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Jay968
Online
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Registered: Mar 28, 2011
Location: United States
Posts: 39
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Review Date: May 1, 2013
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Recommend? |
Price paid: Not Indicated
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Pros:
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Tried another sample...great sharpness
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Cons:
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There may be some quality control issues with these lenses
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I have now one through 5 samples of this lens. One did not fit tight on the camera's lens mount. Another once made a terrible grinding noise when IS was engaged, so I finally settled on one with superb sharpness but there may be a slight problem with the IS (it occasionally causes the image through the viewfinder to lurch a slight bit...not sure if this is normal or not). Apparently there seem to be some quality control issues with the current crop of these lenses...so I will keep my rating at 8.
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 May 1, 2013
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Jay968
Online
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Registered: Mar 28, 2011
Location: United States
Posts: 39
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Review Date: Apr 25, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Very fast and accurate AF. Very good IS.
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Cons:
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Not as sharp wide open as I had expected. Overpriced.
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Somewhat confused concerning this lens. After reading countless reviews, I decided to trade my non IS version for this lens only to find that even after trying 3 copies it is just not as sharp as I had hoped for when shooting wide open. Yes, the corners are better than those from the non IS but that's about it. It is big, it is heavy, and I am just not impressed with its F2.8 capabilities. I think that the non IS at $1000 less is a far better value.
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Apr 25, 2013
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haringo
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Registered: Oct 7, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 12
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Review Date: Mar 10, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
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Pros:
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image quality at 200mm finally! sharpness
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Cons:
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heavy, my wife sometimes struggles holding the whole day, takes up lot of space
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I was hesitant to upgrade from the previous version for a long time. I had to admit it was a big mistake! I am glad I did!!!! I think there is a big difference in image quality and mostly in sharpness! Honestly, I never liked the image quality of the Mark I at 200mm wide open. It has changed now! This is a must to have lens, period. You see tons of images with this lens on my facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Haring-Photography/154205936576?ref=nf
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Mar 10, 2013
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leo5d
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Registered: Aug 6, 2012
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Aug 6, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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scherp, AF erg snel, mooie bokeh, IS voldoet prima.
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Cons:
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Nog geen nadelen gevonden.
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Ik ben zeer tevreden over dit objectief.
Foto's gemaakt met de 1d mark 3 en de 5d mark 2 zien er geweldig uit.
IS voldoet uitstekend.
Foto's gemaakt op 1/60 [200mm] zijn niet bewogen.
Al met al, een kwalitatieve prima aankoop
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Aug 6, 2012
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vsg28
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Registered: May 7, 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 1214
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Review Date: Jul 28, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $2,000.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Contrast, aperture, sharpness
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Cons:
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Weight
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I was able to finally buy this beauty before my San Antonio trip and its first major test came in the local underground caverns. A prime would not have worked given the varying features and this lens came through big time. It was able to focus in very low light and the pictures came out great. I had a keeper rate of over 80% in such lighting conditions.
Next up I was asked to cover a Guinness world record attempt on a track field. Decent lighting conditions and never did I bother changing the aperture from 2.8; all the pictures were razor sharp. Once you are used to the weight and the justifications you gave while spending so much on this lens, you will only appreciate it more.
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Jul 28, 2012
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sf2photos
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Registered: Mar 4, 2012
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jul 10, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Speed, Ultra Sharpness.
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Cons:
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None
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Staggeringly good images. I've read what other people have said of this lens, and decided to invest. It's all true, it is very nearly a bag full of primes. The color rendition available is second to none, and sharpness is excellent. (To be fair I use it on a crop body so cannot comment for corner to corner sharpness on a full frame). Being so wide an aperture, using a 2x TC is available without tape trick, with marginal reduction in quality...but it still more than holds its own against similar aperture/length lenses such as the 100-400L.
The weight is significant but i've only found it a problem after a full day with this lens, body, bag and a tripod too. If anything, it feels solid rather than heavy.
Highly Recommended.
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Jul 10, 2012
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amesbah
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Registered: Mar 19, 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 12
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Review Date: Jun 26, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Optically and mechanicaly first class.
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Cons:
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Slight FF vignetting.
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Hearing all the praise for this mkII lens I decided I needed to own one.
Its resolving power cannot be overstated providing insanely sharp 200mm images the you can crop all day.
The only very slight negative is the level of vignetting that can be seen at 200mm/2.8 although its certainly no worse than other L lenses.
70mm on the wide end also provides many uses for this lens.
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Jun 26, 2012
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arvindkanchi
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Registered: Jul 5, 2005
Location: Canada
Posts: 8
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Review Date: Jun 19, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharpness, Build Quality, f2.8 and IS
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Cons:
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Price and weight..
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Excellent lens from Canon. One of the very best i have used. Like the sharpness and bokeh on my portraits. I believe this is the best telephoto zoom lens that canon has built till date and i recommend it to all.
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Jun 19, 2012
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aestiva
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Registered: Feb 18, 2009
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 0
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Review Date: May 15, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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sharp, contrast, colour, AF speed
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Cons:
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Weight, Even the high price is worth it
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The best lens I've ever had. Very good sharpness at 2.8. I even can't see the difference in sharpness between 2.8 and 5.6
The most beautifull closeups on my site are made with this lens.
www.totaalfotografie.nl
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May 15, 2012
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detroitrock
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Registered: Apr 17, 2012
Location: Australia
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Apr 17, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp, fast and resolves an astonishing amount of detail.
