Canon EF 75-300mm F/4-5.6 Review - Bestoflens (2024)

Pros

  • Lightweight & Compact
  • Versatile lens
  • Pleasing bokeh
  • Fast and reliable autofocus
  • Affordable in price

Cons

  • No image stabilization
  • No weather sealing

Table of Contents

1Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 Review:

2STRENGTH:

3WEAKNESS:

4Specifications:

5Features:

5.1Camera Mount:

5.2Distance Considerations Are Important:

5.3Optically Stabilized Images:

5.4Zooming Method:

5.6The formula for Optics:

5.7Lens cap:

6FAQs:

6.1What is my opinion of the Canon 75-300mm lens?

6.2Is image stabilization included in the Canon EF 75-300mm lens’s features?

6.3Is a lens with a 300 mm focal length sufficient for taking pictures of the night sky?

6.4What sets a regular lens apart from a telephoto lens’s capability? Is its ability to zoom in and out of a scene?

6.5Why would I require a lens with a 300-millimeter focal length?

6.6How long is a 300mm lens?

Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 Review:

I planned and put together a low-key anniversary celebration in preparation and surprised my devoted granddad with it on Sunday.

I unexpectedly extended an invitation to him, and he gladly accepted.

He wailed while mumbling, “I have a long time.” I decided not to join in any festivities after your grandmother passed away.

The Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 lens, widely regarded as the company’s best primary wide-angle lens for camcorders, allowed me to capture the brief occurrence.

Using the wide-angle lens that belonged to a great performer, I could catch the grandfather’s excitement and lovely smile.

STRENGTH:

The glass’s sharpness and superb quality The color and contrast are perfect, and there is no achromatic or barrel distortion.

It might have made a great lens if placed on a more capable body.

The use of this lens will result in very high-quality photos.

Some images are 11×14 prints that have been blown up, while others are 11×14 prints that have been cropped relatively closely.

As long as it hasn’t been damaged, this might be a fine used purchase choice if you’re determined to utilize Canon lenses.

For the benefit of the money.

WEAKNESS:

It shakes and rattles, and depending on whether the lens is directed upwards or downwards, the focus and zoom settings alter uniquely.

A significant improvement over the earlier FL and FD lenses.

Awful construction.

I’ve discovered that Russian lenses are often better built.

I decided to indulge by getting this lens right after getting my Canon 300D.

Its poor quality is audible in the creaking and rattling noises it makes.

I brought this lens to the zoo and utilized it to capture images of the creatures there, including a flying Jackson hawk and a barn owl.

Three Red-tailed Hawks allowed me to capture their ideas in flight while they were perched, and I now have many of them.

Using the lens in autofocus mode was a waste of time because all it did was a focused search.

I got some perfect shots using the manual method, holding the camera in my hand and following the hawks as they flew. Sharpness and contrast haven’t given me any issues since I started using this lens.

I use a lens with a focal length of 300 millimeters to capture images of birds at the feeders in my backyard, where they occupy around half of the frame.

It results in photos that are crystal clear and have great contrast.

I only have the option to change the white balance after exporting my RAW images as jpg and viewing them on my computer.

The light changed from bright sunshine to cloudy afternoon to dusk to completely dark when I was at a blues concert.

I got close and personal with performers by focusing my 300-millimeter lens on them while holding the camera in my hands for the time being.

I shot pictures during those distinct light stages (12:00 to 10:00 pm).

Even though there wasn’t much ambient light, I could still snap photos of the crowd, and I’m happy with the outcomes.

The only challenge I encountered while photographing scenery and birds on the lake was occasionally needing to move around.

I am pretty unhappy with the entire quality of construction, and I can clearly remember a time when a lens of that kind would never have been made available for purchase to a customer on the market.

It, in my opinion, is the severe weakness of the industry.

I only recently began purchasing lenses from other manufacturers after learning that their lens barrels were superior to those of the lenses produced by my prior manufacturer.

These include the Pentax M42 lenses I use, and I need an adapter to utilize them with my camera.

I must utilize lenses that require stop-down metering because I shoot with manual focus, and exposure is unimportant to me; what matters to me is the end image that I can capture.

This lens is an excellent purchase if you’re just getting started in photography or are a hobbyist photographer on a restricted budget.

Suppose you’re a beginning photographer or a budget-conscious hobbyist photographer.

All that is necessary is a caution to keep the focus and zoom from shifting from their proper locations.

If I wanted to, I could buy a pre-owned one for around one-fourth of what I paid for a brand-new one.

Naturally, this assumes I didn’t want to buy a used one.

Specifications:

  • Using an EF Mount Lens with Full-Frame Mode Photography
  • Over its whole range, the aperture is set anywhere between f/4 and f/45.
  • Use a Super Spectra to apply the coating.
  • The System Contains an AF Motor and a DC Micro Motor.
  • Seven-Blade Diaphragm

Features:

Camera Mount:

It is designed to be used with digital cameras with a lens mount that works with Canon EF lenses.

The maximum aperture range of the Canon 75-300mm, f4.0-5.6 III lens is 4.0 to 5.6.

The most recent cameras compatible with the Canon EF lens family are the Canon 1D X III, Canon 6D MII, and Canon 5D MIV.

A further illustration is the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II.

Distance Considerations Are Important:

The focal length of the Canon 75-300mm f4.0-5.6 III is from 75mm to 300mm, and its zoom ratio is 4.0.

