Binoculars(35)
Calculators(11)
Camcorders(818)
Copiers & Fax(199)
EOS Cameras(5,507)
PowerShot Cameras(5,856)
Printers & Multifunction(5,051)
Scanners(485)
Shop Now At Canon
Shop Lenses or
Choose a Category
Top-Rated Products
Customer Reviews for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Image Stabilizer technology provides up to 3 stops of shake correction
The "Mode 2" option stabilizes images while panning with a moving subject
Faster autofocus than the Canon EF 75-300mm IS
Zoom lock button keeps lens secure when not in use
Average Customer Rating:
(49 Reviews) 49
Rating Snapshot (49 reviews)
5 stars
32
4 stars
11
3 stars
3
2 stars
1
1 star
2
43 out of 49(88%)reviewers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Review 1 for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Nickname: todzilla
Location: aurora,illinois
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: No
great mid grade lens!
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:March 2, 2010
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Super-sharp images, compact and light weight
love the focal range,my most used lens! takes good indoor pics with low light and hand held.took some pics of seagulls flying and fishing at local pond and got some tack sharp images at all focal lengths! even 300mm looks sharp with 100% crops! works great with my 7d! great all around lens! only negative is focus ring a little loose but decided to go with image quality and not build quality.not L class build quality but image quality looks L class for a fraction of the cost.compact and light weight brings me out to 480mm with my 1.6 crop on my 7d. love it!
187 of 193 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 2 for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Nickname: eddythepixer
Location: Houston TX
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Sports
Canon Enthusiast: 11 to 20 years
Product replacement: Yes
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
3
out of
5
Quality
3
out of
5
Satisfaction
3
out of
5
Date:March 24, 2013
Pros: Superior build quality
Cons: Slow auto-focus
Good quality pictures, But the focus is slow
Nice Stabilizer options...
Share this Review:
Review 3 for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Nickname: HPSF Design
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Professional or Expert
Canon Enthusiast: 11 to 20 years
Product replacement: No
Very satisfied
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:March 24, 2013
Pros: Super-sharp images
I am a professional photographer with a passion for street photography in my spare time. I own many L lenses but feel they are not necessarily the right tool for every shooting situation.
When I combine the superb stabilization of the 70-300 mm f/4-5.6 IS USM with the amazing lowlight capabilities of my 6D body, I am able to produce tack sharp images in all shooting situations. The autofocus is fast and reliable and the lens while not exactly light, is not a burden to carry for long days of shooting. I am extremely pleased with this lens. Buy one!
When I combine the superb stabilization of the 70-300 mm f/4-5.6 IS USM with the amazing lowlight capabilities of my 6D body, I am able to produce tack sharp images in all shooting situations. The autofocus is fast and reliable and the lens while not exactly light, is not a burden to carry for long days of shooting. I am extremely pleased with this lens. Buy one!
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 4 for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Nickname: Tomt
Location: Bradenton FL
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: No
Not sharp
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
1
out of
5
Price/Value
3
out of
5
Quality
3
out of
5
Satisfaction
2
out of
5
Date:March 16, 2013
Pros: Superior build quality
Cons: Semi-sharp images
This lens works well for shots that are close. Zoomed all the way out nothing is sharp. It's not much good for long distance bird shots. I also think it is a bit slow on the auto focus which I could live with if the pictures were sharp. Mostly a costly disappointment.
4 of 9 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 5 for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Nickname: Jackson
Location: Atlanta
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Professional or Expert
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: No
Not Bad at all
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:March 15, 2013
Pros: light weight, inexpensive
Cons: Semi-sharp images
Bought this lens for two reasons: one, for the reach; second for the weight. Use 1D and 5D (gripped) and those two with L lenses get awfully heavy..sometime need to simply lighten the load without sacrificing too much IQ. This lens in not L, but not bad. A little slow in low light, but overall, a very usable lens for IQ and as a sub for the heavy big glass situations.
Share this Review:
Review 6 for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Nickname: wv_kid
Location: West Virginia
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: No
Very unsatisfied
Overall Rating
Features
3
out of
5
Performance
1
out of
5
Price/Value
1
out of
5
Quality
1
out of
5
Satisfaction
1
out of
5
Date:March 9, 2013
Cons: Semi-sharp images
This lense will not focus when zoomed at 300mm. Most pictures are blurry. I have an efs 55mm to 250 mm that blows the socks off of this one and costed half as much. I expected more from Canon than what i got.
