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maddog76
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Registered: Oct 11, 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Dec 23, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Fast and accurate focusing. Sharp wide open, not white.
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Cons:
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None
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Have been using this lens from the start of the summer til now.
Have used it indoors taking sports pics, and outdoor / indoor for long wedding shots.
This lens completey blows away my canon 'L' zooms. Cannot find one single fault.
This will be the start of my conversion to primes from zooms.
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 Dec 23, 2012
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oldshutterhand
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Registered: Jan 24, 2012
Location: Hungary
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Oct 29, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Compact size, fantastic picture quality, very precise, and fast autofocus
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Cons:
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manual focus can be little bit more easy to turn
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Since my first review I got an 1.4 Kenko dgx converter. I use the lens now without converter, with an 1.4X, with a 2X, and with two converters stacked. Whopping 560mm focal length with still acceptable, and sometimes surprisingly good results. With an 1.4 Kenko dgx the results are very good even wide open at f4, with a 2x good at f8, with the two converters stacked I use at f9 sometimes, or shutter priority from 1/1000 sec. I have the MK I version I prefer the built in hood.See my review and sample pictures with all combination in my website:
http://oldshutterhand.com/equipment-reviews/canon-2002-8-usm-l/
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Oct 29, 2012
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James Markus
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Registered: Jul 19, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 3842
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Review Date: Sep 21, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $630.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp, fast, and well built. This is probably the best value in Canon lenses.
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Cons:
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none
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I found this is a surprisingly good theater lens. I know some clamor for IS versions of many lenses, but this one doesn't need anything.
Sample:
http://www.fredmiranda.com/hosting-data//5748/7681602_ww.jpg
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Sep 21, 2012
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fishyfinger
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Registered: Jul 3, 2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jul 14, 2012
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Recommend? |
Price paid: Not Indicated
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Pros:
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Better link for the review below..
Thanks for looking.
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Cons:
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Jul 14, 2012
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fishyfinger
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Registered: Jul 3, 2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jul 13, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Very sharp, very fast focus, light, well made, it is mine..
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Cons:
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Having to pay for it!
Nothing wrong with it, read the product's box and you know what you are getting..
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Hello.
Well, what fun there is to be had with this lens. It is very sharp, VERY. I was going to get the 135 mm, went for the 200 mm instead. I live in Shetland and we are blessed with plenty of wildlife, more or less on our door-step, so that bit of extra reach is great for me. Works very well with my 50d, great set-up for wildlife.
The lens did surprise me at the speed that it can focus, faster than my other L lenses. I really am going off zoom lenses, primes is the way to go for me, zoom with my legs!
More fun..
Why people want IS on every lens is beyond me, none of my lenses have IS, and I cope. And I have arthritis in my fingers, hands and wrists, and still manage to sell on Getty, and exhibit work in my local art gallery.
May be it is down to technique..
Still, we are all different.
The lens is great, really.
If you are thinking about it, just buy it if you can, this lens really is THE bargain within the Canon range.
Buy it and go take great shots.
Have a look here if you have the time;http://www.flickr.com/photos/fishyfinger/
Just a few shots at the moment, more to follow.
If we ever get a summer here in Shetland..
Thanks for taking the time to read,
Tim x
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Jul 13, 2012
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oldshutterhand
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Registered: Jan 24, 2012
Location: Hungary
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jan 24, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
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Pros:
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Outstanding picture quality (sharpness, colours, contrast)
Ultrafast focus
creamy bokeh
'wow' pictures
small, black
moderate price compare to other longer Canon primes
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Cons:
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Manual focus little hard to use (feels scratchy)
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I got the lens about half a year ago used. Picture quality simply fantastic ! Great colours, contrast fantastic, sharpness on could wish for. The bare lens without the converter simply faultless in practical terms.
I mainly use the lens for birding with a Soligor 2x teleconverter, I usually use the lens with the teleconverter at f3.5-4.5. With the teleconverter wide open(f2.8) the pictures are soft, resolution not bad, but contrast is reduced a lot, at f4 quite good. My 30D sensor I can tell not up to this lens resolution capabilities.
You can chech some pictures at
www.oldshutterhand.com/?page_id=1897
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Jan 24, 2012
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MrBrilliant
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Registered: Dec 13, 2011
Location: Norway
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Dec 13, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $880.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp, solid, cheap (It's a great L-lens) and black
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Cons:
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Nope, not really
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I have used this lens extensively for candid downtown shots and I'm amazed at the quality of the images. Itæ's black and rather average-looking, so nobody cares where I pioint it.
