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Reviewed by Ben Lee, http://dslrlensesonline.com editor.

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Buy the Canon 70-200mm 2.8 II from Amazon now and save over $400!

Image quality – Rating: ★★★★½
Build quality – Rating: ★★★★½
Ease of use – Rating: ★★★★½
Lens features – Rating: ★★★★½
Value for money – Rating: ★★★★☆

This lens is the highly anticipated successor to the already popular and competent 70-200mm f/2.8 I lens which is still a great piece of kit in its own right.

This is the sort of lens that is going to delight a lot of photographers but also tease a lot of other photographers too.

Why? It’s expensive. The cheapest you can get it at the time of writing is around the $2000 mark from Amazon.

I actually agonized for many months over my purchase of the series I version, simply because I wanted to be absolutely 100% sure that it wasn’t going to be a waste of money for my particular photography situation.

Did I want it? Did it fit in with your style? Did I only want it as a trophy purchase? I had a deep think about it.

In the end I decided I wanted the lens and it was just about the best decision of my life. Although I don’t have the series II version, I can guarantee that it offers superb image and build quality, ridiculously good bokeh and sharpness and lightning fast auto-focus.

Why was the original Canon 70-200mm 2.8 upgraded?

You might have been wondering why the original version was upgraded if it was so successful. It is a valid question because lens technology doesn’t progress at the rate that computer technology does for example.

So how do you make a great lens greater?

Perhaps the main difference is the noticeable wide open aperture image quality improvement in the new lens. The 70-200 f/2.8 IS II is very sharp wide open from the center of the image right into full frame corners at all focal lengths.

In addition to the improved sharpness, flare is also much more controlled in the latest offering (although still not totally negated, it is nice to know that Canon have dealt with what was a susceptibility with the first version).

The Good
  • this lens ticks all of the boxes – superb image quality and sharpness at all focal lengths and apertures
  • fast, silent, accurate focus system
  • build quality is awesome and the focus ring is so smooth beneath your fingers
  • fast maximum aperture
  • perfect for wildlife photography, sports photography and portraiture photography.. perfect for any type of photography really!
  • the 70-200 actually works well with the Canon teleconverters – particularly the 1.4x extender which makes it into a very nice (and very capable) f/4 448mm lens on a 1.6x body – nice!
The Bad
  • expensive – but I’m really clutching at straws here to try and find something bad
  • hmmm… what else… maybe a bit heavy?

What others are saying about the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 II

Alex from Florida, USA was all praise (unsurprisingly) but also included an important consideration at the end of his review:

WOW is all I can say. After getting over that I spent so much on a lens, this new machine is absolutely amazing. The image quality is top notch. 100% crops can be printed large and I can see every detail…

…No longer do you have to worry about shaking a tiny bit and the shot being out of focus or a bit blurry. Canon has really created an astounding piece of technology surpassing others(Nikon) in the lens market.

The build quality, as expected from an L series lens, is made to withstand extreme conditions. The zoom ring is large and easy to use. The buttons for different IS and af/mf are easy to use/see….

….All in all, the new 70-200 is quite a stunning lens which will continue to be one of or the best in Canon’s lineup of pro lenses. If you want it and can afford it without selling your house, I would get it haha but as always, research extensively and weigh your options before buying something at these price levels.


Sound advice indeed – buy it for the right reasons!

Conclusion

As I mentioned earlier in the review, you have probably painstakingly agonized over buying the Canon 70-200mm 2.8 for a long time now but for whatever reason you haven’t gone through with it yet.

Maybe you are still trying to justify the purchase to your loved on or maybe you don’t know if you will use it as often as you think you should.

Overall Rating: ★★★★½

My advice is just to go out and get it if you really love the look of it.  You will not be disappointed. It is an excellent addition to any photographers kit bag and it will never, ever let you down.

Furthermore, you will be able to show off your big white barrel to friends, family and whilst you are out in public putting the 70-200 through its paces.

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Filed under: Canon DSLR Lenses

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