The EF70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM telephoto zoom lens follows the EF400mm f/4 DO IS USM released in 2001 as the second model in Canon's EF lens lineup to incorporate a DO (Diffractive Optical element) lens.
Equipped with a three-layer DO lens specially designed for use in zoom-lens optics, the new lens possesses an exceeding ability to correct chromatic and spherical aberrations and render high-quality images. The lens element also achieves major reductions in size, realizing savings of 28% in overall length compared to comparable lenses incorporating conventional refractive optical elements. Moreover, the size and weight advantage comes at no cost to image quality, with the EF70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM delivering image quality on par with Canon's L-series lenses.
High performance features include image stabilization equivalent to shooting at approximately three shutter speeds faster, a circular diaphragm for improved background Blur, and a zoom-ring locking mechanism that locks the lens in the fully retracted position to prevent unintended extension and damage when hanging from the user's neck.
Editor review : Canon EF 70-300 f4.5-5.6 DO IS USM
Overall rating (weighted)
3.3
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
3.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
3.0
The first DO lens from Canon achieved both shortening and lightening compared to non DO lenses, but this DO lens has only been reduced in length. If weighting up the benefits of the Do system, photographers will have to decide whether the extra weight is worth the lese extended barrel. These issues aside, the optical quality of this lens is really high, which brings more technical benefits to apparent sharpness, chromatic correction and even coverage. Only the drawing figures, as the longer focal lengths stand out unexceptional.
Why should you care what I think?
My relationship with this item: Editor review
Conclusions at a glance
Would you recommend this Item: Undecided Pros: Very high image quality, Excellent performance with less than full frame sensors, Shorter than normal barreel Cons: Heavier then a normal 70-300mm, Noticeable Vignetting at 300mm, Construction susceptible to internal Reflection
Last updated: Wednesday, 23 January 2008
User Lens Reviews
Average user rating from: 48 user(s)
Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
4.6
Build Quality
4.4
AF Speed
4.5
Value for Money
4.5
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I like this lens, Thursday, 01 July 2010
Overall rating (weighted)
3.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
3.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
4.0
I was looking for something to extend the reach of my Canon 18-200mm lens. I tried the 100-400mm and loved it, but found it just too long and too heavy for normal use. I tried the Sigma 150-500mm, but it was even longer than the Canon 100-400mm. I also tried the 70-300mm USM IS (non-DO) lens, but did not like the length of that lens either, so I ended up buying this lens. There are a lot of things I like about this lens.
1. It is short. It is, in fact, shorter, when closed, than my 18-200mm lens and a little easier to carry. 2. Even with the lens extended to 300mm, it is still relatively short. Especially if the lens hood is either reversed or removed from the lens. 3. The lens has a locking mechanism to keep it from extending when just walking around. 4. The pictures, out to about 250mm, are clear and crisp. 5. The colors are vibrant and true. 6. The USM is quiet and quick.
But there are also what I see as some shortcomings.
1. Pictures taken at above 250mm or so are a little soft. I mounted the camera and lens on a tripod, set the mirror lock-up and attached a remote release. But even with all of that the photos at 300mm are a little soft when viewed above 50% magnification. And, of course, pictures that I took at 300mm hand held also had some camera movement as well as being a little soft. This makes it difficult to get good pictures by cropping something small out of the photos. 2. It is heavier than the non-DO version (25.4 vs. 22.2 oz). 3. I found that I had a more difficult time holding my camera steady with this lens than the 100-400mm that I tried earlier. I assume that is because the lens is short and cannot easily be held from both front and back to steady it. 4. As other reviewers have written, the lens lock switch is not accessible when the lens hood is mounted reversed. Since I keep the lens hood mounted all the time, this means that I cannot lock it when I put it into my camera bag. 5. It is an expensive lens.
But, even with all of the shortcomings I am happy with this lens. The pictures, even out to 300mm, are good and I saw the same softness in the non-DO version as in this one. Since this lens is so short, and the throw is not great, it is easy for me to forget that the lens is extended to 300mm. If I carry my monopod with me, or use a tripod, the softness is not visible unless the photo is viewed above 50-75%. And, perhaps most importantly, the lens is easy to carry and so I will be able to use it when walking in the National Parks. I would have rated this lens as 5 stars instead of 4 had the photos been sharper at 300mm. I think that this is an expensive lens and, for the price, expected sharpness throughout the range. It is not an L lens, but the price is close and I thought the picture quality should be as high everywhere in its range.
