Aldebaran Loc: Florida

I am doing all I can varying different settings and shooting at different conditions and this is the result I get on a bright day at around 30 feet from my new 70-200 F/4 L lens. Terrible! I was expecting better from a CAnon L lens, my first, at great sacrifice. Am i doing something wrong? -- aside from ISO here--- I know the ISO is too high for a sunny day but the camera is supposed to work its compensation on speed and give me the same output all the time for any ISO-speed combination. Anyway I don't get better results if I use 200, 400 ISO

Cropped & Downsized


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Cropped and downsized


This example came out better but these ducks were closer, so it seems to me when the subject is pretty close the definition is much better. Same settings! Still, i could have shot this with a less expensive lens. Do I need to return it? The high ISO ha sbeen my last attempt at making it use a high shutter speed because I wanted to freeze the action


75-300 with TC, bird moving. 420mm, ISO 200.


Sky-high bird in fast movement taken with 75-300 at 200 ISO , 420mm. A little blurry, but it would have been much worst with L lens . I don't think the TC is the issue. BTW these 75-300 are all crops.

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

Hard to say if you are doing something wrong or not.
But in the first 2 images it looks like it is focused at the very top of the image.
And it could be a teleconverter problem. F/4 lens with a 1.4 TC will have more trouble focusing than the lens by itself.
You should have mentioned that you were using a TC.

Aldebaran Loc: Florida

I forgot I was using a TC.... I have tried without the TC also. No better results. The 50 D places a red square over the focus point and I know I was focusing on the ducks not above them. I have so many bad photos from this lens (with and without TC) that I think I will return it and maybe I will get a better copy. I nevertheless many people use TCs with this lens and get different results. I have an EF 75-300 that cost me around $50 on ebay that gives me much better results. See samples here With TC. I am just trying to see if I am correct on my assessment I am not at all satisfied.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Aldebaran, your ISO is sky high,
You have an extender and your cropping.
Your shooting at high noon and it looks like the sun is in front of you and not behind.
Did you use a hood? If not, put it on.
The lens only does what you tell it to do.
I'll bet I could get a worse shot than that with a PhaseOne.
If you correct some of those things it will get better.
Shoot golden hour only.
Good luck. SS

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

Are you using IS while on a tripod?
Can the 50D calibrate a lens to the camera?

deej

maybe you should try a focus test on the lens or try the lens on another body also.

Acountry330 Loc: Dothan,Ala USA

The ISO was way to high.

Aldebaran Loc: Florida

No tripod, the lens is non-IS. Already tried calibrating.

Aldebaran Loc: Florida

See the 75-300 sample with TC at maximum 300mm = 420mm. Bird moving and moving fast above me. Much better than with the famous "L" lens.

Aldebaran Loc: Florida

It happens at 100-200,400,800, etc

mdorn Loc: Portland, OR

Perhaps your expectations are a bit too high. I have that exact same setup: 50D with 70-200L. Bad copy? I doubt it, but if you feel buyer's remorse, then by all means send it back. This lens is one of my very best. I can't really say anything negative about it. Hopefully, you have more examples to go by. The ones you posted are very difficult to judge. Did you try it on a different camera yet?

Aldebaran Loc: Florida

Tried it with 550D. Same results. I have done my homework doing many tests, using other cameras, different settings, with and without hood and TC, etc... Done calibration... I don't know what focus test is and if I need to retest it after Canon did, it is no good to me. Just tell me plainly if it is no good because I think it is not. If I haven't done something it is because I don't know about it and after all, isn't it supposed to be like an Apple device, work out of the box? I am desperate because I had high hopes for my first "L". Disappointed is not enough to express how bad I feel. Waited a long time and wasted money on other lenses because I thought they were not "good enough" and now this. Bad luck? Bad copy? Is that the average output of this lens?

Aldebaran Loc: Florida

It is not buyers remorse. I would spend the same money and even more if it was really a good lens. Can you please post an example of your combo 50d & 70-200 to make an assessment? I have many more samples but I don't want to clutter this space with them. Thank you all. will be waiting for some samples 50 and 70-200 if you have the time and are so kind as to post them. Would help me a lot!

olcoach Loc: Oregon

You have no faith in this lens. Even if it began to meet expectations I think you will still have a problem with it. Why not return the lens and get another one, and give it a try. If you don't like it return it for a refund and try something different. Life is too short to use a lens you don't like. Good luck.

deej

Focus test is same as calibration. Unless Canon screwed up the calibration while they had both your camera and lens together for the calibration. Sounds like you covered many bases and I did not want to offend you :thumbup: Is their another resource to try another like lens with same setup under best same conditions??? Simply put, sounds like your headed to send the lens back in for a replacement or exchange.