TheCanon EF400mm f/5.6L USM Lensadds to the 300 f/4LLens100mm and a 1 stop reduction in max aperture. Notable is that thislenslacks IS. ... TheCanon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM Lenshas very good secondlens, general purpose attributes.

As I looked forward to creating the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM Lens review, I knew that Canons introduction of this lens was going to make my life more difficult - but in a good way. I spend a lot of time helping people select the proper lens for their needs and budget, and even before the 70-300 L was announced, there was a large selection of pro-grade Canon telephoto zoom lenses available. These include the four 70-200 L lenses and the 100-400 L. Adding the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS L USM Lens to the Canon telephoto zoom lens lineup simply adds another excellent option to this list - increasing the difficulty of selecting the ideal lens for I
looked forward to creating the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM Lens review, I knew that Canons introduction of this lens was going to make my life more difficult - but in a good way. I spend a lot of time helping people select the proper lens for their needs and budget, and even before the 70-300 L was announced, there was a large selection of pro-grade Canon telephoto zoom lenses available. These include the four 70-200 L lenses and the 100-400 L. Adding the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS L USM Lens to the Canon telephoto zoom lens lineup simply adds another excellent option to this list - increasing the difficulty of selecting the ideal lens for someone.

My first thought when picking up the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM Lens for the first time, after having used the other comparative lenses extensively, was that this is a light-in-weight but wide-in-diameter lens. As the earlier chart shows, the 70-300 L is the lightest L lens in this class (with the exception of the two small 70-200mm f/4L Lenses) and it is nearly as wide as the longer and heavier EF 100-400 L. Retracted, the 70-300 L is the shortest L lens on this list - and remains shorter than most even when extended. It even fits nicely into a mid-sizedLowepro Toploader Pro 70 AW Casewhen mounted on a pro-sized EOS body.

A 70-something mm telephoto zoom lens complements a general purpose lens very nicely. This is typically the focal length range I recommend to someone looking for their second lens (unless they have a specific application that 70-something does not work well for of course) In terms of focal length range, the 70-300 L is a match for the other 70-300mm zooms, exceeds the 70-200s range and sacrifices some of the 100-400s reach for some wide angle advantage.

Showing itsCanon L Lensstatus, the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM Lens is a very well built, high quality lens. You will feel this quality immediately upon picking up the lens.

The zoom and focus rings are very smooth with no play - and the zoom ring remains very smooth even while the lens is pointed up or down. Both rings are nicely sized and very well integrated into the lens barrel design. What I do not like is the rear-positioned focus ring design. The focus ring is in the position where I want the zoom ring to be. I find it too easy to unintentionally change focus while final-framing a subject - especially when correcting for my HLDS (Horizon-Level Deficiency Syndrome). And I find that I am less steady when holding out farther on the lens where the zoom ring is located. I do like this design a little better than the Canon push-pull zoom design found in the 28-300 L and 100-400 L.

As with all current-at-review time L lenses, the lens hood is included in the 70-300 L box (Canon ET-73B Lens Hood). The hood sports the recently adopted and very nice matte finish design (it does not show marks nearly as easily). This is a rather deep hood that, when installed, makes installing/removing the Canon side-pinch-only lens caps somewhat difficult (but doable). The depth of this lens is very protective for the front element. I have found it especially valuable for keeping salt water spray off of the front lens element.

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