70/300IS or 70/300IS DO ?

I'm planing to buy one of these lenses.
I can buy the IS new for 600€ or the IS DO 2nd hand for 800€.
In my opinion, the quality construction worth the extra 200€, but...
which is the best optics, the IS or the IS DO?

I love my 70-300 DO.
On the plus side is:
1. More compact.
2. Non-rotation front element.
3. Really solid construction.

I have not compared image quality of the two lenses. I believe that the DO does slightly better. I also do not know if the non DO lens has the third generation IS which I find awesome.

I'd say that 600pounds is VERY pricy for the 70-300 IS USM I paid 700CDN for mine (about 340pounds)
I can't compare the 2 for you.
I've hear that the DO isnt worth the, nearly double, price; I have no backing behind that.

I am pleased with the "traditional lens".
The above point by skip souza is valid about the rotating front element. If can become an issue if your using filters.

I think the OP is talking in Euros.

If you can afford it the DO is worth every penny. I owned it and loved it to bits and wouldn't hesitate to buy it again. Fantastic IQ, awesome build, fulltime manual focusing and non rotating front element.

If on a budget then the 'regular' 70-300 probably makes more sense.

Sorry, I had pounds stuck in my head instead of Euro's

No worries Ross! I read it as pounds first time too!

The price on the used DO lens seems very good ... if you can get one at that price, it might be a very good idea.

However ... I just today looked up the very recent test of the 70-300 IS lens at www.photozone.de and this looks VERY PROMISING.
The resolution loss that the old lens (and most competitors other than the old 100-300/5.6 L) suffered from above 200 mm is obviously no longer existing.

Other than that, the cheapest price in German online stores seems to be in the 520-550 EUR range. Don't know if they ship to Spain or if additional VAT gets added (and makes it more expensive), but take a look at www.preistrend.de
Just enter 'Canon 70 300 IS' where it says 'SUCHE' (=buscar)...

Best regards,
Andy

I rented both of those lenses when I was trying to decide which to buy, and the DO version just didnt compare in image quality. Just my opinion... The DO is nice for compactness, but IMHO is not worth the extra $$$.

I believe since the 70-300 IS is new, that it's actually newest generation IS unlike the 75-300 IS.

I did a little research and I believe Grego is right.
If I had to make the same decision today the new 70-300 IS would be a serious contender, especially at it's price. The used price you quoted for the DO would probably tilt me that way because of it's compactness.

Excuse me because my english is not very good, but... do you mean that the DO has better image quality or the opposite ?

Which one did you buy at the end ?

Judging from his gear list , I'd interpret the sentence as

'The DO was a little bit better, but not much' ... so he got the 70-300 IS instead.

Hope that helps...

Best regards,
Andy

Both lenses have problems. The DO version, under the right circumstances, gives a "cracked up" bokeh. See images 11-13 in this gallery: http://aesop.rutgers.e​du …0DO%20IS%20Lens​/index.htm . The Non-DO has excellent optics but a flimsy design. On some units people have discovered a loose barrel can actually cause images to appear slightly blurred when taken in vertical orientation. I am on my second copy of the Non-DO version(first copy was soft). I am glad I got another one, this one seem fine (had it a week). I do worry that the barrel could loosen up over time. However, there really is nothing else that delivers the same range and IQ that can be easily hand held. I was prepared to spend more and get the DO version, but the cracked up bokeh issue disturbed me too much. Here are links to a couple of my better shots with the 70-300 IS non-DO:

http://www.pbase.com/s​herip99/image/54613202

http://www.pbase.com/s​herip99/image/54759548

There were teleconverters used with the lens when I took the second shot.

Sheri (Rebel XT user since mid December)

okay, i dont feel like this needs a new topic since this one is here. i have a few questions about the DO aswell

1. how fast is the focus on it
2. what gen is the IS
3. is the IQ comprable to say the 100-400L

Billginthekeys ...

take a look at the tests at www.photozone.de.

According to that test, the resolution at 300 mm is even higher than that of the 100-400 IS at all apertures which would definitely make it a very good lens.

Best regards,
Andy