Great if you like to f/8 and forget it, or f7.1 wi, Friday, 09 April 2010
Overall rating (weighted)
3.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
3.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
4.0
I finally decided that with the price drop on the used DO lenses that I'd plump down $820 for a used DO lens figuring that folks who own high-end stuff like this probably baby them anyway.
Summary: it's a _great_ telephoto lens that's very practical. . . depending one what you do.
Who it's not for: Studio photographers with strobes can do the same with less $. In fact, any strobist's image can do just as well with a standard (non-L) lens, or better with the L lenses. Since the flash is already "freezing" the image, there's little advantage in the studio to having DO or IS. As a portrait lens, it works, but it doesn't work any better than a standard EF. For the same price, you can get a higher Contrast L lens.
Who will like it: Travel and vacation photographers will appreciate the ability to zoom WAY longer than any other light-weight zoom lens while still being able to crop back to 70mm. The ability to go on excursions without depending on a tripod is a HUGE plus. As an example, I remember visiting a few places in Murano, Italy where tripods were strictly prohibited and lighting was abysmal for the hand-holders. Needless to say, all of my shots were either blurry or noisy (in a bad way) when using my standard lens.
Who will love it: All of you supposed photojournalists who like to "f/8 and forget it" pretty much need this lens. Photojournalist coverage seems to be the latest trend in wedding photography, a style that emphasizes composition and candid personality over staged, technical quality (of a strobist). This lens empowers the photojournalist to slyly maneuver into various positions to get THE SHOT, especially in difficult real-time situations when you can not hit the rewind button and try again. . . like in weddings.
Technical testing: I tested this lens and benchmarked against my tried and true EF 35-105 f3.5-4.5. I was in a controlled studio setting photographing a brown wicker chair with a shiny silk pillow and a copy of the Economist (they have lots of charts with small lines). I set the strobes and took a reading with my Sekonic L-358: ISO 100, f8.0; a great test for you photojournalists.
Using a Canon 10D and a pan-tilt tripod, I took two series of images, 70mm f8 and 100mm f8. I captured Large/fine jpgs and imported into Photoshop. I visually inspected the images for contrast and Aberration. There was absolutely NO visible difference even at 200% magnification.
HOWEVER, there is one very noticeable difference between the lenses. Something in the DO glass is slowing down the lens. The histogram confirms that the DO images are somehow darker than the non-DO images by almost exactly 1/3 stop. Naturally, I go back and recapture the image on my DO lens at f7.1 and voila - perfect exposure. So, maybe the new rule for photojournalists with this lens is to "f7.1 and forget it."
Conclusion: Before we're tempted to knock the lens for being too slow, losing a 1/3 stop, not having clarity of the L lenses for the same price, etc. Let's remember that this is a specialty lens with a purpose. It's a portable lens that has all the clarity of a standard lens while offering a MUCH wider focal range. Will you see sports photographers using this? They would be stupid to do so. Commercial photographers are the same. At the same time, you'll be hard pressed to find a wedding photographer lugging around a 70-200/2.8L. Who wants to be the idiot setting up a tripod in the middle of the aisle while bride and groom are taking vows?
To make this lens even more useful, I'm planning to pick up a used EOS 1ds. It's an older full-frame DSLR that's finally dropped to an affordable price. The 1.6x crop factor on the 10D and similar SLRs make it harder to "fit" some images into such a tight frame.
Crisp sharp photos every time, Saturday, 06 March 2010
Overall rating (weighted)
4.3
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
For several years, I've been using a Canon 70-200 f2.8 L IS lens. With the IS II version of that lens coming, I figured the time was right to sell my 70-200 and pick up the new version. In the meantime, I wanted to try out this 70-300 DO lens. It has several distinct advantages over the 70-200 2.8L IS, which is generally thought of as one of Canon's best lenses.
1) You can actually walk around with the 70-300 DO IS lens on your camera while the camera is hung around your neck. That's not possible for any length of time with the 70-200, which weighs substantially more and is significantly longer. This isn't an issue if you're doing weddings and bar mitzvahs, or if you always work with a tripod, but if you want to walk the streets or theme parks with a long focal length lens, this lens is preferable.
2) You get an extra 100mm of telephoto range while still getting image stabilization. While some have spoken of the 300mm point as being somewhat soft on this lens, that's definitely not the case with mine. I took a photo of a 747 flying high overhead...with the naked eye I was able to see a dot from which the contrails form. In the photo, you could tell what airline it was and you could clearly and crisply pick out each of the four jet engines. Architectural detail was equally sharp even without post-processing. I would not say that this lens is as perfectly sharp as the 70-200 2.8, but the differences will not be significant after you've worked in Photoshop.
