Telephoto lens upgrade - worth it?

norvic-boy

norvic-boy

Suspended / Banned
Messages
2,233
Name
Toby
Edit My Images
Yes
Good morning,

I‘m looking for advice as a hobbyist photographer. I currently have a Canon 100-300 f/4.5 which I was given when my Dad upgraded about ten years back. I use a Canon 77D and I feel that at 300mm, the image quality isn’t great and despite the ultrasonic motor, it is slow to focus. Below is an image of the lens.

57E1A8A7-D76C-404A-86CD-A4BAD97834A5.jpeg

Would the 70-300mm II IS USM be a notable upgrade in regards to image quality (with the IS) and focusing speed? I’m presuming the glass quality would be better, the USM would obviously be more advance and the image stabiliser would be a benefit, but would it be worth the price tag as a hobbyist? I tend to dabble in wildlife photography, but anything beyond 300mm is a bit beyond budget as it’s only a hobby.

Any advice or suggestions would be much appreciated!
 
All I would say is you have to pay for quality same as everything else. Not very helpful but only you can decide
 
Completely agree however I can't stretch the budget for really nice glass.

All I'm wondering is whether 15yrs of lens improvement would see a marked difference between the pair.
 
only options then are
1= carry on using your existing lens
2= Go for a "grey" import model
3= look lor a used model
4= Save up for what you really want
5= look at third party lenses
 
I did a google and came across this review from Tech Radar.
Looks like the newer version will be a lot better and a good price from Amazon.
Hope this helps ;)


6. Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM
A massive improvement over Canon’s previous 70-300mm ‘budget’ lenses
Type: Zoom | Sensor size: Full-frame | Focal length: 70-300mm | Maximum aperture: f/4-5.6 | Image stabilizer: 4 stops | Weather seals: No | Minimum focus distance: 1.2m | Filter size: 67mm | Dimensions: 80 x 146mm | Weight: 710g

£319.99
VIEW AT AMAZON

£469.99
View at very.co.uk

£499.99
View at Canon (UK)
See all prices (9 found)
297 Amazon customer reviews
☆☆☆☆☆
Rapid yet silent autofocus
LCD info display
Ridiculously expensive hood
No weather-seals
Unlike Canon’s L-series 70-300mm IS USM lens, the previous budget option had a mediocre image stabilizer and a sluggish autofocus system, based on an ultrasonic micro-motor rather than being ring-type ultrasonic. Handling was impaired by the focus ring and front element rotating during autofocus. The Mk II features upgraded optics, a new 4-stop stabilizer and a revolutionary Nano USM autofocus system, which is extremely rapid for stills, yet gives smooth focus transitions for movie capture. A neat LCD screen on the barrel gives display options for focus distance, depth of field, effective focal length when used on an APS-C format camera, and the current level of vibration. Apart from a drop in corner-sharpness at 70mm, performance is very good. However, this 70-300mm isn’t quite so budget-friendly once you add the ‘optional’ hood (sold separately).
 
I was looking for a similar zoom recently to upgrade a very old Sigma 70-300. I ended up with a second hand Tamron 28-300 for which I paid £450 IIRC which is about the same price as the Canon. https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/tamron-28-300-vs-28-75-70-300.712378/

I prefer it because it has 28mm at the wide end (which is fine on my camera but might be tight on APS-C) so it can be a one-lens-does-all solution. It also has IS which is handy at 300mm. The focussing is quick and accurate and very quiet. And also the lens is relatively small compared to the Sigma and Canon offerings. Christopher Frost does some very unbiased lens reviews for Canon stuff on his site if you want more info.
 
I've had both the 70-300mm f/4-56 USM and USM II pass through the quiver briefly. (I just sold the USM II last week.) Honestly, I didn't get either of them out too much. I ended up with a 400mm 5.6L for wildlife. As far as cost vs. sharpness, that might be the best value in telephoto glass.

