Canon EF 70-200 F4 NON IS Lens REVIEW

James Mathis Jr

19 Oct 201808:03

Summary

TLDRIn this video, James Mathis reviews the Canon 70-200mm f/4 non-IS lens, explaining why it's his favorite budget-friendly telephoto lens for full-frame cameras. He highlights its affordability, sharp image quality, and versatility, especially for portraits and outdoor shots. Despite being f/4, it still produces impressive background blur at 200mm. Mathis also offers tips on using this lens, including maintaining a high shutter speed to avoid shake. He praises the lens for both photography and its potential in future video projects, recommending it to photographers on a budget.

Takeaways

📸 The video discusses the Canon 70-200mm f/4L non-IS lens and its benefits for photographers on a budget.
💰 The lens is affordable, costing around $500, making it a great option for full-frame camera users who need a telephoto lens.
⚡️ Even though it’s f/4 and lacks image stabilization (IS), it still performs well, especially on full-frame cameras, where ISO isn't as much of a concern.
🔍 The lens is incredibly sharp, and at 200mm, it can blur backgrounds almost like an f/1.8 lens, making it suitable for portraits.
🔄 Zoom lenses are a new and appreciated change for the speaker, who typically uses prime lenses.
💼 The speaker emphasizes the lens's practicality for photographers with limited budgets who need longer focal lengths without splurging on expensive gear.
📷 Fast autofocus makes it ideal for photography, although the speaker hasn’t tested its performance for video due to the lack of IS.
🚀 One key shooting tip is to keep the shutter speed at least as fast as the focal length (1/200 for 200mm) to avoid handshake and blurry images.
🌟 This lens works best with full-frame cameras, as crop sensors increase the focal length and ISO sensitivity, making it less versatile.
🎥 The speaker plans to use this lens for future photography jobs and praises its professional look and quality at an affordable price.

Q & A

Why did the speaker choose the Canon 70-200mm f/4 L lens over other options?
-The speaker chose this lens because it is affordable, sharp, and versatile for their needs. They also acquired it through a trade, which made it easier to obtain.
What concerns might arise from using an f/4 lens for telephoto photography?
-The main concern with an f/4 lens is its limitation in low-light situations. However, the speaker mentions that shooting with a full-frame camera mitigates this issue by allowing higher ISO settings.
How does the speaker handle high ISO settings with this lens?
-The speaker is comfortable shooting at ISO 6400 and even up to 12,800 on their Canon 6D Mark II. They rely on post-processing tools like Lightroom to reduce noise using luminance adjustments.
What is the primary reason the speaker needed a telephoto lens?
-The speaker needed a telephoto lens because their longest lens before this was 85mm, which limited the types of shots they could capture.
How does the sharpness of the Canon 70-200mm f/4 L lens compare to other lenses?
-The speaker emphasizes that the sharpness of the lens is incredible, describing it as ‘insanely sharp’ and highly capable of producing professional-quality images.
What does the speaker recommend regarding shutter speed for telephoto shots?
-The speaker advises keeping the shutter speed at least at 1/200th of a second when shooting at 200mm to avoid motion blur caused by camera shake.
Why is the f/4 aperture not as much of a disadvantage as it might seem?
-Even though it’s f/4, at 200mm, the speaker can still achieve significant background blur, similar to that of an f/1.8 lens, making it a good option for portrait photography.
What are the speaker's thoughts on the Canon 70-200mm f/4 L lens for video work?
-The speaker hasn't tested the lens extensively for video due to its lack of image stabilization (IS), but they plan to use it on a tripod or gimbal in future projects.
What is the main downside of using this lens on a crop sensor camera?
-On a crop sensor camera, the focal length increases by 1.6x, and the f/4 aperture requires a higher ISO, making it less practical for low-light photography.
What is the speaker’s overall opinion of the Canon 70-200mm f/4 L lens?
-The speaker is highly satisfied with the lens, especially for photographers on a budget. They recommend it for its sharpness, versatility, and affordability, particularly for full-frame users.

Outlines

00:00

📸 Introduction to a New Lens Discovery

The speaker introduces themselves as James Mathis and expresses excitement about reviewing a 70-200mm f/4 L lens without image stabilization (IS). While addressing potential concerns about choosing a non-IS lens, they emphasize the lens’s affordability for those on a budget and its suitability for full-frame cameras. Despite the f/4 aperture, the speaker insists it is still highly versatile and shares their enthusiasm about the quality of the photos captured with the lens.

05:01

🔍 Exploring the Advantages of the Lens

James dives into the reasons for purchasing the lens, beginning with the fact that they previously lacked a telephoto option, limiting their shot range. The affordable price point of the lens, around $500, makes it a more accessible choice compared to pricier alternatives. Additionally, the sharpness of the lens is a key selling point. They demonstrate how the lens can achieve excellent background blur at 200mm, similar to wider apertures, making it an ideal option for portrait photography while offering the flexibility of zoom.

💡 Reasons for Choosing the Lens

The third reason for choosing this lens is its practicality for various photography jobs where a longer focal length is necessary. James highlights the need for budget-conscious options, as they cannot afford more expensive lenses like the 70-200mm f/2.8 IS models. They mention that while the autofocus is fast for photos, the lack of IS requires using a tripod or gimbal for video, which they plan to experiment with in the future. The lens is strongly recommended for budget photographers using full-frame cameras.