0 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 7 for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Nickname: LB
Location: Buffalo, NY
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: No
Great Lens for my Safari
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:November 19, 2012
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Super-sharp images
I am brand-new to dSLR photography and purchased this lens to go with my T3i for my African safari. I could not be any happier with the photos I got and it is all due to this lens. I found that it focused quickly, has a nice background blur when fully zoomed in and the the details on the photos are so sharp - I can see individual feathers on the birds I photographed and the sand in the mane of the male lion. The focal length was perfect and as an amateur, this lens was a very good value and very portable. Two other amateur photographers that I met on my safari also owned this lens and both had great things to say about it. I would highly recommend this lens and I cannot wait to continue my wildlife photography locally.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 8 for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Nickname: kenrow1
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Travel
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: No
Excellent Outdoors Travel Lens
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:September 19, 2012
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Super-sharp images
Cons: weight
Used this lens and my 40D on 2 week trip to NYC and northern VT mountains. Took 600+ pictures over two weeks. I really like the quality of the pictures but have to say that the camera and lens combination got heavy while walking around NYC. I would recommend this lens be used in multipurpose settings such as in the city and then in the mountains. Good value that generated excellent results.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 9 for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Nickname: Emma Mae
Location: Rochester NY
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Portraits
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: Yes
A Perfect Add-On
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:August 26, 2012
Pros: Superior build quality
I had been borrowing my father's Canon 70 - 300 DO f/4-5.6 IS USM lens. My main problem was that shooting handheld portraits with it was very difficult because of the lens weight.
This lens is easier for me to handle because it is much lighter. I have been very happy with the results I have been getting.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 10 for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Nickname: rehjr
Location: Missouri
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: Yes
Great lens
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:June 5, 2012
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Super-sharp images
Cons: heavy
Have been using this lens for several months now, it is a big improvement over the entry level zoom lens. Have had great luck photographing eagles and other wildlife, as well as sporting events. The lens is much heavier than its cheaper sibling.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 11 for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Nickname: Susan
Location: Valrico, FL
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 11 to 20 years
Product replacement: No
Best lens I have
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:May 28, 2012
Pros: Superior build quality, Super-sharp images
Cons: Slow auto-focus
I purchased this lens 5 years ago and it is still the best lens I have. It is clear, clean, and crisp. The IS on this one works like a champ. It's heavy, but it's worth it. Not as fast on the initial focus as some of my other lenses, but once it has it, I can shoot 15 images of a fast moving object on high-speed continuous and every picture is clean.
18 of 20 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 12 for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Nickname: Snaps
Location: USA
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Canon Enthusiast: Less than 1 year
Product replacement: Yes
Great Bank for the Buck
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:April 22, 2012
Pros: sharp images, image stablization, great value
Cons: loud image stablization
Smartest lens by far in the price range. Delivers very sharp images. Find myself shooting with this more than any other lens. About the only gripe is the noisy IS - you basically have unusable audio when shooting video unless you use an external mic.
6 of 8 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 13 for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Nickname: Gram
Location: Spokane, WA
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Sports
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: Yes
Nice mid-level tele-zoom
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:October 20, 2011
Pros: Superior build quality
Cons: Slow auto-focus
My wife bought me this lens as a gift and it is nicely assembled and very easy to carry around. My challenge with the lens was I started surfing the net and reviewing reviews and determined it would be too slow for my goals of shooting low-light cathedrals in Europe. I didn't have the heart to take it back and I am glad I didn't, my wife uses it for her daughter's soccer pics on my back-up body (60D). I am ridiculously spoiled with a 70-200 F2.8...
12 of 15 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 14 for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Nickname: Cheeks
Location: Missoula Mt
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Sports
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Great Lens
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:September 26, 2011
My Dad bought this lens for me for my birthday since he had one and i had enjoyed it. I use it mostly for sports photos and wildlife. It does a great job and i couldn't be any happier. The only downfall for the lens was that it was a little expensive. The lens hood was also a little expensive but over all i am very happy about it.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 15 for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Nickname: sysengr
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: No
Great Lens
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:August 19, 2011
Pros: Super-sharp images, price, weight compared to l glass
Cons: Slow auto-focus
Really great lens. Why would I buy the EF-70-300mm f/4-5.6L other than the slower autofocus? OK, the tube comes out a long way, but otherwise f/4-5.6 is exactly that on both. Shot the Alaska cruise with this lens and the T3i and it was outstanding. For wide I have 24-105 L glass because you never have enough light at that focal range, but with 70-300 it's usually more than bright enough. Yay, Canon! One for the semi-pro!
