The Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II offers extremely sharp image quality and is ideal for shooting sports and for close-up work. The Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III is its newer, current-gen version. Key features include:
- The improved four-stop image stabilization system
- Increased optical quality
- 3.9-foot minimum focusing distance at all zoom settings
- L-series build quality
Advanced Optical Design. The Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM features one fluorite element and five UD elements for increased optical quality and reduced chromatic aberration. It has a minimum focusing distance of 3.9 feet at all zoom settings, which is quite nice for those who use this for closeup work.
Improved Image Stabilization. It also has an improved four-stop image stabilization system, compared to the original version's two stops.
Roger’s Take
Founder & CEO
Before I ever used this lens I was predisposed not to like it. The original version was excellent and one of the best zooms made. I wanted Canon to upgrade 12.5 other lenses (the 50 f/1.4 only counts as half a lens) before they turned their attention to redoing the already excellent 70-200 f/2.8 IS. Now that I've used it, I've changed my opinion somewhat. Sorta. To a greater or lesser extent.
I haven't changed my opinion that the original lens is excellent. However, the II version is clearly better: sharper in the edges and corners for sure. Probably sharper by a hair in the center, and the IS is clearly, definitely improved. Handholding at 1/30 a second at 200mm is possible, which definitely wasn't something you could do with version I. So kudos Canon, you made nearly perfect even better. No question it's a better lens.
Is this the 70-200mm lens I use? Generally not, but it might be very different for someone else. For me, the 70-200 f/2.8 is a sports/action range, so corner sharpness isn't a big thing, and better IS doesn't matter (in fact, the non-IS is fine). But for other people using it for other purposes, those things can be critical and make this clearly a better lens. If I were using it for low-light work where the subjects aren't moving much (say concerts or plays), then it would clearly be worthwhile.
April, 2013
Q & A
- Should I use additional support with this lens?
For photographers, we recommend mounting the lens to your tripod plate and letting the camera be supported by the lens mount. The collar is positioned at the approximate center of gravity of the camera and lens and will provide better balance on a tripod. When in doubt, please contact us.
For videographers, we recommend removing or turning up the tripod collar and using a rail support system and lens support. We have provided links to our universal baseplates in the “recommended” tab to the left, however, we also carry camera specific kits. Those can be found in the recommended column of camcorder pages. When in doubt, please contact us.