4) A perfect lens to accompany your Canon 24-70 L lens.
So what's the downside? The big one, and the only significant one for me, is the limitation in speed with an f4.5-5.6 aperture. With today's digital camera and high ISO capabilities, the real issue isn't so much speed as it is your ability to adequately blur the background if desired. While I thought I would find the difference substantial, I don't actually think it's that big a deal in practice. With both lenses on the shelf, I think the vast majority of the time, I'd reach for this one.
Others have spoken of the zoom lock on the lens as useful in keeping the lens at 70mm while it hangs around your neck. That caused me concern that the zoom ring would be so loose in practice as to be difficult to firmly set at any given focal length. In reality, that's not the case, and I never find myself using the zoom lock. The focal length stays where I've set it.
Overall, this is a wonderful lens, and while I had planned to trade it up to the 70-200 IS II when that comes out in another month, I think I'm going to stick with the DO for a while.
The BEST lens in my bag... Do not let the nay-saye, Friday, 04 December 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I bought this lens when it was first released back in 2006. After three and a half years of use, I find it consistently the most used lens in my camera bag. Quite importantly, I haven't personally experienced any of the negatives I've read in other reviews. Not once. The pictures I am able to capture with this lens are nothing less than superb in quality. The lens is very well built and feels totally solid - built like a truck. Of course, the size of this lens is clearly the most amazing feature. Even fully extended, the zoom is quite significantly shorter than a 200mm standard zoom lens, therefore calling very little attention to itself. The images I've been able to get with this lens are amazing. It's feels well balanced on the front of my 30D. Easy to handle, and easy to swap out if you need a shorter focal length. Think about all of the pictures you can capture when you can have 300mm worth of zoom on your camera without lugging around a huge, sometimes inappropriate feeling lens. Though certainly quite a significant investment, this lens has been worth every penny I spent on it. If you're in the market for a premium zoom lens and this baby fits in your budget, I highly recommend this lens. You'll absolutely love it.
I'm very disappointed with the lens creep on this lens. I realize this is typical of a longer zoom lens, but was hoping that Canon would have addressed this problem with a lens of this expense. The zoom had almost too much resistance for the first few shootings, but now it is impossible to shoot upward or downward and stay in focus. (I've only had the lens a few months.)
Before purchasing Canon EF 70-300 DO IS USM Lens, I was using 75-200 Canon lens which was without image stabiliser. So, without tripod, I was unable to take good pictures. When I bought this lens and used it at different locations, I got awesome results of the lens. I do not use tripod. Its a worth buying. You can see some of the pictures taken by me on this page. Thanks to amazon.
I bought this lens based on the writeup and reviews of the DO Elements, telephoto and Fast auto-focus functions for wildlife photography. Having had the pleasure of trying this lens out on a recent trip to the Kruger Park in South Africa - where quick zoom and focus are critical for capturing the moment on the move - I was not disappointed. The quality and intimacy of the photographs are, for me: priceless - well worth the trust and investment I placed in this lens. Definately a keeper!
I purchased this lens because I do a lot of candids and 200mm is just not good enough. I also recently purchased a 5D MkII, so any praise I may have for the lens may be partly due to this camera. When I read some reviews of this lens, I was worried that it was weird. I will mostly address these issues. Is it heavy? No. I use a monopod and hand carry a 100-400 lens without problems. This lens is only 52 mm at the front,so it has amazing reach for its size. Does the zoom feel heavy? No. The zoom needs some resistance, since the front of the lens would extend by itself if it was too light on the zoom control. This is the same issue you have with the Sigma 18-200, another great all purpose lens for candid shots. Both lenses have a lock button that keeps the lens from extending when you not taking pictures. Lastly and most importantly does the Diffraction type lens cause any problems? No. I have literaly seen no problems with lack of sharpness or unusual flare. I think you would have to shoot tripod test scenes to reveal this. Using a monopod in real life conditions,the issue does not appear to exist. Admitedly with back ligthting you can get some fogginess and flare,but this is just like other lenses. I think some ot the reviwers who are critical spend too much time bench testing. When I am doing candid,or travel photography,especially with a full frame camera,this may become my main lens.
