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Mikkel Tschern
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Registered: Jul 12, 2007
Location: Denmark
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Jul 12, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $700.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Considerably light, sharp at f/4, price, quick and silent AF
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Cons:
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Appears to have a hard time focusing when at 3m+ setting
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 Jul 12, 2007
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Marsellus W
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Registered: Jun 12, 2007
Location: N/A
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jun 12, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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This lens is perfect for what it is. The only question is whether it's the right tool for you.
Amazing clarity, colour and contrast.
No flare, no ghosts, no CA
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Cons:
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Weight (still). It would be great if it were even lighter than it is. It's still quite a brick at about 700g.
It has an awful, attention-drawing cream colour.
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There is no real downside to this lens. Within its specs it excels in everything. Fast AF, nice build quality, light weight for a professional grade lens, colour, and first of all excellent clarity. Compared to lower-grade lenses photos with this lens don't look like they were shot through glass.
The mimimum focusing distance is only 1.2 meters, which makes this lens ideal for flowers and other semi-macro work, especially on a 1.6x camera. This adds great flexibility compared to some other Canon offerings in this focal length range.
The bokeh is very nice and smooth. This lens is great for portraits.
The sturdy lens hood fits nicely reversed and does its job very well. I don't see the advantage of petal-shaped hoods and I don't care about the looks of my gear. It works great, so it's fine with me.
USM autofocus on this lens is fast, but not the fastest. The focus is always dead-on, I have yet to experience the first picture where AF didn't do what it should do.
F/4 is a nice compromise for weight and speed. F/4 is not fast and not slow. During daytime this lens is easily handholdable. It's fast enough for outdoor sports.
A great feature is that everything zooms and focuses internally. Nothing extends or rotates, so there is no dust or moist sucked in and there's no zoom creep. The zoom action is smooth regardless of the orientation. Using a polarizer is a breeze.
Sharpness is already superb at F/4. Corner sharpness (if you care) is great too, even on F/4 on full frame. It's 100% usable at F/4 all the way through. From F/5.6 on the corners are perfect on full frame.
I haven't seen lateral chromatic aberration/purple fringing yet.
Vignetting is not a problem as with most teles.
It sucks that canon sells the tripod collar separately for a ridiculous price (about EUR 100). You can do without, however.
If you are in the market for a 70-200 and if you can live with F/4, this lens is as good as it gets. There's nothing better in its class except the IS version, which is twice the price of this one. I have quite high demands for lenses, and with this one I don't see any real room for improvement.
Highly recommended.
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Jun 12, 2007
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Indy Iskandar
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Registered: Nov 30, 2006
Location: N/A
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jun 5, 2007
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Recommend? |
Price paid: Not Indicated
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Pros:
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Lightweight, USM with fast AF, sharp photos, excellent DOF, colors & affordable price. Body build like a tank.
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Cons:
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Hood and not weather resistant.
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Hi photo shooters...
My first review was on Dec 19 2006.
After 6 months tried the lens I can't wait to write the second review. So here it is...
This lens always attached to my camera all the time and it's a keeper. I love the sharpness and smooth DOF I got with this lens.
Always used this for portrait, candid and landscapes photography.
Honestly, I felt proud to carry it, sometimes it will draw attention.
How do you feel when you passed the people and they turned their head around to checked your lens, proud hah...
This lens has USM, so the focus is very quiet and fast. If you like go hiking this lens is not forbidden to carry around your neck for long period of time, it's really not too heavy.
The sharpness, uhhh... I can't complained about it. It's so sharp and excellent. Never got any blurred pictures taken by this lens.
The only minor negatives from me about this lens is lens hood is not flower hood like 70-200 f/2.8 and this lens is not weather resistant, unlike the new 70-200 f/4 IS.
So that's about it, no major complained so far. I love it very much! Highly recommended!
Here are some samples:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramasta/524777478/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramasta/523024734/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramasta/522949187/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramasta/522763242/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramasta/522763222/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramasta/443235750/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramasta/380227279/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramasta/310782155/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramasta/368765982/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramasta/522949159/
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Jun 5, 2007
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baraynavab
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Registered: Mar 21, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 5
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Review Date: Jun 3, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $475.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Very Sharp, Beautiful Colors, Light, Easy to handle, Great for protrait photography, Price
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Cons:
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A little slow sometimes to Autofocus. A little short on the long end(you always want more..thats just human nature)
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This is my first Canon "L" lens. I really didnt know whats the big deal with the L lenses but after getting on i now know. They are just plane good lenses.
