Canon EF 70-200 F4 NON IS Lens REVIEW

Summary

In 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.