 Another must-have lens 52 of 57 people found this review helpful.
You've heard the adage before ... invest in lenses, not the body. After a starter "walking around" lens (I opted for the Canon 17-40mm f/4L), I wanted a lens for sports photography and getting candids of people without being in their face. This lens was the perfect addition. My copy is tack-sharp at all focal lengths and I've taken some terrific sports photos. I have a Canon 20D, so the 1.6x crop factor kicks in to produce a 320mm equivalent lens. The camera isn't heavy with this lens attached, and it stays pretty well balanced. For field sports, the f/4 produces enough bokeh to highlight the subject. The build quality is superb (as with all L lenses).
There are non-L lenses that are worth considering if the budget is tight, but don't match the colors and sharpness of this lens. The 70-200 f/2.8 L is also a good lens, in both IS and non-IS versions, but this lens is substantially lighter and more flexible. I will probably move to the 2.8IS at some point, but this lens is fine for now. There are no issues for daytime sports. At dusk, the focus will have problems and f/4 isn't fast enough.
I do encourage friends to consider this lens not only for its performance, but its long-term value as well. I bought my copy used, and I can still sell it for what I paid for it -- Canon lenses hold their value exceptionally well. Keep it in good condition and years of ownership will cost little in depreciation. Aftermarket lenses may cost less upfront, but you are likely to lose as much or more in resale value than having bought a Canon in the first place. And the extra build quality of the L lenses is important to keeping the value up.
I have to admit ... I do like the look of the white lens, too. :)
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I'm sure there's not much more I could say: you've probably heard about this lens. It is the famous 70-200 f/4L after all. But I'll tell you what I think about it. I purchased this lens and the Rebel XT as my first DSLR and lens (aside from the kit 17-55 EF-S) a few months ago. So I am a little bit more than a beginner in the DSLR world, although I had taken over 5000 pictures with my last camera, the Panasonic Lumix FZ-20. Let's start with the build.
This is a Canon 'L' lens, and its build is excellent. The focus ring has the perfect amount of resistance, and the zoom ring is large and easy to handle. It feels sturdy in hand. I am not sure about weather resistance. I have taken this lens + XT out in negative temperatures and snow (covered up with a trash bag) and it performed normally.
The image quality is simply outstanding. Sharp as a tack. Little or no noticeable chromatic aberration seen in my photos. The colors are beautiful and precise.
The autofocus is lightning fast and accurate, and the USM makes it dead silent. That grinding, can opener sound of old AF drives is nonexistent. The focusing is internal so the front element does not rotate during both manual and autofocusing (the Tarmon 17-35 SP DI Asph. for example, does not rotate during manual but rotates in auto). This lets you use a circular polarizer with no problems.
This lens is also very lightweight and handholdable. It really does work as a "walk around" lens, although its size (with the lens hood on it is probably as long as the 300 f/4L IS) will catch some glances. I don't know, maybe you like that.
Problems: As expected, the autofocus will hunt in low-light conditions. Remember this is an F4 lens, so it is not ideal for the conditions mentioned above. Crank that ISO if you are shooting in this. The white color of the lens asks for it to be stolen. The lens hood does its job but its design was not well thought-out. It can sometimes be difficult to put on quickly, even after taking it off and putting it on several times and getting all that practice. Some people have reported backfocusing issues in some copies, but this is uncommon. If this happens, canon should be able to fix it if you send it in.
Overall: I am primarily a (amateur) surf photographer, and this lens is superb for outdoor, daytime sports photography. You cannot get a comparable lens for this price (average 650). I signed up with Ebay to write this review so that everyone will know how awesome this lens is. I would suggest it to anyone looking for a zoom in the 70-200 range.
Some pictures I took with this lens:
Bodyboarder getting air:
http://nd.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30128612&l=31644
The famous Waimea Bay (cropped):
http://nd.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30128612&l=31644
Flag in the south quad at Notre Dame:
http://nd.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=17387294&l=c047d
Duck at the lake:
http://nd.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30008332&l=c047d
Football fan:
http://nd.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=17387296&l=c047d
ND women's soccer game:
http://nd.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30017824&l=c047d
Hopefully those links work and you find this review helpful.
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