How good is the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM, and what are the alternatives for a Canon 30D?
Asked 10/18/2011
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I'm considering the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM for use on a Canon 30D. Its compact size is very appealing, especially for travel, but I'd like to know how it performs in real-world use. How are its sharpness, autofocus, image stabilization, and overall value? Also, what comparable alternatives should I consider from Canon or third-party brands?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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The main advantage of the 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM lens is that it's compact and lightweight, therefore very appealing for travel photographers who doesn't want to grab too much attention. It's very well built with excellent IS and fast, quiet AF. Provides FTM and non-rotating front, useful for filter users. Only downsides I can see are soft images at wide open aperture and higher price. Comparing to other two Canon 70-300mm versions, images are soft but become better when aperture is stepped down.
A few other alternatives are:
- Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS USM: It's about 300$ more expensive but the best in this class. This is a pro grade lens.
- Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM: It's about 500$ cheaper, produces slightly better images but heavier and doesn't have FTM. This lens is a good bargain for people looking for a non-pro telephoto lens.
- Tamron 70-300 f/4-5.6 USD VC: It's cheap, provides good images if you can manage a good copy, but lot of faulty production versions with malfunctioned AF has been reported around the globe.
You can compare these lenses ISO Crops from The-Digital-Picture. Reviews of these lenses are linked to their names.
Originally by user2476. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2476
14y ago
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The EF 70-300mm DO IS USM is mainly attractive because it is unusually compact and light for its range, making it a strong travel option when you want a smaller, less conspicuous telephoto. It also has solid build quality, effective image stabilization, fast and quiet autofocus, full-time manual focus, and a non-rotating front element.
Its main weakness is image quality wide open: it tends to be softer than other Canon 70-300mm options, though stopping down improves results. So if size is your top priority, it can be a good fit; if sharpness per dollar matters more, there are stronger choices.
Canon alternatives mentioned include:
- EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM: the best performer in this class, but larger, heavier, and more expensive.
- EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM: generally a better value and slightly sharper, but less compact and without full-time manual focus.
So, for a Canon 30D, the DO version is worth considering if portability is the deciding factor. If not, one of the other Canon 70-300mm lenses is likely the better buy.
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