Canon 70 mm-200 mm F/4.0 L USM Lens

The Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L USM Lens is probably Canon's best value "L" Lens, combining professional grade build and optical qualities.

Though solidly built, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L USM Lens is relatively light (25 oz / 705g). Actually it is very light and small compared to the much more substantial Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 L Lens or the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens. This lens is not a burden to carry for long periods of time but has a high quality, solid feel like all L lenses.

At 3" (76mm) in diameter, the 70-200 f/4 is relatively narrow for its 6.8" (172mm) length. I more frequently use larger diameter lenses, so this is one of the 70-200 f/4's instantly recognized features for me personally. It is not a bad thing - just different. I'm sure those with small hands appreciate this feature.

Results from the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L USM Lens will make you smile when reviewing at 100% on a monitor. This lens is very sharp wide open and improves only slightly when stopped down - and primarily in the corners at the wide end of the focal length range. Very slight barrel distortion is noticeable at 70mm on a Full Frame body. Distortion disappears by around 100mm and is insignificant on a 1.3x or 1.6x FOVCF body. Vignetting is very well controlled - full frame users might notice slight vignetting in the corners at f/4. CA is very well controlled.

Images from the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L USM Lens have great color and bokeh. The 8-blade aperture opens to a constant f/4 at all focal length ranges. This is a very nice feature as exposure settings do not require a change as the lens is zoomed through the focal lengths. F/4 is not fast and is not slow. F/4 is narrow enough to allow the smaller lens size and weight. F/4 is wide enough to create some background diffusion in this focal length range. F/4 is wide enough to not require bright light for handholding. However, I do not consider this a low light lens. You will likely need a flash when shooting indoors after the sun sets.

The Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L USM Lens focuses very fast, very quietly and very accurately thanks to Canon's excellent Ring USM (Ultrasonic Motor). FTM (Full Time Manual) focusing is enabled. The focus and zoom rings are very nicely sized and turn very smoothly. The 70-200 f/4 does not extend with zooming or focusing - and the front element does not rotate.

The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens is a GREAT upgrade from the 70-200 f/4 L, but only if you need f/2.8 (lets twice as much light in) and/or IS - or weather sealing (the 70-200 f/4 is not weather sealed). You will not find the IS version's image quality to be much better - Full frame corner sharpness is better on the IS lens until the end of the focal length range where they equal out. The f/4 version performs better than the IS lens with Canon Extenders when used at the 200mm setting until both are stopped down to f/8 or so. An f/2.8 aperture will create a more diffuse background blur. The IS version carries significantly more weight and costs much more than the smaller f/4 version.

If you do not need your 70-200mm lens to be faster than f/4 and don't need IS, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L USM Lens is your lens. The 70-200 f/4 L is a great value and a highly recommended lens.

Canon's most affordable "L" series telephoto lens features rugged construction, silent operation, very sharp optics, and good bokeh. It is a must-have upgrade for any photographer who has become frustrated by the mediocre image and build quality of many consumer-grade zoom lenses. A constant f/4 aperture across the zoom range, fully internal zooming and focusing, and a focus limit switch to prevent "hunting" with distant subjects, enable excellent general portraiture and wildlife photography wherever the light is good enough to justify at least an f/4 aperture.

Lack of an image stabilizer (IS) limits this lens to tripod use in low light, but also makes this lens between 40-60% less expensive and substantially more portable than the next two higher options, the 70-200mm f/4L IS and the 70-200mm f/2.8L. Filters for the 67mm filter ring are also still relatively affordable for an aspiring hobby photographer, whereas the 77mm ring used by some of the up-market zooms can become a significant added cost.

The f/4L is equally at home on consumer-grade camera bodies such as the Rebel series, and on pro-sumer bodies like the 40D and 50D. The all-metal construction is durable yet relatively light weight, however users of composite camera bodies (all Rebels, 60D) should strongly consider adding tripod collar mount (TCM) to avoid unnecessary stress on the camera body's mount when shooting from a tripod. The Canon TCM is pricey but good alternates are available from third parties such as Opteka.

The Canon EF 70 200 IS USM F4 lens is a great lens for the price, especially when you consider the Live (Bing) cashback as well as various coupons that ebay offers periodically. The lens is very fast considering it's a f4 lens. For the majority of photos I take, the f4 works great. It also does a great job with action shots with the IS mode 1 & 2. Overall, a great lens for the price.

I bought this lens about a week ago.

I really like the zoom range and sharp focus for moving objects. I photgraphy a lot of animal nature pictures and this camera has worked well so far. Another great plus is that it is relatively light. I also have the 24-105mm and 24-70mm L glass and they are more than double the weight.

I have a several Canon L series lens 6 in total currently and I would definitely recommend this lens.

Excellent professional quality zoom lens. Stabilized, not too heavy. Compact. Superb with low light situations with Digital cameras on high ISA settings. No flash required in many low light situations for candid photos.