Canon Lens Reviews
Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM

By Scott Umstattd

Canon Lens Reviews: The Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 II USM lens is not for everyone and certainly not the right lens for every occasion. But when it is the right lens to use, it brings back incredible results.

I work mostly in the field and, as a personal preference, prefer to travel with as little gear as possible. This lens, though not tiny, gives me the quality telephoto reach I need while not demanding an entire bag all to itself.

Any Canon L series lens is going to be a great lens. It’s Canon’s best effort and when they put their best effort front and center, Canon makes some incredible photography equipment. The Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens is no exception. It takes stunning photographs no matter what camera you put it on.

Those buying this lens, I think, will use it for the same reasons I use it. It gives a great telephoto reach at f/2.8. That’s enough to use it right there. In lesser lenses, zooming in at 200mm means image loss. The only zooming competition (in the Canon lens lineup) is the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS USM.

The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS USM zoom lens is amazing. It takes incredible pictures and it can zoom! But it is a monster of a lens. It is white and it stands out. And, it makes the photographer stand out. It is not easy to carry around. It weighs over three pounds. It demands its own bag (or a large portion of one bag used for multiple items). And it costs $2,500.

I wanted the picture quality that the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS USM has at a fraction of the cost and a fraction of its size. And I did not want to stand out in villages and remote areas or work sites with a big white lens. The Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens gave me all of that.

Of course, not being able to zoom has its drawbacks in the field. Often, I am not afforded the chance to move in closer or farther from a scene. But after having a very nice used Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 lens (that broke after it met some rocks from about four feet high), I realized that more times than not, I was zooming all the way into 200mm (and still wanting more!).

So, rather than buy another third party lens (although Sigma lenses have been great for me), I wanted the quality of a Canon L lens. At about $800 and weighing in at only 1.7 pounds, the Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 II USM lens gave me everything I was looking for.

It is not my everyday work-horse lens. My Canon 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens stays on my Canon 60D 80% of the time. But when I need extra reach or if I want a tight head-shot or if I just need to shoot in low light or if there is something cool far away that’s just begging to be photographed, the Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens is a great option for me to have at my disposal.

I highly recommend the Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 USM lens.

Show Me the Pictures!

Canon Lens Reviews - Here are some pictures taken with my Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens.

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi and a Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens.

ISO - 400. F/stop - f/5.6. Shutter Speed - 1/160.

Canon D30 camera and a Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens.

ISO - 100. F/Stop - f/7.1. Shutter Speed - 1/500.

Canon D30 camera and a Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens.

ISO - 200. F/Stop - f/3.5. Shutter Speed - 1/5000.

Canon D30 camera and a Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens.

ISO - 100. F/Stop - f/3.5. Shutter Speed - 1/500.

Canon 30D camera and a Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens.

ISO - 200. F/Stop - f/3.2. Shutter Speed - 1/250.

Canon 60D camera and a Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens.

ISO - 2000. F/Stop - f/3.5. Shutter Speed - 1/250.

Canon 30D camera and a Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens.

ISO - 200. F/Stop - f/3.2. Shutter Speed - 1/250.

Canon 30D camera and a Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens.

ISO - 100. F/Stop - f/3.5. Shutter Speed - 1/250.

Canon D30 camera and a Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens.

ISO - 100. F/Stop - f/3.5. Shutter Speed - 1/500.

Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L USM Lens Review
Conclusion

The Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L USM lens produces some of the best pictures of any Canon lens. It's a prime lens and it may not attract many people. But, if you add a Canon 1.4x extender or a Canon 2x extender this lens quickly turns into a long range zoom lens packaged in a much smaller, black body when compared to the other Canon lenses that reach the same focal length.

I primarily use this lens to capture portraits without getting in someone's face and for sports photography. It also makes for a great landscape lens as well.

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