I'm no DXO Review guy by any means. Out in the field there are so many variables that can affect sharpness; light, aperture, shake, focus, weather (at telephoto distances, haze can definitely come into play).

Let's go to the dog park and take a look.

web-4451.jpg
70-300mm f/4-5.6 USM , 1/250 f/8

This is a fine lens and can be had for < $200 used. It's sharper than you'd expect at that price. But it does feel old. The autofocus is a little sluggish. The image stabilization is noisy. It is a little smaller and lighter than the USM II.

web-4174-2.jpg
70-300mm f/4-5.6 USM II, 1/1000 f/5.6

I think this one is a touch sharper and goes for about $400 used. The best thing about it is the Nano USM That is the real deal. Instant autofocus. And, the version II just seems built better. More modern. Everything works quickly and silently. It's a touch bigger and heavier than its predecessor. It was so nice to use that I felt bad about selling it. But after I got the 400mm, it just never came out of the bag.

web-3530.jpg
400mm f/5.6L USM, 1/1000 f/8

This lens is tack sharp and can be found for $600-700 used. I own a couple of other L-glass lenses (zooms) and this prime is easily the sharpest lens I own. Compared to other telephotos, it's small and light. I got nothing bad to say about it. This shot at the dog park was made on my first day out with this lens.

web-3530.jpg
400mm f/5.6L USM, 1/1000 f/8 - 100% Crop
 
Last edited:
I would suggest not to waste time any further with any 70-300mm lens unless it is the L spec one. You would do so much better by getting a used 70-200mm f/4, even the basic non-IS one will be head and shoulders above. They have really gone down in price so there is no reason not to. If 300mm or longer is a must don't forget the excellent 300mm f/4L IS or even 400mm f/5.6L primes.

drsilver said:
400mm f/5.6L USM II,
Click to expand...

There is no II. But they are excellent with the obvious omission of IS.
 
I've got the 70-300mm II IS USM and I'm happy with it. I can't say how much better than the mark 1 it is because I've never used the mark 1. I bought it to shoot my son playing rugby and the focus speed seems fine, certainly good enough for rugby action shots on a 7Dii. I also use it for general shooting because for a telephoto in that range it is fairly compact and fairly light to lug around.
 
I'm going to agree with @LongLensPhotography.
I've got a Tamron SP 70-300 Di and it's ok (I very rarely use it now), I also have a Canon 70-200 f/4 is, this is way, way better. Very fast af, very sharp, weather sealed, it's a quality lens. Bought used from the classifieds forum on here.
In time you could add a 1.4 or 2x extender (I think they'll work on a 77d)
 
Nostromo said:
In time you could add a 1.4 or 2x extender (I think they'll work on a 77d)
Click to expand...

From experience I would give that a miss. Sharpness and focus speed go down, CA goes up and bokeh becomes weird. 1.4x mk III might be better but for the price you might as well look for the 300mm prime for just a little bit more. 2x is really only worthwhile with big white primes.
 
If you buy consumer lenses new you'll always lose money , I've had many many lenses over the years ,some costing thousands , all bought used

The cost of ownership has been very little , in most cases free , if you get bored or find you're not using it pro glass always sells quickly
 
LongLensPhotography said:
I would suggest not to waste time any further with any 70-300mm lens unless it is the L spec one. You would do so much better by getting a used 70-200mm f/4, even the basic non-IS one will be head and shoulders above. They have really gone down in price so there is no reason not to. If 300mm or longer is a must don't forget the excellent 300mm f/4L IS or even 400mm f/5.6L primes.



There is no II. But they are excellent with the obvious omission of IS.
Click to expand...
Copy/Paste error between the chair and the keyboard.
 
My biggest mistake when I first got into photography was wasting too much money on zoom lenses.
I must have tried three or four before a member here let me have a play with his Canon 70-200L f4 IS.
Investing in good lenses will keep you happy for years and a lot of us amatuers have realised this.
I picked up a mint used Canon 70-300L IS on ebay for £500 and it's a cracking lens, sharp througout the focal lengths.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top