Image Stabilizer Zoom Lens

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I am thinking about purchasing a 75-300mm Canon Image Stabilizer Lens. Can anyone tell me if this is a good lens and how sharpis the lens at the zoom level(200-300mm)?

-- Tony Webb (awebb3296@aol.com), January 12, 2002

Answers

The general consensus is that it is quite sharp up to 200mm and gets a bit soft at 300mm when shooting wide open. That's also my been experience. It's the same for the other Canon 75-300's and the 100- 300 USM as well. Stopping down to f/8-11 sharpens them all up nicely though, and this is easier to tollerate with the IS feature.

This is the same thing that is said for nearly every other reasonably priced 70-300 or 100-300mm lens that is being made today. Sigma's 75- 300 DL is almost as good as the Canons, and the Sigma 75-300 APO is just a bit sharper than the Canons. Same for Tamron.

To get a sharper tele-zoom the lens needs to use some form of low dispersion glass and other better design choices. That costs more money. You can try to find one of the recently discontinued Canon 100-300 f/5.6L's (clunky, but sharp) or go for one of the 100-300 f/4's from Sigma or Tokina.

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), January 13, 2002.


Or put the Canon 1.4x Extender on the 70-200 f/2.8L for a 98-280 f/4 that is still super sharp. Also now available in an IS version. The only problem: $$$. But, oh so sweet!

-- Lee (Leemarthakiri@sport.rr.com), January 13, 2002.

I have both the 75-300IS, and the 70-200 2.8L, and the old IS lens will always have a place in my heart. Its not a bad lens, its relatively durable as well.

-- Carl Smith (emorphien@mail.rit.edu), January 28, 2002.

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