Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM

Photo answers review

Photo answers rating

If there’s one lens that appears in almost every serious photographer’s camera bag, it’s the short telephoto with a wide aperture. This type of lens is perfect for portraits, sports, in fact almost any photography subject.

What’s changed?
Canon’s 70-200mm has had two previous incarnations, with the last model adding image stabilisation. On the outside the Mark II looks very similar to its predecessor, so what’s new? Yes, this lens is also an IS optic with the same focal length, but it is actually a very different beast, as the lens has been completely re-engineered and has a re-designed optical system. Construction wise, the Mark II has 23 elements in 19 groups, but crucially there’s a high-performance fluorite element in the heart of the lens, which is coupled with five ultra-low dispersion elements. This means it offers greatly improved control and reduction of chromatic aberration throughout the zoom and clearer edge definition. Even the USM (Ultra Sonic Motor) has seen changes, with a ring-type USM AF motor combined with a new high-speed processor and optimised AF algorithm for improved accuracy and fast focusing. The outside has also been redesigned to deliver a neater exterior with less protruding parts. The most obvious visual change is a wider focusing ring, which gives easier control when using manual.

Performance
One thing we have learned from testing is that you should never have preconceived ideas. In this case, we were right to assume that this lens was going to be very good, but the proof is in the results. The lens feels incredibly good, and we’d go as far as to say it feels a lot better than the previous models. The zoom feels smoother and the manual focusing is certainly better. The controls on the side of the lens are less likely to get knocked when you take the lens in and out of your camera bag thanks to the revised design, so you don’t find yourself having to switch the AF or stabiliser back into position. In use, we tried the lens on both the Canon EOS 7D and EOS-1Ds Mark II, where the lens performed faultlessly on both. The pictures ooze detail, and you can see the quality of the glass giving you pin-sharp fine detail. Aberration is minimal, which is testament to the special optical construction. On the test chart the lens showed its true strength. Across the range of apertures at both ends of the focal length range the lens was simply brilliant. Edge detail at f/2.8 was superb and one of the best we have seen. The image stabiliser delivers 4 stops of compensation very effectively, so there’s nothing to really criticise about performance.

Final verdict
At over £2000 this lens is very expensive, but the performance is really outstanding. You do get every penny’s worth of results from a lens like this, so it can sometimes be justified. Any budding pro or serious enthusiast should have a fast aperture short zoom in their camera bag, and if you’re a Canon user who can justify the spend then look no further. 
www.canon.co.uk


Product specification
Minimum aperture: f/32
Filter size: 77mm
Construction: 23 elements in 19 groups
Diaphragm blades: 8
Lens hood supplied: Yes
Image stabiliser: Yes
Fittings: Can
Weight: 1490g
Size: 88.8x199mm