Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM Lens for Canon EOS Cameras

Manufacturer:	Canon
List price:	~~$1,999.99~~
Our price:	Too Low To Display that is 100% off!

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM Lens for Canon EOS Cameras

Average rating: Stars

Criminally bum rapped.

I spent weeks in forums reading up on this lens, and always seemed to come across a mixed bag of comments about it. I've had it for about a month, and I have taken a good amount of pictures with it. It does take great pictures, all the way up to 300mm. There is a touch of softness at 300mm, but this can all be taken care of using an unsharp mask in Photoshop/Paint Shop Pro/etc..... As a matter of fact, this lens seems particularly receptive to sharpening. People swear by L lenses, but if it's between this lens and say the 70-200mm IS you're talking about a minimal difference in sharpness out of the camera, and the 70-200mm IS costs more with less of a range. The DO is also black, and the DO technology enables it to be much smaller than you'd expect. At full zoom it is smaller than the 70-200mm IS or non-IS!! I took this lens to a NY Mets baseball game, and did not stick out like a sore thumb. YOU CAN TAKE THIS LENS ANYWHERE!!! The image stabilization is great, and has 2 modes you can use.

I am very satisfied with this lens. Don't let the L snobs sway you away.

I bought this for 1169.95 and it's $30 drop to 1139.95 was refunded to me by Amazon. I wouldn't shop anywhere else.

great lens, great place to buy.

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM Lens for Canon EOS Cameras - Canon

Great pictures, but not perfect

I use the 70-300 with a Digital Rebel, giving a maxium equivalent focal length of a 480mm lens on a 35mm film camera body. I thought about buying one of Canon's 70-200L series, but they are huge, white, and heavy. I am not a professional photographer and decided I didn't want to look like a geek trying to masquerade as one. Besides, I like to take my camera with me, like tucked under my ski jacket, so there is an upper limit to practicality.
So far, photos have mainly been of kids playing baseball. I've shot roughly 1000 pictures in the few weeks I've had it. From the outfield fence, I've been able to take some great pictures of the batters. At maximum focal length, tracking movement of players takes some skill, which I am still trying to master. From the baselines, I have to zoom out to keep the action in the frame. I haven't had a need yet to use the IS since I use a fast shutter speed for sports.
Picture quality is very good. Photos are crisp across the field. I assume the magazines will test this lens eventually under lab conditions, but I can't see any imperfections with real world photos.
My only complaint is with the zoom control. The lens has a lock to hold it in the shortest focal length because the lens will move by itself when pointed up or down. The rotating ring for the zoom control is a little too hard to rotate when the camera is level, and especially when going against gravity. It is fine for still subjects, but it is a challenge for quick focal length changes with sports. Gearing for a more rotation with less force would have made this lens ideal.

Canon - Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM Lens for Canon EOS Cameras

Electronic Stores

Accessories

Tiffen 58mm Photo Essentials Filter Kit

$6.59

Canon 58mm Snap-On Lens Cap