Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM is a Variable aperture Auto Focus (AF)
Telephoto Zoom lens with Optical Image stabilization and 35mm FF max sensor coverage, and it is designed to be used with
EF Mount cameras.
What type of photography is the Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM lens good for?
The type of photography that you are planning to use the Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated its suitability to various photography scenarios:
Reasons to Buy Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM Lens
Here we've included a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM lens in a list form to help you determine whether it offers the features you need.
| Optical Image Stabilization |
| Autofocus |
| Full-time Manual Focusing |
| Zoom Lock |
| Covers Full-Frame Sensor |
| 9 Diaphragm Blades for Smooth Bokeh |
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| No Weather Sealing |
| Hood is not supplied |
| Lens Extends while zooming |
| Slow Aperture at Tele end |
| Variable Aperture |
Lens Mount
Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM is compatible with cameras that have a Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Canon 1D X III, Canon 6D MII and Canon 5D MIV.
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Size, Weight and Filter Thread
Size and weight is a very important decision factor when searching for your next lens. Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM has a maximum diameter of 80mm and total length of 146mm when not extended. It weighs 710g / 25.0 oz.
Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM has a filter thread of 67mm. Below are links to the filters that we recommend you to consider for your Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM:
Focal Range
Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM has a focal range of 70-300mm and 4.3X zoom ratio. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 112 - 480mm.
Optical Image Stabilization
The Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM features an optical image stabilization system which helps to reduce the blur that occurs due to shaking during hand-held shooting.
Zoom Method
Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM features Rotary (extending) zoom method where the length of the lens changes as you zoom in or out. This makes it possible to design the lens with a smaller minimum length ( generally when it is zoomed out) compared to internal zoom lenses. The disadvantages of this design are being harder to seal against dust and moisture, weight balance shifting while zooming and zoom creep in certain lenses.
Zoom Lock
Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM has a Zoom lock feature which eliminates Zoom creep where focal length of the lens changes with gravity when it's held downwards or upwards.
Maximum Magnification Ratio
Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM has a Max Magnification Ratio of 0.25x and has a minimum focusing distance of 1.2m. For a non-macro lens, the 0.25x is considered a high magnification and will come handy for close-up shots.
Below are the 3 Telephoto Zoom type Canon12 mount lens alternatives with highest max magnification ratios:
Aperture
Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM is a variable aperture lens with a max aperture of f4 and a minimum aperture of f32 at 70mm, and a max aperture of f5.6 and minimum aperture of f45 at 300mm .
| Focal Length |
Max Aperture |
Min Aperture |
|
70mm
|
F4 |
F32 |
|
300mm
|
F5.6 |
F45 |
Optical Formula
Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM's optical formula consists of 17 elements in 12 groups . Special elements used in this design is UD element.
Lens Hood
Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM doesn't come with a lens hood.
Body Colour
Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM is available in Black color.
Popular Comparisons of Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM
Here are the eight most popular comparisons of the Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM amongst Camera Decision readers.
Top Alternatives of Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM Lens
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