It’s impossible to know how many waves of light have traveled through the Canon EF 70–200mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens, resulting in an equally unknown enormous number of great images for an army of professional and serious amateur photographers. So many of them have relied on this lens to advance their careers and generate income that it’s fair to say it could be considered the greatest (or at least one of the greatest) lens ever designed and manufactured.
Many qualities of this lens made it so renown, but it started with how it was built. Almost the entire body is metal construction, which gives it a truly unparalleled feeling of toughness and solidity, and proven by its many years in the field and under the severest conditions. That’s why Canon made it moisture and dust resistant and added a rubber O-ring to the mount to seal it tightly to the camera body. The Canon EF 70–200mm f/2.8’s rugged, heavy-duty design gives it a substantial weight – almost 3.5 lbs. – and dimensions – 3.4” x 7.8” –, so it isn’t a lens you’d carry throughout a long day as you might with typical consumer zoom lenses that are usually lighter, even with longer focal lengths.
The Canon EF 70–200mm f/2.8 is worth its weight in gold, however, because of its image-making qualities, especially on a full-frame DSLR. Its optical configuration of 23 glass elements in 18 groups and 4 UD elements to retard chromatic aberration is where that quality starts. Numerous laboratory tests and, more importantly, its performance in the field has shown that corner-to-corner sharpness can only be described as exemplary throughout the entire focal length and its aperture range from f/2.8 or f/32. Of course, it’s not surprising that the sharpness may degrade a bit at 200mm and f/2.8, but, once again, professional photographers (and, more importantly, their editors) are more than satisfied with the results.
In general, tests and “real-world” results of chromatic aberration, vignetting and flare reveal that the Canon EF 70–200mm f/2.8 is not perfect, but no lens is when scrutinized so closely. The 4 UD glass elements make chromatic aberration essentially invisible to the eye in virtually every conceivable condition. Vignetting is slightly visible in certain instances, but ultimately any “problem” is more of a creative choice and less of a scientific indication of a “failed” design. Much the same can be said about flaring: Yes, it can appear, but you almost have to cause it to be there on purpose.
The Canon EF 70–200mm f/2.8 lens is compatible with Canon APS-C DSLRs, giving you a 112–320mm 35mm equivalent angle of view. Although the standard image characteristics – resolution, chromatic aberration, flare and distortion – don’t perform quite as well as with an APS-C DSLR, they will be well within the quality range for the serious amateurs who want to shoot with this legendary lens.
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This lens was designed with Canon’s second-generation IS, or image stabilization system, and under most conditions delivers sharp images when taking advantage of the 3 stops lower you can shoot handheld. Because the IS works so well, the 70–200mm f/2.8 is a very good to excellent low-light performer, even at 200mm, and shooting as slow as 1/15th second.
To maintain the greatness of this lens, Canon, of course, built it with the company’s Ultrasonic Motor (USM) to drive the autofocus. During operations, its essentially silent and delivers quick and accurate focusing.
Additional specifications of the Canon EF 70–200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens
- Diagonal angle of view (full frame): 34° – 12°
- Diagonal angle of view (APS-C): 23° – 8°
- Number of diaphragm blades: 8
- Minimum focus: 4 feet, 7 inches
- Maximum magnification: 0.17x at 200mm
- Filter thread: 77mm (does not rotate when focusing)
- Accessories included: front and rear caps, hood and soft case
Now, you have the opportunity to add this “greatest” of lenses to your lens collection by purchasing it fully refurbished from KEH.com, the world’s largest dealer of used cameras and photographic equipment. Your purchase includes a 14-day, no-questions-asked return policy and 6-month, non-transferable warranty. Plus, KEH’s outstanding reputation for customer service and technical assistance will help you benefit fully from your wise purchase.
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