Filter Reviews

I shot a roll of a film with a newly purchased 75-300 IS and returned it shortly afterwards. I was satisfied with the image quality (although it could be sharper at the 300mm end), however I found the performance of the lens to be unacceptable. The focusing speed is WAY too slow. For those of you who don't already know, there are TWO kinds of USM motors. One of them is very fast and allows focus override, one of them is very slow and does not allow for focus override. This lens has the latter. This lens flaunts the fact that it has a USM motor, but believe me, in terms of focusing speed, you will not be able to detect any difference between this lens and the non-USM 75-300 lens. The fact that the lens is a slow, dark f/5.6 at 300mm doesn't help things either. The image stabilizer does work well, but the focusing motor is just too slow. This is the first lens Canon made with IS and therefore contains the older USM motor (as far as I know, none of the other IS lenses contain this type of motor). Canon should really update this lens and put a better focusing motor in it. If they were to do that, this would be a KILLER lens.

During the event I shot using the 75-300 IS USM, I lost many good shots because the lens kept hunting instead of locking onto my subject. At one point I actually ended up throwing it into manual focus because it was just easier that way. Unfortunately, if you want a long telephoto zoom that focuses quickly, you have to throw out a lot more money and buy something like the 100-400 IS USM (which contains the GOOD USM motor) or the 70-200 USM (also containing the good focusing motor).

I'll close by saying that this lens will *probably* work well for you if you know you'll always be shooting places where there is VERY sufficient light (aka outside). Otherwise, I'd stay away from this lens.

The world's first interchangeable lens with a built-in image Stabilizer (IS), the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens - designed exclusively for Canon EOS cameras, dramatically reduces the chance of a blurred photograph due to camera motion ("camera shake") especially when shooting at long focal lengths with slow shutter speed. Controlled by a built-in 16-bit microcomputer, a series of gyro sensors and micro-motors instantly shift one of the lens groups to compensate for inadvertent camera motion. A very practical benefit of the IS system is a reduction in the old "focal length = shutter speed" rule by two full stops. Now you can expect sharp pictures at 200 mm with a shutter speed of only 1/60th second!

I use this lens with my Digital Rebel 6.3 megapixel camera. I'm one of those shaky photographers, and I knew from past film camera that anything beyond 150mm I would not be able to keep steady enough. I also wanted to have the ability to take photos in low light situations beyond 100mm.
This lense is basically the most affordable that Canon offers with this range flexibility (100-300mm) and with autofocus and image stabilization. Canon makes a wide array of higher end lenses, and some will offer faster image stabilization or clearer picture quality, but for most photographers, you'll find this lense works very well.
If you use the image stablization a lot (like for every picture) you may want to carry a spare battery too, as the IS feature does cause some minor battery drain depending on how much you use it. I found with my Rebel that adding the battery grip with both batteries installed not only lets me take pictures (tons of pictures!) but it also further helps balance the weight of the camera with this lense attached.

This lens is an absolute steal at under $600. As can be expected of any "L" series lens, it produces absolutely flawless images throughout the entire focal length range, even wide-open. Construction is rock-solid: this lens will last forever. This will be your "work-horse" telephoto lens.

On the down-side, it's heavy, and probably not a good choice for carrying around on hiking trips, though it's considerably lighter (and less expensive) than its f/2.8L cousin. No IS, so you'll want to use a tripod or other support, but the tripod ring mount is not included (about $120 extra).

Still, you should immediately buy this lens before Canon wises up and raises the price, or stops producing it altogether. You'll be kicking yourself later if you pass this one up.

This is my first "L" Series lens and I have to tell you that I'm very impressed. The focus is quiet and the images are sharp and crisp. The zoom is good enough to capture any shot. I think that I'm in very big trouble in the pocket book, because I don't think I'll be buying anything else but an "L" series!!

In my opinion, this Canon lens provides the best value in Canon's entire line up of "L" glass (lenses). If you have never used an L lens before, this will open your eyes to what you have been missing. Very fast focusing, very sharp images, very little chromatic abberation, and consistent quality through the entire zoom and aperature range.

One note; with a widest aperature of f/4 and a long focal length, you will not be able to take indoor photos without excellent lighting or a flash. I've tried to take photos of ice hockey, where the rinks are notoriously poorly lit, and had very little success. Even with a tripod it is a challenge to maintain a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the action of a kids game (yes, even with ISO at 800). But in good lighting or outdoors in the daytime, this lense rocks.

Great sports photos. Great nature photos. This lense is extremely versatile. I have even used it with flash indoors for portrait photography.

There is not too much to mention on the negative side. Its size and color do make it stand out a bit in public, and people may thing you are a professional photographer. I've also noted that the depth-of-field with a wide open aperature, especially at f4, is very narrow. As long as you've been careful to focus on your subject, the background will be blurry. But focus on something other than your subject and you may find your subject to be blurry.

All in all, this is one great lens that will let you take very sharp photos. And it is a bargain price compared to its f/2.8 and f/2.8IS sibliings.

I bought this lens in January of 2003 after much recommendation. For what I had been shooting (college basketball) the 70-200mm f/2.8L was the most commonly seen lens aside from the 300mm f/2.8L. The fstop of 2.8 along with the zoom were the initial factors that drew me to buying it.

I first shot with it on January 11, 2003 at the Louisville vs. Saint Louis game and I was very impressed with the results I got, much of the unsharpness I thought originally to be attributed to grain was almost completely absent with this lens using the same film I had been using. This lens has spoiled me, it will be very hard on my next lens purchase to buy anything but L glass.

Another thing I should note, this lens is built like a tank, like all L-Series lenses and 1-series bodies, it can take a beating, this is not to say you should actively knock it into things or throw it around on purpose but mine has been sandwiched between me and a basketball player falling out of bounds before. It's also not a light lens, but focusing is fast and smooth. If you plan on shooting a LOT or have professional aspirations, the lens may not make the photographer, but it can help.

This is a re-tread of Canon's APS 55-200 lens. It complements the 18-55 that comes with the Digital Rebel, but doesn't really have much else going for it. So-so image quality, and cheap plastic/poor quality construction. In general, a wobbly lens is NOT a good thing!

If you're looking for something in this price range, I would recommend the 28-105 f/3.5-4.5 USM. For about the same money, you get ring USM, better image quality, and solid construction.

If really need the longer focal length, spend the extra money for a 75-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM which has image stabilization and comparable image and build quality to the 28-105. Or invest in a 70-200 f/4 L, which while pricey, is a vastly superior lens that will last a lifetime, and hold its resale value.

I bought this lens to complement the 18-55mm that came with my Digital Rebel, giving me a complete range from 18-200mm. Given that the Rebel effectively makes all lenses more telephoto (multiply by 1.6 for 35mm equivalent), and that I like to shoot in the range near 55mm, this lens seemed like a better idea than the more readily available 75-300mm lenses.

Its build quality feels a lot like that of the 18-55mm, a little wobbly but nothing that interferes with using it. Autofocus seems a bit slow sometimes, but that may also just be the smaller aperture (and less light), especially at the telephoto end. My only real complaint is that the lens has some softness to it, especially past 135, even when I use a small aperture and mount it on a tripod.

For the price, though, it's excellent, and should hold me for the years it'll take to save up for L-series glass.

I bought the Cannon Digital EOS to leverage my existing Canon lenses and the Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro is one of my favorites. It's great for nature, non-moving nature in particular.

Focus range is small, however the images are very sharp. Physically the lens is not as sturdy as some but good for the price. The bokeh is great!

If you search around you can find some great photos on web taken with this lens.