Which 70-200 and why?

[Robbo73]

Hi All
Which of the family of 4 would you choose and why?

Considerations for you could be

1. cost - you could get >2 f4 lenses for the price of the 2.8IS
2. weight - reduced flexibility/portability for heavy units?
3. hand holdability - linked to the weight and length...more shots needed on the tripod?
4. lens speed - shooting sports/kids or well lit sleepy animals in Singapore Zoo?

For me, the f4 IS and f2.8 IS both come out close to the top. The f4 IS loses out on speed but gains on the cost and weight. The f2.8 IS loses on cost but gains on lens speed - I want to couple with the 1.4x II teleconverter. I had the non-ISs marked down on handholdability because of the lack of IS primarily.

Your thoughts based on your own styles & preferences?

Cheers

[ExplorerZ]

not using canon, but if i were to choose, for usage, the two IS came in top... for my wallet, the f4 non-IS is the best.
f4 when i want something cascual, and f2.8 when i get more serious

[+evenstar]

i shoot indoor events and sports, so it's the 2.8 IS for me..

[lightning]

For image quality, I will choose the F2.8 non IS with a monopod! Less lens elements = better image.

[raptor84]

I shoot sleepy/hyperactive animals so a 2.8 IS would be ideal for me but due to budget constraints its a f/4 for me. Does the job well enough.

[Stoned]

F2.8 Non-IS for me. Perfect balance between speed and cost.

[drumma]

Originally Posted by Stoned F2.8 Non-IS for me. Perfect balance between speed and cost.

ditto this. save the 800 bucks, get a 85mm.. sometimes there are shoots where i'm allowed to go close and no need for the 200mm, i'll use my 85mm instead.

[user111]

get the f2.8 NON IS. best bang for the buck.

[yehosaphat]

f2.8 IS gets my vote for its performance, quality, built and ability to handhold in indoors. But weight is

Next in line is the f4 IS. Cant wait to test its quality!

[USM]

What if I have all of them?

[Sandman77]

Originally Posted by USM What if I have all of them?

Can we Rob u ?? ahhaha

Well .. if you are goign to ahve fun with this hobby for a long time and got Cash ...

Buy 2.8 IS.. no need to sell and upgrade ..

Save the money for other LEns ..

[roticanai]

f2.8L IS is THE Canon zoom lens to have. Once in a while, I do miss my f4L due to weight consideration (e.g. travel). Picture quality wise, the f4L is excellent and rival the f2.8L but f2.8 and f4 difference is big enough for me to switch to f2.8L and have never looked back since.

[USM]

Originally Posted by Sandman77 Can we Rob u ?? ahhaha Well .. if you are goign to ahve fun with this hobby for a long time and got Cash ... Buy 2.8 IS.. no need to sell and upgrade .. Save the money for other LEns ..

Well... enough for the joke. I wish that I can have all of them.

Back to the topic, which lens to buy? There is no hard and fast rule.

Let compare the f-stop first. f4 vs f2.8, i.e. one stop difference.

Ask yourself these questions :

1) What exactly are you using this lens for? In this instance, I presume that u wanted to shoot sports, kids and animals in the zoom.

2) Conditions of the environment, location, time of shooot, lighting, etc. Based on (1), the lighting condition should be quite favorable. Hence, there is no much a difference in using an f4 or f2.8 lens.

3) Next, the 2 schools of thought - f4 and f2.8. What kind of bokeh you wanted to achieve? Some people like to shoot at wide open at f2.8 to get the creamy nice bokeh effect. In this instance, a f2.8 lens is more desired than a f4 lens.

4) For low-light situations or where usage of flash is not desired, the 2.8 lens comes in handy. it allows you to capture more ambient light or increase the shutter speed so that you are still able to hand held it.


Let compare non-IS and IS

1) This has been discussed before. Is it a need / necessary? You can find your answer in this thread created by me.

http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=217863


Finally, weight, cost, portability, etc

Both 2.8 non-IS and IS weigh 1.31kg and 1.47kg respectively; while the f4 non-IS and f4 IS weighs 710g and 760g respectively. Therefore, f4 version lens is well-known for traveling lens due to its lighter weight compared to the bigger brother 2.8. The question is can you hand held the 2.8 lens for hours? Some people has to use a monopod to support it. IS will not help you at all when weight is concerned. Due to shaky hand as a result of prolong hand holding the 2.8 lens, the images taken could be blurred. No amount of IS can hel you if your hands are trembling.

Obviously, due to the larger aperture, the 2.8 version will costs around $900 more than the f4 version.

[snapperkid]

It all depends on what you need. For portraits, the f4 version will do well enough but for sports, the f2.8 will serve better.

IS wise, for portraits, I don't think you'll need them. For sports, unless you're shooting with a monopod, you need the IS.

For weight and portability, if you want the bigger lens, Heck, just get a bigger case lah!

I shoot sports very less so a f4 will be for me!

[shendeerzi]

Canon 70-200 F2.8 IS lens is a better lens. The rest of them are a subset of this lens.
The new Canon 70-200 F4 IS lens is quite expensive, at around SG1.8 ~1.9. Add in SG500 more to get a second hand 70-200 F2.8 IS lens is a better choice.
The only drawback is that it is quite heavy lens ...

[Bluezonescuba]

F2.8 non IS.... my favourite len in my arsenal....

IS way too heavy for me..... I use this len for outdoor water sport on the boat....

Never look back since i got it.... Best bang for buck....

[Moonstone]

I want it light and easy on my pocket - so 70-200 F4L my choice.

[boy2man]

Buy both the 70-200 f2.8 IS and f4 IS

Use f4 IS mostly for travelling.

[Garion]

Originally Posted by boy2man Buy both the 70-200 f2.8 IS and f4 IS Use f4 IS mostly for travelling.

Combined cost of both almost 5k. Might as well go suss out for a used 200mm f1.8L.

[JediForce4ever]

f2.8 non-IS for me.

Suits my usage and budget best.