Canon 70-210 1:4 lens

[Geezershooter]

I have this 70-210 lens and I am curious what people think about it. I know it is an older lens but it seems to work pretty well with the Canon Xsi that I just bought.
Any opinions? If you don't like it please tell me why, same if you do like it.

Thanks

[ziggy53]

I have this 70-210 lens and I am curious what people think about it. I know it is an older lens but it seems to work pretty well with the Canon Xsi that I just bought.
Any opinions? If you don't like it please tell me why, same if you do like it.

Thanks

Yes, that is an older lens. I have never even seen one but I know it had a fairly good reputation. A pretty good review here:

http://www.phototestcenter.com/html/canon_70-210_f4.html

[jrmyrnsm]

I have this 70-210 lens and I am curious what people think about it. I know it is an older lens but it seems to work pretty well with the Canon Xsi that I just bought.
Any opinions? If you don't like it please tell me why, same if you do like it.

Thanks

I was eyeing this lens for a while and actually ended up going with the model that replaced it the 70-210 f3.5-4.5 mostly to get the USM but from what I understood at the time the optics were about the same. I've always been a little hesitant of the push/pull zoom mostly just because I've never used one but thats a personal thing... As for the lens, I loved this lens and it was so much better than any of the 75-300 zooms I'd used in both build and image quality. I did always with mine was a constant f4 like yours though... Have fun with it!

[bauerman]

I think that the f/4 version of the 70-210mm is a decent lens from everything that i have read on the topic. People either liking the push/pull zoom or hating it. The fact that is has a dedicated macro mode is also a bonus. I think that IQ wise you are probably getting better shots out of this lens than the standard 75-300 or 70-300 zooms that so many companies offer.

As mentioned in the post above however, the next lens in line after this one is more highly regarded and probably a better bang for your buck. The 70-210mm f/3.5-4.5 USM has the same reach, but it has the twist zoom motion and more importantly, a ring USM focusing motor. This allows for almost silent and extremely quick focusing - along with allowing full time manual focus override as well. This is the one I picked up recently and I am VERY happy with it.

This site talks about the merits of each lens being discussed here, if you want to check that out:

http://mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/eos/EF-lenses/EF80200mmf28L/index1.htm#EF70210mmf3545USM

[Geezershooter]

Thank you for your comments. I like the lens and think I will keep it till I can afford something really really good.

Tom

[bauerman]

Nothing wrong with it Tom at all. I would prefer what you have to many of the cheaper tele zooms out there.

[divamum]

I have this lens as a hangover from my film days. I also have a 55-250is which is a sharper lens on a digital camera and has the advantage of IS, but it doesn't have the same "sparkle", which is why I've kept the older lens as well. Use the EF 70-210 in good light, and it gives you great colour and contrast and, stopped down, it's nicely sharp.

[Art Scott]

nott being a canon user i cannot comment on how well (or not) this lens works.....however as a user of the 70-210 zooms (siggy) I wish all newer zoomz were push pull.....if they went back to all being push pull then we could have 1 touch lenses again (focus once and zoom all you want and not change the focus, without needing to hit a focus lock buttom).....that push pull gives the ability to create special effects that are damn near impossible with a twist zoom...........

[bauerman]

Good point Art - never thought of it that way and from that perspective.

divamum - which one do you have? The f/4 with push pull zoom or the f/3.5-4.5 with the USM motor?

[divamum]

Good point Art - never thought of it that way and from that perspective.

divamum - which one do you have? The f/4 with push pull zoom or the f/3.5-4.5 with the USM motor?

F4 push/pull.

[bauerman]

I sold my Sigma 70-300mm APO, which was a good lens in its own right, to grab one of these old Canon 70-210's. I was willing to give up some of the reach to get the potentially slightly higher IQ and the certainly faster focusing. I was trying to track my daughter the other day in her battery powered Jeep and the Sigma just could not keep up from my experience. I'm looking forward to trying the Canon in the same situation.....I have a feeling it will do much better.

[dogbert]

It's an OK lens

[bauerman]

Here is a very quick photographic example from the other day - not post processed or sharpened - coming out of the variable aperture lens. There is some purple fringing here, but I was impressed with the quality of this lens and the detail captured. License plate shots seem to be a bit trite - but they are good to check lenses with. (Hopefully my neighbor across the street from me won't care!)

Handheld shot using ISO 500 on my 30D - f/4.5 so wide open at 210mm. The sharpness could have even been better stopped down a bit. But I wanted to see what it could do wide open. I was pleased.

Full Shot:

http://jbauer.zenfolio.com/img/v4/p476803826.jpg


100% Crop of Plate:

http://jbauer.zenfolio.com/img/v6/p514333945.jpg