Have taken pictures at 50+ metres that I've kept! Took some of my nephew from 40 metres out. Great candids that my sister framed and put on the wall in the living room.
This lens takes a 1,4 extender with little problem.
Highly recommended!
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Dec 13, 2011
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didierv
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Registered: Apr 30, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 304
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Review Date: Oct 17, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $550.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Very sharp, great build, small and inconspicuous
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Cons:
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none
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I really like this lens.
It is very sharp from 2.8 on...
Because of the focal lens I do not used it all that much, but every time I take it out I love the results.
I like it better than my 70-200 because it is smaller, lighter and inconspicuous.
I have the Mark I version, bought used on FM almost 5 years ago, it is a pretty old lens but works perfectly after all these years.
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Oct 17, 2011
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mihazero
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Registered: Oct 11, 2011
Location: Serbia & Montenegro
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Oct 12, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $400.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Super sharp and fast lens. Buttery smooth bokeh.
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Cons:
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No lens colar included and no IS. Object of envy from other photographers.
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Got mine 4 months ago and already i`m not taking it off my 5Dmk2. Might be too much zoom on crop cameras, but on FF its perfect.
Was thinking about 135 f2 or this lens and i`m glad i choose this lens.
I often go on photo walks with other photographers and almost everyone asks me what it is in complete disbelief that its L lens. I love the fact that its not white lens and i`m not drawing too much attention to myself while taking some portrait or some part of some public event. Other photographers on these events that don't know my name now days refer to me as "200" 
This lens combined with 85 1.8 is all one needs.
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Oct 12, 2011
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Michael Sanche
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Registered: Nov 24, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 14
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Review Date: Sep 3, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $650.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp. AF is breathtakingly fast and accurate. Color and Contrast is outstanding. Lens is visually attractive. Light. Small compared to 70-200. Built like a tank.
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Cons:
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None.
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After many years with zooms.....and having to set MFA as a function of focal length to get reasonable sharpness wide open due to common focus shift with zooms
(or before MFA existed having to live with softness wide open) .
.... I decided to use primes for key photographic opportunities.
Hence, I bought this lens for a trip to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone with wildlife photography in mind. I chose this prime due to the many AF issues I had with Canon zoom lenses, and, the reputation of this particular prime for design (AF and lens). After receiving this lens I carefully checked the focus accuracy as a function of fstop and distance.
In every case the MFA = 0 with center point AF only. This is a result you simply will not get with any 70-200mm zoom for all focal lengths. This prime lens design, coupled with AF accuracy, makes for a truly "sharp" lens (where sharpness is the convolution of focus and native lens sharpness).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54098006@N05/6108737652/sizes/l/in/photostream/
Additionally, the color and contrast are phenomenal. Several of my shots, that include water/sky, almost appear as if shot with a polarizing filter on the front.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54098006@N05/6108766708/
In addition to actually capable lens function (AF and lens sharpness when properly focussed, and color), the lens is visually beautiful to look at, is reasonably light and can be handheld in most situations (with proper management of ISO and shutterspeed). With today's higher resolution cameras (50D for me) and the sharpness of this lens you can crop and obtain great photos where a 400mm would otherwise be needed. An example of baby Osprey's in their next at near 100% crop is here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54098006@N05/6108782878/
I even managed a few shots of BIF (Osprey) (no examples posted), with center point AF. Perfect focus.
The lens feels solidly built and, I think, will last my lifetime. It is a lens to feel proud to own and has no downside or compromises to work around.
It is not a zoom, but, zooms have so many compromises, from my perspective, for me, they are not worth the perceived benefit. I would rather work the image content with a capable lens like this prime, and my feet, than manage around a zoom's limitations to get half the quality of this lens.
Finally, I bought this used on this site from a reputable member at a fair price. This price makes this lens a stunning value given it's capability.
If you are thinking of a prime, this is one of Canon's premier offerings.
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Sep 3, 2011
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radarbrat
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Registered: Mar 2, 2011
Location: United States
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Aug 28, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Light weight, 2.8 aperture, sharp, good color rendition, fast focusing, works great with the 1.4 teleconverter
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Cons:
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Great choice for Street Photography where long distances to the subject require a long(ish) lens. Also good if discretion is necessary.
