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I was very lucky to buy an unused version of this lens at an excellent price. I had previously used a Canon 75-300 usm lens but was never really happy with it. This lens is brighter and focuses more accurately giving stronger colours and sharper pictures. It's a little heavier to use, and the zoom ring could do with being wider, but you get used to this quite quickly. I really like the fact that it's considerably shorter than my old lens. My one complaint, which time will tell if it's just the newness of the lens, is that the zooming function is a bit stiff. Again you get used to it but it it's particularly noticeable when pointing the camera up and zooming in from 70mm - the lens' weight contributes to this stiffness because if you point the camera down and zoom from 70mm it is nowhere near so stiff. I assume that part of the issue is the complex lens movements being made internally with only a very short overall length change. I'm very glad I made the purchase.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This diffractive optics zoom lens packs a real punch, although despite the other comments posted it isn't really a featherweight, being heavier than some other comparable focal length zooms. But what it lacks in lightness it makes up for in compactness and performance, making it ideal for travelling. It is also ideal for handheld work, with the weight and compactness aiding stability, backed up by the excellent two-setting stabilisation system, which is very smooth and quiet. it isn't a particularly "fast" lens having limited maximum aperture of f/4.5 at 70mm and f/5.6 at 300mm. But with modern DSLRs having high sensitivity this is less of a problem than it would have been with film. Furthermore, I have tested the lens across the aperture range and I find the sharpness to be comparable at every setting, which means that unlike with some other lenses that need to be stopped down to f/8 or even f/11 to achieve optimum sharpness, this lens delivers acceptable performance wide open. The fact that this lens delivers such good performance wide open and is so compact makes it ideal for sports photography without the need for a tripod or monopod, for example. This comparison can be seen in the example photos I attach. The first three photos are of a building and trees around 750 metres distant, at 300mm, f/5.6, f/11 and f/22. The final two images are enlargements of the tree to the left of the building, at f/5.6 and at f/22. The image at f/5.6 is marginally sharper, probably due to movement of the branches (or the tripod!) during the longer exposure at f/22. The sharpness and contrast are probably not quite as good as could be achieved with a fixed focal length telephoto, but that is the case with just about every zoom lens and in the majority of practical cases, the difference will not be particularly noticeable. Overall, I rate this lens as excellent. In terms of value for money it is not quite as good, as the price of this lens new is hundreds of pounds higher than a comparable "L" series zoom. But good examples can be found on the second-hand market, which brings this lens within the reach of amateur photographers like me. (But since this lens is so portable, look out for damage due to the lens being knocked about in use). NB: the test images were taken with an EOS 100D, so they are not "full frame" images. This lens is capable of being used with full-frame cameras, however.Read full review
Verified purchase: No
I bought this lens to compliment my other Canon L series lenses. As a professional wedding photographer, I needed a lighter telephoto to carry around during a wedding. This lens is a cracker, small, light and razor sharp. Perfect for the job. Dislikes well, variable aperture but to be honest this is nit picking. Compared to my 35mm to 350mm Canon zoom and the 70mm to 200mm f2.8 Canon Zoom, the image quality is up there with the best.
An excellent lens with an excellent range and superb Image Stabilisation and quick USM, if a little expensive. The short length of the lens means that I can leave it on the camera body, face down, and still close my bag. So even though it is a 75-300mm lens, 400mm with digital body, I can leave it attached, grab it and be shooting in next to no time without the time/hassle of fitting a 300mm lens.
very compact and discreet for the zoom range but still reassuringly solid, the images need a bit of processing ( in-camera or post) to up the sharpness and contrast. lens creep when extended dooes mean having to hold the zoom ring when steeply elevated or depressed. Despite not being weather sealed, this lens will be an essential part of my travelling and vacation kit.