Photography BLOG

Take one of Canon’s most popular lenses,
the Canon 70-200mm f/4 L, add an up-to-4-stop Image Stabilizer and you
get the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens. If you don’t need the
subject-action-stopping and background-blurring capabilities of the faster Canon
EF 70-200 f/2.8 L IS Lens, this lens will deliver everything else you need in a
smaller, lighter and less-expensive package.

The 70-200mm f/4 L IS is a very welcome addition to the Canon 70-200mm L family
…

Posing from left to right are the Canon
EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM Lens, Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM Lens, Canon EF
70-200mm f/2.8 L USM Lens and Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens. The two
f/2.8 lenses are shown with their included tripod rings. The f/2.8 IS lens is
shown with an optional Wimberley P20 Lens Plate attached to the tripod ring.

By far, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens’ most exciting new feature is
the image stabilizer. “The image stabilization achieves three shutter speed
steps of camera shake correction within 0.5 seconds after the shutter button is
depressed halfway and yields correction for up to four full shutter speeds while
handheld …” (Canon’s Press Release). Canon’s first 4-stop Image Stabilizer
makes this lens just as handholdable in low light as the extremely popular
70-200 f/2.8 IS with its 3-stop stabilizer and wider aperture. You can shoot
with this lens hand held at an up-to-4-stop slower shutter speed than with the
non-IS Canon 70-200mm f/4 L USM Lens. For example (and theoretically), if you
need a shutter speed of 1/250 at 200mm without IS to achieve sharp images, you
can shoot at 1/15 with the 70-200 f/4 IS with similar results – this is a huge
difference. The image stabilizer will compensate for camera movement during the
shot (within limits of course).

In real use … Pressing the shutter release half way engages the image
stabilizer – a click and quiet hum are heard and the viewfinder image becomes
still. I am getting an average of 3-4 stops of assistance from this
implementation of IS. The shutter speed of 1/15 at 200mm is a good guideline for
me personally when using this lens on a Canon 1Ds Mark II. I have sharp shots
taken as slow as 1/4 of a second at 200mm, but the keeper rate is getting rather
low at this point.

What IS cannot do is stop subject motion any better than the non-IS f/4. If your
subject is moving, a faster shutter speed (wider aperture, higher ISO setting,
more light) or a flash will be needed to stop the subject’s motion. For subjects
moving in linear directions (even erratically), you might be able to utilize the
available IS Mode 2 (panning mode) which turns off one axis of stabilization. I
have not seen it formally stated, but I believe this IS implementation is
tripod-sensitive (most new versions are). Canon’s manual talks about turning IS
off when utilizing a tripod to prevent unnecessary battery drain (minor in my
opinion), but it says nothing about preventing bad IS behavior.

Like the non-IS 70-200 f/4, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens sports a
professional “L” Lens build quality. Although very solid, the weight is a
not-bad 26.8 oz. (760g) – very slightly heavier than the non-IS 70-200 f/4 (25
oz / 705g) and half as heavy as the 51.2 oz. (1361g) 70-200 f/2.8 (IS) without a
tripod ring installed (Tripod Mount Ring A II (W) is not included with, but
available as an option for both of the f/4 lenses – the white A version (not II)
works fine as well and the black A (not II) version is even less expensive).
Size is a similar story. The f/4 IS and non-IS measure an identical and
characteristically narrow/moderately long 3.0″ x 6.8″ (76 x 172mm) while the
f/2.8 IS measures 3.4″ x 7.8″ (86.2mm x 197mm). This is a “bigger” difference
than .4″ in diameter and 1″ in length seem in type. The 70-200 f/4 lenses share
a 67mm filter diameter.

The 70-200 L family is shown above with
their included lens hoods.

The Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens is the second lens in the Canon
70-200mm L lens family to sport weather sealing (the f/2.8 IS is the
first). This is a very welcome feature but if not using a weather-sealed body,
extra care must still be taken in wet/dusty conditions. I frequently get asked
… How good is Canon’s weather sealing? First the disclaimer: Get your gear wet
at your own risk. With that out of the way … I avoid but do not fear getting
my weather sealed lenses/bodies wet (more because I don’t want to clean them
than anything). But, I have heard reliable stories of such lenses/bodies being
dropped into water, being gently hosed off when dirty, used for extended periods
of time in heavy rain … all with no ill effects. This is not an endorsement of
these actions and again, you are at your own risk for your actions, but … now
you have an idea.

