Canon Cameras US EF 70-300 is II USM 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Fixed Zoom Camera Lens, Black (0571C005)

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars | 593 ratings

Price: 599

Last update: 09-06-2024


About this item

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM Lens

Product information


Top reviews from the United States

Robert Windley
5.0 out of 5 stars Great lens
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2024
The lens does the job well.I can get really close to objects being at a distance.I feel the image quality is excellent. Although it is a bit pricey it is well worth the money.
Cindy
5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE this lens
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2024
I LOVE this lens. I got it when I purchased my Rebel T8i. My 15-year-old Rebel Xsi was just not cutting it for me any more. I can't believe the difference. This lens focuses SO fast, and when they say it focuses to 4', they mean it (see photo of my bearded dragon Rayne out enjoying the sunshine today). I took it at 4', at the full 300 mm. I didn't edit or touch-up the photo in any way.
Customer image
Cindy
5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE this lens
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2024
I LOVE this lens. I got it when I purchased my Rebel T8i. My 15-year-old Rebel Xsi was just not cutting it for me any more. I can't believe the difference. This lens focuses SO fast, and when they say it focuses to 4', they mean it (see photo of my bearded dragon Rayne out enjoying the sunshine today). I took it at 4', at the full 300 mm. I didn't edit or touch-up the photo in any way.
Images in this review
Customer image
mkwarman
5.0 out of 5 stars Great lens for the price
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2019
The image stabilization is nice. You can hear it engage and disengage, but it's no louder than a shutter click. Focusing makes virtually no noise at all. I don't use the LCD on top of the lens at all, but it functions pretty nicely if you did need to use it. You'll definitely need to make sure your shutter speed is high enough to get clear shots with this lens, especially when fully extended, but that's to be expected. Also, while this lens can stop down to f/4-5.6, you'll definitely want to have it set at least a bit higher for really crisp shots. Another thing to note, the focus ring on this lens is electronic, meaning the lens has to be powered in order to change focus. This isn't usually an issue, but if your camera goes to sleep or low power mode after a little while (like mine), you will have to wake up the camera (for example by half-pressing the shutter button) to change focus. So, if you plan on using extension tube(s) (aka the poor man's macro adapter) you will not be able to change focus.
Customer image
mkwarman
5.0 out of 5 stars Great lens for the price
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2019
The image stabilization is nice. You can hear it engage and disengage, but it's no louder than a shutter click. Focusing makes virtually no noise at all. I don't use the LCD on top of the lens at all, but it functions pretty nicely if you did need to use it. You'll definitely need to make sure your shutter speed is high enough to get clear shots with this lens, especially when fully extended, but that's to be expected. Also, while this lens can stop down to f/4-5.6, you'll definitely want to have it set at least a bit higher for really crisp shots. Another thing to note, the focus ring on this lens is electronic, meaning the lens has to be powered in order to change focus. This isn't usually an issue, but if your camera goes to sleep or low power mode after a little while (like mine), you will have to wake up the camera (for example by half-pressing the shutter button) to change focus. So, if you plan on using extension tube(s) (aka the poor man's macro adapter) you will not be able to change focus.
Images in this review
Customer image
Jack Dallas
4.0 out of 5 stars Sharp and Stable, Recommended
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2017
This is a sharp and stable lens. The IS (image stabilization) is especially impressive. I got a few sharp hand held images at 300mm shot at 1/25th sec. with a higher success rate by 1/80th sec. [Photo of squirrel was 1/80 sec. @ 300mm] This far exceeds the recommended 1/300th sec. for this focal length on a full frame camera.

As others have mentioned, this is not an "L" caliber lens from Canon ($1350.00) but a less expensive zoom with a more manageable weight. The new LCD information window is not useful to me as focal length is already printed less than an inch away on the lens body and depth of field may be better determined with the "preview" button or by looking at a test shot. I have not tested the focal responsiveness of the new nano focus feature but I will assume it is on a par with my 18-135 lens with the same engineering. Nano focus is used for continual fast auto focus, especially while shooting video. For stills, the auto focus is fast and responsive. My tests so far have been on my full frame Canon 5D Mk IV and even the corners appear sharp. See the red hibiscus image where the yellow stamin in the corner is sharp.

My 300mm f4 L series prime lens is slightly sharper with more contrast but it weighs more, can't zoom and costs significantly more. This zoom is a fine vacation lens where the weight reduction is greatly appreciated. The IS (rated at 4 stops) means the loss of light from a 5.6 lens can be somewhat compensated with a slower shutter speed (with a stable subject). The lens bokeh (out of focus background blur) is pleasant and useful to isolate the subject (see the image of the dove).

