White dot on 70-200 IS II

[Alejandro]

First of all, good evening.

Im currently owning a Canon 70-200 F4 IS (with a Canon 6D) and i'm looking to step up. And looking for the 70-200 IS II this one appeared. The only detail is this white dot on the edge of the frontal element, ¿Is this going to affect my image quality? The lens is currently u$s1600 ($29500) and i'm going to make a u$s1467 offer ($27000).

Is it really worth the upgrade over the 70-200 F4 IS?
Thank you very much for your time!

LINK:
https://articulo.mercadolibre.com.ar/MLA-676796274-canon-ef-70-200mm-f-28-is-usm-ii-sin-parasol-_JM

 

[Maximilian]

Hi Alejandro!

The white dot on the edge of the front element looks to me like some dust particle that could possibly be removed.
But to me it looks like there are also dust particles inside the barrel on the inner optical elements.
The impact on the IQ is not as high as some might think. But I am a gearhead and wouldn't like that at all.

But most deterrent to me is the look of the outer edge of the filter thread.
On the outside you can see a lot of dents. To me this is a sign of heavy use without the lens hood and giving impact to the lens structure. So even if the lens is fully intact and you might not see any negative effects from the dust I would guess the price as too high.
I don't know what the street price for a new lens is where you live (Argentina?), but I wouldn't pay more than 50% of that street price for a lens in that shape. AND I would try to make clear that I could return it if it's not working properly. In Germany a well known secondhand dealer wouldn't pay more than 1.100 € for a lens in that shape, even if all the surroundings (hood, bag, caps,...) are there.
I don't know, if I would go above 1.000 € at all.

Now to your second question: Is it worth the upgrade?

That really depends on your needs and likes and type of shooting.
The IQ of those two lenses is quite similar, some say the f4 is even better.
You will get f2.8 for two times (!) the weight and bigger size as well.
If you don't need (!) f2.8 and if you want to stay light with your gear I wouldn't "upgrade".

If you bought your f4 new or if it is in mint or good condition I wouldn't trade it for that lens.

I hope I could help a little bit.

 

[SteveM]

I have both of these lenses. I bought the 2.8 version as the f4 version wasn't fast enough for almost all the low light venues I was working in. I had a reason for buying it, I needed the speed. (So I can work at lower ISO)
For my own personal use and family days out I always take the f4 version. Very sharp wide open, quite a bit smaller and a lot lighter.
So, if you need the shallow depth of field or its low light capabilities, buy the 2.8. Otherwise you will be more than satisfied with the f4.

 

[Pookie]

It should have no impact on IQ. It does look like an older lens, well used but not horrid...

and only you can answer the second question...

It's like going to a wine forum and asking others if you'll like merlot or cabernet better.

 

[neuroanatomist]

It's like going to a wine forum and asking others if you'll like merlot or cabernet better.

The OP appeasrs to be from Argentina, so perhaps a Malbec would be the best choice.