Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS

Yesterday I realized that I had not finished my review of the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS lens.  So, here it is.

For the traveling photographer, two things come to mind — lighter is better than heavy and small is better than larger.

Putting together a camera kit that meets these criteria has been a long journey.  And after years of trying different combinations of lenses and camera bodies, I am now convinced that my kit is perfect for travel.

My travel kit:

1.  Canon EOS 5D Mark II

2.  Canon EOS 7D

3.  Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L IS II

4.  Canon EF 70-30mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS

With this combination I can go from 16mm to an equivalent 480mm.  Meaning that with two cameras that use the same battery, and by switching lenses between the two cameras I can just about photograph anything from a landscape to a fast moving bird in flight.

Key to putting together this kit was the fact that I wanted a high quality telephoto zoom lens that would add to my workhorse wide-angle zoom, the fabulous Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L IS II.

For years I used the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L Lens.  But, frankly, it was too heavy and too large.  I always found myself wanting a smaller lens of equal quality.  So, I bought the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS lens to find out if I could achieve the same level of quality in a smaller lens.

So, I found myself in Scotland at the Bass Rock with the lens mounted on my Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

Grey Seal

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And after a long day’s shoot, I had to admit that my choice of this lens was a good one.  There is no question that it is sharp, even at 300mm.  And I loved the fact that it was easy to use, much lighter than the 100-400mm, and exceedingly fast at AF.  Yep, it is both fast and sharp.

Concord

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So, after returning to the USA, I set about thinking whether the new Canon EOS 7D might be a terrific camera to use with the 70-300mm DO lens.  So I bought one.  I did so for lots of reasons.  Its 10 frames per second capture rate, and it 1.6 multiplier effect.  Meaning that my 70-300mm would have an effective reach of 480mm when mounted on the 7D.  And I was not disappointed.

Pinky and Friend

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I was certainly not disappointed when using the lens with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II either.  In fact, I found myself going back to look at shots done with the combination to see if somehow I had missed something.

Soaring

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I did so because a number of photographers who had reviewed the 70-300mm DO basically put down the lens, saying it was soft at 300mm.  So, I kept looking and looking at my shots and I could not find what they were talking about.  When in doubt, try it out.  For me, there was no question that the lens was every bit as sharp as the 100-400mm.  And a bonus was that the lens mounted on the 5D Mark II produced some pretty good landscape shots as well.

Machrie Moor Stone Circle

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Which troubled me a tad, because everything I had read told me that the 70-300mm DO was not something I should buy.  “What am I doing wrong,” I thought, “because all my shots look very good to me?”  Did I miss something?

So, again, I put the lens on my 7D and went down to visit my friends of LPU 409, paid my two fish contract price, and took this shot.

Pelican Pose

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Well, what can I say?  It looks pretty good to me.

So, I have put my doubts to rest.

And I am gonna get back in the field and do lots more shooting with the 70-300mm DO and while doing so I am gonna think about what others have said and immediately dismiss their ideas.  After all, what I now have is light weight, fast at AF, extremely versatile when used with different cameras, and about as sharp as any lens I have used.  The exception being the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS (probably the best lens made by Canon).

Other expert reviews are out there.  You might take the time to read them, although one review, that is overly critical of the lens, was written by a guy who probably never owned one.

In the meantime, while others are trying to make other lenses fit in their camera bag, and are out there lugging their gear, I’m moving along with a lighter load and still finding good quality in what I do.

Yep, I’m happy.

In sum, if you travel and you want a good zoom telephoto, try out the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6L DO IS lens.  I bet you will like it too.

Gannet Love

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