Why this lens vs. the regular 70-300mm?, Monday, 23 February 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Judging by Amazon customer buying behavior, it's a toss-up between this lens and the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM (AKA non DO 70-300mm). So why would you pay twice the price for the Diffractive Optics (DO) lens?
1. Image quality 2. Weight and Length
I have used both lenses, and the 70-300mm DO IS is the one that I purchased.
The DO lens produces sharp, contrasty, aesthetically pleasing images. It is ever so slightly soft at exactly 300mm, but this can easily be fixed with mild sharpening. The non-DO lens is softer, shows distortion towards the edge of the frame, and produces "flatter" (lower contrast) images. I had to sharpen, correct and tweak the contrast of every single image from the non-DO lens.
This lens weighs 720g (1.6lb) and is less than 100mm (3.93in) long when closed. The non-DO lens is 630g (1.4lb) but 144mm (5.6in) long when closed. The DO lens is slightly heavier, but not by much -- about the weight of a "candy bar" mobile phone -- but far shorter. This makes it more practical for travel and other work outside a studio.
I'd make the same choice again in a heartbeat. I have now taken many thousands of shots with the 70-300mm DO IS, and couldn't be happier -- sharp, strong images that don't require a lot of post-processing.
Superb Lens Canon 70-300 USM DO IS, Sunday, 15 February 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
I have a Canon 300 f/2.8 IS and a 600 f/4 IS for wildlife photography; I also had a 300 70-300 USM (non DO) version for shooting while walking around and did not like it or the images it created. I was put off by the negative reviews the DO got and (unfortunately) waited to buy one. I have been shooting it six months now; and love it for its bright colors and portability and the IS works great for me. Feels like an "L" lens.
Stopped my wife from complaining ... seriously!!, Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
I bought this for my wife for our safari in Tanzania and I couldn't be happier. She shoots with a 20D and previously used a EF 70-200 F4 L lens which she found too heavy. She used to get blurry pictures because she couldn't keep that lens still while shooting, but with the EF 70-300 DO she gets consistently better pictures, less fatigue, and I'm happier because she's happier :) She got several pictures that I missed because I left my even bigger and heavier EF 100-400mm lens in the truck while we were walking around, but she brought her camera and got the shot.
Other than her being happy, I like this lens because it's not as bold as the white lenses, which makes it easier to snap some candids of people without them noticing.
I don't really like the zoom ring, it's a little too stiff and I found myself struggling to get the zoom I wanted. Maybe this is because it's new, but I'd prefer it to be a little Bit looser.
I wish it was just a little bit faster. F4.5-5.6 is okay, but it would be perfect if it was a stop faster (of course it would be twice as expensive too).
I feel like I got a fair deal for the lens. Of course I would have loved to buy it for less, but I feel like I got good value for my money. This lens for a happy wife is probably worth it :)
Excellent lens with a 40D, Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
Paired this lens up with a 40D. After several months of heavy use:
Highs: Solid feel, well built. Works very well - even at 12000ft+ and well below freezing, always ready for use straight out of the bag on long hikes. Easy to focus precisely. Zoom stays in place even when pointed vertically - up or down - without the lock button. I may be lucky and have a good build of the lens. Excellent Resolution in shots. Small - easy to pack and take on hiking trips. Got many shots would otherwise have missed. Can focus in auto mode as ring is decoupled from actual motor.
Comments: Found it very hard to reproduce the artifacts mentioned in reviews - basically had to point it through grills close to the lens with aperture wide open. Tried pointing into the sun (WITHOUT looking in viewfinder) and glare was not apparent.
Lows/tips: Contrast not as good as a fixed lens or 70-200L . Most shots Good to Excellent but some had to be Photoshopped to recover contrast. Recommend shooting raw in dusty/cloudy conditions with lot of ambient light around, or when lens wide open. f4.5 aperture could be wider for my ideal lens. The f4 of the non DO model makes some difference. Costs a lot.
I agonized over the cost, but after trying it and it's lower cost non DO rival I chose this as I do a lot of traveling. Both packing down and solid build are important. Apart from contrast, the look of the resulting photos is good to excellent, and shooting in raw for challenging hazy environments brings out the best. The resolution/sharpness is excellent - can leave it at f5.6 and shoot without caring - good to capture those spontaneous moments.
A 70-300 DO and a 40D make for an excellent travel set.
Excellent lens - caution: the lens hood comes with, Saturday, 05 July 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
4.0
Excellent quality and fast lens. Heavier than I expected. Note, when ordering this lens DON'T also order the Canon ET-65B Lens Hood because it comes with the lens.
