Canon 75-300 IS USM Lens Question

[wcstory]

Great forum! Love the shots many of you post and have on personal web pages!

Did alot of reading and lurking on this forum when deciding between the 20D and Nikon D70.

I went with the 20D with 17-85 IS USM Kit due to a bit of a shake that shows with slower ISO shots. Only had it a few weeks and loving it! The volume of options can be daunting, but I keep at it. Anyone know of a good digital photo school or course in the SE Massachusetts & Rhode Island area?

Looking to get closer to some of the outdoor subjects that I shoot. I do alot of natural pond wildlife and Koi pond photos. Koi - the other expensive hobby.

What are your opinions on the Canon 75-300 IS USM.

Thanks,
Bill

[MrChad]

I love mine, but many on this site hate the lens. The only good part it the IS part.

It is a painfully slow AF focusing lens. Painfully slow!!! It's very soft at 300mm too.
But Canon didn't have anything close for the money at the time.

Others love the 70-200 f4 better, but I really hate being limited to f4 at wide open.

I'm looking at replacing my 75-300 with the Sigma 70-200 f2.8 or the Canon equivilant L but they aren't cheap.

With that said where can you find an IS tele for this price?

[Jack W.]

Hi Bill. I gave a 20D to my girlfriend for Christmas, along with the 75-300IS lens. I did a bunch of reading, and while there's a lot of negativity posted about this lens, there's a lot that's positive. I've seen some terrific shots taken with it.
The range is good, if wide angle isn't your primary concern. It's somewhat soft at the long end, but that's why we have computers and image editing programs.
If you understand it's limitations, and learn how to use it properly, it's capable of great shots. And the IS feature is, to me, a great help.
Considering the features and the price, I'd say it's a pretty good lens.

[RJSorensen]

The 75-300 IS lens is a good lens for many people. It all depends on your 'needs' and or wants. One would suppose that is why some love it and others do not. For hunting birds, unless they land in front of you, it is slow to me. But as a general all around lens for less demanding uses, it is just fine. I tried one out for a bit and the 'walk around' shots were fine, and I suppose IS never hurts if you can't have real fast f/speed. I see nothing wrong with it for many and would advise some to look at it. L glass is not for everyone, some can not tell the difference. If you are in this camp, save your money . . .

[FlyingPete]

I love mine, but many on this site hate the lens. The only good part it the IS part.

It is a painfully slow AF focusing lens. Painfully slow!!! It's very soft at 300mm too.
But Canon didn't have anything close for the money at the time.

Others love the 70-200 f4 better, but I really hate being limited to f4 at wide open.

I'm looking at replacing my 75-300 with the Sigma 70-200 f2.8 or the Canon equivilant L but they aren't cheap.

With that said where can you find an IS tele for this price?

Yep, I am also a owner of one, and this reflects my opinions of it very well. The other thing that bugs me about it (and my 50mm and 18-55mm) is the rotating front element, making it very difficult to use with a polariser.

The IS works well, I have had hand held shots in dim light I wouldn't have got otherwise.

If you don't need the IS, check out the 100-300USM as a possible option. I for one have put the 70-200f/4 or 70-200f/2.8 on my 'to do' list, when (if ever) I get the $$$.

[wcstory]

Yep, I am also a owner of one, and this reflects my opinions of it very well. The other thing that bugs me about it (and my 50mm and 18-55mm) is the rotating front element, making it very difficult to use with a polariser.

The IS works well, I have had hand held shots in dim light I wouldn't have got otherwise.

If you don't need the IS, check out the 100-300USM as a possible option. I for one have put the 70-200f/4 or 70-200f/2.8 on my 'to do' list, when (if ever) I get the $$$.

Thanks for the opinions everyone!

Pete,
What do you mean by the "rotating front element, making it very difficult to use with a polariser" ?? The front element can be an issue if I try and cup the lense, but will this affect the thread on filters like the polarizer? Will be using that filter most of the time with Koi Pond shots.

Thanks,
Bill

[12345Michael54321]

Anyone know of a good digital photo school or course in the SE Massachusetts & Rhode Island area?

Try local community colleges. They can often be great resources.

I know one community college near me is offering several Photoshop courses next semester. Reasonable prices, convenient location. Sure, I took various photography classes in high school, but for some reason my school didn't offer "Creating an Optimal Digital Photography Workflow Using Photoshop CS," back in 1980.

In the past, I've taken community college courses in landscape photography and portrait photography, primarily because students had access to the college's extremely nicely equipped darkroom facilities. I actually wound up improving my landscape and portrait photography skills, but that was just sort of icing on the cake.

Sadly, valuable as continuing education can be, probably 95% of the people laying out thousands of dollars on camera equipment are unwilling to even consider paying an additional $150 for some structured learning. Seems they find it easier to seek improvement by spending big money on hardware, than they do to invest a little time and effort learning new skills. So be it.

[FlyingPete]

What do you mean by the "rotating front element, making it very difficult to use with a polariser" ?? The front element can be an issue if I try and cup the lense, but will this affect the thread on filters like the polarizer? Will be using that filter most of the time with Koi Pond shots.


The rotating front element means that the front of the lens rotates when focusing, the other option is internal focusing as seen on most ring motor USM's such as your 17-85IS.

Obviously this can be a issue if you are using a polariser as you need to adjust it every time you refocus the lens. I usually don't bother with a polariser on lenses that do this, its too much hassle.

[wcstory]

Pete,
Thanks, Unfortunatly most of the water shots I take I'm trying to get past the water reflection to see the Koi or ornamental carp in the pond.

Bill

[FlyingPete]

Pete,
Thanks, Unfortunatly most of the water shots I take I'm trying to get past the water reflection to see the Koi or ornamental carp in the pond.

Bill

Ah, glad you didn't find out about that one the hard way! Perhaps its the 100-300 you need then, internal focus ring motor USM.

[MrChad]

I'd say look at a 70-200 f2.8 lens if your shutter is fast enough who needs IS :P

Else get the 70-200 f4L and a good monopod.

[jimlp]

Great forum! Love the shots many of you post and have on personal web pages!

Did alot of reading and lurking on this forum when deciding between the 20D and Nikon D70.

I went with the 20D with 17-85 IS USM Kit due to a bit of a shake that shows with slower ISO shots. Only had it a few weeks and loving it! The volume of options can be daunting, but I keep at it. Anyone know of a good digital photo school or course in the SE Massachusetts & Rhode Island area?

Looking to get closer to some of the outdoor subjects that I shoot. I do alot of natural pond wildlife and Koi pond photos. Koi - the other expensive hobby.

What are your opinions on the Canon 75-300 IS USM.

Thanks,
Bill

Hi Bill. I went to New England School of Photography and when I went there they had night courses as well as weekend courses and workshops. I do not know how much you want to travel as they are located in Kenmore Square in Boston, they will probably be pretty pricey as well. Community Colleges might be your best bet.

[mdr]

I fully agree with these statements. If you want the IS and can't afford the L lenses, you can't do better than the 75-300mm IS. The autofocus is unbelievably slow, which can become an issue when taking shots of fast moving wildlife. If you are not bothered about the IS, stay well clear of it and get the 100-300mm USM. Autofocus is supurb, image quality is better, it's smaller and lighter, and it's far cheaper.