The image stabilizer and great build quality are enticing, but the highest
importance for me lies in the image quality. And the Canon EF 70-200mm
f/4.0 L IS USM Lens delivers superbly in this area. The f/4 IS lens adds
2 elements and 4 groups to the non-IS lens. From what I can see, the additional
glass has not adversely affected image quality.

This lens is extremely sharp wide open and from corner to corner even on
a full frame body. There is little improvement when stopping down – the f/4 IS
starts out sharp wide open.

The non-IS 70-200 f/4 is similarly sharp in the center over the mid and long
portion of the focal length range, but the f/4 IS is sharper in the center
through 85mm or so and is noticeably sharper in the corners over most of the
focal length range. These two lenses are most similar at 200mm. These
differences are reduced as the subject distance is increased (the non-IS lens
performs more similarly to the IS lens). The f/4 IS and f/2.8 IS 70-200mm L
lenses are similarly sharp at the same aperture and focal length settings.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens images have great color and contrast. CA
(Chromatic Aberration) is very well controlled. Mild barrel distortion is
present at 70mm and mild pincushion is present at 200mm. The change from barrel
to pincushion is gradual with 95mm being the approximate focal length of the
crossover. Distortion is nearly identical between the two 70-200mm f/4 L lenses.
The 70-200 f/4 IS controls flare very well – slightly better than non-IS f/4 and
even more noticeably better than the f/2.8 IS. Vignetting is rather well
controlled but Full Frame body users will notice darker corners beyond 135mm at
f/4. The f/4 IS lens appears to have slightly less vignetting than the f/4
non-IS lens.

The 8-blade circular (a new feature) aperture (diaphragm) create a very pleasing
foreground/background blur quality. Out of focus specular highlights are nicely
rounded blurs even when shooting at narrow apertures. Having a constant f/4
aperture (opens to f/4 at all focal lengths) is a very nice feature. Exposure
settings do not require a change as the lens is zoomed through the focal
lengths. If your lighting is constant, set a manual exposure and shoot at all
focal lengths without the exposure-changing concerns that exist with an f/4-5.6
or similar variable maximum aperture lens. This lens will close down to f/32,
but I rarely use an aperture narrower than f/16 as image sharpness degrades
rapidly due to diffraction (on all lenses).

While an f/4 aperture is reasonably wide, it is still narrow enough to allow the
f/4 IS lens’ relatively small size and weight. At the same time, f/4 is wide
enough to create some background diffusion – especially at 200mm. And with IS,
this f/4 lens is fast enough to be handheld in very low light conditions. Indoor
action photography will likely require a flash with this lens.

Above, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L IS
USM Lens is shown mounted on a Canon 400D Digital Rebel XTi.

All of Canon’s 70-200 L lenses share similarly excellent autofocus
characteristics. The Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens focuses VERY fast,
very quietly and very accurately thanks to Canon’s excellent Ring USM
(Ultrasonic Motor). FTM (Full Time Manual) focusing is enabled. The focus and
zoom rings are very nicely sized and turn very smoothly – They are very nicely
damped. The 70-200 f/4 IS does not extend with zooming or focusing – and the
front element does not rotate.

New to the f/4 IS version are recessed switched (IS, IS Mode, AF/MF, focus
limitation). These switches are slightly harder to change, but much less
susceptible to accidental changes – this is a very good change from my
perspective. Actually, the enlarged switch area and increased number of switches
are the most visible differences between the two f/4 lenses. Like the non-IS
f/4, the IS version includes a focus limiter switch. If close subjects are not
on your menu, switch from the full-range 1.2m to infinity position to the 3m to
infinity position to improve focus performance.

The 70-200 f/4 non-IS lens switches are
shown on the left in comparison to the IS version switches.

Additional – and almost completely
irrelevant – changes can be seen in the above photo.

With a minimum focus distance of 3.94′ (1.2 m), the 70-200 f/4 IS yields a
maximum magnification of .21x. This value is not great and not bad – adequate
for nice flower pictures and close portraits. Adding a 12mm Extension Tube will
extend magnification to .28x (at 200mm), but better results come from the
addition of a 25mm Extension Tube – yielding a .42x magnification (at 70mm). A
Canon 500D Close-up Lens is not an option for this lens as it is not available
in the 67mm filter size.

