Just bought a new Canon EF 70-300L IS USM lens.

[Marsu42]

I have spoken to people who have one and they love it. What are your experiances? Good? Bad?

Good/Bad is relative, for me the 70-300L has a very good price-weight-size-reach-iq-build-is combination, on ff is still ok as a longer walkaround, the one problem is that af @f5.6 is not optimal making this an "outdoor" lens in contrast to the 70-200/2.8. And the 70-300L doesn't work with Canon tc (but with Kenko).

Imho its really funny how the reputation of this lens rises, when I bought it a year ago most reviews basically said that its overpriced and the iq is not good enough, esp. in comparison to the non-L model. But now that the new Canon "double the price" strategy is in effect, the 70-300L esp. in combination with a rebate is a good choice. But of course I'd switch it for the new Sigma 120-300/2.8 for free ;-)

[GaryJ]

Have one for over a year now,must agree with Marsu42 about the reputation.On my 7D it works fine,not a patch on the 70-200 L IS II whose image IQ is outstanding.I find the 70-300 to be sharp,colour good,really only a daylight lens as it is let down by the apertures available,a touch more contrasty than I would prefer,lack of money means this will have to me.All in all ,not a bad lens by any means,hunts for focus in less than well lit conditions but can be lived with.your experience may different to mine,I live in Queensland Australia and have no lack of sunshine,41 degrees celcius here today,so the lens performs to my satisfaction.

[expatinasia]

I have the 70-300L IS USM and the 70-200 Mk II IS USM and the difference in weight is considerable, albeit not on paper. The 70-300L is an excellent lens for outdoor, travel etc but it can be slow and in low light, or why I need more speed, I always prefer the 70-200.

Both excellent lenses, but unless you need 2.8 then the major considerations should be the price, the weight and the ease of portability.

[Steb]

I also own the 70-300L and the 70-200L 2.8 IS II. I rate the IQ of the 70-200 slightly better and of course the 2.8 is awesome. But it is more of a special purpose lens. You think twice before you take it with you. I would carry the 70-300 with me at any time. It is very compact and light compared to the other zoom. Enjoy it! 

[LetTheRightLensIn]

First, congrats on your new acquisition.  Use it well!

Ah, you've re-sparked my dilemma.  I love my 70-200 f4 IS for its IQ and utility.  But, now that I've got a FF, I miss the reach.  The 1.4x helps but I keep looking at the 70-300 L.  I'd have to sell the 70-200 to help "fund" a 70-300 L, and that's what's got me nervous.  I don't want to look back and wish I'd kept it.  It is reassuring to see the comments about the 70-300 vs a 70-200 with a TC above.  Just "thinking aloud" but I would say my very improved high iso performance on the 5diii could more than offset the loss of the constant f4 I've got now, but I keep debating with myself.

Anyone want to put themselves into my shoes and think what they'd do?

JP

I think it's good enough to give up the 70-200 f/4 IS (a lens I never though to give up). Tried a Tamron 70-300VC too. That was very good for that sort of lens but just no way I could give up my amazing 70-200 f/4 IS for that. With the 70-300L I was able to sell off my 70-200 f/4 IS (I did delay the sale for six months  it's a hard lens to let go, but it was virtually never getting used and that was way to much money on the shelf).

I'd stick with the 70-200 f/4 IS is if it is to be both your main walk-around long lens and primary wide field sports lens paired with a long prime and you consider that shooting to be quite important (although not quite enough to get a bulky 70-200 f/2.8 for that alone).  Otherwise I'd seriously consider the swap.

I think it's f/4.5 to 155mm, so so long as you don't need M mode for action the constant f/4 isn't quite as much of a loss as you'd think, although f/5 200mm certainly isn't f/4.

[Richard8971]

Second update. I took the 70-300 out today and well...

I am kicking myself for not getting this thing sooner. Focus is "right now" and the images are truly razor sharp. Canon put a lot of thought into this lens and it is 100% modern. Some of my "photo buddies" are reconsidering getting "pro" lenses now that they have seen the images from my 70-300L.

I do not regret buying this lens!

D

[Richard8971]

UPDATE:1-12-13

A few of my photo buddies have the EF 70-200 2.8L IS USM and they swear by them. I have seen the photos and they speak for themselves.

