Anyone who knows what they're looking at won't need me to tell them why they need this. I upgraded from a pretty versatile 28-300 Canon lens, itself fairly budget in the grand scheme of things (consider it probably high-end for the home user, but for any professional photographer it would be considered low-end). The 70-200/2.8 sucks in so much light, I'm a little concerned about the longevity of the coronal mass of the sun if Canon sell too many of these things... there'll be none of it left. The IS feature is great and you can really see (and feel) it working. The *only* downsides I can think of for some people might be if they fail to appreciate the size and weight of it. It's not a quick "whip it out" convenience lens and it dwarfs my 60D. But it's flexibility is awesome. Maybe a slightly shorter focal length may make it more useful but, meh... who's complaining... not me :)Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
For me, this is a used lens that has been well looked-after but also well used. It was supplied with all the original accessories and packaging. Optically it's as-new, but mechanically it feels a little loose - the lens hood doesn't click securely in place, and the zoom barrel moves a little too freely. Also, I really don't know what lens this is - it's not labelled as Mk II or Mk III, but it has both image stabilisation and ultrasonic focussing, and I thought one or other of those features was added for the Mk II. I bought the lens as a replacement for an ageing Tamron, and I'm not convinced yet that this is an upgrade. The Canon is heavier than the Tamron too, which I didn't expect.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I spent an awful lot on my camera 2 years ago, and have been saving manically to get the lens to match. I saw many older versions on e-bay, and kept being outbid. There prices were only short of a NEW mark 2, so I went for it. How DID I manage before? It performs faster, has IS to help the old shaky arms(!!), and the results are mind boggling. I was NEVER ashamed of my camera, but am even prouder with this lens on the end. You may ask does a lens make any difference to image taking? Basically...NO. Its your eye for composition, details of subject and using the correct light for what YOU want in your picture. Get the elements RIGHT, THEN it can be ruined with inferior glass. Nikon has led for years....Canon has come up trumps with this little beauty. Just have to take a prize winning shot to prove it. Why am I sitting here writing this...I SHOULD be taking pictures.Read full review
Ok, this is a serious lens. Don't get it if all you are using it for is a spot of light photography. If that is the case, get the f/4 version. Better still, get a prime. This lens is a sports beast. Tie it to a 1D IV (7D works great too) and your laughing. Sublime AF, blisteringly sharp, contrasty, great colours, the whole deal. Particularly the autofocus. When you first try it out, it'll blow you away, so much so that for a while I would just spend time focusing on random stuff. It's so much fun. In the field, its easily fast enough for competitive indoor tennis and if you keep it at f/2.8 and set ISO 400 you'll never get blurry shots (checked). Recently I was out shooting downhill ski racing in Switzerland and the AF was so quick that even as the skiers went right past me the frame rate didn't drop at all from 8 fps (7D AF-Servo) Compared to other lenses such as the sigma version, this lens feels way more solid; the build quality is fantastic. Also, it's white, a good thing if you want to bluff your way into sporting events but not so good if your trying to stay on the subtle side. When I was wondering wether or not to get this lens, one of my main considerations was weather sealing, important in a sports lens where you may have to be out in less than favorable conditions. Instead, I got this lens and a think tank hydrophobia which saved me about £900. Why would I need IS with an f/2.8? If you shoot sports, seriously, you need one of these (as well as a 300mm f/2.8 but that may be beyond some). If not, then look elsewhere. The only reason I shoot digital at all is because of sports, I mainly shoot medium format film as it's way cheaper and makes you a better photographer. But this is my favourite lens in my digital kit bag below £3KRead full review
Bought this to replace my non-IS 70 200 f4 to be able to photograph more live music. The images are sharp and colours well-rendered. Focus is also fast and accurate.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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