The aperture on this lens varies from 4.0 to 5.6. It offers a 120–480 millimeter focal length range when attached to an APS-C sensor camera with a crop factor of 1.6.

This range provides a visual field similar to a 35mm (FF) lens.

Optically Stabilized Images:

The only way to get image stabilization while using the Canon 75-300mm f4.0-5.6 III is to mount it on a camera body with an IBIS because the lens lacks an optical image stabilization feature.

Picture stabilization may only be attained in this way (sensor-based In-body image stabilization) when using this lens.

As a prospective replacement, I can also consider the Canon EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II USM in Canon EF mount.

This lens has a focal range similar to the one I’m looking for and also features optical image stabilization.

Zooming Method:

Rotary zoom is the name given to the mechanism that allows the Canon 75-300mm f4.0-5.6 III lens to extend its zoom range.

Using this method, the user will see that the lens length automatically changes depending on whether they zoom in or out of the image.

It makes it possible to build the lens with a smaller minimum focal length, which often applies when the lens is zoomed out.

In contrast to internal zoom lenses, which forbid the lens from being constructed with a reduced minimum focal length, this is conceivable.

As a result, the minimum focal length can be changed from the camera’s exterior.

This design has some drawbacks, including difficulties sealing against dust and moisture, changes in weight distribution when zooming, and zoom creep in some lenses.

The fact that it is simpler to seal against dust and water is one of the disadvantages as well.

These are but a few of the numerous issues that exist.

The minimum focusing distance for the Canon 75-300mm f4.0-5.6 III is 1.5 meters, and the highest magnification ratio is 0.25x.

The lens can focus down to a minimum of 1.5 meters away.

These two requirements are significant on their own for different, unique reasons.

Aperture:

When set to the 75mm focal length, the Canon 75-300mm f4.0-5.6 III is a variable aperture lens with a maximum aperture of f4 and a minimum of f32.

The lens’s range of apertures when set to 300mm focal length is f4.0–5.6.

The lens’s aperture is adjusted to f5.6, the most comprehensive, and as low as f45 at its minimum setting.

The complete set corresponds to a 300mm focal length setting.

The formula for Optics:

The Canon 75-300mm f4.0-5.6 III telephoto zoom lens’ optical architecture consists of 13 parts divided into nine groups.

The lens’s variable maximum aperture ranges from f4.0 to f5.6.

Lens cap:

The Canon 75-300mm f4.0-5.6 III does not come with a lens hood as part of the standard packaging, but one may be purchased separately under the component number ET-60 as an add-on for this lens.

By screwing it onto the lens barrel, the lens hood is fastened to the lens.

The hue of someone’s body or skin

One of the color options for the Canon 75-300mm f4.0-5.6 III zoom lens is black.

FAQs:

What is my opinion of the Canon 75-300mm lens?

The Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM Lens is remarkably portable and lightweight for a lens with such a broad focal length range. Even though its length significantly increases when zoomed to 300mm, its small size makes it relatively simple to transport. The 75 to 300-millimeter focal length range is efficient. This range is conducive for many applications, including, among other things, taking images of people, animals, and natural environments.

Is image stabilization included in the Canon EF 75-300mm lens’s features?

According to the manufacturer’s provided product description, this is the first interchangeable lens for an SLR camera to be equipped with image stabilization. Although a regular camera shake would make the image hazy, I can still take clear pictures when there is not enough light.

Is a lens with a 300 mm focal length sufficient for taking pictures of the night sky?

When taking pictures for deep-sky astrophotography, using a prime telephoto lens like the Canon EF 300mm F/4L is a good strategy as long as you have a system in place to track the night sky while taking each picture. It is accurate as long as you have a design for navigating by the night sky. You may utilize this lens, for example. Due to the large field of view and high tolerance level, auto-guiding is not necessary to capture effective long-exposure shots.

What sets a regular lens apart from a telephoto lens’s capability? Is its ability to zoom in and out of a scene?

The advantages that zoom and telephoto lenses offer the photographer are their primary distinction. Zoom lenses allow photographers to focus on objects at various distances, eliminating the need to switch lenses to modify the focal length. A telephoto lens does not alter the focal length in any manner; instead, it maintains the same focal length but is substantially more compact than a standard lens.

Why would I require a lens with a 300-millimeter focal length?

When a lens’s focal length falls between 70 and 300 millimeters, it is regarded as medium telephoto. This particular lens is one that photographers frequently use while taking pictures of astronomical objects like the moon, planets, and stars. Additionally, it is advised for use when capturing natural moments when traveling, on the street, or in other settings.

How long is a 300mm lens?

For photographing birds or airplanes, a telephoto lens with a focal length of 300 or 400 millimeters would be necessary due to its size and weight. Remember that a low number signifies a wide angle, and a high number indicates a telephoto. The lens can zoom between multiple focal lengths if a range of focal lengths is represented by a pair of digits, such as 35-105mm.

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Canon EF 75-300mm F/4-5.6 Review - Bestoflens (1)

Sharon Advik

I am a professional photographer born in the USA. I have been in this field of photography for 22 years now, and in these years, I used many photography lenses, which I want to share here on this website about my experience of it. The idea for Bestoflens.com is to provide honest information about different Lenses products in the format of a “Best lenses for AYZ” list. I want this website to be the last destination for people to pick the best lenses to fit their needs. You can find our unbiased reviews here on Bestoflens.

Canon EF 75-300mm F/4-5.6 Review - Bestoflens (2024)
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