Truth be told, I rarely shoot at under f8. (I range from f8 to f16) Nothing personal, just my particular style of shooting. If I need 2.8 glass I can slap on my EF 100mm macro 2.8. That is also a great walk around lens that is really sharp.

Having that extra 100mm over the 70-200 is worth losing the 2.8 glass, to me. Yes, the images from the 2.8 200 are fantastic, but I can do what I need to do with my 300 and get great images for a few bucks less and get that extra range I need.

I have thought about getting the 1.4X teleconverter from Tamron if I needed more reach and I don't mind a tripod and manually focusing.

D

[Marsu42]

I have thought about getting the 1.4X teleconverter from Tamron if I needed more reach and I don't mind a tripod and manually focusing.

I've got the identical set (100L, 70-300L) and a Kenko 1.4x tc that works great with the macro (more working distance) and good with the tele zoom, the Kenko enables f8 focusing on all cameras even though it's prone to hunting in low contrast and not as precise as the bare lens.

[discojuggernaut]

I've had mine for a year, during the transition between 7d and 5d3.  Awesome outdoor/travel/walkaround/sports lens.  Fast AF, wonderful colors, sharp.  Love the form factor.  Compact when stored.  Built like a tank.  Sadly selling it, due to recent 70-200 2.8 mkii acquisition.  Anyone in SoCal interested, please PM me.

[Plainsman]

Could it be that the 70-300L is so good that Canon can delay or even abandon the upgrade of the 100-400L?

After all if the imminent 7D II gets 24Mp a 7D II with 70-300L will be equivalent to 88 - 380 with a 50D.

[Marsu42]

Could it be that the 70-300L is so good that Canon can delay or even abandon the upgrade of the 100-400L?

I guess so, because for the 100-400Lii to really make a iq difference apart from the 100mm more zoom range (not that much, even 200-300 isn't) it would have to be significantly more expensive - and in this case many people might be inclined to buy tele primes instead that have a larger aperture than f8 with a tc.

[East Wind Photography]

I agree, you need to have F2.8 to take advantage of the advanced AF systems in the newer Canon cameras.  I shoot mostly birds in flight and even at F4 to get a shutter speed that can really stop action and water drops I have to raise the ISO to 1000 or higher.  Even with the 5D3 that sometimes is not good enough depending on how close the subject is.  I can say it entirely can be based on what you shoot.  The 70-300 is a great lens but it's not for everyone.  I have stuck with F4 and faster on the tele's and they have to accept the 1.4x III.  F5.6 and limited to 300mm is too restrictive for what I shoot.

I've considered this lens, but I've developed an addiction to f/2.8 or faster. That and I love to shoot in crazy lighting, which means the >= f/4 just doesn't do it for me. Unfortunately, it's got great range, and otherwise would win out for me even that it's not quite up to the 70-200 f/4 or f/2.8 for sharpness/IQ I'd still take it if it was wider than f/4.

[miah]

I've had my new 70-300L for less than a week and like the OP, I'm blown away by its AF speed, color, sharpness and build quality. Marsu42, I recently purchased the 100L, as well, and am debating the Kenko 1.4x for use with it and the 70-300L. This seems like a good mix. Can you tell us how much additional working distance the 1.4x adds to your 100L? And will the 5D3/70-300L + 1.4x auto focus at f/8 with current firmware?

[SpecialGregg]

I understand that you CAN mount the 70-300L to the Canon 1.4x III, as long as you have the lens extended past 250mm when you mount it.

[East Wind Photography]

We are promised F8 AF for the 5D3 in April as a firmware upgrade.  But don't expect the fast AF you are used to.  AF at F8 is a bonus, not something to use every day or for every purpose.

I've had my new 70-300L for less than a week and like the OP, I'm blown away by its AF speed, color, sharpness and build quality. Marsu42, I recently purchased the 100L, as well, and am debating the Kenko 1.4x for use with it and the 70-300L. This seems like a good mix. Can you tell us how much additional working distance the 1.4x adds to your 100L? And will the 5D3/70-300L + 1.4x auto focus at f/8 with current firmware?