CANON 2578A002AA EF 70200MM USM LENSFOCAL LENGTH & MAXIMUM APERTURE: 70200MM 1:2.8;LENS CONSTRUCTION: 23 ELEMENTS IN 18 GROUPS;DIAGONAL ANGLE OF VIEW: 34-12;FOCUS ADJUSTMENT: INNER FOCUSING SYSTEM WITH USM;FILTER SIZE: 77MM;CLOSEST FOCUSING DISTANCE: 1.3M/4.3 FT;ROTATING TYPE ZOOM SYSTEM
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

Technical Details

-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
See more technical details

 "Much Lighter Than I Expected" 2010-07-20
By Stuntman Mike (Georgia)
This lens is great!

I keep thinking I need to be holding more weight or listening to focusing noises.

The weight had me worried, but my Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens for Canon DSLR Cameras is just as heavy. This lens balances perfectly, and is virtually silent.

At $650 for an L Class 70-200 zoom... WOW.

Probably one of the best bargains out there for Canon users. This lens is very nice.

I was also expecting my photos to be blurred, but I've had nothing but great results hand holding the lens at f4. I just keep the shutter speed around 1/60 or faster.

5/5 for sure.


 "70-200F4 Sharpest Glass I have ever owned" 2010-07-13
By Rico
Never found a soft spot in this glass. Loved this lens. Got rid of it recently because I wasn't doing much zooming and this is a heavy lens to lug around.

Now that I have a 7D, I will have to reconsider!


 "Great pictures -- a little heavy and bulky" 2010-06-30
By R. Forsey (Berkeley CA USA)
The picture taking quality of this lens is hard to beat - good clear crisp edge to edge images. However if you are taking pictures in shade or low light, or want good depth of field and the shutter speed gets below 1/100 it is hard to hand hold without image blur from the shake. I do get some good pictures hand held at even 1/30 but not always -- monopod helps and tripod completely corrects the shake problem. I am not sure how much of this problem is corrected by the very expensive image stabilization offered in the 70-200 f/4L IS lens but I doubt it is worth the $500 difference. I do have a couple lenses with image stabilization and with low shutter speed and they can also blur.

The main criticism I have of this lens is that it is heavy and bulky which makes it less pleasant to take on trips or hiking. I also have an EFS 55-250 lens, which doesn't take quite as good pictures but is shorter and lighter, and I find that I will select it for hikes. The EF 70-200 is too long to fit in my Canon Camera Carrier which means I need to carry it in a separate backpack.

The two problems of size/weight and image stabilization can be worked around and top quality pictures can be taken with this lens.

Added after original review;
After taking pictures with this lens for three more weeks I find that I hate to take it off the camera -- it takes much better pictures than any of my lenses. Unfortunatly, now I won't be satisfied with any lens that isn't 'L'.


 "Perfect image quality + outstanding value" 2010-06-29
By Cory Geurts (Portland, OR United States)
This review is for the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM zoom lens. I initially had some reservations about this particular lens, but it's been excellent since day one and I'm glad I bought it. It has earned a permanent place in my camera bag, and I highly recommend it. Here's why.

So many versions of the 70-200mm L USM lens are available. You can get it with or without IS, as f/2.8 or f/4, and now the f/2.8 IS USM Mark II model is on the market. The f/2.8 versions are quite a bit more expensive, and from what everybody says, heavy.

My camera is a Canon 50D. I try to only buy lenses that have an aperture of f/2.8 or faster, but the outstanding price of this L lens together with reading all the complaints about the weight on the f/2.8 version were enough to persuade me to buy this lens. I really haven't noticed much benefit from Image Stabilization on other Canon lenses I own, and actually find that under low-light conditions IS can sometimes cause the AF to hang-up and flash a "busy" message, so I didn't see the need to pay extra for the IS version of this lens. I just planned on using a tripod all the time with this lens.....turns out that under most conditions, this is not necessary.

My first photos taken with this lens were hand-held and under low light, and the color and sharpness was fabulous - just what I've come to expect from L glass. A few days later went out for some landscape shots and forgot to bring my tripod. Again, excellent color and clarity, and no blurry shots at 'reasonable' shutter speeds. For landscape I found I could get a decent panorama at 70mm and then zoom in on a monument at 200mm. During this shoot I needed to take a few portrait shots, and again thanks to the 70-200 range there's no need to change lenses. Even at f/4 you can get awesome portrait-perfect bokeh with this lens.

Fast-forward to my daughter's first swimming class. Olympic-sized pool housed in a poorly-lit building, shooting hand-held from the bleachers a couple hundred feet away, so flash is not a realistic option. This lens nailed every single shot at 200mm - I was amazed! No tripod, no flash, and out of 42 shots not a single one out of focus or over/under-exposed. Once again, faithful colors and detail so sharp you can see the water droplets in mid-air. This lens is quite light for its length - even lighter than my shorter Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM lens. I've read other reviews for this lens complaining about the weight, but I disagree. The weight of this lens is never a problem, the only concern walking around is the length (7 inches without the hood).

Sure, if I had more money, I'd love to have the f/2.8 version for those moments when you really need a large aperture and the extra weight doesn't matter. Also, this lens does not come with a tripod ring, and it's a pretty good idea to have on on hand, especially if you're using a battery grip. There are several cheap ones available, but I've had good luck with the extremely overpriced OEM one: Canon Tripod Mount Ring A II (W) For 70-200mm f/4L Lenses. And if dust & moisture is a concern, only the IS models have environmental sealing, so you might want to pass this one up. I rarely go out shooting in damp or dusty climates, and I baby my gear so I should be fine for a few years. The bottom line: I love it!


 "Sport's Lens" 2010-06-13
By Armando Cavero (Lima, Peru)
I have used this lens for 3 to 4 months now, I shoot almost every weekend at show jumping events (equestrian competitions) and I am VERY happy with the lens. I have improved the sharpness of my photos significantly and since I use a monopod, I simply do NOT need the IS feature,
This lens is LIGHT, sharp and fast at servo AF mode, I just can't think of a negative comment regarding this lens. I use a 1.4x Kenko ring too ($100 less than the Canon version) and even though that brings this lens to a 5.6 max. aperture, I can still shoot great, sharp pictures @ 1/1250 shutter speed in a foggy day with my humble Rebel XSI body (well, with some "manageable" noise @ 800 ISO, I agree...)
Bottom line, I would buy it again if I had to choose for a LIGHT, fast and sharp lens, while keeping an eye (or two) on my wallet...


Read more Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

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