📏 Shooting Tips with Telephoto Lenses

James offers advice for using telephoto lenses, particularly regarding shutter speed to avoid handshake. They explain how they initially struggled with blurry images until learning to maintain a shutter speed of at least 1/200th of a second for a 200mm focal length. They also caution against using the lens on crop-sensor cameras, as the ISO may need to be raised too high due to the f/4 aperture. However, they reinforce that the lens is perfect for full-frame cameras and emphasizes its professional appearance.

🎥 Upcoming Projects and Final Thoughts

James closes by discussing upcoming photography projects where they plan to use the lens. They humorously mention that the lens's aesthetic makes them look like a professional due to its recognizable white body and red ring. With an upcoming event on November 10th, the lens will be the primary choice for telephoto shots. James shares their appreciation for budget-friendly gear and expresses gratitude to their audience for the support on recent videos. Finally, they encourage viewers to like, comment, and subscribe for more content.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Telephoto lens

A telephoto lens is a type of camera lens designed to capture distant subjects by magnifying them, commonly used for sports or wildlife photography. In the video, the presenter discusses the Canon 70-200mm f/4 lens, which falls under this category, emphasizing its affordability and versatility for full-frame cameras.

💡f/4 aperture

The aperture is the opening in a camera lens through which light passes to enter the camera. The f/4 aperture setting refers to the size of this opening. In the video, the presenter talks about how, despite f/4 being a smaller aperture than f/2.8, the lens still produces excellent results, particularly in outdoor settings.

💡Full-frame camera

A full-frame camera has a sensor that is equivalent in size to a 35mm film frame. This larger sensor offers better image quality and improved low-light performance. In the video, the presenter highlights that using a full-frame camera with this lens allows them to shoot in various lighting conditions while minimizing issues with ISO.

💡Sharpness

Sharpness refers to the clarity of detail in an image. In the video, the presenter is impressed by the sharpness of the Canon 70-200mm f/4 lens, even at longer focal lengths, noting that this is one of the key reasons they chose the lens for professional photography.

💡Budget

A budget in this context refers to the affordability of camera equipment. The presenter emphasizes that the Canon 70-200mm f/4 lens is a cost-effective alternative to more expensive lenses like the f/2.8 version, making it an attractive option for photographers with limited financial resources.

💡Compression

Lens compression refers to the effect a telephoto lens has on the background and foreground, making distant objects appear closer together. The presenter notes that despite the f/4 aperture, the 200mm focal length can still create a pleasing compression effect, which is important for portrait photography.

💡Autofocus

Autofocus is the feature of a camera or lens that automatically adjusts the focus on the subject. The presenter praises the autofocus speed of the Canon 70-200mm f/4 lens, especially for photography, which allows them to capture sharp images quickly in various scenarios.

💡ISO

ISO measures the camera sensor’s sensitivity to light. A higher ISO setting allows for shooting in low-light conditions but can introduce noise or grain into the image. The presenter explains how they are comfortable raising the ISO on their full-frame camera to 6400 or higher while using this lens without sacrificing image quality.

💡Non-IS lens

A non-IS (Image Stabilization) lens lacks the feature that compensates for camera shake, making it harder to use for handheld shooting, especially with slower shutter speeds. In the video, the presenter mentions that the Canon 70-200mm f/4 lens is a non-IS version, meaning it’s best used on a tripod or gimbal for video work.

💡Focal length

Focal length is the distance between the lens and the image sensor, determining how 'zoomed in' an image appears. The Canon 70-200mm lens offers variable focal lengths, with the presenter explaining how this range allows for both wide and tight shots, making it versatile for different types of photography.

Highlights

Introduction to the 70-200mm f/4 L non-IS telephoto lens and discussion on why it's an affordable option for budget photographers.

Reason 1: The photographer didn’t have a telephoto lens, and this one offered an affordable way to capture shots requiring longer focal lengths.

Affordability: You can get this lens for around $500 on Amazon, which is much cheaper compared to other L lenses.

Sharpness: The lens delivers incredibly sharp photos, even at f/4.

At 200mm, the lens can blow out the background to create compression that mimics the look of a 1.8 aperture lens.

Reason 2: Versatility—the lens can zoom in and out, offering precise framing compared to prime lenses.

The lens is described as great for both portraits and telephoto shots, making it highly versatile.

Reason 3: The photographer needed a longer lens for various jobs, but didn’t have $1,500 to spend on higher-end models.

The lens is an ideal choice for photographers on a budget who still need a reliable telephoto lens.

Autofocus performance: The autofocus is extremely fast and reliable for photos.

Video limitation: The lens lacks image stabilization (IS), making it necessary to use a tripod or gimbal for video work.

The lens is best suited for full-frame cameras, allowing lower ISO settings, even in low light conditions.

For telephoto shooting, it's important to maintain a shutter speed equivalent to or faster than the focal length (e.g., 1/200s at 200mm) to avoid shake.

The lens can make a photographer appear more professional due to its large, impressive appearance with the red ring.

Closing comments: The lens is highly recommended for full-frame users on a budget who want sharpness, versatility, and the ability to shoot both portraits and telephoto scenes.