Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Lens

2021-02-01T19:00:00

A very well designed lens, low CA minimal light fall-off. Makes for an exceptional astro-lens.

HotandMuggyinFL

Originally posted at

2021-02-01T19:00:00

Had purchased the original Mk1 version back in 2002. It’s manual focus just went out and found this Mk 2 version available here on Canon Refurb site. Still an exceptional lens.

HotandMuggyinFL

Originally posted at

2018-11-07T19:00:00

Unobtrusive size; doesn't look like a telephoto lens. Image quality is excellent. Lens becomes a 320mm on crop sensor camera.

Coldwolf

Originally posted at

2018-07-18T20:00:00

My WONDERFUL wife purchased this lens for my birthday. I've been renting it on and off for a year and it's just so wonderful having it at my fingertips whenever I need it. I shoot primarily in low light settings (jazz clubs and this lens really performs. It looks and operates as if it were brand new. Bravo Canon!

jeffdunncom

Originally posted at

2018-06-27T20:00:00

Very sharp. Great lens. Fast af. I’m actually preferring this lens over my 70-200! If you don’t need a zoom lens , the 100L and this 200L are fantastic used together.

canon 1.

Originally posted at

2018-01-07T19:00:00

perfect for pro photographers, and every day amateur usage too

ElliAbbs

Originally posted at

2017-09-06T08:56:09

I have several Canon lens and like them all, but this one is tot as sharp as compared to the 100mm Micro I also own - which is superb! Alan Hoisman

ALAN H.

2017-08-15T15:36:21

Precise, sharp, and fast lens

Weijie M.

2017-07-18T20:00:00

With my 70-200 I found I spent 99% of the time shooting at 200mm. So I often opt for this little gem instead. It is smaller, lighter and easier to handhold for extended periods compared to the big 70-200. Yes, you give up some flexibility and features with the prime (zoom, IS, weather sealing. But to me it is a worthwhile trade-off. As a portrait lens the 200mm is brilliant. It provides a comfortable working distance from the subject. At f/2.8 there is great background separation and bokeh. Colors are rich and skin tone are smooth. As an action lens the 200mm performs like a champ indoors in low light for concerts and sports. AF is fast and accurate. It works with extenders for longer distance outdoor sports but I do prefer to use it alone. For landscape work the 200mm also is excellent. Edge to edge clarity is consistent with no noticeable distortion or vignetting at the edges. Contrast in the raw images from the 200mm is not as high some other tele lenses. Some light post-processing contrast boosting really makes colors pop.

jbinco

Originally posted at

2017-06-18T20:00:00

Just received this week,fairly easy to shoot hand held.Sharp image!

Zman

Originally posted at

2017-05-15T20:00:00

I am using this lens mainly for sports and street events, such as parades, carnivals, and other festivals. The small size (as compared to 70-200) and black color make this less conspicuous than the white beasts. Build quality is excellent! The whole front barrel and focus ring (less rubber band) are metal. The hood mount/filter threads are metal. Only the lower half before the lens mount is composite plastics. My only gripe is the lack of weather sealing. I would probably give this 4.5 because of the lack of weather sealing. Image quality is fantastic. Although the 70-200 f/2.8 IS II is technically sharper, you would have a hard telling the difference. Colors and saturation are very very nice. Very little processing needs to be done with this lens. Auto focus is very fast, and very accurate! Shooting my son's soccer game, I easily had a keeper rate in the 90-95% range. The limiter switch makes focusing even faster. Overall,

Daniel

Originally posted at

2017-01-15T18:30:00

Very good low light and clear , only blur when I want it to .

TIM T.

2016-12-08T19:00:00

I own 8 canon prime L lenses and this is the least sharp, and has the poorest contrast of any of them. It's badly overdue for an upgrade. I know it's a bargain, but I am concerned with the best image quality. I shoot with a 5DSR, so sharpness is really put to the test. It also badly needs IS. It's compactness is a plus. It's very uncommon I dislike a canon lens.

Sproesser

Originally posted at

2016-09-01T09:07:50

Great Lens. Got the sharp and crisp look that I was looking to obtain. Great customer service when purchasing it.

MARQUIS H.

2016-02-17T19:00:00

I love this lens. I've been shooting with my 70-200 f4 lens which is great, but I wanted a faster lens and this the 70-200 f2.8 was out of my price range. But I realized that when shooting the bride and groom at the alter I was always at the 200 focal length so I thought this lens could be a good alternative. I also bought an ND6 filter to allow me to open the lens in sunlight, but so I haven't had need for it. The one thing you have to be careful about is the temptation to use the 2.8 setting while photographing a couple where one person is slightly back from the other. The depth of field at 2.8 is very shallow and I've caught myself getting a slightly soft image on one of the subjects. But it's a great lens, tough as nails with beautiful optics.

jfj17

Originally posted at

2015-11-28T19:00:00

Haven't used the 70-200 personally, but don't feel that it will be better than this lens. Haven't seen a zoom that was better than a prime anyway. Great detail, color,and contrast. True what was said about edge sharpness Some may need zoom ability, but you can move or switch from horizontal to vertical to get around that. The price is great for the quality of the pictures you get. May find it a little heavy, but I had been without a camera for a while, so it took a little time to get used to shooting with it. Now, weight isn't a problem. But that heavyness is sign of solid construction. Compatible with extenders is a plus, although I haven't been using it with one due to shooting sports mostly at the moment with it. I don't use auto focus, so I actually had to get used to the sharpness so I could tell when something was or wasn't exactly in focus. But very happy with it.

