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sarahsboy18
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Registered: Feb 12, 2006
Location: N/A
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Mar 17, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,700.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp... I mean... Really sharp, even wide open! AF is lightning quick. IS is a lifesaver.
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Cons:
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Heavy... But what would you expect... When under low light the AF tends to hunt a little worse than some of my other lenses. Cost... But as many have said before you definitely get what you pay for and then some.
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All I can say is WOW. I pulled it out of the box, slapped it onto my 350D, and instantly became a pro photographer!  OK, maybe not... But I will say it quickly became obvious to me why this is such a popular lens.
This thing is unbelievably sharp even at f/2.8 and it just gets better as you stop it down from there. I had actually been thinking about upgrading up to a better EOS camera instead of getting this lens because so many of my images seemed to be a little soft... But this lens quickly showed me the issue was the glass I was using and not my 350D. I'm glad I got it first!
The Image Stabilization does exactly what it is supposed to... I have personally been get clear pictures handheld with shutter speeds as low as 1/10th even at 200mm. The IS panning option is a great tool too. USM is nice but almost unnecessary due to the speed of the AF... It's extremely fast and accurate. As I mentioned above it does hunt some in low light.
Overall... This is one of the best Canon lens I have played with thus far and I highly recommend it.
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 Mar 17, 2006
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Danny Calhoun
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Registered: Jul 7, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 79
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Review Date: Mar 16, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,750.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Number of good shots(keepers) near 100%. Photos are sharp both on film and digital. Seams to work better in low light conditions than my 24/70 L 2.8
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Cons:
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None
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This lens has been fun to use. performs exactly as canon said it would. The reviews on this site were right on the money.
I wish my other lenses were as sharp and clear as this one.
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Mar 16, 2006
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jhunter91
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Registered: May 25, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 29
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Review Date: Mar 5, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,600.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Fast, very sharp, built like a tank.
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Cons:
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none
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Mar 5, 2006
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Rob_287
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Registered: Oct 23, 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Mar 1, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharpness, build quality, handling, IS
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Cons:
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None
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A true pro lens in every respect.
At f/2.8 it is very sharp, from f/4 onwards it is simply unbelieveable! The details that this lens can resolve when mounted on a decent tripod/head will take your breath away.
The IS is certainly very useful and very effective in a zoom of this focal length. It results in a lot more keepers than would normally be possible handheld.
Build quality is second to none, I have owned Nikon's 70-200 VR and both lenses are of equal build quality (and performance!). The Canon lens is certainly more attention grabbing though with its white colour.
The lens handles well with a nice zoom action, although you may need to rotate the tripod collar up to the top of the lens to hold it comfortably.
Overall this is a superb piece of kit that will repay the investment with lots of superb (sharp) images. Highly reccomended!
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Mar 1, 2006
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canonlight
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Registered: Feb 26, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 42
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Review Date: Feb 27, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Excellent image quality, Sharp wide open (especially at 200mm), "IS" is a tremendous boon, USM/FTM makes AF fast and silent, Solid "L" build, Large focus ring, "Very Good" image quality with 1.4xTC when stopped down.
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Cons:
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Slight CA wide open, Pricy.
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Feb 27, 2006
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excelguru
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Registered: Feb 20, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 157
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Review Date: Feb 27, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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1. Sharpness
2. Sharpness
3. Build quality
4. Image Stabilization
5. Did I mention it was sharp?
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Cons:
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...I'm thinking...
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With 138 reviews (before mine) and an average rating of 9.6, what can I really add here that hasn't already been said?
Sharpness
No matter how many times I use this lens, I never cease to be amazed at how freaking sharp the results are. I'm tellin' ya... for a non-prime lens, this thing is freaking SHARP!
Image Stabilization (IS)
For me, IS is the most addictive feature of this lens. You'll soon find yourself wishing that all your lenses had IS. No joke, I have hand-held images taken at 1/15 that are tack sharp! I'm not even kidding. Talk about low-light capabilities!
Build Quality
When I bought mine, I was also lucky enough to acquire a "junked" one for free (it had been flooded and was beyond repair). So being the engineer that I am, I took the junked one apart. Completely. Upon doing so, I found out why these things cost what they do. The quality that goes into construction is beyond exceptional. It is truly an engineering marvel on the inside. I do not recommend disassembling one of these, by the way. No, I did not get it back together.
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Feb 27, 2006
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tqli07981
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Registered: Jan 10, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 78
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Review Date: Feb 13, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,925.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp and Very sharp! IS works and build quality is impecable.
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Cons:
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Wish it could cost less!
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Well, what can I say. It is very very good, that is for sure. It is very heavy, but I am getting used to it after a few days of use / practice. The lens itself looks beautiful as well thanks to the nice build quality. But I guess at this price point, it is a given. It is definately built to last. Now I understand why these lense can keep their value so well over the years.
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Feb 13, 2006
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parks1510
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Registered: Feb 11, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Feb 12, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,699.95
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Outstanding sharpness, better than many primes. IS, handhold to 1/10th of a second. Build. Almost all shots are keepers. Great Bokeh, too.
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Cons:
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None.
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Outstanding lens. Can handhold lens in many circumstances that would have required a tripod, before. I love it.
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Feb 12, 2006
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elmac
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Registered: Feb 4, 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Feb 6, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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IS, Color, Sharp
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Cons:
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Price :(
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I was really hesitant when I was buying the beast, but after taking the first shot with it, it was worth every penny. This is my first L series lens, and will not be the last one.
