The long waited EF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 IS II USM is more than a replacement for an old lens, is also a new step in the right direction in terms of video, as it is the second lens using Nano USM, Canon’s mix of USM and STM, for fast and silent focusing.
Designed with the user in mind, this affordable new lens is equipped with Nano USM technology, a focusing motor that combines the benefits of a ring USM (ultrasonic motor) for high-speed AF during still photo shooting and lead-screw type STM (stepping motor) for smooth and quiet video autofocusing (AF).
Introduced as a replacement for the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, which was launched in 2005, the new model is a truly versatile telephoto lens for photographers and videographers alike. Boasting a completely new optical design, built on Canon’s renowned optical expertise, the new formula utilises one ultra-low dispersion (UD) lens element to reduce chromatic aberration, for sharp images with outstanding colour and contrast.
When using the zoom, the lens’s new four-stop Optical Image Stabilizer reduces camera shake and blur, minimizing the need for a tripod and allowing you to shoot with longer shutter speeds and still achieve sharp shots. Compatible with both EF and EF-S mounts, the lens is an excellent choice for APS-C bodies, if you do not want to carry a heavy lens with you. Due to the sensor crop of 1.6x on Canon’s APS-C cameras, this lens gives you a focal length range similar to 112-480mm in a full frame sensor.
The EF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 IS II USM offers built-in Nano USM – a breakthrough technology that was introduced with the EF-S 18 -135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM – offering fast focus acquisition, exceptional tracking speed combined with smooth, quiet operation. When combined with a versatile focal range, it allows you to capture beautiful portraits and fast-paced action, both in stills and movies. Nano USM makes the lens ideal for movie-makers, giving a natural look and feel to movies – the quiet motor ensuring that soundtracks aren’t disturbed by focusing noise and providing smooth focus transitions from one subject to another.
The EF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 IS II USM is the first Canon lens to feature an electronic Lens Information Display, ideal for advanced photographers requiring visible shooting information in real-time. Perfect for checking settings at a glance, the display modes include focus distance, depth of field scale at various apertures, camera shake and focal length. Providing more information to the photographer, the display is useful for checking steadiness when you’re shooting at low-angles, whilst also allowing you to work out the 35mm equivalents when using APS-C and APS-H format EOS cameras. Designed with a sleek black finish, the lens offers a practical 67mm filter thread and non-rotating front element, an improvement over the previous model. This means less problems when trying to use graduated filters or polarizers for landscape photography. Contrary to the previous lens, this lens allows for full manual focus adjustment under AF, another reason to upgrade if you’re looking for a lens in this focal range.
Landscape photographers and all others that need or want to know their depth of field will be happy to discover that through the LID – Lens Information Display, Canon is bringing back information that, in the past, was directly engraved on the surface of the barrel on most lenses.The DOF for different lenses appear as if by magic on the small window. The LID changes through different information by pressing the Mode button on the side and the display can be presented in white over black or black over white. I am quite curious to see if Canon keeps this new feature and implements in in other new lenses. Just for the DOF scale it is worth it.
The Canon EF 70-300mm F/4.5-5.6 IS II USM lens is scheduled to be available in November 2016, for an estimated retail price of $549.99.