Greg

Originally posted at

2015-01-12T19:00:00

I use this lens at the skating rink and other sporting events. It takes a little getting used too because I hand hold it. I found that by bumping up the ISO and the shutter speed it takes crisp pictures. Adding a flash helps.

EUGENE A.

2015-01-06T19:00:00

I use the Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L-II USM Lens to photograph my daughter in sporting events.

EUGENE A.

2015-01-05T19:00:00

I use this lens on an APS-C sensor EOS SL1 Rebel for landscape photography. Focal length after the 1.6 crop is 320mm on APS-C. This lens kills! Truly stellar long telephoto image quality. I passed on the 70-200 L zooms because I really only cared about the top end of the focal length range. The problem with the 70-200 zooms is that 200mm performance is mediocre. You need to back off the zoom for clean edge to edge sharp photos on those lenses. I wanted killer 200mm performance on APS-C and this lens delivers. Amazingly sharp edge to edge, great color, great contrast, very little distortion, and very little chromatic aberration. Edge to edge sharpness and chromatic aberration is even great at F/2.8. I mostly use this lens from F/8 to F/13 for long depth of field. I'm so happy with the photos I'm getting from this lens. This lens is a real sleeper also. It's very discrete in appearance for the long focal length due to its short length and black color. Don't forget the black accessary tripod mount ring. The model number is A II B. I found out that the B stands for black. The tripod mount ring model number was verified through Canon. If you're serious about long telephoto image quality on APS-C, this is the right tool for the job. It wont disappoint.

solobackcountry

Originally posted at

2014-09-04T21:00:00

I use the Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L-II USM Lens to take pictures of my daughter at the beach and other places where I need more telescopic power. I have a Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM Lens and it ROCKS! Between the two, I think the 135 gives better color and better focus.

EUGENE A.

2014-08-18T21:00:00

I use it for landscape and photographing people/events

EUGENE A.

2014-07-17T21:00:00

I bought this as a replacement for my 70-200mm zoom. I used to have a 200mm f2 in the old days and was concerned that I would be disappointed with this lens. Oh, no, it is brilliant and I love it. So crisp and works so well with the extenders.

Robert J.

2014-07-14T20:00:00

This is an exceptional prime lens. The images it produces are outstanding. I also shoot with a 70-200mm II is and I find myself using it more than the zoom lens. It can produce great images hand held but if you can use a tripod or a monopod do so. It's a great lens for the price. If you are shooting action then you should go for the 70-200 mm II is if you are not experienced enough to use a prime lens without image stabilization.

Terezd

Originally posted at

2014-04-17T20:00:00

I bought this as a backup to my 70-200 2.8 III lens and it is a disappointment. Does not hold up to the performance of the 70-200 AT ALL. Maybe I got a bad copy, but mine is not god enough to be worth shooting. I keep it around for my daughter (she's 14 and has a rebel) to shoot. Not recommended...

Mike

Originally posted at

2013-09-23T20:00:00

I bought this one pretty recently but I have to say it's gotten a lot of use. I'm not a big fan of zooms, but I have a few. I was looking at the 70-200 f/2.8L IS II. Very pricey, and it would probably spend most of its time at 200mm. So for 1/3 of the price I get this 200mm f.2.8L II. I think it's actually sharper, and I don't miss the IS much because honestly below 1/200 of a second your subject motion comes into play. Also this lens is quite sharp wide open. It's heavy-ish but certanly not in its focal length range and certainly lighter than the 70-200s are. If you don't mind changing lenses to get the job done, get this lens. Between this and the 135 f/2L I find the short telephoto range is covered.

taylorphototexas

Originally posted at

2013-08-19T21:00:00

Good quality lens. Pretty heavy, so a tripod will be needed for most shots.

Have S.

2013-06-10T21:00:00

I like the lens, but am more used to a zoom telephoto so it is taking longer to get used than I would have liked. I miss not having the flexibility of the zoom. However, the lens takes sharp photos and I like it a lot more now that I am getting used to walking back or forward to get the crop I want. Unfortunately, sometimes there is not enough distance to walk back. I am impressed with quality of the photos and really like having the lower f stop.

Shelby

2013-04-14T20:00:00

This is a great lens. It is fast at f2.8, small, and inconspicuous compared to the other Canon 200mm (zoom and prime) white lenses. The build quality is superb - typical for a L lens. I find it balances very nicely with my 5D mk II (with battery grip). AF, IQ and contrast are great. The AF is very fast and quiet. The only real down side is the lack of IS and of course it isn't a zoom. The 70-200 f/2.8 IS L is purchased in place of this lens by many people. The 70-200 is a fantastic lens, but for the price and size this lens is hard to beat.

Carnac

Originally posted at

2013-02-23T19:00:00

I was carrying a 70-200, but realised I was permanently jammed out at 200 for wildlife/sports, and the results were not quite what I had hoped for. I tried this because it is 2.8L, compatible with the extenders, nice price, and I was betting on gaining prime sharpness over my zoom. It delivers, and it keeps surprising me. It's lightweight. It's black, so it doesn't scream for attention. I don't use the tripod mount often but I was a little annoyed that it wasn't included, had to pick one up separately.

Sean7D

Originally posted at

2013-01-01T19:00:00

This is an excellent prime lens that has great bokeh. A great addition to Amy photographers bag. It is super sharp with a fast auto focus. It can be used hand held but best used when mounted to a tripod or monopod. Great in low light.

Big R.

Originally posted at