Canon 70mm - 200mm f2.8L IS USM

The EF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM was introduced way back in August 2001, supplementing (but not replacing) the non-stabilized 70-200mm F2.8 L USM in Canon's highly regarded telephoto lineup. This is a lens which can truly be described as a professional workhorse, with robust build (including dust and moisture resistance), wide F2.8 maximum aperture, fast and silent ultrasonic autofocus motor, and optical image stabilization for hand-holding at slow shutter speeds. The optical design is somewhere on the far side of complex; it features 23 elements in 18 groups, with 4 UD elements to provide compensation for chromatic aberration. According to Canon, this gives a 'high-resolution, high-contrast optical capability', as demanded from a lens which needs to perform all day, every day in the hands of professional photographers across a wide range of subjects and conditions.

Product Features

* EF mount; telephoto zoom lens
* Ultra-low Dispersion glass; image stabilizer; inner focusing; full-time manual focus; circular aperture
* 70-200mm focal length
* f/2.8 constant maximum aperture
* Micro UltraSonic Motor (USM) Includes case and lens hood

Technical Details

* Angle of view (Horizontal, Vertical, Diagonal): 29 to 10 degrees, 19 to 7 degrees, 34 to 2 degrees
* Lens construction: 23 elements in 18 groups
* Number of diaphragm blades: 8
* Minimum aperture: 32
* Closest focusing distance: 4.9 feet
* Maximum magnification: 0.16x (at 200mm)
* AF actuator: USM
* Filter diameter: 77 millimeters
* Maximum diameter by length: 84.6 by 193.6 inches
* Weight: 2.9 pounds
* Magnification with Extension Tube EF 12 II: 0.22 to 0.06
* Magnification with Extension Tube EF 25 II: 0.41 to 0.14
* Lens hood: ET-86
* Hard case: LH-D24B
* Soft case: LZ1324
* GF Holder III (Hood III): 2
* GF Holder IV (Hood IV): 2

An Amazon Reviewer said:

This is the best lens you can get in this zoom range for the Canon EOS. It's not the cheapest and it's not the lightest, but it's the best. This lens is fast, it has excellent optics, the build quality is very solid and the image stabilization (IS) feature works wonders for hand held shooting. If you shoot hand held in marginal light, this is the lens for you. If you always use a tripod, you don't really need IS -- take a look at the less expensive non-IS version of this lens. If you always shoot in good light, the lighter and even less expensive 70-200mm f4.0 may do the job for you. But for me, the extra stop of light and the IS make the difference between unusable images and great images. This is an awesome lens.