 IS and send them out for a day and you know who is going to come back with the sore arms when the day is over.

On a 1.6x FOVCF body, the 70-200mm focal range makes this lens a little tight; but at 1.3x or 1.0x FOVCF, this focal length range is quite awesome. When I travel, I like to pair this lens with the 17-40mm f/4 and use my feet to fill the gap between 40 and 70mm (I also take along el-cheapo 50mm f/1.8 so I can shoot in low light, and the 1.4x teleconverter to give myself an effective 450mm reach) -- all of this is a good, lightweight, relatively inexpensive package. Also, while being quite a chunk of pocket change, this lens is nowhere near as expensive as the f/2.8 versions, and so it's a lot less of something to worry about when traveling or shooting under adverse conditions.

As so far, I have found NOTHING that I do not like about this lens (well, except for the one-stop loss from f/2.8).

I have to say that if you are looking for a single lens to do General Purpose work, this is not it. This lens is for specfic purposes. This lens works best as one-half of a pair, taking the upper useful focal lengths, while you use something like the 17-40mm f/4L or the 24-70mm f/2.8L to handle lower range of focal lengths. If you're looking for a carry-everywhere never-change lens, try the 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens. It's a great value, the focal length range is in the sweet spot, and the optics are not bad.

Otherwise, if you fit into one of the three categories at the beginning of this post, I would highly recommend this lens to you.

On fantastic lense for sports photography
I love this lens! Every year, I shoot a two-day 4-on-4 flag football tournament. With this lens, I consistently capture better photos than the other photographers with longer lenses. At f/4, it's fast enough to give you all the flexability in the world. Since it's a constant aperature throughout the length of the zoom range, your focus remains almost constant, so that you can cheat and get away with changing the zoom after you've got a focus lock.

While it's true that this lense will never "grow up to be" the f/2.8 70-200, at half the wieght and half the cost, it's worth it if you're looking at lugging around your camera for hours on end.

...P>One Warning: If you've never shot with a Canon Professional lens ('L' series lenses), you're in for a real treat. You'll have a very difficult time justifying buying anything for your Canon's in the future that's not an 'L' lens, and that can get VERY expensive.