Owners of 70-200f2.8L IS mk.II & 70-300 L IS

[daveheinzel]

I use the 70-200 2.8L IS II on a 7D with a battery grip. I carry that and a 60D with a wide angle & flash on many assignments. The weight would bother me if the images weren't as good as they are, but the truth is that I am so happy with the images coming off of the 70-200 that I have no ill feelings towards it at all. It's just a matter of physics that if you want that focal range with that f-stop and image stabilization, you are going to pay in more ways than one. But at the end of the day, it's the one lens I know I can count on every single time.

 

[K-amps]

Got home and took some test shot indoors.... WOW! It is almost like cheating at exams... it's that much better than other lenses i have used so far in terms of lighting up the portrait under incandescent lighting. Success rate much better indoors. The 180mm prime I loved so much for portraits seems so old school now... If it wasn't a macro I'd be selling it ... lets see how much noise the wifey makes... maybe I keep both? ;D

 

[bvukich]

If you can't lug it around for at least 3-4 hours, and still have a smile on your face, then you're weaker than my 10 year old.

 

[pj1974]

I've got the 70-300mm L, and have used a number of lenses around the same weight / size as the 70-200mm L f2.8 II (but I've not actually used that lens).

While I can carry a lens like the 70-200mm f2.8 attached to my DLSR all day, it does get uncomfortable for me after some time. I'm a reasonably fit & healthy middle aged guy - though I'm not hugely muscular (ie not like my twin brother who does weights, etc).

Definitely when I go for outings (eg day walks or longer), I comfortably take my 70-300mm L in my Lowepro shoulder bag, and have the Canon 15-85mm mounted to my 7D. If there is a lot of wildlife around, I will use my 70-300mm L happily for hours. I'm particularly glad the 70-300mm L has a centre of gravity close to the camera body / lens mount (makes it more hand-holdable).

When I've used heavier lenses, I find that I don't hold my camera up as much, and yes - my wrists do tire (also might have to do with the fact that I have office RSI - repetitive strain injury, I have use my computer & mouse a lot for work for over 20 years). I'm grateful that I advised a slightly built female friend not to purchase the Canon 28-300mm L for her Canon 550D (I explained about the weight- saying it would feel like a bazooka).

If you need to shoot sports or events, the 70-200mm L f2.8 is certainly desireable (or necessarily). However if you don't (like me) - or rather need a lens for wildlife... then the 70-300mm L is probably the one to get. My 70-300mm L is super sharp & contrasty, corner to corner, any focal length, even wide open. I know the 70-200mm L f2.8 II has similarly great optical quality and build quality.

Some good discussion here in the threads here.... K_Amps, I hope you'll have a good outcome.

Paul

 

[scottsdaleriots]

The 70-200mm 2.8 IS II is HEAVY as! Obviously not as heavy as those primes, but it's pretty damn heavy!! Going to tell you my experience (might be a very lengthy post but it explains my experience with the weight of the lens).

I bought my 7D as a kit lens from the motherland of canon and nikon; Japan, (so my kit lens was a 18-200mm 3.5-5.6 IS). This was my first SLR camera and I thought the lens and the camera all up was heavy! Probably weighed about 3kg or something, give or take. Anyway I go to a major sporting event every year (tennis) and I almost go the entire 14 days of the event. Now I go there on average 8hrs a day. Since this particular tennis event is the weakest outta the other major ones available (i.e. one arena and lot pf practice courts is on one side of the venue and the other lot of practice courts and other arena on the other side, about 4.5km-5km away from each other. I would always have my camera hanging on my neck and if I was in one of the showcourts trying to get a player's autograph (i.e me standing on a platform looking *down* at them and leaning over the barrier, camera + lens dangling and swinging everywhere. It KILLED my neck. But not as much as the 70-200 lens did, it absolutely KILLED my neck 100x fold.

EVen though I bought a diffent strap which got a lot of reviews saying that it takes the weight (IMO it takes *some* of the weight) off your neck making it easier to carry. If I was not a tennis nut and devoted fan and keen amatuer photographer I definitely wouldn't recommend carrying the 70-200mm 2.8 IS II lens on your neck and using it to take take photos for more than 2 hrs, 3hrs at the most! I'm dumb lol, but hey, I really like photography and tennis. I suggest getting a tripod (I'm in the process of getting one) and a few people said, before I bought my lens, was to go to the gym lol. It makes sense, but you definitely need a backpack to carry the 70-200 mounted to your camera. Just using a tripod to carry it would be tiresom. Seriously try carrying a 10kg backpack with a 3litre hydration pack + food + jumper + wallet + some other things + books + pens&markers AND have 5kg (give/take a bit) of camera gear hanging/swinging/bumping/dangling down your neck for 18+ hours, walking god only knows just how many kms I walked on average a day during the event (at least 14km, the very least I reckon on average). Average 60,000 people/spectators are there at the event constantly bumping into you.

Be prepared whenever you use your 70-200 lens, it's damn well heavy ESPECIALLY if you're silly enough like me lugging it around your neck for 15hrs a day. BTW congrats on purchasing the lens, though I'm curious to why the original owner sold the lens ???

 

[briansquibb]

I carry 2 cameras around all day hanging from this :http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-black-rapid-rs-dr-1-double-strap/p1520233

Weight on the shoulder, cameras at the side.

I am a pensioner, and not that fit - but it is no problem.

Question: Why would you want a tripod for tennis? Or are you mounting it on a gimbal? Not sure how a body + 70-200 gets to 6kg, -> 2-1/2kg tops

 

[ghosh9691]

Be prepared whenever you use your 70-200 lens, it's damn well heavy ESPECIALLY if you're silly enough like me lugging it around your neck for 15hrs a day. BTW congrats on purchasing the lens, though I'm curious to why the original owner sold the lens ???

The 70-200 f2.8L IS II is definitely heavy, but if you use the tripod ring and attach it to something like a BlackRapid strap, then carrying it all day long is not a problem. This lens is not meant to be slung around the neck - its too large for that!

 

[K-amps]

Thank you all for your inputs!

The 70-300L seems sharper than my 70-200mk.ii, but then I have been shooting f2.8... I don't mind the softness for portraits, but do you guys feel the same?

 

[motorhead]

My mkII version is considerably sharper than the original mk1 version. I've never tested the 70-300 so cannot compare.

 

[DavidM]

the 70/200mm f/2.8 is very heavy, not easy to carry around such a heavy lens

 

[handsomerob]

The 70-300L seems sharper than my 70-200mk.ii, but then I have been shooting f2.8... I don't mind the softness for portraits, but do you guys feel the same?

Hmm, 70-200 f/2.8 II is supposed to be tack sharp wide open (mine is) so maybe yours requires some AF micro adjustment?

 

[branden]

Both the 70-300L and the 70-200Lii are very sharp ... so I think nobody's going to be able to answer your question without examples posted?

 

[Loswr]

The 70-300L seems sharper than my 70-200mk.ii, but then I have been shooting f2.8... I don't mind the softness for portraits, but do you guys feel the same?

Hmm, 70-200 f/2.8 II is supposed to be tack sharp wide open (mine is) so maybe yours requires some AF micro adjustment?

+1. My 70-200 II is tack-sharp, but I did AFMA.

 

[Crapking]

My experiences shooting volleyball with a 7D, single rapid strap and a monopod/light duty grip ball head have been pleasant enough. With frequent down time between matches, moving around with the sling strap/folded monopod combo and quick release grip certainly minimizes the "feel" of the 70-200, and composing/zooming with handle reversed to the left and right hand on the controls feels sturdy.