Advice on buying a "used" Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM lens

I am thinking of buying a "used" Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM lens. The guy selling it says it was the kit lens included when he bought a new camera, however he doesn't need this lens, and has never used it. Canon msrp is $649, Adorama, and Amazon are selling it for $435. The guy wants $380, but for $70 more I can buy brand new w/warranty from reputable dealers. I don't want to be a lowballer but for the previous reasons I thought I'd offer him $300.

What do you think about this lens?

I have never bought used camera gear before so I am a little hesitant. What are things should I look out for besides the obvious things like cracks, dust, dings and excessive wear marks? Where is the build date code? How do you read the build code?

I will be using this lens for shooting my grankids soccer and baseball games and outdoor motocross races.

Any advice you care to offer will be kindly appreciated.

Regards,

Rick

I have this lens, and I like it. Just make sure he's not talking about the 75-300, which was a kit lens with some new bodies. It's not very good! I'm not aware of the 70-300 being a kit lens, but I could certainly be wrong. I don't see that mine has a date code.

Make sure that the zoom ring and focus ring work smoothly.

I've seen them on here used for $300.00, so that's a fair price to offer.

Good luck!

Yah, be sure it's the 70-300. The 75-300 is a much lower quality lens that sells on Amazon for less than $140 new.

Be aware that very early copies (made before mid-2006) of this lens had a problem with portrait-orientation shots beyond about 200mm. At the time Canon was fixing the problem with no cost to the user. But I don't know whether or not this program is still in effect.

Lenses made more than 18 months or so after the lens was first introduced did not have the problem.

To test, take some shots at 300mm in both horizontal and vertical (portrait) mode. Another symptom is that the lens creeps readily when pointed down. Newer lenses, and older ones after the fix, did not creep easily.

Here is a thread in this forum about the problem.

https://photography-on-the.net …t=portrait+prob​lem+70-300

For the price difference mentioned, I would not consider the used lens anyway.

Adorama has them as refurbs for $329. At least there you get a warranty for a few months.

I have this lens and like it.

Mike

i'd save your money and get the 55-250IS instead for $150...if you're set on the 70-300IS though, i'd keep looking...people are able to buy the lens with a body right now for $250...so you should be able to get one brand new for $300 from someone selling it to take an extra $50 off of the price of the body

DreDaze wrote in post #14907040
i'd save your money and get the 55-250IS instead for $150...if you're set on the 70-300IS though, i'd keep looking...people are able to buy the lens with a body right now for $250...so you should be able to get one brand new for $300 from someone selling it to take an extra $50 off of the price of the body

Agreed with this. The 55-250 is a MUCH better option. The 70-300 is deemed one of the most useless lenses ever made by Canon.

ZeroSkylineX wrote in post #14908052
Agreed with this. The 55-250 is a MUCH better option. The 70-300 is deemed one of the most useless lenses ever made by Canon.

DreDaze wrote in post #14907040
i'd save your money and get the 55-250IS instead for $150...if you're set on the 70-300IS though, i'd keep looking...people are able to buy the lens with a body right now for $250...so you should be able to get one brand new for $300 from someone selling it to take an extra $50 off of the price of the body

I'm confused, I thought the 70-300IS was one of the best tele-zoom lenses before jumping to the 70-200L and 70-300L?
only issue with it was the easy zoom creep (thank god for the lock) and dust easily getting sucked in the barrel.
other than that IQ was almost comparable to L lenses.

this lens goes around $300 used.
which camera bodies is being sold with this as kit for $300 as I would be interested.

Just because someone say this is a bad lens does not mean it is true.

It is in fact a good lens relative to its value.

It is all about money. The EF-S 55-250mm might be a little cheaper but its focal lenght is shorter. I went for the 70-300 lens because of the longer reach and I do not regret it. If I want a better ( sharper ) lens the next on my list will be the 70-300L, or one of the 70-200mm lenses. I do not need them. The 70-300 is good enough.

70-300mm IS USM @ ISO200, F:8, 1/400, 130mm ( Good old XTi )

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Here is the crop:

70-300mm IS USM @ ISO200, F:8, 1/400, 130mm ( Good old XTi )

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ZeroSkylineX wrote in post #14908052
Agreed with this. The 55-250 is a MUCH better option. The 70-300 is deemed one of the most useless lenses ever made by Canon.

whoa...that's not what i said there at all...the 70-300IS is a better lens...it's just how much better is it really...not much...and until this buy and save rebate thing started it was 3X the price of the 55-250IS...for $250 i'd get it...for $400 i'd get the 55-250IS...

I look at both of these lenses as entrances into the telephoto range...you're going to want a more expensive lens down the line if you like the telephoto range...whether it's one of the 70-200mm, 100-400L, 150-500OS, 400L or whatever...it gets expensive to do better than these two lenses

taemo wrote in post #14908411
I'm confused, I thought the 70-300IS was one of the best tele-zoom lenses before jumping to the 70-200L and 70-300L?
only issue with it was the easy zoom creep (thank god for the lock) and dust easily getting sucked in the barrel.
other than that IQ was almost comparable to L lenses.

this lens goes around $300 used.
which camera bodies is being sold with this as kit for $300 as I would be interested.

it was and is...but as i said, the 55-250IS offers practically the same in a much cheaper package...

go to b&h and look at the buy together and save...i know it's on the rebels and 60D, and 7D

55-250 or 70-300 depends on your shooting needs. One gives a little better close up the other is a little longer. Quality wise I have no experience with the 55-250. I can tell you my 70-300 delivers IQ that rivals my L lenses. Yes it is not as heavily built as the Ls and probably won't last as long. But dollar for dollar it is an exceptional value.

Mike