Canon EF 70-300 mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM review - Introduction

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Canon EF 70-300 mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM

23 June 2017

Maciej Latałło

1. Introduction

When it comes to stabilized lenses which focal range starts from 70-75 and ends at 300 mm the line-up of Canon is really impressive. During last 20 years or so that company launched as many as five models. You can choose among simple and cheap constructions, designed for amateur photographers, but also an L-series device, more expensive and solidly build; there’s also a model with DO elements. It’s worth mentioning that, apart from stabilized lenses, Canon offers also four instruments without an optical stabilization unit. As you see in this segment you are spoilt for choice.

The Canon EF 70–300 mm f/4–5.6 IS II USM, presented in September 2016, is an official successor of the EF 70–300 mm f/4–5.6 IS USM model, launched in 2005. The new lens’s optical construction is more complex than that of its predecessor; it also features a bigger filter diameter, a better autofocus, a non-rotating filter thread, a shorter minimum focusing distance and an LCD window on the casing. What’s more the launch price of the new model, amounting to less than 2300 PLN, is, more or less, the same as the launch price of its predecessor.

Courtesy of the Canon Polska company we were sent one specimen of the lens for testing and were able to check how it compares to its predecessor and direct rivals.

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You are also invited to get acquainted with our test procedure, described in the article "How do we test lenses?" If you feel it’s still not enough, please go to our FAQ section where you can find some further explanation.