Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS zoom

I finally “bit” and ordered the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS, and it arrived today. Amazon.com was offering a $75 instant rebate, and with free shipping it was a great deal at $921.75 (and it shipped within 2 days, in spite of the proviso of it being out of stock). The Canon MTF charts suggest that performance should be outstanding on the 1D Mark III even in the corners—we shall see. Color saturation and contrast indeed seem to be very high, based on 10 minutes of backyard shooting of various subjects.

Why did I order one when I already have a one-stop-faster 70-200 f/2.8L IS? (see my May 4 entry on Canon 70-200 zooms). Because the f/2.8L is uncomfortably heavy to carry and shoot and so whenever there was a doubt, I would just not take it. The f/4 lens balances really well when mounted on the 5D or 1D Mark III, and with the camera strap around one’s neck it doesn’t feel so unwieldy.

It really is a shame that Canon wants another $150 or so for the Tripod Mount Ring A-2. On the other hand, it’s light enough that one can get by mounting the camera on the tripod instead of the lens (presumably...I’ll be checking).

Dandelions are unfairly maligned by midwesterners
EOS 1D Mark III + Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS [color]