Review Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 L

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Given the 70-200 f/2.8 a good o'l test so thought i'd write a review.

Initial impression
It's big and heavy. Not as heavy as I was expecting but alot heaver than my small 17-40 f/4 L. People often say that it's diffuclt to handle during extended periods of time due to it's weight, but I used it all day Sunday in central London and didn't have any aching limbs :D

Looks cool too, I know alot of you out there dislike the while lens look, but I think it looks pretty sweet.

Build quality
As always with L series lenses, it's build like a tank. The casing is mostly metal, with rubber focus and zoom rings, which are nicely sized and positioned. Also very smooth, particularly the focus ring.

Image quality
Super-sharp as always, must be the best lens i'v ever used, image quality wise. Many say that it's slightly soft at f/2.8 but I haven't found any softness wide open.

Focus
It focuses very quickly and very accurately. I found this lens performes very well in AI Servo mode, I find myself using this mode more than the others despite the fact that I do no sports photography whatsoever.

Apature and DoF
Wide open at f/2.8 it gives a beautiful background blur. Still ultra-sharp wide open and isolates the subject very well. I often shoot at f/2.8 even in sunlight just to get a lovely blur in the background. I also sometimes use it for macro-type photography due to it's shallow depth of field, I have to stand quite far away though as the closest it focuses is 1.5m.

In low-light situations
I haven't tested it fully in low light, but have done a bit. It was always a hard decision - go for the non-IS version or spend an extra £300 for IS. I (odviously) decided against spending the extra for IS because I don't think it's worth it. Don't regret my decision at all, it performs very well in low light situations and gives the nice depth of field too which is an added bonus.

Overal
Built like a tank, looks great, performs even better. A truly excellent lens. I'm so glad I bought this lens, I now use it more than my 17-40 f/4 L.

First shots
Some of the first shots with the 70-200, in Central London and at home.

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Some more of my photos taken with this lens can be found at:

http://www.noahgoodrich.co.uk

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15525907@N07/
 
It's a great lens, has a bit of a learning curve to it.
You might find that soon or take to it like a duck to water.
 
I have the IS version and love it :) Could try some extension tubes if you want to do macro! Might not give great results but maybe worth a shot :)
 
I got one recently (from Kerso) and used it for a few portraits at a studio model shoot and was really impressed by the sharpness and DOF blur.
 
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