CANON EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6l IS USM

This lens brings a touch of luxury to the timehonoured 70-300mm format

Stretching back to the days of 35mm film SLRS, 70-300mm lenses have always been a popular choice. Something of a novelty, this L-series lens elevates the 70-300mm zoom to a loftier position. Indeed, compared with Canon’s latest super-high-spec EF 70-200mm f/4l IS II USM lens, it’s almost as expensive in the UK and even pricier in the USA.

At its core, the 70-300mm L-series lens has the same variable f/4-5.6 aperture rating as most other direct competitors. It also features an extending inner barrel, so the physical length of the lens grows as you sweep through the zoom range. As such, handling characteristics are almost the same. Up-market optical highlights include dual UD elements, plus Super Spectra and fluorine coatings. The four-stop image stabilizer has physically switchable static and panning modes. The lens feels robust and is quite heavy for a 70-300mm zoom, at 1050g. It comes complete with a hood and a full set of weather-seals, while a tripod mount ring is available as an optional extra. The off-white paint job further signals the lens’s aspirations to Canon’s upper echelon of telephoto optics.

£1199/$1349

Performance

Corner-sharpness at the short end of the zoom range is noticeably better than in Canon’s more budget-oriented 70-300mm IS II USM lens on test, but centresharpness is slightly less impressive towards the long end. There’s also no improvement in control over colour fringing, distortions nor ghosting and flare, while AF is less ultra-fast and more audible. Overall, the L-series lens struggles to justify its price tag.