Great price point for a lens of this quality. Of course like all primes, you'll need to do the zooming with your feet.
This is one of the first shots I took with the 200mm 2.8:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/radarbrat/5736802016/in/photostream
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Aug 28, 2011
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brogan
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Registered: Aug 24, 2011
Location: South Africa
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Aug 25, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
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Pros:
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(I have the Mark 1)
1. Size
2. Quality of images
3. oes not draw attention at it is black
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Cons:
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non what so ever!
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Got this lens for my 20th birthday. It is the single most amazing lens i have ever used. it is small and weight wise, next to nothing. and the image quality is amazing!!.
I use a 40D and with this lens I can take amazing shots, but with my fathers camera (7d) the images are out of this world. this lens is by far the best buy I have ever had. I got it for 2/3 of the price of a new mark 2 version. and IMO I saved on money and lost out on nothing. I prefer the slide out lens hood to the clip on lens hood, just because it is a pain having to try find a place for the hood in my bag when not in use.
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Aug 25, 2011
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furqanfazal
Online
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Registered: May 14, 2011
Location: United States
Posts: 61
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Review Date: Aug 19, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $810.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Fast, delicious BOKEH, fantastic sharpness and great build quality.
This lightweight, small (relative to the f/2.8 zooms) and black lens is relatively inconspicious (without the hood on) and can be used for street photography and in crowded places without drawing attention.
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Cons:
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Not as versatile as a zoom lens.
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This is such a fantastic lens with excellent sharpness and build quality. And the bokeh is just so delicious and creamy. More than 99% of my pictures are taken wide-open (f/2.8) where this lens is capable of producing magical images!
While this lens is not as versatile as an image-stabilized zoom I decided to buy it as it offered the best combination of speed (f/2.8), price and utility (I always end up taking pictures with telephoto zooms at the two focal length extremes).
This lens also has many advantages relative to the f/2.8 zooms such as price, weight and color (black). One day I hope to upgrade to the heavy 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II but until then I intend to keep using this stellar lens.
Other lenses owned: 10-22mm, 17-55mm, 100mm f/2.8L (all used on a T2i/550D).
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Aug 19, 2011
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garydolson
Offline
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Registered: Mar 28, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 125
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Review Date: Jul 20, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $650.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Razor sharp, light weight, excellent color and bokeh
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Cons:
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Refused to marry me, but who could blame it?
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The glass kicks @ss. This is one of those rare gems that will always perform far beyond its price. Buy with complete confidence.
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Jul 20, 2011
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agnesleung
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Registered: Dec 12, 2010
Location: China
Posts: 0
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Dec 12, 2010
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out_of_focus
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Registered: Mar 16, 2010
Location: Poland
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Oct 18, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $900.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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awesome optics (tack sharp!, beautiful bokeh, colors&contrast, no ca), quick af, size, feels really solid even though it's not weather sealed, it's black (does not focus so much attention as white Ls)
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Cons:
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no mount ring included
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Bought this lens 5 months ago, because I needed a fast lens for sports. I was considering between buying this lens or Sigma 70-200. Decided to buy Canon, because Sigma was lacking sharpness on 200mm (and I already had Canon EF 85mm 1,8, so can live without zoom). I know that I missed some shots, because it's not a zoom lens... but on the other hand - this lens is just AMAZING! Before I bought it, I thought, that my 85mm is sharp, but 200 beats any lens I own in terms of sharpness (I take pictures mostly with f/2.8). I shoot sports very often with this lens and when it comes to autofocus, USM is silent and very quick (sometimes not qucik enough, but I blame my 40D body for it). Colors and contrast looks great, as well as bokeh, when I shoot portraits. Pictures does not suffer from CA as they do when I use Canon 85mm.
The only thing I miss is a mount ring. With this price tag, Canon should include it!
All in all - the best lens I own, worth every penny! If you can live without versatility of zoom lenses, this may be the best choice. Can't wait to test it with 1,4x extender...
Some pictures of volleyball I took with this lens:
http://www.damianglowacki.pl/photo/index.php?album=photoreports/Sport1&page=4
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Oct 18, 2010
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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164
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301698
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Dec 23, 2012
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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95% of reviewers
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$608.24
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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9.79
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9.72
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9.8
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