Canon 70-200L F4 IS or 70-300 IS DO lens?

Question

Hi there


I have Canon 30D with 17-55 F2.8 IS lens. I am looking for a new telezoom lens for general photograhy use - i travel quite a bit and also like to take portrait picstures.

I am trying to decide between the two above lens. I have read quite a few of the reviews but they seem to contradict one another sometimes. I think it boils down to that the 70-200L F4 IS has better image quality but the DO is more compact and has more zoom - i am tempted to go for the DO but trying to find out if the F4 70-200 L image quality is THAT much better. Has anyone put the magnifier on the 70-200 to get more zoom?

I live in Hong Kong so about similar prices (DO slightly more at $1150US) price. I intend to go to new zealand travelling soon and expect to take it around china too. - hopefully goingto buy the lens tomorrow as chinese new year starts!

Any comments you have would be much appreciated.

Answer 1

The 70-200mm f/4 and 70-300mm DO are different beasts. The fact that they're roughly the same price says little.
The 70-200 is an affordable version of the 70-200 f/2.8. You pay for image quality.
The 70-300mm DO IS is simply a compact version of the regular 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS. It's a fine lens and great for travel, but it's not in the same league as a 70-200.
The obvious companion lens for your 17-55 is the 70-200 f/2.8. If you're willing to lug around the f/4 version, the size and weight shouldn't put you off... perhaps the price. If you're into portraits, the 70-200 f/2.8 is the next best thing to a dedicated lens and the 70-200 f/4 comes third.
As for reach, if you need 300mm (effectively almost 500mm!!) you can use either version of the 70-200 with a tele-converter. You sacrifice a stop and some image quality, but even then it's equal to or perhaps still better than a 70-300.
Another option - and the cheapest of all - is to get the regular 70-300mm IS and add an 85mm f/1.8 for portraits.

P.S. Thanks for reminding me about Chinese New Year. I almost missed it last year, too. But somehow, I think you'll grab better shots in Hong Kong than I will in China Town, The Hague ;-)

Answer 2

If you are after pure image quality, then I'd go for the 70-200L F4. I have the 70-200L F2.8 IS which is fantastic.

However, it's not to say that the DO is in any way a bad lens. It's still right up there in image quality, and you'll probaly need something like a 5D or 1Ds to tell any real difference between the two. Some say the only reason why the DO is not a "L" lens is just because Canon are using this newer "Diffractive Optics" glass technology. There are many reviews out there that say this is a great lens for the size, or as a "travel lens".

If you are traveling around, then the benefits of carrying around the lighter more compact DO lens would definitely outweigh the slight improvement in image quality of the 70-200 F4. Also, if you're going to New Zealand, the extra 100mm (or a total of around 500mm on a 30D!) would definitely be useful for capturing the local wildlife there (smaller animals and birds).

Answer 3

go to adorama.com
many choices