Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM Lens for Canon EOS Cameras | 
| Brand: Canon
List Price: $2,000.00
Buy New: $1,179.99
You Save: $820.01 (41%)
New (19) Used (2) from $979.00
Rating:  35 reviews
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Optical Zoom: 4.3
Maximum Focal Length: 300
Minimum Focal Length: 70
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4
Dimensions (in): 7.2 x 5.4 x 5.2
MPN: 9321A002
Model: 9321A002
UPC: 013803037180
EAN: 0013803037180
ASIN: B0001G6U3Y
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Ultra-compact 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens with f/4.5 to 5.6 maximum aperture | | • | Incorporates Canon's Image Stabilization (IS) technology for low-light shooting | | • | Super-fast and silent autofocus with ring-type USM; 4.6-foot close focus distance | | • | Optimized to suppress ghosting and flaring; zoom lock button keeps lens secure | | • | Measures 3 inches in diameter and 5.6 inches long; weighs 4.9 foot; 1-year warranty |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description
Canon raises the stakes for professional photography with its EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM telephoto lens with image stabilization. Thanks to a new triple-layered diffractive optical element (DO), this 70-300mm lens is less than 4 inches (10 cm) long. It can focus down to 4.6 feet (without rotating the front element) and a new zoom lock button keeps the lens safe and secure when not in use or used at the wide angle. A virtually silent ultra-sonic motor (USM) gives the lens extremely fast autofocus. The lens also includes Canon's Image Stabilization technology to dramatically reduce camera shake, compensating for approximately three stops in shutter speed without any perceptible increase in image blur. It's a great choice for professional photojournalists and serious advanced amateurs who need to contain the size and weight of equipment carried. DO Elements
Use of the new three-layer DO lens drastically reduces the overall length and weight of the lens system increasing the refractive power of each lens element and reducing the spaces between elements. It's approximately 26 percent shorter and 36 percent lighter than any lens of comparable specifications. Zoom lock
The EF 70-300mm lens features a zoom ring locking mechanism, locking the lens at its shortest total length. This helps to protect the lens from potential damage by preventing the zoom elements extending under their own weight, which might otherwise occur when the lens is mounted to a camera that hangs from a neck or shoulder strap. Image Stabilization
The lens incorporates Canon's Image Stabilization (IS) technology, compensating for approximately three stops without any perceptible increase in image blur when shooting static subjects or panning. This increases the range of circumstances in which hand-held photography is possible, limiting the need to carry a tripod. Fast AF
A rear focusing ring type USM, high-speed CPU and new AF algorithms combine to give the lens extremely fast auto-focusing. The ring-type ultrasonic motor (USM) converts ultrasonic vibrational energy into rotational force to deliver high-speed, high-precision, super efficient and virtually noiseless auto focusing, with good holding torque for rapid response and accurate stopping. Full-time manual override is featured, removing the possibility of damage to the autofocus mechanism during manual focus. The lens has a minimum focusing distance of just 1.4m throughout the entire zoom range. Ready for Digital Photography
The lens shape and coatings have been optimized to suppress ghosting and flaring, making this lens ideal for use with digital cameras that are more susceptible to reflections off the recording media than are film cameras. Working with EOS
The drive pattern of the lens is tailored to specifically match that of the latest EOS range, extracting maximum benefit from the lens' speed advantage. The lens comes with a case LP1116 and an exclusive hood ET-65B for shading against unwanted direct light.
Product Description
AF is super-fast and silent with a ring-type USM, and it focuses down to 4.6 feet without rotating the front element. A new zoom lock button keeps the lens safe and secure when not in use or used at the wide angle.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 30 more reviews...
 Great pictures, but not perfect May 18, 2004
168 out of 179 found this review helpful
I use the 70-300 with a Digital Rebel, giving a maxium equivalent focal length of a 480mm lens on a 35mm film camera body. I thought about buying one of Canon's 70-200L series, but they are huge, white, and heavy. I am not a professional photographer and decided I didn't want to look like a geek trying to masquerade as one. Besides, I like to take my camera with me, like tucked under my ski jacket, so there is an upper limit to practicality.
So far, photos have mainly been of kids playing baseball. I've shot roughly 1000 pictures in the few weeks I've had it. From the outfield fence, I've been able to take some great pictures of the batters. At maximum focal length, tracking movement of players takes some skill, which I am still trying to master. From the baselines, I have to zoom out to keep the action in the frame. I haven't had a need yet to use the IS since I use a fast shutter speed for sports.
Picture quality is very good. Photos are crisp across the field. I assume the magazines will test this lens eventually under lab conditions, but I can't see any imperfections with real world photos.
My only complaint is with the zoom control. The lens has a lock to hold it in the shortest focal length because the lens will move by itself when pointed up or down. The rotating ring for the zoom control is a little too hard to rotate when the camera is level, and especially when going against gravity. It is fine for still subjects, but it is a challenge for quick focal length changes with sports. Gearing for a more rotation with less force would have made this lens ideal.
