New EOS L IS vs Older IS

Hey yoose EOS mavens ... answer me this please: I'm lookin at all

these 70 - 200mm L IS zooms for sale on _bay and I'm thinking these

guys are selling the old IS because the new IS is better and that's

what they're going for. I've waited ten years to get an L lens and

I've dumped my EOS A2E ... picked up a 3 and am getting serious

about a 70 - 200. If I really want the best ... should I buy new?

 

Thanks

There is just one version of the 70-200 2.8L IS as far as I know. This has better weather sealing than the non-IS model. An awesome lens, though quite heavy. I've got the 70-200 f4L and I am very happy with it. It is light (700 something grams) and extremely sharp!

Buying used equipment depends upon your comfort level with doing so. I have bought a great deal of used equipment, Canon FD, Canon EF, medium format, and 4x5, and have had extremely good luck purchasing from both retailers and individuals. Buying used gives you much more flexibility with your budget.

 

As for specific lenses the non IS f2.8 L and the f4 L zooms are both exceptional. If I can get you to think a moment about primes, you could have the 85mm f1.8, 135mm f2 L, and the 200mm f2.8 L for not much more than the huge IS zoom and purchased at different times to fit your budget. The primes will perform better optically. In the case of the f1.8 and f2 they will match the IS for its ability to photograph in lower light levels without a tripod. The zoom gives you greater convenience! Good luck and have fun!

yes, primes might be a good choice, -and with the 135/2L you can just buy the 1.4 II converter and you have a near 200/2.8 lens (and with a 2 II converter you have a 270 mm f4 lens!)

There's only one version of the 70-200/2.8L, and there's only one version of the 70-200/2.8L IS. So what do you mean by "new IS" versus "old IS"?!? The 70-200/2.8L came out in 1995. The 70-200/2.8L IS came out in 2001. Neither have changed since their initial introduction, and there were no additional versions of either lens. So you don't have to worry about a newer 70-200/2.8L IS versus an older 70-200/2.8L IS because there's only one.

Thank you gentlemen. You have been quite helpful. I thought I had read somewhere that Canon had just improved their IS tech and got it into my head there was a new version of this lens.

 

I've only ever used primes with my 35mm cameras but now that I have a 645 and a 4x5 camera I'm using the EOS camera for nature photography and snaps. I wanted the immediacy of a zoom but being a primes only shooter up to this point in my life I wanted the best. I don't want to give up image quality but I need the speed.

<cite>I had read somewhere that Canon had just improved their IS tech</cite>

 

<p>Canon has improved IS from time to time over the years. The bad news is that they don't upgrade older IS lenses with the newer IS. The good news is that the 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM has the most advanced version of IS, incorporating mode 1 (for stationary subjects), mode 2 (for panning), tripod detection, quicker startup than other IS lenses, and an extra stop's worth of stabilization.</p>

 

<p>Whether or not to buy used is up to you and your comfort level. Two of the three lenses I buy were used, but I bought them from reputable dealers. I got to inspect them before buying them, and got some kind of warranty and exchange policy from the store. That's good enough to meet my comfort level. I'd be much less comfortable buying on eBay, for example. A used lens, if it's in good shape, will be just as good as a brand new lens, at a significantly lower price, but not all used lenses are in good shape. As always, caveat emptor.</p>