Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Reviews

This was one of the first lenses I ever bought when I first got into Canon. It is a cheap way to get into longer zooms. The image stabilization is very handy as a "walking around" lens. For amateurs and newspaper work, it's good enough. Pros will want to quickly upgrade due to:

Colors have a noticeable blue/green shift (loss of magenta).

Noticeable chromatic aberration at the 300mm range, especially when focusing on near objects.

Too slow focusing for serious sports work, especially at the 300 mm range. If subject is running toward you, it won't track fast enough. Focus speed is OK for a speaker on a podium or brightly lit stage.

BEST OVERALL SHARPNESS at f/11 at all focal ranges. You need LOTS of light to use this to best results. All other apertures are soft in the corners.

This was my first IS lense. I owned it for almost three years and I was very very satisfied with it. I subsequently got the EF70-200/2.8 L IS USM and frankly, I still think the EF75-300 IS was the best value for money lense I've ever owned (Ok, the EF50/1.8 is may be even better in this respect).

At the long end the lense was definitely soft, but still acceptable for a car magazine publication. Short to mid range was ok. Focus speed was .. ok, could have been faster though. Focus reliability ok.

Build quality was average.

Overall, optically/theoretically only average lense, but in practise very good lense. Shot me a lot of good photos.

Bought it with about 650 e, sold about 300 e - if I remember correctly.

Not like my L glass,but a value.Though can be frustrating,as slow AF,chromatic aberration,and lack of sharpness in lower light are drawbacks.It has taken some very nice pics at f/8 and above even at 2-300mm.But if its best on bright days the IS is less necessary?Canon makes the same lense without IS for much less.