Lens of the Week: Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS
June 30th, 2008 | 23 Comments | Categorised as: Geeky Stuff, Photography
Every weekend this summer, I am going to try and rent a new lens to expand my portfolio and inspire myself to take more dynamic shots. This week I rented for the Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS zoom lens. What a beautiful piece of glass. Super slick for the entire range, great dof, and simply money at the top end of the zoom. This lens can do a lot and is awesome for capturing sports/action shots, wildlife, candid people picks, and portraits.
Inspired by Scott Bourne's wildlife photography, I spent hours trekking about in search of wildlife. I did come across a seal, a beaver, and a skunk, but those animals were much to sneaky to get a decent shot of them from a distance. I think I need to invest in some serious gumboots and really get in the muck. The only creatures I could get up close and personal with were some silly seagulls, who for pretty pesky birds were super fun to watch.
Also, I snapped some shots of some little Polish Dancer girls who were waiting to perform at the Kitsilano Showboat.
And then this dude just bike past looking so summertime funky, I just had to take a shot.
I completely fell in love with this lens, I fondly nicknamed this super huge lens, "The Beast". My arms and back are seriously aching today from lugging him around for 3 days of "magic hours" in a row. I spent so much time waiting for magic hour, I half expected to run into Michael Bay, his sleek power mane glowing in the warm soft light, yelling profanities at his hapless crew. "More debris you a--holes!"
I'll be uploading my other sweet shots to my 700-200 flickr photoset tomorrow.
Thanks for all your suggestions and keep 'em comin! I think next week I'll either go for the 10-22mm f/3.5 or a fixed wide angle. I'd like to do some Vancouver cityscapes.
And I encourage you to rent new lens next weekend with me!
Comments
Currently 23 comments.
Pasquale said on June 30, 2008:
I love the seagulls a lot
Dan said on June 30, 2008:
Jesus! That's a big ass lens. you should become a pap for a weekend. :)
Cecil said on June 30, 2008:
Nice shots. I need to find a place near me that rents lenses. I'd love to get my hands on the 70-200mm f/2.8. The red boots shot is awesome. Great color.
Nathan Coffey said on June 30, 2008:
How much would a lens like that cost to purchase? (US Dollars please)
Stephen said on June 30, 2008:
70-200mm f4 IS is half the weight.
Jonic said on June 30, 2008:
I love that shot of the bike.. Got a very old-school lazy summer feel too it, with a little Lomo thrown in.. I'm looking forward to the rest of this experiment :)
Erwin said on June 30, 2008:
Oooooh, that lens is total hotness. Your expression holding the rig is classic.
@Nathan: Retail for this lens usually hangs around the $1600 mark on the high end.
Duane Storey said on June 30, 2008:
Actually, that lens is closer to $2500 last time I checked. The non-IS one is around $1500.
I've rented the 10-22mm. I didn't really like it. It's so wide as to be not usable. It's fun for drama shots, but I'm not sure how useful it would be in a kit. I'd recommend the 85mm f/1.2L.
Ryan said on June 30, 2008:
You will find it a lot easier to get those nature shots if you get hold of a longer zoom. 300+ mm will make your life a lot easier.
A friend of mine bought a fixed 800 mm lens a while back and he's taken some awesome photos with it. Since you are so far away, the animals aren't bothered by you so you can snap away without them flying/running off.
Of course an image stablised 800 mm lens would be absorbantantly expensive, but the non IS ones aren't quite so bad.
Duane Storey said on July 1, 2008:
An 800mm lens is crazy heavy and expensive. I saw a few people with them at the Junos.
Also, bear in mind that a 200mm lens on a 1.6x crop factor Canon (like the XTi) actually seems like a 320mm lens.
Joao said on July 1, 2008:
If you think that's a heavy lens, you should come with me and do a entire day of plane shooting using a 1D Mark2 + a canon 600mm f4L IS (9 hours shooting, hand held, with a couple hundred people always bumping into you and steeping in you're toes...). That's almost 7Kg of equipment in you're hands (15,4 pounds) and a backpack with a Canon 20D + 17-55 + 8mm fisheye + 70-200 + 1,4x TC + 2 extra battery's + 2 flash + a much needed and appreciated bottle of fresh water... By the end of the day you can hardly feel any part of you're body...
Joao said on July 1, 2008:
Forgot to add this...
Good things about it: you get VIP access to the air force base, get nice photos and get to use equipment that a "normal" every day working human being can't afford to buy....
Bad things about it: you can't use the photos anywhere (paid jobs do have some restrictions...), and by the end of the day you feel like you've been in a 90 round full contact fight...