I love the sharpness, color, contrast of the lens is just plane excellent. And by reading other opinions all they say about this lens is true.
Also the price of the lens is great IMHO. You can regarlarly find a great used copy of the lens for $500-550 bucks so i would recommend buying a used to save some more cash.
Here are some examples of the lens
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/207/513424862_a31904db9c_o.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/216/490455015_03610002e8_o.jpg
GET THIS LENS...its beautiful
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Jun 3, 2007
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Shiva Shankar
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: May 2, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 116
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Review Date: May 31, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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SHARPPPPP, Internal zoom and focus, FTM Focus, surprisingly light weight, un believeable price for a Canon L Lens.
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Cons:
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Cant think of any! no seriously, cant think of any!
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I bought this second hand at $480 with UV Filter (rather the filter get dirty than the lens). This is a crazy sharp lens, even wide open! Try some macro shots with this and you will be pleasantly surprised at the image quality. Smooth OOF blur and excellent colors. definitely will recommend a tripod (with mount) for low light, or go for the IS version (can benefit upto 3 stops).
Best Canon L Lens deal! With this lens, you absolutely cannot go wrong. Very very Highly recommended!
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May 31, 2007
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SKYWESTR
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Registered: Feb 18, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 1223
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Review Date: May 28, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $500.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Light, internal zoom and focus, constant f4, very sharp, takes a 1.4tc very well.
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Cons:
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None
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I recently sold off my copy of this lens to purchase a 200 2.8 prime. I found that I was at 200mm 90% of the time with a TC attached on a 1.6 crop body. I was happy with the bokeh and focusing is silent and fast even with a TC attached. This is a great lens if you need the zoom, very much recommend it if you travel a lot. Take a wide angle and this with a TC and you're completely covered.
Here are some examples with a Tamron 1.4TC attached:
www.flickr.com/photos/carllyle/497235066
www.flickr.com/photos/carllyle/491850468
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May 28, 2007
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redii
Offline
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Registered: Jan 5, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 483
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Review Date: May 26, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $480.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp, Sharp, Sharp
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Cons:
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None
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HOLY COW! I have several L series lenses and this is by far the best. It is sharp. The AF is fast. It is sharp. The bokeh is awesome. It is sharp. The cost 2nd hand is low. It is sharp. The color is extrordinary. It is SHARP!
Seriously, I bought this lens from a fellow FMer, a known sharp copy. It has become my favorite for walk around and portraits. It is light enough to carry all day and has become my favorite. My keeper rate has tripled. It lacks slightly in the low light area but that is a small price to pay for this IQ.
Did I mention it is sharp???
If you are ready to move up to L glass, this is the first lens to buy.
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May 26, 2007
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timnosenzo
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Image Upload: On
Registered: Jun 21, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 1339
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Review Date: May 3, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Excellent IQ, price
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Cons:
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None
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This lens is excellent for the price. Sharp, great color & contrast, its just a pleasure to use. Add to that the metal barrel, constant aperture, fast USM focusing and you have a great medium telephoto zoom at a really reasonable price. I'd recommend this lens to anyone as long as they don't mind the size (I think its fine, some might find it a little conspicuous.
Great lens & a great value.
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May 3, 2007
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fmSkewl
Offline
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Registered: Dec 1, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 72
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Review Date: Apr 19, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Image quality, weight, construction and price.
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Cons:
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I recently sold this lens after 2 years of ownership. In 2004 I purchased a 20D, 17-40 and this lens. In the interim I added a 10-22, 50 1.4 and 100-400. The IQ this lens produced was consistently my favorite out of the kit; with great sharpness, colour and contrast.
The primary reason that I decided to sell this lens is its lack of IS. Most of my shooting is under good lighting conditions and without a tripod. However there are times in the early morning and dusk where I have wished for IS. There is nothing more disappointing to me than pulling up a photo on the computer which is slightly out-of-focus.
For now I am using the 100-400 to cover the same focal range. However I suspect that I will purchase a 70-200 F/4 IS in the future. I highly recommend this lens if you are unwilling to pay for the IS version and do not require faster glass (2.8).
