Customer reviews from usa.canon.com
Canon - EF 70300mm f/4.55.6 DO IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens - Black
Average customer rating
4.1
(16 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 16 reviews
5 Stars
6
4 Stars
5
3 Stars
5
2 Stars
0
1 Star
0
60%of customers recommend this product.
(
9 out of
15)
Customer Reviews for Canon - EF 70300mm f/4.55.6 DO IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens - Black
Customer Rating
5
Non Better
on February 16, 2012
Posted by: Napoleon
from Niagara Falls, NY
I have used this lens for over 3 years and I have found that the Canon 70-300mm DO IS lens to be real work horse in photographing historical and battle reenactments and on my travels. I can use the short end to set up the scene and the 300mm for close in and detail pictures.
I bought this lens as a step up from the 100-300mm USM and have been extremely pleased with the results. This lens is sharp, the build quality and light weight of the lens holds up well when running around the battlefield, it encompasses the needed focal lengths and it is reliable! It might not be an “L” series lens but I wouldn’t replace it for anything. Keeping in mind the demands of the consumer, product quality, price point and intended use, Canon has done an excellent job with this lens.
I have owned and used Canon cameras and lenses for over 40 years. I am one of those old fashion photographers that still uses film, I even use my old Canon AT-1 with the 28-85mm FD lens, so I don’t just rattle off a dozen pictures without thinking. Would I recommend the Canon 70-300mm DO IS lens to anybody, you can bet on it.
Pros: quality, focal length range, quick focus, image stablilization
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Spy Lens
on February 10, 2012
Posted by: Spy Lens Lover
from Portland, OR
This lens is for someone who...
...doesn't need L quality
...can afford up to $1000
...wants a small lens for travel and/or candids
.
My wife and I call this the spy lens. We do a lot of traveling, and only take carry-ons so size does matter. More importantly (as others have said), people get uncomfortable when you point a huge lens at them. I get great candids with both this and my 85mm 1.8 without subjects realizing they're being shot. I've actually had people get out of my way because they thought I was shooting a building or statue behind them. The IS is also great when the light fades.
.
I have also shot auto races with this lens. The USM is fast and steady. It keeps up with the 6 fps of my 50D nicely.
.
I have limited experience with other Canon zooms. This seems slightly better than the other 70-300, same or better IQ and a bit faster USM. It isn't as sharp as the 70-200 2.8 L, however.
.
The MSRP is too high for a non-L lens. I bought it used for just under $900. If you can get it for under $1000, it's worth it.
...doesn't need L quality
...can afford up to $1000
...wants a small lens for travel and/or candids
.
My wife and I call this the spy lens. We do a lot of traveling, and only take carry-ons so size does matter. More importantly (as others have said), people get uncomfortable when you point a huge lens at them. I get great candids with both this and my 85mm 1.8 without subjects realizing they're being shot. I've actually had people get out of my way because they thought I was shooting a building or statue behind them. The IS is also great when the light fades.
.
I have also shot auto races with this lens. The USM is fast and steady. It keeps up with the 6 fps of my 50D nicely.
.
I have limited experience with other Canon zooms. This seems slightly better than the other 70-300, same or better IQ and a bit faster USM. It isn't as sharp as the 70-200 2.8 L, however.
.
The MSRP is too high for a non-L lens. I bought it used for just under $900. If you can get it for under $1000, it's worth it.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
A fantastic, versatile lens.
on May 2, 2009
Posted by: Bob
from Frederick, MD
There are two kinds of wildlife photography - setting up with a long lens on a tripod and waiting and those shots where you have to move and shoot quickly before the subject disappears. This lens is absolutely perfect for the second kind where you have to be ready to react and shoot in an instant. The sharpness is very good; color rendition excellent; and the size makes it virtually instantly deployable. Combined with an SLR with the smaller sensor ( a 1.6x effective focal length boost), you can have, in effect, up to a 480mm magnification. Yet, because of the IS, it is very steady and camera motion is quite effectively dampened. Its only two slight drawbacks are that the IS is somewhat noisy and that the lens barrel is slightly loose...even after I sent it back to Canon for adjustment. It does not seem to affect the crispness or clarity of the shots, however. This is one lens I would not be without.
Pros: Super-sharp images, easily deployable for a long lens
Cons: Poor build quality
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
4
Nice Lens But Not The Sharpest
on January 26, 2010
Posted by: FotoFreak
from Honolulu, Hawaii
This lens is great if you don't want everybody to know you're shooting them. The pics come out pretty sharp but not the sharpest I've seen. No doubt this lens flares I guess because of all the optics that Canon had to use to keep the size down. The lens balances nicely on the camera body. The range is nice (70-300mm but because of the factor of 1.6 you actually get 112-480mm) and can zoom in from amazing distances. I use it to shoot action sports, people at the beach, scenery, sunsets and sunrises. I have had some great results and I am very happy with the portability of this lens (very short although the focal length is long.) Great for all round shooting while just wandering the earth. Combined with a say a 15-85mm (crop factor being 24-136mm) lens it's all you need to cover the entire shooting range. Only one extra lens to carry around what a concept ! This would be my combination for a trip around the world !
Pros: Fast auto-focus, great portability for such focal lengths
Cons: could be sharper.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
4
Small yet sharp and practical
on June 2, 2009
Posted by: pro photographer
from Bristol, NH
I have used this for newspaper concert coverage in very low light situations and for freelance work for winter sports and it has performed well even at 20 below zero. The size of the lense is an added plus while photographing concerts in varying light conditions. Not as sharp as fixed lenses, but for newspaper coverage and sports photography the quality of the images is excellent. A very useful lense. The autofocus has performed well for alpine ski racing in very harsh conditions. I have used a tripod with a 2 second delay for low light concert photography with very good results.
Pros: Superior build quality, the size and weight
Cons: price
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Great travel lens!
on February 9, 2011
Posted by: BillWSW
from Cape Cod, MA
I have used this lens on a trip to South Africa and the quality of shots I got were amazing especially the numerous birds using 250mm to 300mm tele range settings. The big five and other animal shots that this lens helped me get just made my trip. The cost of this lens really gives you a bang for your buck. The only con I have for this lens is that you cannot add a tele extender.
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Superior build quality, small for ease of travel, image stabilzation
Cons: cannot add an tele extender
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
3
Not as sharp as expected
on February 3, 2013
Posted by: Pf456
from Indiana
This makes a good travel lens. It is versatile, relatively low weight and not too flashy. If you are looking for a sharp tele-zoom this is not the lens you need.
Pros: versatility
Cons: Semi-sharp images
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
4
Almost good enough
on March 27, 2013
Posted by: howiez
from Wading River, NY
I really wanted to love this lens - small form factor, cool diffractive optics tech, and decent IS - but in the end the image quality just wasn't there. Sharpness and contrast on the long end of the range was routinely disappointing on my 7D.
I have high hopes for the 70-300 L IS USM I just purchased to replace the DO lens.
Pros: Super-sharp images
Cons: Semi-sharp images
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com