Photo Courtesy of Canon
By Bill
In recent weeks, I have been exceedingly interested in a whole new camera kit that fits my needs for travel. My idea has been to lighten the load, and to find quality equipment that is suited to the subjects I photograph most.
My first step was to acquire the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. And, from my first impressions of shooting with the new camera, I am totally delighted with the results. Wow what a camera.
My next step was to settle one two lenses that could provide me with a range of 24mm to 300mm. Why that range? 24mm on a full frame sensor is certainly wide enough for doing landscape photography, and 300mm, although not as long as I would like, meets most of my telephoto needs.
Since I already own the wonderful Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L lens, the quest turned to finding a lens that would complement this lens and give me more reach.
So, I did some reading and settled on the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO.
Why this lens? It is compact and relatively light.
But, will this lens deliver?
Before daylight, I found myself at the Dunedin Causeway, just north of Clearwater, Florida, and along comes a Reddish Heron, the perfect subject for testing the new lens. Why? Well, Reddish Herons are very active when fishing. The move rapidly and sometimes make radical turns instantly. Shall we say that they are perfect for testing how fast a lens will focus.
And here is one of my shots from that morning:
Click on Photograph for the Original Edited Version
And here is another:
Click on Photograph for the Original Edited Version
Course, not all of those who travel are interested in photographing birds. One might find an antique that is interesting, such as this old clock:
Click on Photograph for the Original Edited Version
But then again, one might just see a friendly Brown Pelican that is just begging to be photographed.
Click on Photograph for the Original Edited Version
Given the wonderful range of 70-300mm, this lens will be very useful for street photography. I like the fact that it is black and less obtrusive. I like its size, about the same as the 24-105mm lens.
I also absolutely love the wonderful bokeh this lens produces.
But, of course, the final decision about any lens is whether it is sharp and whether it does a decent job with things like chromatic aberration. And I must report, the lens is free of CA!
Lots of reviewers say that the lens needs more contrast. I did not find that to be the case. And even if I did, I can fix that easily in Photoshop.
Some reviewers suggest that the price of the lens is too high. Well, it is expensive, largely because of Diffractive Optics which makes this and one other lens totally unique. But, after looking at the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens, I concluded that there is no comparison in quality, the DO is just made better. Course, it does cost less than half what the DO lens costs. But then, for me, glass is an investment. And frankly, through the years, my lens collection has grown in value over time. In fact, better than my investments in the stock market! So, I tend to buy the top of the line.
The real test of this lens will come during June when I will join other PTR Team members in a photographic seminar at the Isle of Arran and along the coast of Northumberland in England. From cityscapes, stone circles, landscapes, Puffins at the Farne Islands, and Gannets at Bass Rock, I will have ample opportunity to test the lens.
I can’t wait. But, frankly, right now I am totally pleased with the Canon EF 70-300mm DO lens, it has surpassed my expectations for a light travel lens with excellent zoom range. And, more importantly, it is perfectly balanced when mounted on my Canon EOS 5D Mark II.
Summary, Pros and Cons
Pros
Very fast AF
Sharp images at all ranges of the zoom
Small
Light Weight
Black Color
Superb Bokeh
No Chromatic Aberration
Cons
Price
No weather sealing
Soft images when used with a tele-converter
Large lens hood
Glad you like it Bill.
Dougie