Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM mounted on Canon EOS 1Dx : Tests and Reviews

Announced in February 2016, the $2598 Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS (Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8) is a short-to-mid telephoto zoom lens for such Sony full-frame a7 series cameras as the a7R II. The “GM” in the full lens name signifies that the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 belongs to Sony’s “G Master” lineup of pro-grade optics.

We’ve tested 130 lenses on Canon’s flagship camera, the full-frame 18-Mpix Canon EOS-1D X Mk II, covering focal lengths ranging from an incredibly wide 11mm up to a super-telephoto 600mm.

We’ve split the results between primes and zooms and then arranged them into three groups according to use. This equates to ultra-wide and wide-angle, standard, and telephoto to help you narrow down the best performer in each.

However, this time we’ve compared lenses from the perspective of the camera’s intended market — the photojournalist. While they’re not really any different from the next photographer when it comes to choosing focal length, there are some models that perhaps require further consideration.

In Part 2 of our best lenses for the Canon EOS 5DS R review, we’re looking at the best optics for travel, wildlife, portrait and event photography. Whether you’re looking for a versatile zoom for weddings, a prime for the best quality portraits, or a professional sports and wildlife lens, we’ve got all the data you need. So let’s analyze the scores in five different categories — short telephoto prime, long telephoto prime, “fast” telephoto zoom, “slow” telephoto zoom, and super-zoom — to discover the best-performing lenses in each group.

Launched side-by-side, the EOS 760D and EOS 750D (aka T6s and T6i in North America, respectively) share a lot in common, including the same high-resolution 24.2-Mpix APS-C CMOS sensor complete with Canon’s Hybrid CMOS AF III for fast and accurate focusing. We’ve put the two models through our labs coupled with a wide range of native and third-party Canon-mount lenses. Read on to find out how these models perform.

A favorite of wildlife and action photographers, Canon’s EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM is a well-specified and versatile model. However, as it approaches sixteen years in production, is it still capable of competing with more modern offerings? Read on to find out.

Introduced in July this year, the EOS 70D at first sight seems like a regular update to the maker’s mid-range EOS 60D model. It shares a number of features with the firm’s existing SLR range including a 19-point cross-type phase detection AF system, a 3-inch (1.040M dot) articulated touchscreen and built-in WiFi connectivity with remote viewing and image transfer. The camera can also shoot at up to 7fps and has 1080/30p video recording with stereo sound using an optional external microphone.

In the lead up to Photokina 2012, Canon announced the new Canon EOS 6D full-frame entry-point model within days of Nikon publicizing their most-affordable full-frame camera to date, the 24-Mpix D600. While the EOS 6D boasted some attention grabbing features including built-in WiFi and GPS and slightly undercut the Nikon on price, it couldn’t match its rival in one or two key areas, namely the less populated AF system and lower resolution sensor.

Launched in February 2011, the Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 EX DC APO OS HSM is a trans-standard zoom lens aimed at APS-C camera users. On these APS-C models, the crop factor of the sensor (1.5x on Nikon and 1.6x on Canon) makes it comparable to the 70-200mm focal length on a full frame camera, but arguably with an even more versatile length as they reach a little longer (225mm on Nikon and 240mm on Canon). Featuring a raft of specification acronyms, it promises high performance in a well-priced package, but does the reality live up to the billing?

The zoom range 70-200, or thereabout, is one of the real classic lenses, an absolute “must” for sports and photojournalism. The faster the maximum aperture the better, but most important of all it must be a good performer. Tamron’s SP 70-200mm f2.8 Di VC USD has the right specifications and a price tag that is very attractive, especially when you see how good it is.

Introduced in November 2012 as the proposed ‘kit’ lens for the EOS 6D, the EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM lens represents an interesting move for Canon – despite two well respected lenses in this category, the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM and the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, the EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM hopes to offer a compact, lightweight lens suitable for the newly created lightweight, full-frame camera segment. The red L-series band offers the promise of professional performance, but does it live up to the expectations?