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Cons:
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None
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I never upgraded from my old 80-200mm2.8L due solely to the reason that its immediate successors where not as sharp. Being in retail I had plenty of opportunity but optical quality is what counted to me. Its resolving power was superb. Once I had tested the new Mk II it was a foregone conclusion. The detail this lens can resolve beggars belief. Price, weight or any potential cons do not matter. This lens is superlative. For the past year I have been a fulltime wedding shooter and this lens is bolted to a 1DMKIV. I find that combination perfectly balanced and manageable and get a great success rate at 1/40th of a second.
Buy it! You will not regret it.
David
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Apr 17, 2012
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Todd Klassy
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Registered: Sep 27, 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 288
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Review Date: Apr 4, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $2,299.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Super sharp, fast autofocus, rugged, and image stabilization.
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Cons:
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Price is a tad steep, but well worth it. It is also a tad heavy.
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I did a lot of research before purchasing this lens. I live and work in a very remote corner of Montana and it is important that my gear work well because it is often difficult to replace and/or fix quickly.
I was very pleased with the first gyration of this lens, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM (Mark I), and wondered if this new version would be worthy of its replacement. I very quickly learned it was. When I first looked at images I took with this lens a very broad smile came to my face.
In addition to the images being super sharp, the autofocus on this lens is very snappy and very accurate. And like all 'L' lenses this lens is built very well and the weather sealing is always a plus.
I generally used this lens with my Canon EOS 5D Mark II and my IR-converted Canon EOS 5D (Mark I). It really shines on cameras with a large sensor. Its improvement in image quality is a must if you own a camera with > 18 MP and the difference in quality on my 5D Mark II is quite obvious.
I guess my only problem with the lens is its weight. When coupled with a Canon 5D Mark II + a battery grip, my rig is quite heavy, especially when swinging it up and down 1000 or more times every day for many weeks. In doing so I developed tennis elbow (i.e. tendinitis) and it took many months and exercises for it to go away. Shocking, but true.
That said, this lens is so exceptional it is well worth the pain of having to fight through tendinitis.
I came from a world of primarily prime lenses (i.e. 135mm f/2L, 85mm f/1.2L, 50mm f/1.4, 24mm f/2.8L, etc.) because I was never satisfied with the image quality of zoom lenses. But this Canon lens changed all of that. And now it is the lens that gets more use on my camera(s) than any other lens.
Here are some examples of photographs I have taken with this exceptional lens...
Three bison (or buffalo) dash across the open prairie in front of me on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/latitudes/6331906432/
A horse rears its head at the moon while high atop a ridge near Havre, Montana:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/latitudes/6123177901/
A cowgirl and her horse as the sun sets over Montana:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/latitudes/6123179125/
A yellow-bellied marmot, otherwise known as a rock chuck, spotted at Glacier National Park in Montana.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/latitudes/5957104585/
An Air Tractor AT-301 crop duster flies low over a wheat field spraying fungicide near Chester, Montana:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/latitudes/5908535610/
A very long row of electrical poles disappear over the horizon near Big Sandy, Montana:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/latitudes/5904210081/
Needless to say, I am very happy with this lens. I worried about the price when I first purchased it because I wondered if it would be that much better than its predecessor, but I can say with confidence it was worth every cent and has paid for itself many times over.
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Apr 4, 2012
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annoh
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Registered: Feb 15, 2012
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Feb 22, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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High optical performances
Fast AF
Effective image stabilization
Sealed against dust and water
Nice bokeh
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Cons:
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High purchase price
Large and heavy
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I use this lens in my studio and in the field. My camera is a 5D MK2. The autofocus is fast and the image stabilization is very effective. The weight is substantial and the finishing is of a high level. Optically, there is little to be desired of the lens. I like to work with a small DOF and it is possible to use this lens at f/2.8.
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Feb 22, 2012
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dimitris77
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Registered: Aug 29, 2005
Location: N/A
Posts: 511
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Review Date: Feb 16, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Excellent lens overall. Sharp, fast focusing, IS helps a lot. Its definitely a keeper. Competes with 200L and the Zeiss 100MP I used to have.
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Cons:
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Size but you already knew about it. Also price. Its x2 the price of the non-IS version.
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Feb 16, 2012
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juberisk2
Offline
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Registered: Sep 16, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 380
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Review Date: Feb 1, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $2,200.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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better focusing, better sharpness wide open, better min. focusing distance, better hood, better IS
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Cons:
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price
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I had the original version, which was no slouch, but gave it a rating of 9. This one clearly deserves a 10. Top quality.
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Feb 1, 2012
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Kevin Sherman
Offline
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Registered: Nov 11, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 1042
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Review Date: Jan 19, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Better focusing
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Cons:
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I think this lens is over priced, especially compared to the previous version.
Here are my observations after shooting with it for a few hours (compared to the 70-200mm f2.8L IS Version I):
- Noticeably better focus tracking. You won't necessarily feel it unless you can shoot with it for a while, I noticed my keeper rate went up, shooting optional gymnastics floor routines with a 1D Mark III.
- The new lens hood is a big improvement. The lens hood on the old one is crap. Only owned it for 1 year before I had to start using gaffers tape to keep it in place.
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Jan 19, 2012
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mjeffbr
Offline
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Registered: Dec 6, 2011
Location: Brazil
Posts: 56
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Review Date: Jan 16, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $2,900.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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sharp, great contrast, super fast
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Cons:
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makes you wonder why your other lenses are worth it
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This is the best lens that I ever used, even the 35L can't surpass it in terms of sharpness and contrast, it is so sharp it hurts, its autofocus is hyper fast, beautiful colors
The real problem with it is that it was my first L, so the others that came after it failed to impress me for they cannot be compared to this beast of a lens
bought in Brazil, so more expensive
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Jan 16, 2012
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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107
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125998
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May 1, 2013
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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94% of reviewers
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$2,387.71
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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9.94
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8.72
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9.9
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