Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS USM

[awinphoto]

Re: Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS

Canon CPS is sending me this lens in 2 weeks to play with for a little while. I will post photos once I'm done with the lens for you guys...

 

[deletemyaccount]

Re: Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS

Just a couple of shots by the ocean on a T2i cropped at f5.6

 

[awinphoto]

Re: Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS

I just got the lens in from Canon CPS and I will begin testing this lens... Some first impressions/observations without playing with it too much... It is short and fat... After using the 70-200 F4 IS, this thing is shorter and fatter... very beefy lens... Those used to lets say the 70-200 F2.8 weight may not be in for as much of a shock, but compared to the F4, it's definitely a beast. You may say "well look at the specs and you will know how much it weighs... well I did... but it's still something one is never looking forward to... It doesn't come with a lens ring... one may definitely consider it because if you are rough with your gear, it may give way...

Secondly, the focus ring and the zoom ring is a tad too close together... It doesnt help that the rings are reversed from other lenses to the zoom is closer to the hood. I dont get the reason why this is. If you have one hand on the zoom ring, your palm is on the focus ring... so that easily could knock off focus... Compared to any of the 70-200's, you have plenty of real estate between those two rings so that isn't an issue... Not a game breaker but something I will have to get use to... From a few informal shots, it is sharp, but I will do MA and run some real world shots and post later...

 

[iowafirebird]

Re: Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS

I'm still loving this lens with my 7D.

 

[K-amps]

Re: Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS

Very nice iowafirebird. How far were you form the subject and were these at 300mm (err 480mm )

Here's a shot I took a few days ago at a local sports practice... I reduced the RAW sharpness to zero (default = 25 in ACR) and dialed up the NR, despite that, it's still pretty sharp. The sun filtering through the trees presents a nice circular bokeh that it not intense... but neutral / pleasing.

 

[iowafirebird]

Re: Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS

Hi K-amps,
Yes they were at 300 mm and as close as I could get and still focus and not scare the butterfly away (within 2-3 ft? - I'm no good at judging distance!). The cabbage white butterfly is pretty small. These three were from the raw files - sharpened up a bit, blurring the background more, and cropped. I am posting the unprocessed (except for downsizing) jpgs of the first two that the camera spit out - just for comparison.
Thanks for your interest. I hope you are enjoying this lens as much as I am.

 

[akiskev]

Re: Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS

I took these photos of robins through my living room window with this lens (Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS) on my 7D. It's my first L lens and I love it.

Great catch!!! Excellent shots!

 

[awinphoto]

Re: Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS

Well crap, I had the chance to test out this lens borrowed from Canon CPS at the Reno National Championship Air Races on thursday and spent most friday processing photos until the tragic plane crash at the races. My thoughts and prayers goes towards those who died or were injured during the race. (the plane crashed very near my seats I was in the day prior). Out of respect for the event I'd doubting even showing the photos... what a terrible outcome...

 

[K-amps]

Re: Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS

iowafirebird,

Amazing, gives me lots of hope

I love the way you blurred the cabbage white butterfly. Did you use CS4? How did you select the objects to blur? I love the PP you did to it.

 

[iowafirebird]

Re: Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS

Hi K-amps,
I use CS5, and I still have a LOT to learn. Generally I select what I do not want to blur, refine the edge and then invert the selection to apply the blur. I use the quick selection tool and then use the lasso for fine-tuning.

 

[K-amps]

Re: Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS

Hi K-amps,
I use CS5, and I still have a LOT to learn. Generally I select what I do not want to blur, refine the edge and then invert the selection to apply the blur. I use the quick selection tool and then use the lasso for fine-tuning.

Same here. Did you use gaussian or lens blur?

 

[iowafirebird]

Re: Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS

Hi K-amps,
I use CS5, and I still have a LOT to learn. Generally I select what I do not want to blur, refine the edge and then invert the selection to apply the blur. I use the quick selection tool and then use the lasso for fine-tuning.

Same here. Did you use gaussian or lens blur?

In this case, gaussian.

 

[dr croubie]

Re: Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS

I haven't posted much around here lately, so i'll put this one here.
Sleepy Lizard, which we think was an escaped pet of the neighbours a few years ago...

7D, f/8, 300mm, 1/60s, ISO200

 

[K-amps]

Re: Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS

Went to Brown County State Park this weekend and they were talking about rehabbing a few native birds (and a couple migratory): I was lucky to have my 70-300 on me. Took these during the talk .

No PP sharpening done, but while scaling down the image sizes to post,I used "bicubic sharper for reduction"

 

[briansquibb]

Re: Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS

On a 1d4

 

[Harv]

EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS

I purchased the EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS recently to evaluate for a specific application. I ultimately felt it was too slow for the application and sold it yesterday. However, while I had it, I shot some bird images with it and was impressed with the IQ the lens delivered. I will be using my EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS II and EF 300 f/2.8L IS for my application but thought some folks out there who are looking at this lens might appreciate seeing just how good an image it can produce.

I wish I could have justified keeping the lens but it would have seen very little use with me, if any. However, if someone out there is considering one, don't hesitate. The lens delivers as promised. It's also built like a tank.

 

[Ivan Muller]

Re: EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS

Great image..! I have one and can concur with everything you say...its my only long lens so I plan on keeping it

 

[Ivan Muller]

70-300L in Mozambique

I haven't used my 70-300L much, i bought it for a trip to the Kruger National Park, but I am mightily impressed with everything, sharpness at all apertures and focal lengths and build quality...it just works well. Only thing is that I wish it was a bit lighter but it makes up for that in its more compact size. I also looked at the 70-200f4L but decided that I might as go for the longer reach...

This image was made last year on a trip to Mozambique....more images and info here at...http://thelazytravelphotographer.blogspot.com/2012/03/mozambique-landscapes.html

 

[briansquibb]

Re: EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS

It is a great general purpose lens. That and a 24-105 on a ff are a great travel set.

 

[Abmurksi]

Re: Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS

One Pic with 100% crop. Near the lake shore on my 7D. 300mm, f7.1, ISO200, 1/500sec. This lens is a brilliant tradeoff of sharpness, weight, range, size & color rendition.
Minimal sharpness applied in Lightroom (25, Radius 1, Detail 25, no masking).