Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM: A Portable Telephoto Lens with Consistent Aperture

Canon has created an amazing range of telephoto lenses. The characteristic white, red, and black design of the L-series telephoto lenses is instantly recognizable. One particular lens in this range is the epic Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM. This telephoto zoom lens offers a great mix of portability, combined with brilliant image quality, and solid design. It is one of the best L-series telephoto zoom lenses available and great for wildlife photography.

If you want a professional-grade zoom lens, you can’t go wrong with this model. The consistent f/4 aperture is brilliant for a range of uses. Furthermore, the 70-200mm zoom range is great for standard photography but allows you to gain excellent detail on subjects like wildlife.

Main Features

The Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM boasts an impressive range of features for professional usage. It is an L-series lens and therefore benefits from amazing build quality and additional weatherproofing in comparison to standard grade lenses. The lens itself features a nine-bladed diaphragm and five-stop image stabilization. Moreover, it can actually focus on objects up to one meter away from the lens.

• Weight: 780g
• Max Length: 80 x 176mm
• Viewing Angle: 29, 19, 34 (Horizontal, Vertical, Diagonal)
• Maximum Aperture: f/4
• Minimum Aperture:  f/32
• Image Stabilization: Yes
• Lens Hood: Yes

The aperture range of f/4 through to f/32 is quite impressive. Furthermore, the lens has an excellent viewing angle and is quite compact for the range it provides. At 70-200mm, it covers a fantastic focal range and means you can use this lens for a myriad of different purposes.

Design

There is something about Canon’s L-series telephoto lenses that looks amazing. As a photographer, you can take pride using this stunning device – the sleek design and the characteristic white, black, and red colors are brilliant. The Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM is a well-built telephoto lens that is made to last. The lens itself is sealed against dust and moisture, and the outer casing is durable and great for outdoor usage. When using this lens, you can benefit from the following accessories:  

• Lens Hood: ET-78B
• Lens Case: LP1224
• Optional: Tripod mount ring

The control ring is smooth and the zoom also works fantastically – you can transition easily between the different focal lengths. Although it does weight 780g, this model is still relatively compact compared to some other Canon telephoto lenses.  

Performance

If you are concerned about the performance of this lens then don’t be! The Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM offers exceptional quality. Even at the extreme zoom of 200mm and f/4, photos remain crystal clear with no distortion. There is no softening, and other lens distortion.

Furthermore, the advent of built-in image stabilization, and the USM autofocus system, you can quickly focus on different objects and track moving objects too. This lens is meant for high-quality telephoto images an video and it allows you to do this with ease.

We would advise using the official Canon lens hood that fits with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM – it provides additional protection. Furthermore, it means you can keep the lens ready for action without worrying about continually removing the lens cap.

Canon EF 70-200m f/4L vs. Tamron 70-210mm f/4 Di VC USD

We can now compare the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM to a similar lens on the market – the Tamron 70-210mm f/4 Di VC USD. Tamron has an excellent range of comparative lenses for Canon DSLR cameras. They are renowned for providing fantastic quality at affordable prices.

The Canon EF 70-200mm offers a lower minimum aperture at f/32 – this offers greater flexibility. Furthermore, the Canon lens is much smaller and lighter than the Tamron counterpart. The Tamron 70-210mm f/4 Di VC USD weighs 1500g – nearly double the weight of the Canon 70-200mm. This makes quite a difference and means the Tamron lens is much less portable.

In terms of image quality, both lenses allow you to produce fantastic photos with a clear definition. The main benefit of the Tamron lens is the maximum aperture – this means you can obtain a shallower depth of field. However, the consistent aperture of f/4 for the Canon device is more than adequate. We have provided a basic comparison table below:

Is the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM Right for You?

Telephoto lenses are notorious for their large size and heavy weight – the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM breaks this trend. It is relatively portable and compact. Furthermore, it is lightweight and easy to carry. This doesn’t compromise the image quality in any way – it offers crystal clear photos throughout the zoom range. Moreover, the consistent aperture of f/4 makes changing zoom simple.

In addition to the above, the image stabilization and USM focusing system mean that this lens also offers excellent low-light photography. Finally, this L-series lens looks and feels amazing – it has the characteristic white exterior coating and feels extremely robust when handled. Moreover, it has a protective coating, utilizes the super spectra finish with help reduce ghosting and lens flare. If you want a professional-grade telephoto lens, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM is one of the best options available.