• 

• Best value for the money

• July 25, 2011
• By: Kris

Simply put, this is a great lens, and possibly the best value for your money. Produces very sharp images. Fast - f4 at any focal length. Sure, it doesn't have IS, but it is about half the price of the IS version. Very fast and quiet focusing (thanks to USM motor). Solid feel and build - but not too heavy. I would highly recommend this lens to anybody looking for a telephoto zoom.

2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful for you? Report As Inappropriate

• 

• Replaced, but Still a Contender

• July 24, 2011
• By: Paul

Long ago, as a semi-professional stock photographer, I carried in my kit a "sport" lens: an f2.8 80-200 Tamron that was de rigeur to image all things that moved at medium range. Fast-forward 15 years or so to the digital age, and I cannot help comparing that old standard with my Canon EF 70-200 F4. Although superseded in the eyes of many by its image-stabilized successor, the Canon lens, with its L-quality optics and build, is slim and lightweight to a degree that puts my old (and very good in its day) Tamron to shame. Its hand-holdable lightness makes up for the one stop in aperture, and I have had excellent results with it at public events like the RCMP musical ride. The images that it produces, even wide-open, are crisp, While I prefer to have longer lenses at hand for subjects like birds, cropping files from the Canon 70-200 f4 have also yielded good avian images. Canon's newer IS version of the lens, which also boasts slightly improved optics, is undoubtedly worth a look, but the original non-IS version, lighter, with 90% of the capability and selling at a discount, also remains a worthy contender, especially for those on a budget or who prefer to travel light.

2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful for you? Report As Inappropriate

• 

• Great Value

• October 14, 2011
• By: C.Y.

This is, simply put, a great lens. The image quality and sharpness is amazing. However, it does have its limits. It works great outdoors for sports and such provided the lighting is good. For indoor sports, lighting tends to be poor, and honestly, even the 2.8 will be too slow, so if that's what you're looking for - check out a faster prime. For sports, the lack of IS doesn't really matter since your shutter speed will be so high--just bring along a monopod or tripod if necessary. If you're using this more for portraits/stills, then you might want to consider the IS version instead. This lens is also much more practical to carry around than the 2.8, which takes up much more space and gets heavy in your hands quickly. In short, this is a fantastic lens for outdoor treks or shooting some outdoor sports, and is really an amazing value.

1 person found this review helpful. Was this review helpful for you? Report As Inappropriate

• 

• Quality hands down

• March 27, 2012
• By: Jan

I recently purchased the Canon EF 70-200 f/4L USM series lens and it's proven to be the sharpest, quickest and most solid lens out of anything Canon and Sigma produce under the 1000$ dollar mark. In this review i'll be comparing the 70-200 lens to the EF-S 55-250 f/4-5.6 IS lens which I previously owned. When I first tested out this lens, I noticed the Auto Focus (AF) was incredibly fast and accurate compared to EF-S 55-250 f/4-5.6 IS. That is a major thing in a lens as the photographer wants to capture those short breathtaking moments. The EF 70-200 f/4L USM is a professional & luxurious series lens offering the most out if it. Offering no Image Stabilization it still produces excellent results in low light situations. The low aperture (f/stop) of a constant f/4 is rapid but does not enter as much light as the more expensive f/2.8 version. The included lens hood is a nice bonus as it prevents too much flare coming into your photos and of course makes this rather large lens look even bigger! The pouch is a good safe way to carry the lens if your bag is too small to fit this lens. The sharpness in this lens wide open throughout all ranges is tack sharp without a doubt. Last thing that is great about this lens is that it's good to travel with, it's light (compared to the 70-200 f/2.8 IS II) and compact. I give this a 5* hands down, it's affordable and gives you everything you need. Photos taken with this lens are on www.flickr.com/photos/janjasinski

0 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful for you? Report As Inappropriate

• 

• Can't go wrong

• March 02, 2012
• By: Thomas

This was my first high-end lens. It should be yours, too. There is just no better value for your money. The quality is phenomenal. The price - affordable. The lens is solid and sturdy. It doesn't feel fragile and yet you can hold it comfortably because it's surprisingly light. If you're looking for a high-quality telephoto zoom, this is the one.

0 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful for you? Report As Inappropriate