Canon EF 90-300 mm f/4.5-5.6 USM review - Build quality

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Canon EF 90-300 mm f/4.5-5.6 USM

14 October 2007

Arkadiusz Olech

3. Build quality

Looking at the lens standing next to the EF-S 18-55 mm model we can see that the two are stylistically very similar. Unfortunately for the EF 90-300 mm USM, the build quality is also similar to the kit lens. We have a big focal length ring and a small manual sharpness adjustment ring with no scale on it. The body, as well as the bayonet, is made almost entirely of plastic. The one advantage here is the lens’s weight, which is a little bit more than 400 grams.

Canon EF 90-300 mm f/4.5-5.6 USM - Build quality

The Canon EF 90-300 mm USM, in its interior construction, is made of 13 elements set up in 9 groups. Having in mind its low price, we cannot expect any special glass in its interior design and there isn’t any. Additionally, it comes with a seven-blade diaphragm inside the lens and a 58 mm filter thread at the front end. And, as is typical for Canon, our extras are limited to a cheap paper box, two pieces of Styrofoam and a plastic bag. We are really quite angered by this because we think it is high time for Canon to follow the good example of other brands and add some accessories like a lens hood or a carrying case. Canon doesn’t do so for its expensive products, so we get virtually nothing for the cheaper EF 90-300 mm USM. By contrast, if you buy the same price Sigma 70-300 mm APO you get a lens hood, a sturdy carrying case and a two year guarantee with the possibility of extending the guarantee for another year for an extra fee.

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