17 of 18 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 16 for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Nickname: JK
Location: Columbia, SC
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Travel
Canon Enthusiast: 11 to 20 years
Product replacement: Yes
Very happy
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:August 5, 2011
Pros: Superior build quality, Super-sharp images
Cons: Slow auto-focus
I am very happy I bought this lens. I have only used it for a month but love it. It is a go anywhere lens for me. No problems! I own 6 Canon lenses and they all operform.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 17 for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Nickname: marcpbcup
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Sports
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: No
Great low-light zoom lens
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:July 4, 2011
Pros: Super-sharp images, good image stabilization at low zoom, low light performance
Cons: Slow auto-focus, noisy shutter, weight
I originally purchased this as a telephoto zoom to complement the kit lens on an xSi in order to photograph outdoor sports without a tripod. I have found that it works great at the 70-200 mm range- crisp images and good contrast. I'm not very confident with manual focus yet but sometimes it's needed because AF is quite slow. The biggest downfall of this lens is that at the 200-300 mm range image stabilization doesn't compensate well enough to go without a tripod.
I also found that this is my best low-light lens. Concerts and festivals at night at the 70-100 mm range (F4) turn out much sharper than other zoom lenses plus I don't have to push my way to the front anymore. I wouldn't recommend taking this to a play or symphony...it has a very loud zoom and shutter so people may get annoyed. Overall this is a great value telephoto zoom lens with great glass. An upgrade to the focusing system would make this a real winner.
13 of 15 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 18 for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Nickname: youtubetodd
Location: tn
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: No
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
3
out of
5
Price/Value
2
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
3
out of
5
Date:May 25, 2011
Cons: Semi-sharp images
It does what it does.A little less than what I've come to expect from canon.Pic quality is sub standered at full zoom.It suits my needs but I would check out all options before buying.
12 of 26 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 19 for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Nickname: J Chris
Location: Detroit,MI
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: No
Sleeper Lens!
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
3
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:March 26, 2011
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Super-sharp images, great focal length!
Cons: feels plastic like, stabilizer motor loud!
So my story is probably familiar to alot of you. Wanted a 70-200 MM and couldn't afford it so I decided to try this lens in place. That is for sure what I did. After 2 months of trying to save for an "L" lens, I finally gave up and went for this lens. Wow! What a sleeper lens for sure.
Why a sleeper lens you ask? Well, very few people who have "L" disease look at this lens when they want a tele zoom. It was overlooked by me and alot of my friends as well.Actually, nobody even mentioned it once until I brought it up. Now, they are pretty impressed to say the least.
Great photos and 100MM more range for under $675.00!
Way to go Canon. I use this on my 7D. It's very very good for the price. The only 2 things I wish I could have had, were the non twisting barrel for a polarizer and better weather sealing. Lens is amazing for everything outdoors and with a good flash, you can achieve great results indoors as well. Until I can afford an "L" lens, this will do just fine!
Why a sleeper lens you ask? Well, very few people who have "L" disease look at this lens when they want a tele zoom. It was overlooked by me and alot of my friends as well.Actually, nobody even mentioned it once until I brought it up. Now, they are pretty impressed to say the least.
Great photos and 100MM more range for under $675.00!
Way to go Canon. I use this on my 7D. It's very very good for the price. The only 2 things I wish I could have had, were the non twisting barrel for a polarizer and better weather sealing. Lens is amazing for everything outdoors and with a good flash, you can achieve great results indoors as well. Until I can afford an "L" lens, this will do just fine!
26 of 27 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
Review 20 for EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Nickname: Jester
Location: Denver
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Sports
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: No
Great Buy!
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:December 27, 2010
Pros: Superior build quality, Super-sharp images
Cons: Slow auto-focus
Awesome lens! I have been using this lens with my T2i and have been loving it! Awesome picture quality and awesome stabilization built into it (make sure to turn it off when on a tripod because the stabilization can over compensate and cause some jitters). It is a little big and heavy but with the quality that you can get with tis lens it is totally worth it.
My only complaint about the lens is that it can take awhile to get the auto-focus to focus in low light. I would have to assume that with a bigger body like the 7D with more focus points than my T2 that it would do a better job, but then again I don't mind clicking the manual focus on from time to time.
I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a zoom lens. I know it is pricy especially for it not being an L lens but trust me it was worth every penny to me. I have taken this lens to a couple Colorado Rockies games and have gotten some amazing shots.
Jester
16 of 17 people found this review helpful.
Share this Review:
