Canon Budget Telephoto Test

Introducing Lenses

The telephoto zoom is often the next purchase after the camera and the “whale” lens. It's simple: such a lens really opens up new possibilities for the photographer, allowing you to shoot from a long distance and get large-scale shots.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III / Canon EF 75-300mm f / 4-5.6 USM Settings: ISO 100, F8, 1/320 s

At Canon, the choice of telephoto lenses is so wide that your eyes run wide: from the most affordable and compact EF 75-300mm f / 4-5.6 III to monsters like the Canon EF 200-400mm f / 4L IS USM Extender 1.4x . However, the most logical purchase for a photographer who is just mastering the Canon system will be the choice of two budget options.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III / Canon EF 70-300mm f / 4-5.6 IS USM Installations: ISO 100, F8, 1/500 s

Today, in our test, the inexpensive EF 75-300mm f / 4-5.6 III USM , which differs from the cheapest lens in the lineup by the presence of an ultrasonic autofocus motor (USM) and the mid-range model EF 70-300mm f / 4-5.6 IS USM , is equipped with Optical Image Stabilizer (IS). But both of these lenses boast a large focal length of 300 mm, as well as compatibility with any modern Canon DSLR, whether it is a model with an APS-C sensor or a full-frame camera.

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

Canon EF 75-300mm f / 4-5.6 III

Check price Canon EF 70-300mm f / 4-5.6 IS USM / Canon EF 75-300mm f / 4-5.6 III

Design

Lenses have a very similar design. A more expensive model with a stabilizer is thicker, slightly longer and heavier - 640 against 480 grams. However, for a telephoto lens it is still low weight. Both lenses change their size with increasing focal length and with focusing, the front lens block extends. In the middle of the case there is a rubber corrugated zoom ring, the focus ring is narrow and offset to the front lens. The front lenses rotate when focusing, which makes the use of polarizing and gradient filters inconvenient. But for a TV player, this is not so fundamental: landscapes are rarely shot on them. The diameter of the thread of the filter on both lenses is 58 mm.

Hoods are not supplied with the lenses. They can be purchased separately (ET-60 for the younger and ET-65B for the older model). We will check glare resistance without a hood in the appropriate section of the test and conclude: do we need to buy a hood at all?

Canon EF 75-300mm f / 4-5.6 III USM presents the third version of this model, produced since film times for more than two dozen years. He is deprived of any controls except a small switch for manual and automatic focus at the mount itself.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III / Canon EF 70-300mm f / 4-5.6 IS USM Settings: ISO 160, F8, 1/320 s

Both lenses are equipped with a USM ultrasonic motor. But it is important to note that this is not a ring motor, as in the legendary "Elks", but a compact version of Micro-USM. The motor is connected to the focus drive by a gear, and the focus ring is locked in autofocus mode. You can only adjust the automation by using the AF / MF switch on the chassis.

Frame shot at EF70-300mm f / 4-5.6 IS USM

Canon EOS 5D Mark III Installations: ISO 1000, F5.6, 1/250 s

The Canon EF 70-300mm f / 4-5.6 IS USM has three switches on the body, in addition to the autofocus selector. The optical stabilizer was awarded its own switch and stabilization mode selector. The retractable front of the lens with a rather heavy optical unit inside can spontaneously extend when carrying the camera on a belt, so the EF 70-300mm f / 4-5.6 IS USM is also equipped with a zoom ring lock in the 70mm position.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III / Canon EF 75-300mm f / 4-5.6 USM Settings: ISO 100, F8, 1/250 s

Despite the same motors, the focusing speed of the lenses is different. The youngest model Canon EF 75-300mm f / 4-5.6 III USM focuses fast enough for any static and slow-moving objects.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III / Canon EF 75-300mm f / 4-5.6 USM Settings: ISO 100, F8, 1/250 s

But for dynamic scenes, speed may not be enough. The EF 70-300mm f / 4-5.6 IS USM focuses much faster. If you didn’t notice the difference on static objects, then when shooting dynamics, it becomes obvious. With this lens, you can safely use the tracking autofocus mode that we have successfully used on the Canon EOS 5D Mark III.

Frame shot at EF70-300mm f / 4-5.6 IS USM

Canon EOS 5D Mark III Installations: ISO 12800, F5.6, 1/125 sDownload RAW

Frame shot at EF70-300mm f / 4-5.6 IS USM

Canon EOS 5D Mark III Installations: ISO 12800, F5.6, 1/125 sDownload RAW

Frame shot at EF70-300mm f / 4-5.6 IS USM

Canon EOS 5D Mark III Installations: ISO 12800, F5.6, 1/80 sDownload RAW

Frame shot at EF70-300mm f / 4-5.6 IS USM

Canon EOS 5D Mark III Installations: ISO 12800, F5.6, 1/80 sDownload RAW

Frame shot at EF70-300mm f / 4-5.6 IS USM

Canon EOS 5D Mark III Installations: ISO 500, F5.6, 1/320 s

The EF 70-300mm f / 4-5.6 IS USM also has the word Macro next to the minimum focusing distance of 1.5 meters. Of course, this is not a real macro lens, and you can only count on an increase of 1: 4 at the maximum zoom value. The EF 75-300mm f / 4-5.6 III USM provides approximately the same shooting scale and has the same minimum focusing distance.

Frame shot at EF70-300mm f / 4-5.6 IS USM

Canon EOS 5D Mark III Installations: ISO 400,

Mark Curtis

Author content

Canon Budget Telephoto Test

Introducing Lenses

Design

Mark Curtis

Leave a Reply