Compatibility with the Canon Extender EF 1.4x II and Canon Extender EF 2x II
adds to the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens’ already-high versatility.
With the 1.4x attached, the 70-200 f/4 becomes a 98-280mm f/5.6 lens with very
good image quality. Added barrel distortion and CA are the downsides. Image
quality starts declining more noticeably with the 2x extender – and the
resulting 140-400mm f/8 lens only autofocuses on Canon’s 1-Series bodies (and
with the center focus point only). This combination results in a very dark
viewfinder. Maximum magnification increases to .31x and .45x with the extenders
attached.

I frequently get asked … Does IS continue to function with extenders mounted?
The answer is yes, and it actually becomes more valuable as apertures become
narrower and focal lengths become longer. An additional downside to the use of
extenders is slower autofocusing. Canon says the slower AF is by designed to
retain proper AF control.

The Canon Lens Hood ET-74 and a Canon Lens Soft Case LP1224 are included in the
box when the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens is purchased from a reputable
retailer. A Lowepro Lens Case 3 provides a far more protective home for this
lens. As I mentioned earlier, the Canon Tripod Mount Ring A II (W) (or the A
not-II version) is not included, but it is a nice option if you are planning to
use this lens on a tripod with any frequency – or with a flash bracket.

The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM Lens and
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM Lens are shown together above for size
comparison.

After my general purpose zooms, the 70-200mm telephoto zoom focal length lenses
are my next most-used lenses. I simply find a very wide range of uses for
theses focal lengths.

Let’s start with portraits. Depending on which FOVCF body you are using,
the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens contains much or all of the classic
portrait focal lengths range (85mm to 135mm effective focal lengths). And, the
longer focal lengths allow even tighter framing while maintaining a flattering
perspective. An f/4 lens is not the narrowest aperture portrait lens available,
but often portraits are taken at f/4 or narrower apertures to keep all facial
features in focus. Using the longer focal lengths of this lens along with some
unobstructed distance behind the subject will enable a diffusely blurred,
non-distracting background. With IS, subject movement is going to be the
limiting shutter speed factor (not handholdability). You need a very still
subject for a 1/60 sec portrait.

The Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens is a superb landscape photography
lens. Landscape photography often involves narrow apertures for a large DOF
(depth of field), super-high resolution to capture tiny details and light
weight/small size for portability as the ultimate captures often require a hike.
IS adds low-light-handholdability to the package for when using a tripod is not
practical or possible. Although wide angle lenses get the most attention for
landscape photography, you need a very broad area of photographic interest when
using these lenses. A tele-zoom lens will allow a more-isolated and/or distant
area of beauty to be captured and will provide a more-compressed perspective
obtained.

If the lighting is good, Outdoor sports photography is another great use
for this lens. The FOVCF of the body you are using will make a big difference in
the usefulness (reach) of this lens for the larger field sports. Full frame
users will want the Canon 1.4x Extender attached when shooting smaller fields -
and will want a longer lens when shooting the big fields (think 400-600mm). With
a 1.6x body and a 1.4x, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens reaches well
into the action in the larger fields. For shorter distance sports in good light,
this is a great lens for capturing the excitement. If sports are your primary
goal for this lens, you might be better served with the less-expensive Canon EF
70-200mm f/2.8 L Lens or the more-expensive Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS Lens.
Both f/2.8 lenses are able to let twice as much light in as the f/4 counterparts
- this directly corresponds to shutter speeds that are twice as fast.

With a 1.6x body and/or with a 1.4x extender attached, the Canon EF 70-200mm
f/4.0 L IS USM Lens makes a nice general wildlife photography lens.
Serious wildlife photographers will want a longer focal length (400-600mm), but
there will be lots of nice wildlife shots made with this lens.

And for many, many other general-purpose tele-zoom needs, the Canon EF
70-200mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens will be a great solution. For shooting at the park
(public park, ball park, water park, …) the beach, the vacation rental house,
or just out in the back yard, this is a great lens to have in the kit.

Most people considering the purchase of a Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens
will also consider the Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 L IS USM Lens. As mentioned before,
the f/2.8 version is larger, heavier and more expensive. But, the wider aperture
can be worth the downsides if you need it. Both lenses deliver similar optical
performance at similar apertures.

If you do not need or can’t afford the IS version of the Canon 70-200mm f/4
lens, consider the non-IS version as the Canon 70-200mm f/4 L USM Lens is still
the great lens it has always been.

A Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens review would not be complete without
mentioning its biggest downside – a high price. The premium over the non-IS
version is substantial – and will be insurmountable to some. But, this lens will
be worth the price to many – including myself. IS and improved image sharpness
are very valuable to me.

This is a great lens.