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Apr 19, 2007
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Max Young
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Registered: Apr 6, 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Apr 6, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Build quality, lght weight, sharpness of image
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Cons:
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Price - Canon stuff is always expensive, lens cap functionality is inferior to Nikon
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Have just jumped ship to Canon 30D from Nikon D70. The Canon body has many great qualities but ergonomically is not in the same league as the brilliant but aging D70. However, the topic here is the lens, so I digress thus far.
I hae used the 70-200 F4 L lens for about three weeks now. In a word, it is brilliant. The images are incredibly sharp, but I will admit I am coming from using an el cheapo Tamron 300mm lens so my comparison may not be quite fair.
The motor is almost silent, focussing is very fast, and image quality is sharp. IS would be nice but that's what a tripod is useful for - reducing the ippy-yippee-shakes.
All in all, a great buy. The IS version is way too expensive to justify it's use for me (being a part time professional).
Thoroughly recommended.
For a few sample images (taken today with this lens):
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l169/ozimax/B11.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l169/ozimax/B13.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l169/ozimax/B9.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l169/ozimax/B16.jpg
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Apr 6, 2007
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Tobers
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Jan 23, 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 27
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Review Date: Mar 4, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Image quality, build quality, looks cool
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Cons:
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Would like IS but too costly
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Got a great deal on a new one from eBay in the UK. A superb quality lens which has got me hooked on L-series lenses now. Beautifully sharp images and flawless build quality. A pleasure to use.
I'll be adding a 1.4x converter shortly as well.
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Mar 4, 2007
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Brian Kersey
Offline
Image Upload: On
Registered: Feb 12, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 1253
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Review Date: Mar 1, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $525.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Very Sharp, Great Colors, Excellent Contrast, Fast and Silent Autofocus, Non-rotating front element, light, and its White
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Cons:
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No tripod Collar
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I was in a debate whether to get this lens or the 70-300 for about two months. Finally I decided to go with the "L" glass and I have not been disappointed yet! This lens is extremely light and easy to carry around on hikes or at zoos all day. The colors are spectacular compared to my old 75-300 III. I use this for Wildlife, Zoo, and Sports Photography with no problem. For the price you cannot beat this lens. If you are deciding between the 70-300 IS and this, choose this even if you want the extra 100mm. The images look better cropped on this lens anyway. Hope I helped!
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Mar 1, 2007
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elfanucchi
Offline
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Registered: Jul 5, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 50
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Review Date: Feb 26, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $525.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp images, Crisp focus, Lite weight, Good Value compared to 2.8 and IS versions
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Cons:
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None
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My first L Grade Lens and I bought it just before my Alaska Trip and cruise. I also use it for wedding closeup's with both 10D and 20D.
It is long enough but short enough for some wildlife and helicopter use.
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Feb 26, 2007
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David Murrell
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Registered: Jan 26, 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Feb 26, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Good build; light weight; sharp; great colours; great contrast; fast accurate focussing
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Cons:
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non that I can think of, other than I would prefer it in black.
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My first 'l' lens, and man oh man does this lens rock. I bought it to go travelling around Kazakhstan with my 20d, and it produced some superb pictures that I am very proud of. The weight is just right for travelling, and I wouldn't have wanted the f2.8 version because of this.
Fast, accurate focussing, combined with acute sharpness, excellent build quality, wonderful colours and contrast, and a reasonable price. I can see why this is one of Canon's popular lenses.
I suppose now they have made an IS version I will have to save my pennies and get that eventually, because if IS works then I can see that it will be very useful (one or two pictures in Kazakhstan suffered because I was pushing it to the limit and beyond when hand held).
Get one on the second hand market -people are flooding it as they upgrade to the IS version I guess. But I don't think you can blame this lens if you take a bad photo.
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Feb 26, 2007
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Paul Sutton
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Jan 7, 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 15
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Review Date: Feb 23, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Build, Colours, Sharpness, Price
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Cons:
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No Tripod ring supplied, Hood a bit ugly
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This was my first L lens, i bought it just after i bought the 28-135 f3.5-5.6 IS, when id got it a realised what L lenses are about, i sent that back and replaced it with the 24-105 f4 L IS. this lens is still much sharper than that and i am so so pleased with. I would have liked the f2.8 version, however for the price this won hands down. i love it!
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Feb 23, 2007
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