Product Description

The EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM is the perfect teleobjective zoom for landscape photos. Offering a 70-300 mm focus and an aperture of f/4-5.6, it also includes an optical stabilizer which allows razor sharp images at lower shutter speeds, while rear focusing USM delivers fast, silent auto focus.The EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM is dedicated to expert amateurs and photo specialists for animal and sport photos looking for high quality and hand-held photo shots.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1470 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Canon
• Model: 0345B006AA
• Released on: 2007-07-24
• Dimensions: .39" h x .39" w x .39" l, 1.39 pounds

Manufacturer's Description
The EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM telephoto zoom lens has been developed to meet the high-performance standards that today's photographers demand. Improved Image Stabilizer Technology provides up to three stops of "shake" correction, and the "Mode 2" option stabilizes images while panning with a moving subject. Compared to the original Canon EF 75-300mm IS zoom lens, this telephoto lens has faster autofocus, and overall the lens is lighter and has a smaller diameter than the original. The zoom ring can be locked at the 70mm position, making this powerful lens easy to transport, too.

Customer Reviews

Great for fast moving action
Used this with my Canon eos 450 and it is excellent !

I bought it mainly for taking photos at the theme parks and my children's school plays and sports days. I managed to get some great shots of my children on the rides at Drayton Manor Park after my wife missed them all with her compact because her digital camera (a 2 year old Panasonic Lumix digital compact) simply couldn't keep up with the speed and focus. The USM and IS combination worked so quickly and so well - got some great photos of my kids on the fast moving rides - I captured the expressions on their faces as they enjoyed the thrill of the rides, rather than being limited to the usual static photos which I would otherwise have taken at the beginning or end of the rides with my compact on previous occasions (Just be aware though, the camera does become very heavy with the zoom lens attached, but for the quality of photos, it was well worth it !)

The image stabilization system alone is worth every penny
I'll only review the IS aspect of this lens and make one other comment since I have only had it 24 hours and have yet to go out and about with it.

Image Stabilization:
Having solved the problem I comment on below, I hooked this brand new lens up to my 400D and started shooting objects at maximum focal length across the room using available light only. No flash. I took two frames of each, one with IS on, and the other with IS off. Shutter speed was 1/10 - 1/20 second in each case. Yes, 1/10 - 1/20 second and I was using 300mm focal length, hand held. Those frames taken with IS off were blurred beyond any semblance of use. Those with IS on were pin sharp. I was blown away. Truly. One of the frames was of a toy car on a shelf, the car occupying the whole photo. Naturally, depth of field was short - which added to impact - but for the chosen focus area every spec of dust was clearly visible. No lens will completely compensate for bad technique, but I proved that with good techique (in this case how to hold equipment and relax with low shutter speeds) the realms of expectation can be dramatically extended.

Comment:
On first attaching this lens to my 400D the camera would occasionally "hang" mid shot and need the battery removing to reset it; no buttons would operate, the screen went out, and bizarrely the camera's power LED stayed on even when the camera was switched off. I was sure I had a duff lens, but found help on the web saying "FULLY recharge your battery first, and then try again before sending the lens back". They were right. My battery (actually two in a BG-E3 grip) were not showing flat according to the camera but recharging them had the lens working perfectly. The reason for this behaviour is that the IS system demands much more power than a normal lens. Nothing to stop you buying this awesome piece of kit, but something to be aware of.

Very very good alround lens
I have been using this lens for some time now with my EOS 300D and have been really happy with the results, I have used it in all types of lighting conditions, indoors and out and as long as you take these into account this lens will perform really well. I have even taken macro shots, which have been fantastic!