Canon EF 70-300mm DO IS USM Lens

by Geoff 13 Sep 0 Comments

The Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM lens is a really compact telephoto zoom offering a large focal length range of 70-300mm.

The lens incorporates DO (Diffractive Optics) and IS (Image Stabilizing) technologies. The Diffraction Optics allow a lens to be shorter, lighter and higher image quality than comparable normal optical lenses.

The lens is heavier than the consumer EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens, but it is 28% shorter and uses Canon’s very best ring-USM motor.

Beyond savings in mass, the DO lens performs extremely well at its maximum aperture, with images that are very comparable to the “L” series telephotos. The image stabilization enables you to handhold at shutter speeds 3 steps slower than would otherwise be possible.

The lens is super fast and silent in focussing with a ring type USM focussing arrangement.

The EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM is an excellent lens for sports, portraiture, animals, and nature when you are shooting in relatively brighter light.

There are quite a few different lenses to choose from when selecting a good Canon zoom telephoto lens. Some of the aspects to take note of are as follows:

EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Lens – Telephoto without image stabilization, cheaper alternative but with a limited f/4 aperture.
EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM Lens - Telephoto with image stabilization, sport and nature, aperture of f/4. A very high quality lens which is suitable for nature photography.
EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens – An extremely fast focussing large aperture f/2.8 for fast sports action or low light nature photography.
EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens – Variable aperture telephoto lens, but limited in low available light by its aperture of f/5.6.
EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM Lens – Variable aperture L-series high quality lens, limited in low light.
EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM Lens – Variable aperture diffraction optic telephoto lens, limited in use with low available light.
EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM Lens – Wide focal range variable aperture lens, limited aperture of f/5.6.
EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Lens – A very flexible wide focal length range lens for sports, nature and very popular with bird photography, limited by its aperture of f/5.6.

The above lenses with limited apertures of f/5.6 are not always suitable for all types of photography, f/4 and f/2.8 lenses are far better when you are shooting in low light situations or require a larger aperture of f/2.8 for creative selective focus. So carefully consider your photography subjects and requirements. Aos bear in mind that some cameras will not focus as accurately and as quickly when using an f/5.6 lens.

There are sample images from this lens on the Flickr site.\

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