Canon 70-200 USM vs USM II

S

sids

Suspended / Banned
Messages
53
Name
sid
Edit My Images
No
Merry Christmas and a Happy new year to all!

A very quick question hope you guys can point me in the right direction. I have the option to buy either a 70-200 USM or USM II. Which one should I go for and why.

Me being a newbie I don't really know the difference between USM and USM II. Does it affect the quality of images produced?

I am looking for an upgrade of the kit 18-105 I have (which is a fantastic lens imho, but I need a better telephoto range) any other lenses I should be considering?

Thanks.

PS - sorry I meant to ask one question only
PPS - sorry to distract you from the festivities ;)
 
In Canon speak, USM stands for Ultra Sonic Motor, and it means that the motor that drives the autofocusing is fast and silent.

the reference to USM II means that the lens an updated lens design and usually better, and not specifially related to USM.

If cash is not a problem I'd always go for the newest kit. It's generally better than the kit it replaces and it will be supported by Canon for longer.

If you're a beginner, don't rush into buying new kit. Use your existing it until you reach its limitations for your photography. Once you've reached those limitiations, then buy more kit to overcome those limitations.

How long a telephoto lens you need depends on what you want to photograph; A 70-200mm lens is an excellent general purpose telephoto lens, but it might be too short for sports or wildlife, when you wil probably need a minimum of 300 or 400 mm at the long end.
 
Last edited:
sids said:
Merry Christmas and a Happy new year to all!

A very quick question hope you guys can point me in the right direction. I have the option to buy either a 70-200 USM or USM II. Which one should I go for and why.

Me being a newbie I don't really know the difference between USM and USM II. Does it affect the quality of images produced?

I am looking for an upgrade of the kit 18-105 I have (which is a fantastic lens imho, but I need a better telephoto range) any other lenses I should be considering?

Thanks.

PS - sorry I meant to ask one question only
PPS - sorry to distract you from the festivities ;)
Click to expand...

You mean the 70-200L f/2.8 IS MkII, vs MkI? Go for the MkII, amazing lens, completely different inside, in every aspect.

Also excellent is the f/4 IS version (smaller, lighter, cheaper) or you might like the 70-300L for more reach. All top grade.
 
I'll second the 70-200 IS MkII. Replaced an f4 non IS with it and it's in a different league IMHO for the photography I do.
 
If it makes any difference to you, Canon presently have a cashback offer on the 70-200 f2.8 II USM of £120 (up to 24th Jan I think)

Castle Cameras were recently selling UK stock for £1638

Mine was delivered today, but New Years guests have arrived, so it will have to wait until next year :thinking:
 
Panamoz have the MkII for just over £1300!

I owned the MkI and traded it in for the MkII - I do think the MkII is sharper at every focal length wide open. A stunning lens. (The MkI was already a great lens though).
 
Thanks for your replies! MKII it is :)

Also looking into the 300 variant, will see how it goes.

Also, thanks for the Panamoz reference, very good prices.
 
Hi, the vll might be new and yes it's a bit better than the v1 but I bought the v1 last month, come on let's face it, this lens has served canon so well, this is why a lot of pros still use this lens! Go for the 70-200 is usm and you can also buy a 2x converter/extender that will turn your lens into a great lens for wildlife shots!
 
The "II" bit just means it is the second generation of that lens. Newer normally means better.

I actually did a comparison between the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS USM and the mark II, and the mark II shows significantly better image quality, especially when used with the 2x extender III.
 
I went from a 70-200 f4 non IS to a f2.8 IS MkI and IMO the f4 had better IQ when wide open but by the time they were both at f4 the f2.8 was slightly better (which is normal). I then upgraded to the MkII a few months later and my MkII is better wide open than the MkI was at f4 and much better than the MkI wide open.

If you can afford the MkII then I suggest you get it, on a full frame body the results are breathtaking, The first time I tried it on my 5D3 I was amazed. The IQ is simply brilliant. I bought my MkII from Panamoz, who are excellent, and they have it for just over £1300, but you get a 5% discount if you pay by bank transfer making it about £1255 delivered. You wont get the cashback but you will save a bundle in the first place.
 
Having used both versions, I have to say the newer mkii does seem much sharper wide open (at least sharper than the particular mk i I'd used), especially when using 1.4 and 2x extenders.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top