| Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras |  | Brand: Canon
Category: Photography
List Price: $1,100.00
Buy New: $680.40
You Save: $419.60 (38%)
New (7) from $655.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  16 reviews
Media: Electronics
Minimum Focal Length: 200
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.4
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.5 x 5.3
MPN: 2529A004
Model: CANON EF 200MM F2.8L II USM
UPC: 082966213311
EAN: 0082966213311
Availability: Usually ships in 1 to 2 months
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| Features:
| • | 200mm telephoto lens with f/2.8 maximum aperture for Canon SLR cameras | | • | 2 ultra-low-dispersion (UD) glass elements and rear focusing system | | • | Ultra-sonic monitor (USM) for quick, highly accurate autofocusing | | • | 4.9-foot close focusing distance; produces natural-looking background blur | | • | Measures 3.3 inches in diameter and 5.4 inches long; weighs 1.7 pounds |
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Amazon.com Product Description
Zoom in on a favorite subject from a distance with the Canon EF 200mm telephoto lens. Offering a long focal length that lets you effectively compress the distance between the subject and camera, the lens lets you easily capture the details and feeling of a far-off scene. The lens is distinguished by two ultra-low-dispersion (UD) glass elements and a rear focusing system to correct aberrations, producing extremely sharp images. The lens also offers a natural-looking background blur and comes with a dedicated, detachable hood. The lens carries a one-year warranty. - Focal length: 200mm
- Maximum aperture: f/2.8
- Lens construction: 9 elements in 7 groups
- Diagonal angle of view: 12 degrees
- Focus adjustment: Rear focusing system with USM
- Closest focusing distance: 4.9 feet
- Filter size: 72mm
- Dimensions: 3.3 inches in diameter, 5.4 inches long
- Weight: 1.7 pounds
Product Description
Telephoto lens boasting high image quality and carrying ease. With two UD-glass elements and rear focusing to correct aberrations, image delineation is extremely sharp. Background blur is also natural-looking, as was simulated by Canon. The lens comes with a dedicated, detachable hood.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 11 more reviews...
Super "L" Lens, Price not too Bad Either April 9, 2005
39 out of 45 found this review helpful
There is nothing like a telephoto to bring boats at anchor up close when you're halfway up a mountain. I got a great shot in Tahiti just that way with just this lense and a friend of mine used it on the cover of her romance novel. It's true the lense is heavy. Canon says it weighs 1.7 pounds, but it seems heavier. No matter though, because you won't have to go to the gym if you heft this baby around for awhile, and as a side benifit, you'll get crisper, sharper photos then you would with any other 200mm out there today. Just think of it as body building and photo shooting both at the same time. Also this one won't break your wallet.
Serously, this is one darned fine piece of glass, you just simply cannot go wrong with a Canon "L" lense, just can't
Excellent for what it is, but look elsewhere for versatility January 30, 2008
24 out of 26 found this review helpful
The grand appeal of this prime is that offers the telephoto reach and fast f/2.8 aperture of Canon's 70-200/2.8 professional lenses, but at far less cost and size. In practical terms, the 200/2.8 is fast enough to shoot nighttime football games that would have slower f/5.6 consumer zooms struggling to reign in motion blur.
Unlike consumer zooms, it also takes well to a 1.4X teleconverter, giving the equivalent of 280mm at f/4. The USM autofocus system is quick, silent, and sure in almost any lighting, and because it's essentially a longer version of Canon's legendary 135/2, this 200/2.8 is plenty sharp all the way from f/2.8. Finally, because it's small and black, the security at sporting venues is far more likely to let you take it inside.
It's not all roses though. 200mm on a 1.6X crop body is a 320mm equivalent. That's a lot of lens to handhold without stabilization. Pure sharpness doesn't stand for much when the whole frame is blurred by handshake. Despite the fast f/2.8 aperture, it takes a lot of light to keep the shutter speeds up, and this lens isn't all that forgiving below 1/400; good technique and proper bracing are essential. My copy suffers further from chromatic aberration (color fringing around highlights) and loss of contrast in sunlight to a greater extent than any other lens that I own. Shooting into the sun, or with the sun just outside the frame, is not a forte. I'd dock a star for this if Amazon would let me.
If you want versatility, there are also better choices than the 200/2.8. Framing options are limited, and you'll rarely find the composition afforded by 200mm exactly matches what you intended. While the 70-200/2.8 series are no stronger optically than this lens, they'll get the shot every time purely by the ability to track an object at 70mm, and rapidly zoom to 200mm to take the picture. The addition of IS (image stabilization) alone doubles the number of keepers on the 70-200/2.8 IS. If your livelihood depends on your results, that's worth the price of admission.