All of the attached sample images were hand held. I will further test the lens on a crop sensor Canon 80D and will report any changes here. On a crop sensor camera, this lens becomes a 112mm to 480mm zoom.
Customer image
Jack Dallas
4.0 out of 5 stars Sharp and Stable, Recommended
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2017
This is a sharp and stable lens. The IS (image stabilization) is especially impressive. I got a few sharp hand held images at 300mm shot at 1/25th sec. with a higher success rate by 1/80th sec. [Photo of squirrel was 1/80 sec. @ 300mm] This far exceeds the recommended 1/300th sec. for this focal length on a full frame camera.

As others have mentioned, this is not an "L" caliber lens from Canon ($1350.00) but a less expensive zoom with a more manageable weight. The new LCD information window is not useful to me as focal length is already printed less than an inch away on the lens body and depth of field may be better determined with the "preview" button or by looking at a test shot. I have not tested the focal responsiveness of the new nano focus feature but I will assume it is on a par with my 18-135 lens with the same engineering. Nano focus is used for continual fast auto focus, especially while shooting video. For stills, the auto focus is fast and responsive. My tests so far have been on my full frame Canon 5D Mk IV and even the corners appear sharp. See the red hibiscus image where the yellow stamin in the corner is sharp.

My 300mm f4 L series prime lens is slightly sharper with more contrast but it weighs more, can't zoom and costs significantly more. This zoom is a fine vacation lens where the weight reduction is greatly appreciated. The IS (rated at 4 stops) means the loss of light from a 5.6 lens can be somewhat compensated with a slower shutter speed (with a stable subject). The lens bokeh (out of focus background blur) is pleasant and useful to isolate the subject (see the image of the dove).

All of the attached sample images were hand held. I will further test the lens on a crop sensor Canon 80D and will report any changes here. On a crop sensor camera, this lens becomes a 112mm to 480mm zoom.
Images in this review
Customer image Customer image Customer image Customer image Customer image Customer image
Hunter Armitage
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Impressed
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2022
First off, the autofocus on this lens is amazing. Very fast. I do sports photography for football, soccer, and basketball, and I need a product that gets non-blurry images and can stay focused on the subject. This lens definitely preforms well in that category. The image stabalization is also amazing because in a cold environment, I shake a lot, and I need something that can help me keep my images look good with a little bit of shaking. This lens definitely helps a lot. The image quality is definitely good too. This is 100% a lens I will stick with long term. Amazing for the price.
Steve Moeller
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Almost Unbelievable Lens
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2021
This is the most amazing lens. It is beautiful, takes super sharp photos, and has an awesome IS system. I shot tests at f9.0 at 1/30 of a second at 300mm. Can you believe some of them were tack sharp (not all of them). It also focuses at 300mm to less than 4 feet away. Great for nature close ups of small things. Not quite a macro but a real close focusing lens. Not sure I will need a tripod with this 21st century super glass.

And the price! OMG. What a bargain. I replaced my trusty 70 to 200mm f4.0 zoom in my camera bag with this bad boy. Now, where are those humming birds that I have been wanting to shoot?
Thomas Quigley
5.0 out of 5 stars A nice lens, might not be worth it because of the 55-250 stm
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2018
This is a great lens. Nice photos and speedy autofocus. I have seen the 55-250 STM used for as little as 70 dollars. I did a side by side comparison with the two and the picture quality at the telephoto end is perhaps slightly better with the 70-300, not enough to justify the price difference. The extra zoom is slightly more, again not enough to justify the price difference. The autofocus is faster, but I would argue that it isn't so much better to merit the price difference. More than likely if you are buying this lens you are somewhat budget minded. I find the 55-250 STM to be a great low budget lens. It is around half the weight and around 1/3 shorter. A penny saved is a penny earned.
Darren
5.0 out of 5 stars Wide zoom range and fast, perfect for my use
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2020
I am just a guy that takes pictures, sold some online, amateur photographer. I really like the wide zoom range and fast, autofocus. The Lens Information Display is a great feature I like. The Image Stabilizer system is great for zooming in, it really helps me. I've used cheaper zoom lenses but always struggled with light and image stability. I am a point and click type and this lens is perfect for what I use it for. I waffled on other lenses with slightly cheaper price tag and am glad I went to this one, super happy. So easy to use, anyone can grab and use and have great results.
Customer image
Darren
5.0 out of 5 stars Wide zoom range and fast, perfect for my use
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2020
I am just a guy that takes pictures, sold some online, amateur photographer. I really like the wide zoom range and fast, autofocus. The Lens Information Display is a great feature I like. The Image Stabilizer system is great for zooming in, it really helps me. I've used cheaper zoom lenses but always struggled with light and image stability. I am a point and click type and this lens is perfect for what I use it for. I waffled on other lenses with slightly cheaper price tag and am glad I went to this one, super happy. So easy to use, anyone can grab and use and have great results.
Images in this review
Customer image Customer image

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