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Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM
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Review Date: Jan 26, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $660.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp, Light, Fast, Overall Image Quality
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Cons:
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Not a zoom
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I have had this lens for a few years along with a 35mm f2 and a 85mm f1.8 as my basic beginner set. The 200mm f2.8 has always been my favorite. It has become the standard by which I measure everything else, and most everything else falls short (though I must admit I haven't tried the 135 mm f2.0 which I understand is outstanding).
The worst I can say about this lens is that it is not a zoom. But, the truth is I have become a better, smarter, photographer by having to think about and visualize my shots.
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Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
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Review Date: Jan 26, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,550.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp, Build Quality, IS
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Cons:
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None but the weight - and that is to be expected
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I agonized over this purchase. Previously I have only used primes and I was concerned about how sharp this lens would be. I considered the 70-200 f4 IS because from what I could find it seems to be rated as sharper. The problem was I do a lot of low light photography. This much money for versatility but lower IQ would have hurt!
Well, I pulled the trigger on the 70-200 f2.8 IS, and put it to a simple test as soon as it arrived. I compared it, at 200mm f2.8, with my prime Canon 200mm f2.8. I took identical photos of the label on a dishwashing soap bottle by my sink. At 100%, side-by-side in Photoshop, the two lenses are equal in my judgment. I would not say identical - there seems to be some kind of minor trade-off between factors, with one stronger where the other is weaker and vice versa. (Though I don't have a clue what those factors are.) But, to my eye they appear identically sharp even though I know there is something subtle that is different between them. If anything, I actually like the 70-200 image a tiny bit more!
I'm happy to pay the high price for this lens to get its versatility without giving up quality.
BTW - search on "psjan" at B&H to save a hundred
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