75-300IS Sharpen up?

[FlyingPete]

OK can I get this lens to sharpen up at anything over 200mm? I have tried f/8 but it is still soft (better than wide open). Shutter is over 1/1000, so its not shake, and it has IS.

Am I doomed to having to go elsewhere to get the images I am after??? All I want is what my 28-105(the good one, not the cheap plastic one!) can do.

[robertwgross]

That lens is not known as a particularly sharp lens. Further, it isn't fast (aperture-wise). It will get OK shots on a bright day.

I'm sorry that is probably not what you wanted to hear.

---Bob Gross---

[Medic1]

Thats odd.....I have seen superb results out of a friends 75-300 non-IS/non-USM (and rebel XT) in mediocre lighting with focal lengths of 200+. You would think that IS would make it that much sharper, wouldn't you?

Is it possible that he just lucked out and got a great copy of this lens (and maybe you happened to get a bad copy of the IS USM?)

[Skip Souza]

Peter, it depends on what you are after. It will never give the results of the EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO ID USM at more than twice the price or the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM at three times the price. So it really comes down to value.
For a comparison check out this article (http://www.e-fotografija.com/artman/publish/article_306.shtml).
My wife owns the EF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 IS. I was using it today to shoot half of a soccer game. It did all right but was not spactacular. It focuses very slooowwwly and can't keep up with the AI servo and the highspeed frame burst of my 20D. I have also used it in the past and other than focus speed it does alright.
I shot the first half of the game with my Tamron AF 28-300 mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD. This lens suffers from the same softness at the long end and it is a little shorter than advertised, about 280mm I'd guess. It does focus a lot faster and is quite compact.
You also might want to check out th AF SLR Lens Test Guide (http://martyfoto.kbx.cz/LensTestGuide.htm) for raw quality numbers.
I hope this helps.

[robertwgross]

You would think that IS would make it that much sharper, wouldn't you?


Not really, unless you were shooting at a very slow shutter, hand-held. In fact, if you snap a shot when the I.S. is in the middle of shifting the element due to shake, it can be even worse.

---Bob Gross---

[ron chappel]

You might have a bad example or your expectations could be too high-those models do get soft towards 300mm.
See if you can borrow another one to compare before deciding what to do .

If you do need a sharper lens there are several options-
On the cheaper side there are the canon 100-300 usm
http://members.dodo.net.au/~l8r_ron/index_8.html
and sigma 70-300 Apo macro super II
http://www.pbase.com/argylemonkey/lens_comp
Both are a little sharper than the 75-300's at the long end but of course you miss out on the image stabilizer.

If you can spend more go for the canon 70-200/4L + 1.4 TC or the sigma 100-300/4 EX

[Medic1]

Not really, unless you were shooting at a very slow shutter, hand-held. In fact, if you snap a shot when the I.S. is in the middle of shifting the element due to shake, it can be even worse.

---Bob Gross---

Well, I understand that it only helps with slow shutter, because movement isn't that big of a problem with faster shutter speeds. But if my friends 75-300 non-IS/non-USM is an example of how these lenses perform at over 200 with mediocre to good lighting, than if his lens had IS (thus allowing him to shoot in even worse lighting than he is now).....I think I would then be jealous.

His lens is producing some amazingly sharp images.

[Barb42]

I gave up on this lens and sold it. Just doesn't cut it - it has worked on occasion but not enough to drag around. I am going to pick up a 70-200 IS 2.8 and the 1.4 TC. I need something usable.

[Redbird_xo]

Sharpness is both subjective and relative to one's expectation. I responded to a previous thread regarding the same lens and posted two pix. I think these two pix are among the sharper ones I could get out of my 75-300mm. Hope this gives you some clues if you have a bad copy or something else is causing your frustration.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=66019

[robertwgross]

His lens is producing some amazingly sharp images.

It might be his lens, or it might very well be the way he is using it. He may be using good hand-holding technique, and he might be using the best metering method, and he might be using an aperture for sharpness, etc.

Equipment is only part of the solution. The rest is in the connections between the eye and the brain and the hand.

---Bob Gross---

[FlyingPete]

His lens is producing some amazingly sharp images.

OK What are the chances that this lens has improved in its design over time. This is my oldest lens, the only one not stolen with my EOS50, It is at least 8 years old, and is the original version, not sure if Canon did a MK2 or later on these. It has the older Canon lens cap on it, my 28-80USM I bought in '96 had the newer cap. Anyway, by Canon EF lens standards it is old.

Funny though, didn't have any issues with it when all I was doing was printing 6x4's off film!

I know it is not technique, I have been through this a number of years ago with teles, and it still is soft on a tripod (a good solid one!) at high shutter speeds.

Oh well, perhaps it is just old, might try and find a newer one to compare it with...