Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

Last updated: Thursday, February 15th, 2007

Last Updated: Review by Ken Rockwell (added on 15.02.07)

Featuring the latest 3-stop Image Stabilizer for outstanding camera shake reduction, the lens also features super responsive auto focus. Replacing the popular EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, the world’s first interchangeable lens with Image Stabilizer (IS), the lens is expected to appeal to serious amateur nature and sports photographers looking to achieve outstanding results while shooting hand held.

Canon 70-300mm F4.0 - F5.6 IS USM

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Latest Price Info & User Reviews

>> REVIEWS (last updated: 15.02.07)

Ken Rockwell has recently posted his review on Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM and writes:
” Buy one! I probably will be buying one soon myself. Why? First-class optics, super light weight, great resistance to flare, wide and well spaced zoom range and excellent image stabilization. I’m an infrequent tele shooter, so for me weight and size is very important since I spend more time carrying my teles than I spend shooting with them. I worry more about my wide lenses. Forget that it’s not L-series unless you’re a full-time journalist who often breaks lenses. Optics are as good, in fact, this 70-300mm IS gives sharper images than my L-series wide lenses. Ultra wide lenses are tough to make as sharp as teles. Real image quality of this IS lens will be much better than non-IS L-series lenses handheld. “

The Digital Picture have recently posted their review on Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM and write:
” The Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens has decent sharpness wide open and good sharpness when stopped down a stop or so. Corner sharpness is good even at full frame. The long end of the focal length continues to be the weakest performing over the range. Overall, sharpness is definitely improved from the 75-300 IS.
The Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens exhibits barrel distortion (on a full frame body from 70mm to 120mm or so. Slight pincushion distortion is visible at 300mm. CA is very well controlled.Light fall-off is quite noticeable wide open (f/5) at 200mm and improves slowly as the focal length is increased or decreased - or the lens is stopped down one stop. Light fall-off is still noticeable at 100mm f/4.5 and 300mm f/5.6. 1.3x and 1.6x FOVCF body users will avoid most of this issue. “

Bobatkins.com tested and reviewed the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM and wrote:
“..lens is sharper at f5.6 than the old lens was at f8. Don’t get carried away though, since despite using a UD glass element, it’s still not as sharp as the 300/4L. Even the new lens benefits by stopping down to f8. With an EOS 20D and at f8, on real world targets, image quality almost approached that of the 300/4L is some shots. However on resolution test charts the 300/4L showed higher contrast and resolution. Still, the performance of the new lens is pretty good. The new EF70-300/4-5.6 IS fits the bill as an ideal “walking around” lens for nature, travel and sports photographers. It’s small enough and light enough to carry around as part of a kit (it would pair well with an EF-S 17-85/3.5-5.6 USM) and the image quality and stabilization are improved enough over the old lens to justify its additional cost. ..”

Spoli58, a FredMiranda forum member, posted an extensive report on Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 IS USM and wrote
“Overall impression: good quality optics, better than EF 55-200, probably not L grade but not too far if you consider the price and the class of this lens.
In the range 70 to 85mm @ F8…F11 the results look similar to my EF-S 17-85mm IS USM, surprisingly sharp at the corners (hard to see real differences in terms of sharpness and geometrical distortions) — great outdoor lens in good light conditions.
At F8 the image is sharp for almost the entire focal range — at the long end (between 200-300mm) the image looks a bit soft without affecting the resolution — maybe it’s just the fact that I’m using a cheap tripod and IS turned on rather than a rock solid tripod, mirror lock and no IS.”

SAMPLE PHOTOS (last update: 10.11.05)

Erik Magnuson has recently posted his comparison test on Canon 75-300mm IS, the new Canon 70-300mm IS, and Canon 100-400mm IS at his Pbase gallery

@200% crop of centres - Click to enlarge

@200% crop of edges - Click to enlarge

Tom has recently posted his test on the new Canon EF 70-300mm IS VS Canon EF 200mm on Canon EOS 350D. He commented:

“All 100% crops, only the tree bark was sharpened. I concluded that IS is amazing! I also concluded I need to check my prime for front focusing, although most of the problem with it is too slow shutter speeds with no IS.

The 70-300-IS appears to be a very nice lens - although noisy focus, and hunts a lot with the TC on it. If I find my prime is focusing correctly, it’s going to be sold!”

Please click on the image above to enter

Guitarman has some samples from Canon 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 IS USM with Canon 20D at his website:

@ 300mm:

@300mm and Tamron 1.4x SP(pro)TC

More samples are available here

Steve Huff has some samples from Canon 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 IS USM with Canon EOS 5D at his Pbase gallery:

- @300.0mm, 1/160s f/5.6, ISO 500 (Original - Large file)
- @300.0mm, 1/160s f/5.6, ISO 400
- @300.0mm, 1/13s f/5.6, ISO 1600

Canon 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 IS USM with Canon EOS 20D by Albert Juwono - Added 21.10.05

Comments: “The only information I had on this lens is just from web. I had never actually using it, or tested it. I took my chance and get this lens yesterday. It’s awesome. The IS is nothing but incredible. I think this is gonna be my most used lens. For indoor portraits and other fun things Some of the pics are taken with very slow shutter speed.”

- @1/640s f/8.0 at 300.0mm ISO400 (100%crop, straight from the camera)
- @1/13s f/4.5 at 90.0mm ISO1600 (original, straight from the camera)
- @1/20s f/4.0 at 70.0mm ISO400 (original, straight from the camera)
- @1/50s f/5.6 at 275.0mm ISO3200 (original, straight from the camera)

Bruce Gilling has posted some samples on Canon 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 IS USM with Canon EOS 350D and commented:

“Well first thing is the weight it’s light and inconspicuous compared to my 70-200 L with its black finish, it feels very nice and it’s fast to focus, image stabilizion is excellent and the range is great 112mm to 480 mm on my xt rebel. Colours and sharpnesss are a not nice as my 70-200 f4 L but image stabilization and weight and extra range make it very attractive I am happy with it”

Canon 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 IS USM with Canon EOS 350D by Greg Lavaty - Added 09.10.05

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1/500s f/8.0 at 160.0mm iso100 (100%crop)
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1/500s f/8.0 at 160.0mm iso100 (100%crop)
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1/250s f/6.3 at 115.0mm iso100 (Original - large file)

Canon 70-300mm F4.0 - F5.6 IS USM with Tamron 1.4x MC4 TC

- 1/400s f/5.6 at 300.0mm iso100 (original - large file)
- 1/200s f/5.6 at 300.0mm iso100 (original - large file)
- 1/160s f/5.6 at 300.0mm iso100 (original - large file)

Canon 70-300mm F4.0 - F5.6 IS USM VS Canon 70-200mm F/4L USM

@70mm

- Canon 70-200 f/4L @ 1/1000s f/5.6 at 70.0mm iso100 (100% crop)
- Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS @ 1/1000s f/5.6 at 70.0mm iso100 (100% crop)

@200mm

- Canon 70-200 f/4L @ 1/1000s f/5.6 at 200.0mm iso100 (100% crop)
- Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS @ 1/1000s f/5.6 at 200.0mm iso100 (100% crop)

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