Some times i fell like even the air on my head hurts....
Roland Hulme said on July 1, 2008:
Is that a Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS zoom lens or are you just REALLY REALLY REALLY pleased to see me?
Snigger.
(**i'm childish**)
Mostly Lisa said on July 1, 2008:
@Pasquale -- chomp.
@Dan -- I'm totally on the hunt for Jessica Alba.
@Cecil -- def rent that lens. so awesome.
@Nathan -- ask google. jeeeeeeez. prob aboot $1400-1600 for the IS version. ha! i was right @Erwin already answered. oh but @Duane says $2500. just google it. gosh.
@Stephen -- but f/4??? need the 2.8ness.
@Jonic -- i'm totally getting all experimental with lens flare and faux lomoness. check out my other faux lomo shots here.
@Duane -- good call. i'll check that out.
@Ryan -- don't know if they rent anything that huge. i'll ask though. dunno if i can cart that around. =0
@duane -- exactly.
@Joao -- whoa! that's some serious gear you've got. do you have the photos up anywhere?
@Roland -- sooo original =P
Alex said on July 2, 2008:
Um, those dancing girls, awesome pic, however just to correct they are not Polish, those are native Ukrainian outfits.
steelie said on July 2, 2008:
Ha! My wife has that same lens… also dubbed “The Beast”.
Apparently it’s a suiting name.
Mel said on July 3, 2008:
That's the one I rented for Canadians this year. 5 straight loooong days of holding that thing up was brutal, but worth it for the great shots that I got.
Looking forward to seeing what you get with a wider-angle. Right now, I think top priority is upgrading to "The Beast" (I use the fixed 200mm/2.8L now, which is great - except when I shoot smaller events and I'm standing at the boards), but after that, I reallly want something with a wide angle. I just bought a 28-300 this month for travelling, but I'd love to have something even wider.
Joao said on July 3, 2008:
@Lisa - From the planes, not at the moment... I can't put them on my on-line gallery because i'm not allowed to do that... (stupid contract rules...)
But i will scan some that were published on a couple of magazines, and i'll post a link to that later.
I can give you a example of a nice day's work condition so that you can have a idea about some "normal" work conditions...
Photo result -> http://www.pbase.com/jpvaz/image/72738102.jpg
My spot -> http://www.pbase.com/jpvaz/image/72737669.jpg
(Legend: 1 - My backpack with a couple of lenses 2 - my monopod/walking stick 3 - my spot and the little brick wall where i would hide and protect myself from projected rocks)
My backpack when i was finished (remember, the original color of the backpack is black...) -> http://www.pbase.com/jpvaz/image/72807487.jpg
Found 2 from the planes that i can post without a problem.
This one is from the Portuguese Navy, flying a Westland Super Navy Lynx MK95, doing a search and rescue demonstration. I toke this photo with out looking, since i was getting so much water thrown into my eyes that i could hardly see 1 feet in front of me...
http://www.pbase.com/jpvaz/image/97261165.jpg
This one is from the French Team Guinot, witch is a "sky walking" demonstration team. http://www.pbase.com/jpvaz/image/97261148.jpg
Derek K. Miller said on July 5, 2008:
Where are you renting from? Beau Photo? Leo's?
I saw some bird photographers with silly-big lenses (and tripods) at Burnaby Lake a couple of months ago. Like this guy (camo on the lens even):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/penmachine/2432522966/
And there I was, walking around with my Nikkor 50mm f/1.8...
Jauder Ho said on July 6, 2008:
The 70-200mm lens is great and crazy sharp. If you need a bit more reach, you can add the 1.4x teleconverter. That along with the 1.6x of the body should give you some decent reach.
I used to own the 10-22mm and loved it. It takes some very nice pictures.
Here are some examples. http://flickr.com/search/?q=1022mm&w=39889360%40N00&s=int
My first photography subject: Jessie Farrell | MostlyLisa.com said on August 4, 2008:
[...] also blame the Canon 70-200mm IS f/2.8 lens I rented again. It has such a delicious sweet spot that makes me swoon when I hit it. Wait. That sounded bad. [...]
Mostly Lisa Photo tip: Turning Blah into Beautiful | MostlyLisa.com said on November 17, 2008:
[...] try to rent different lenses for my dSLR as much as possible. I find it a great way to explore photography and keep myself [...]
Nathan said on June 7, 2009:
I just got the 70-200 2.8 IS a week ago. It is one of the best lenses Canon makes hands down. I bought it new with Canon's current rebate for like $1600 and some change with tax and all. Beautiful lens. You look good with it to!