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Feb 6, 2006
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Mucho Betis
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Registered: Dec 23, 2005
Location: Spain
Posts: 203
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Review Date: Jan 22, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,400.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp, colour, IS
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Cons:
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Weight but is not a problem for me
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Recently "upgraded" my 70-200 2,8 to the IS version. My copy is extremely sharp even compared to my old one. Now I can take pictures that I never could have taken with my other lens.
The IS works great and the weight is not a problem when you check the results.
Highly recommend this lens, you really have what you pay for.
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Jan 22, 2006
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dave chilvers
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Registered: Jan 12, 2002
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1620
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Review Date: Jan 21, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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This lens can be spectacular.
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Cons:
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Weight is the big problem
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This lens is very good, it doesn`t let you down in any way, good colour,good contrast,good AF, good IS (when on my 1dsmk2)however I have started to carry my 135 f2 and 1.4 ext in it`s place because it attracts so much attention and I`m getting past it a bit:-) put the hood in place and it really is head turner. Take it to the ball game or zoo and no one takes any notice but get the heat pads ready for your arm and elbow joints for next morning. I suppose at the end of the day it isn`t fair to complain about the size and weight because that is the nature of the beast but just be aware that for photography in general the cons might outweigh the pros.
I got around the extra reach problem by using the Canon 70-300IS on my 20D, you get 300mm but keep in the better section of the focal range and use the sweet spot of the glass with the 480mm in reserve if needed.
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Jan 21, 2006
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Roy Pertchik
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Registered: Dec 4, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 3343
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Review Date: Jan 19, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp.
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Cons:
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Big, heavy, expensive
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Simply superb. It's so sharp it makes me giddy. Many things in the Canon DSLR experienc had to be gotten used to, for me over the last few years. But with this lens, Canon is very much redeemed in my mind. No compromise performance wide open, stopped down, at 70 at 200, with a 1.4 TC. Just astounds at every turn. My favorite set up has become: 5D and 20D with 17-40 and this 70-200 IS, a 1.4 TC, plus my 24 f1.4 for wide low light... just these few pieces gives me 17 to nearly 500mm at excelent quality level. At first I was worried if I could pull off such a long looking lens. In a little bit, I got over myself. It's worht doing so, because this lens gives back to you in quality.
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Jan 19, 2006
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ubaudi
Offline
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Registered: Jan 13, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 288
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Review Date: Jan 13, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,899.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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f/2.8, IS, L series, quality, color & contrast, amazingly sharp plus the overall looks of the lens
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Cons:
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Price, looks a bit ostentatious, gets you a lot of comments from the crowd
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Amazing Lens. Very fast, very sharp, excellent color and contrast.
I spent a lot of time reading the posts in this forum to help me decide about this very expensive lens. The overwhelming majority of the posts were positive enough to help me with the decision. I also use the 24-70 f2.8 L series USM lens but this one is much better. Everyone comments on the weight but I knew in advance and did not have a problem with it even though I am really old. This is by far the most I have ever spent on a lens but I believe you get what you pay for.
If you can afford this lens, buy it.
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Jan 13, 2006
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Peter Dhaeze
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Registered: Jan 10, 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jan 10, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp and fast.
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Cons:
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Non. Who cares about weight and size at this level of quality.
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This is the best ever on my 20D.
AF is superfast. It is sharp from f/2.8 and from 70 to 200mm. This full-frame lens on my APS-C sensor gives the best of everything and its superb quality is only really reveiled when using RAW.
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Jan 10, 2006
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WThiry
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Image Upload: On
Registered: Jul 26, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 609
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Review Date: Jan 8, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,689.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Build quality, weather seals, L Glass
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Cons:
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None, weight isn't an issue IMO, carry a 400 f/2.8, now that's a load
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I usually don't post reviews, but I look at them alot to help point me in a direction, so I thought I would return the favor.
I bought this lens after it first came out, then sold it to finance purchase of a 200 f/1.8. Never should have sold it, OH sure, I love my 200 f/1.8 but could have found other way's to raise the money instead of selling the 70-200 IS. Anyway, after having owned the non IS version and now owning the IS version again, this lens is GREAT. Hand holding for indoor basketball, HS or College this lens rocks. The images are SUPER, try a normal HS Gym "sorry" lighting. Took it for a ride the other night, at ISO 1250 in AV mode, so I ended up with 1/160 or 1/200, yea I got some blur from motion of the players, but stationary shots or frozen jump shots at the peak of the jump were great. Next time I'm going to Manual mode. Like everybody says, if you can afford the extra $$$ for the IS, DO IT.
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Jan 8, 2006
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uz2work
Offline
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Registered: Mar 3, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 11679
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Review Date: Jan 6, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,600.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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outstanding image quality, 2.8 aperture, IS
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Cons:
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relatively large size and weight
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The 70-200/2.8 is, to me, about as good as a zoom can get.
The image quality that I get from the lens is not that much different than what I get from my 200/2.8 prime. Having IS makes the lens, in many situations, more usable than the prime. The only drawback to the lens is that it is, for a lens of this length, large and heavy.
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Jan 6, 2006
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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352
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725888
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Feb 6, 2013
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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91% of reviewers
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$3,248.85
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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9.82
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8.18
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9.4
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