Criminally bum rapped. June 8, 2005
J. A. Bilello (Great Neck, NY USA)
129 out of 129 found this review helpful
I spent weeks in forums reading up on this lens, and always seemed to come across a mixed bag of comments about it. I've had it for about a month, and I have taken a good amount of pictures with it. It does take great pictures, all the way up to 300mm. There is a touch of softness at 300mm, but this can all be taken care of using an unsharp mask in Photoshop/Paint Shop Pro/etc..... As a matter of fact, this lens seems particularly receptive to sharpening. People swear by L lenses, but if it's between this lens and say the 70-200mm IS you're talking about a minimal difference in sharpness out of the camera, and the 70-200mm IS costs more with less of a range. The DO is also black, and the DO technology enables it to be much smaller than you'd expect. At full zoom it is smaller than the 70-200mm IS or non-IS!! I took this lens to a NY Mets baseball game, and did not stick out like a sore thumb. YOU CAN TAKE THIS LENS ANYWHERE!!! The image stabilization is great, and has 2 modes you can use.
I am very satisfied with this lens. Don't let the L snobs sway you away.
I bought this for 1169.95 and it's $30 drop to 1139.95 was refunded to me by Amazon. I wouldn't shop anywhere else.
great lens, great place to buy.
Excellent Lens January 29, 2006
L C (Oregon)
94 out of 94 found this review helpful
I love this lens. I'd like to compare it to the canon 70-200 f/2.8 L, because I own that too. I originally bought the 70-200 because I really like the L series glass, having previously purchased other L lenses. I am a small woman and I found it to be very cumbersome and often left it at home (though it is an excellent lens on it's own) because of it's size. My husband suggested the 70-300 f/4-5.6 DO IS as an alternative. I am SO pleased with the lens. I recently shot over 250 photos at a zoo. All hand held, something I could NOT do with the 70-200, and many at the extreme 300mm. The IS is amazing, the weight of the lens very manageable. It was a cloudy, sometimes rainy day and yet the colors were true and the focus, even in low light situations, very accurate. I used no flash, even indoors. The photos through glass and mesh were so clear, you'd never know either were there. On a sunny day practice shoot, I had no trouble with lens flare, even without using a hood. (I was trying to get flare, just because it was mentioned in other reviews.) So, if you do not wish to haul a heavy lens around and you want all the benefits of an L series photo, I would recommend this lens.
Great Lens! December 31, 2005
George Mitsuoka (Centennial, Colorado USA)
63 out of 63 found this review helpful
I originally purchased the other (non-DO) Canon 70-300mm zoom lens but found so many annoyances with it that I returned it. I find this DO lens to be much, much nicer and worth the extra cost. The issues I had with the non-DO lens were: it's big and noisy (focus and IS); slow to focus; if pointed down, the lens violently pops-out to full zoom, thus requiring use of the zoom lock whenever not in use; the filter ring rotates during zoom, making use of a polarizing filter difficult; you cannot manually focus if the lens is in AF mode; chromatic aberrations were noticable.
The DO lens has none of these issues: it is compact (about the same size as the Canon EFS 17-85), quiet, and fast focusing. The lens holds its focal length if pointed up or down. The filter ring does not rotate during zoom, and you can manually focus whether in AF or MF mode. I've seen no chromatic aberrations with this lens. Shots are clear and crisp throughout the entire range.
I didn't consider the highly-rated L series lenses because I knew that I wouldn't regularly carry such a large and obtrusive lens. I can literally carry this DO lens in my jacket pocket wherever I go, and not attract a lot of attention when it's mounted on my camera. Your needs may vary.
It's also a pleasure to own what I consider to be a technological marvel. With excellent image stabilization and autofocus, and being one of only two SLR lenses in the world to use diffractive optics (the other one costs over $5k), this lens defines state of the art.
worth every penny January 13, 2006
Ogen Perry (Los Altos Hills, CA USA)
52 out of 53 found this review helpful
When I got my Rebel XT I was initially disappointed by the image quality. It did not take long to realize that the kit lens is the weak link. Over the next several months I kept going back and forth between different reviews and finally decided to splurge on this lens. It is at least twice as expensive as what I had initially budgeted but I have been very happy with it. The lens itself is very sharp and the IS technology allows you to shoot up to 3 f-stops slower. It has a very solid feel. I sell many of my pictures through an amateur photography site and since I started shooting with the IS lens, the reviews have been very positive.
The lens has a 58mm diameter -- same as the kit lens. Any filter you may have purchased for the kit lens will work on this one as well. It comes with a hood. Unfortunately, when not in use, the hood masks to zoom lock so you need to remove the hood in order to unlock the lens. That's a minor nit and it is essentially the only one I have come up with in several months of use.
I am so sold on the IS technology that I have just ordered the 17-85mm lens as well. I plan to get rid of the kit lens alltogether.
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