Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens

Hi there,
I purchased the f/4 70 - 200 to use on my canon 7D, I use it solely for shooting video. This is my first 70 - 200 I've owned although I have used the f/2.8 without IS, when purchasing this lens I was worried that the depth of field would not be shallow enough and that the IS wouldn't be as suited to video shooting as I had hoped. However, I was honestly surprised to see how shallow the DOF was when shooting at f/4 at 200mm, the image quality is fantastic and the lens feels great in the hand, it's lighter weight than the 24 - 70 f/2.8 I normally use (about 750g vs. 900g) also shocked me a little, due to this shooting on the 7D's magnesium body I don't think the tripod mount is required at all, unlike with its heavier brothers in the f/2.8.

When shooting video the IS runs at all times, I'm unsure if this will shorten it's life or cause it to overheat etc, however, I've now used the lens for a number of shoots and it doesn't seem to struggle to use IS none-stop for a prolonged period of time, the lens does not heat up, nor does it change sound. The only thin I can fault on this lens is the IS noise, the sound as the lens uses it's IS capabilities can be picked up by the camera audio, not such a problem if sound is not an issue for you, which when shooting with the 70 - 200 it generally wouldn't, or you could choose to use an external mic, such as the rode video Mic which I highly recommend as well.

The IS proves to be quite effective when shooting video, I used the lens for a heli shoot not long after the purchase date and it stabilised the image very well, some shots to the point where no editing / stabilising on the computer was required. Shooting with the lens on a tripod or freehand also proves to be easier with the IS engaged, shooting at 200mm free hand with IS on stabilises the shots well enough to use, not to mention when used with a tripod the imaged produced is excellent, and the ease to produce those images is increased with the aid of the IS.

Basically, there's no reason to not buy one... I bought this to replace my 70-200 f2.8 IS....

My 2.8 was a 'do everything' lens and the aperture is nice. However, the huge lens barrel draws attention to itself and people shy away from it. Combining this with the discomfort of it's huge weight - and subsequent front-heaviness when mounted on the camera - led to me hardly ever using it.

The f4 model changes all this. It's half the weight and significantly narrower (although almost as long). It looks much less serious and it's balance is very natural. Compared to the original 2.8 IS model, the stabilization is more effective on the f4 model for its rating. I could achieve 4 stops more easily on this lens, than the rated 3 steps on the 2.8... So the smaller lens is easier to use in low light if your subject isn't moving much...

Everything else is great. Sharp, good bokeh at 200mm, weather sealing, solid build quality and still compact enough to be relatively inconspicuous.

The only lens I would recommend over this would be the 2.8 IS mk2 - the current one... But only if you can afford it AND you need the extra aperture...

If you are on a budget and can live without the latest model, then this lens is for you. Great for outdoors and light airy interior shots, you will still achieve fantastic, sharp exposures. This lens is built to the same standard as the IS Mk II lens at about 1/3rd the price.

A truly awesome lens,sharp as a needle, easy to use , image stabilizer works like a charm, constant F4 aperture, solid build ,feels great to use i just love it ,I was thinking of the f2.8L IS version but all that extra weight and money for 1 F stop that i wanted 'but not actually needed' constant F4 Works well under low light , may need to use the flash in door at night , but during the day you can crank up the shutter speed if you need no problems image quality is magic i use it on my 50d , does chew power so a battery grip is is a good option , and helps balance the lens .

Good zoom lens compact Light weight ,Easy to use and to carry around .Very sharp from corner to corner ,even wide open.