But if you're not molting fifties, and you just want a sharp and fast telephoto that'll manage better shutter speeds, sharpness, background blur, and contrast (in most circumstances) than a consumer zoom, this 200/2.8L is a great choice.
A wonderful lens! January 11, 2007
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
I wanted a f/2.8 lens with 200mm within its range for my trip to Kenya, and decided to go with this lens due to its lower price compared to the 70-200mm f/2.8. While the 70-200mm would have been more versatile when capturing animals on a safari (I got quite a few head shots of elephants and giraffes), the 200mm certainly produced some excellent shots on my digital rebel. It is extremely sharp, and the colours look very natural. Autofocus is fast and accurate, and when manual focus is required (almost never), the focus ring turns evenly with just the right amount of resistance. For a tele lens of such a high standard, it is fairly compact and relatively low priced. I have also used it with a Sigma 1.4x teleconverter, and image quality suffers very little (if any) from that.
200mm 2.8L prime - another combo possibility... May 17, 2007
10 out of 13 found this review helpful
This is my second piece of L series glass. I also own the 17-40mm f/4L and about 6 other lenses. The body I'm using this on is primarily a Canon EOS 20d, with a 10d for a backup, both have 1.6x crop factors, which multiplies the focal length by 1.6x.
I was researching the differences between the 70-200 f/4L and the 70-200 2.8L and how soon I could afford one or the other and somehow I ran across this 200mm prime. Noone ever seems to talk about it and I hadn't seen it around the sites I was reviewing (probably because the 200mm 1.8L gets all the attention), but I found it one day and immediately bought it. It's a reasonable compromise between the two lenses mentioned so I decided not to wait any longer for more L glass. It performs as you should expect from L series lenses, I have no complaints about it and am well satisfied with it. I do find myself missing a zoom range and so there are still decisions to make about a future upgrade path. I've stopped using my non-L zooms altogether now as I get a very low percentage of sharp, rich, realistic looking shots compared to the L glass or my 50mm 2.5 compact macro lens.
With this lens I have a combination possiblity that I've never heard discussed... I could keep this lens and get a 70-200mm f/4 IS to pair with it. This would mean that I would have one lens with IS for hand held stability, the other for sports action in low light. The weight of both lens is about the same as the 2.8L zoom, but when handholding for long periods either lens would be light by itself. I could leave one lens home when backpacking if I wanted to or be no worse off (weight-wise) bringing both than if I brought the 2.8L zoom. Size-wise the 2 lens pack better in my kit than the one large lens would. As luck would have it, they both can use the less expensive 200mm prime's tripod ring (though neither lens comes with one - Booooo!!! Hissssss!!!).
When it comes to long tele shots with an extender I still am starting with a wide enough aperature with the 2.8 prime that the 2x is usable with Autofocus. Also, I'm starting with a prime lens so the final photo would be theoretically sharper than the 70-200 2.8L zoom. The 70-200mm f/4 IS zoom however, scores as high or higher as primes in it's range (according to Photozone) unlike most zooms, better than the f/4 non-IS or either of the 2.8 zooms according to their objective testing.
What I would give up in this combination is the ability to do it all in one lens so that means I may occasionally miss a shot when swapping lenses. Also, I give up the wide aperature if I decide I want 2.8 in the rest of the zoom range and didn't want to bump up the ISO dramatically in the f/4L IS zoom. On the other hand, if a lens has to go in for service there is redundancy in the system and I still have something to use (or share with a friend on the trip who splits the weight).
Because the resale value on L glass is pretty good, if I prefer a different upgrade path I can start over without much financial loss. Oh... and I can buy both the 70-200 f/4L IS and this lens at about the same price as the 70-200 2.8L IS lens alone, but pay the price in stages as I go rather than waiting a while to get the single lens.
Before I make that upgrade decision though, I think I'm going to rent some of the possible choices to figure out if I'd be happy with this upgrade path. It has some pros for me, considering most of the time I'd be backpacking with it for quite a few miles and at least I have an option to leave some weight behind if I would want. I really like the 200mm 2.8L as it is, and as you can see it has interesting possibilites for it's place in your kit. I wonder too, if anyone else has gone this route and what you think of it... I haven't bought that next lens yet and would be interested in hearing about others who may have already considered this.
 Type II July 25, 2007
8 out of 15 found this review helpful
This lens was purchased for use with the XTI. For me this replaced a 300mm F2.8 FD on an F1. The detachable lens shade is frail and bulky and therefore of little use to me (the discontinued Type I apparently had a built in hood). The tripod ring should be kitted with the lens, not sold as an accessory. Images with 1.4 & 2X extenders appear softer than they should be at maximum aperture. I think my results with the 300 plus extenders (and film) more consistant. Having said that, advanges include ability to use conventional filters (77mm polarizer) and great savings in weight, bulk, and cost for essentially the same field of view.
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