# Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Lens



## Rippin_drag (Sep 2, 2008)

I'm new to SLRs and am considering this being my 1st lens (beyond the 18-55 kit lens that came w/my Rebel XS).
Do any of you have any experience with it? I mainly want it for nature and other outdoor photography.
Thanks for any feedback.


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## dicklaxt (Jun 2, 2005)

Not to say the 75-300 won't do the job for you but the 70-300 is a notch above for just a little bit more.IMO

dick


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## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

Yeah, what Dick said.


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## Rippin_drag (Sep 2, 2008)

dicklaxt said:


> ...for just a little bit more.IMO
> 
> dick


Are you sure? On Amazon, the 75-300 is $169, the 70-300 is $535.


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## sandybottom (Jun 1, 2005)

On lenses you pay for what you get. Shop around for the 70-300mm.


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## sandybottom (Jun 1, 2005)

I learn this lesson the hard way. Nobody could convince me otherwise. So I went and bought lenses that were not top notch just to save some money. After saving up for a while I went and got some prime lenses. I don't use the cheap lenses anymore.
One way to shop around for glass is look on Pbase. Compare the pictures with the glass people are using.
For example look at this squirrel. See how soft the image looks? It just doesn't look very sharp to me. http://www.pbase.com/dco/image/24865898 It was taken with the 75-300mm your talking about.
I hope this helps.


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## Rippin_drag (Sep 2, 2008)

Thanks for the tip. I may have to expand my price range then!


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## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

You might also check out the Canon 70-200 f/4. It is an excellent lens with a constant f/4 aperture through the zoom range. It's not a 300, but an excellent lens just the same.
Mike


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## sandybottom (Jun 1, 2005)

I think I saw one this morning around 600.00.


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## Formula4Fish (Apr 24, 2007)

I'll chime in... I've got a EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, and REALLY like it. It's light weight at 1.4lb and makes a terrific "walk-around" lens for nature and wildlife photography.

Sandybottom's advice is right on. You will eventually land on the good glass. You might as well skip the cheap stuff on the way to it.

A friend once told me "A good xxxx only hurts once... the day you buy it. A cheap xxxx hurts every time you use it."

For xxxx, substitite lens, gun, reel, camera, etc.

Dick


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## TXDRAKE (Jun 24, 2004)

Does a Teleconverter work well with the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM?


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## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

I don't think it will fit due to the way the lens is constructed. I might be wrong, but will surely lose the auto focus if it does fit. A friend has one. I'll ask him next time I see him.

Mike


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## dicklaxt (Jun 2, 2005)

If I remember correctly Mike is right,I had a TC and sold it because it would not work with my 70-300,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

dick


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## Formula4Fish (Apr 24, 2007)

TXDRAKE said:


> Does a Teleconverter work well with the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM?


TXDRAKE,

I can't tell you about a 2X teleconverter, but I have a 1.4x EF Extender II and a EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, and I can confirm... They are NOT compatible. They will not physically connect.

Dick


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## Mountaineer Mark (Jul 15, 2009)

TXDRAKE said:


> Does a Teleconverter work well with the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM?


I put one on mine and it was not a good thing. I'd say they don't well at all. Then I sent it to the shop...........


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## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

Typically, the teleconverters are meant to work with fast lenses like those with maximum aperture of f/2.8 or faster on some. And lenses over 100mm.
Examples of Canon lenses would include :
100 f/2 (and maybe the 85 f/1.8)
135 f/2.0
200 f.1.8 (or the f/2.8)
300 f/2.8
400/f/2.8
500 f/4
100-400 f/4 - 5.6

I have used the Sigma 120-300 f/2.8 with both the 1.4x and the 2x teleconverters. Auto focus does not work with the 2x.

I also used the tc on the Sigma 50-500 but it required you to move the zoom out past 100mm, the set the lens lock so it can't be returned to the 50mm setting. Otherwise the rear lens element will collide with the converter causing physical damage.

Hope this info is accurate and helps.
Mike


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## TXDRAKE (Jun 24, 2004)

First, I want to thank all those that responded to my TC question and ****** Loco's question!! You guys are an exceptional, weath of knowledge!! Thanks so much.

Second, I want to apologize to ****** Loco for kinda of highjacking his thread. My apologies, Sir!

Third, Whats the difference between an extender and TC? Also, whats a fairly good affordable telephoto lens thats longer than 300? How far out will the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens shoot good pictures at? I am looking for a lens or combination that will shoot pics from 50 to 200 yards and get good detail? Thanks, Jason


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## tightline80 (Mar 7, 2008)

I have the same one as formula4fish. Its a great lense super crisp pictures and very fast. I love it. Whenever Im outside this lense stays on the camera.


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## dicklaxt (Jun 2, 2005)

An extension is just that ,an extension,it has no optics at all it is strickly a tube if you will,,its sole purpose in life is to move the lens further away from the sensor which allows you to focus closer( working distance between subject and lens)

dick

BTW I didn't know that two weeks ago,LOL


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## Formula4Fish (Apr 24, 2007)

TXDRAKE said:


> whats a fairly good affordable telephoto lens thats longer than 300?


Jason,

The EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM is about the most affordable Canon telephoto lens there is. The next longer zoom would probably be the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS at $1600, give or take a tad. Get ready... when you start looking at quality long lenses, you can take the word "affordable" out of your vocabulary. Prices rise dramatically.

Check out Canon's web site for a rundown on their EOS SLR systems, with MSRP's listed.



> How far out will the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens shoot good pictures at? I am looking for a lens or combination that will shoot pics from 50 to 200 yards and get good detail?


That's kind of a misleading question. Some of the guys on this board shoot pictures of the Moon and get "good detail", and it's about 238,000 miles.

Here's a picture I shot with a 50D and a EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS, set at 400mm. The distance was in the neighborhood of 40 yards. This original was 4752 X 3168 pixels. This has been resized to 1024 X 768.










This is a 1024 X 768 crop that I took out of the above original.










Dick


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## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

I used the Canon 100-400L to shoot this entire football game from the sidelines or end zone. Different focal lengths were used from 100 to the max of 400mm.

I also had a 580EX II speedlight mounted upside down on the lower part of my monopod with an Off Shoe Cord connecting the flash to the camera so I could retain the ETTL functionality of the flash.

This should give you an idea of what to expect at 30-40 yds.
It would be impossible to shoot at night without the aid of the speedlight.
Mike


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

I have one and it is not a good lens. AF is slow, and hunts around even in good live. Lots of chromatic aberration around high contrast lines. It also has Canon's first generation image stabilization which has been much improved since then. Go with the 70-300 instead and you'll get much better images from it.


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## stargazer (May 24, 2004)

******, here ya go. can not beat this price, And he is a good fellow to boot.

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/845940


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## TXDRAKE (Jun 24, 2004)

WOW, Thanks for all the great information again!! You guys sure know your stuff!!! Those pics you guys took are GREAT!! 

So, what would be the lens to buy regardless of price for shooting wildlie out to 200 yards? 

Would the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM do fairly god work out to the 200 yard mark on deer size animals? 

Before this camera, I was using a Olympus C-770 and it has an 10X optical zoom and can actually zoom out to 14x and I was wondering if my new DSLR with the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM will bring images closer than what my Olympus did? I am just trying to get a feel for how it will compare? Thanks, Jason


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