Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens

T his is not "the hidden L lens" as one reviewer said, This 70-300 is nothing but a ordinary consumer lens with a large price tag. The Image Stabilization feature is the solitary advantage. If you have very unstable hands you may just require this lens. If you have especially steady hands, with IS you can use this lens in the hours of darkness (assuming you have a motionless subject).

The 70-300mm telephoto range is good in concept, but a cropped razor-sharp photo from the 70-200mm f/4L at 200mm is going to outshine an 300mm uncropped image from this lens. If what you want is a first-rate lens that will give you sharp images in daylight; buy the 70-200mm f/4L lens in its place, it is even supplied with a hood.

You can add a hood to the 70-300mm IS lens for another $30, and suddenly the 70-200mm f/4L is a lower priced lens (and it even comes with it's own bag!).

If you need a low light lens, this isn't it. If your primary objective is to take pictures in available light situations such as weddings and concerts, then get the 70-200mm f/2.8 or the 70-200mm IS f/2.8 instead.

The EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM telephoto zoom lens has been developed to meet the high-performance standards that today's photographers demand. Improved Image Stabilizer Technology provides up to three stops of "shake" correction, and the "Mode 2" option stabilizes images while panning with a moving subject. Compared to the original Canon EF 75-300mm IS zoom lens, this telephoto lens has faster autofocus, and overall the lens is lighter and has a smaller diameter than the original. The zoom ring can be locked at the 70mm position, making this powerful lens easy to transport, too

• UD (Ultra-Low Dispersion) glass element: less color fringing and better contrast

• Image Stabilization for sharper hand held images - up to 3 srop correction

• New: IS "Mode 2" for deliberate panning with a moving subject

• Optical Coatings optimized for digital SLR use

• Faster AF operation than previous EF 75-300 IS - new lens CPU and electronics

• Circular aperture design for natural-shaped out-of-focus highlights

• Locking zoom ring prevents lens from extending when carried on camera

• Comaptible with any Canon EOS body, film or digital

Front and Rear Caps