Canon Lens EF 200mm 1:2 L USM IS review

For the provided lens Canon Lens EF 200mm 1:2 L USM IS (IMAGE STABILIZER, ULTRASONIC) many thanks to the store ProFotoSale, where you can find many new and used. lenses of different systems, including similar lenses for Canon EF.

Navigation

1. In short
2. History
3. Main Specifications
4. Assembly
5. Stabilizer
6. Focusing
7. Temporal 'AF STOP' buttons, 'FOCUS PRESET' switches, 'SET' button
8. Diaphragm
9. Image quality
10. Sample Photos
11. My experience
12. Prices / where to find
13. Results
14. User Comments
15. Add your review, comment or question on the lens

In the review, I will call the lens Canon Lens EF 200mm 1: 2 L USM IS for short - Canon 200/2 LIS. In different sources, catalogs or stores, the name of the lens may be indicated a little differently.

Canon 200/2 L IS won't fit in my light cube for shooting its appearance, because I took its appearance from the site bhphotovideo.com... You can see how a particular specimen that I visited on a review looks like. here (profotosale.com.ua), here (club-foto.ru), here (instagram.com).

In short

The Canon 200/2 L IS is a very fast telephoto lens with built-in Image Stabilizer. Heavy, sharp, fast, reliable, with beautiful bokeh. Has several interesting features.

Canon 200/2 LIS - one of a kind. There are only three such full-frame lenses with built-in image stabilization: Canon 200/2 L IS (from this review) and two models from Nikon: Nikon 200/2G VR и Nikon 200/2G II VR.

The Canon 200/2 L IS is great for some portraits and some reportage/sports. Can be used as a good solution for wildlife photography.

The main disadvantage is the decrease in aperture ratio from F / 1.8 to F / 2.0 when switching from the old version Canon 200 / 1.8 L to the new Canon 200/2 L IS (from this review).

History

Canon has a long track record of developing extremely fast telephoto lenses:

1. Canon lens 400 mm 1:2, prototype, circa 1970-1980
2. Canon lens PE 300 mm F1.8, autofocus, only 4 made, circa 1986
3. Canon lens EF 200mm 1:1.8L ULTRASONIC, 1988, 12/10 (3 UD)
4. Canon lens FD 200mm 1:1.8L, 1989, 11/9, nFD, last lens of the FD/nFD series
5. Canon lens EF 200mm 1:2 L IS USM, 2008, 17/12 (2 UD, 1 FL), featured in this review

It should also be noted autofocus counterparts, which are very few:

1. Nikon AF-S Nikkor 200mm 1: 2G ED VR, 2004, 13/9 (3 ED, 1 SED)
2. Nikon N AF-S Nikkor 200mm 1:2G II ED VR, 2010, 13/9 (3 ED, 1 SED)
3. FUJIFILM FUJINON LENS SUPER EBC XF 200mm 1:2 R LM OIS WR, 2018, 19/14 (2 ED, 1 SED), for cropped mirrorless cameras

All these lenses are rare, expensive and very interesting. I want to note that only Canon and Nikon have managed to release autofocus full-frame lenses of the 200 / 1.8 and 200/2 class for free sale.

Canon Lens EF 200mm 1:2 L USM IS Key Specifications:

Review Instance Name	Canon Lens EF 200mm 1:2 L USM IS IMAGE STABILIZER CANON INC. MADE IN JAPAN ULTRASONIC
Basic properties	EF (Eelectro-Focus) is a lens designed for Canon EOS full-frame cameras. Suitable for Canon mount cameras EF и Ef-s. IS (Istomach Stabilizer) - image stabilizer Ultrasonic/USM – ultrasonic motor AF-MF (Auto Focus-Mannual Focus) - the lens is equipped with a focus mode switch Focus Distance Limiter L (Luxury) - premium lens FTM (Full Time Manual Focusing) - the possibility of continuous manual focusing UD (Ultra Low Dispersion) - the presence of extra-low dispersion elements in the optical scheme fluorite element in an optical scheme Enlightenment Super Spectra Coating IF (Iinternal Focusing) - internal focus Tripod foot (partially removable) Ability to use a large number of teleconverters 4 temple buttons AF stop Focus Distance Preset FOCUS PRESET Sound confirmation switch focus distance presets Play ring Carabiners for a belt Light filter system drop-in-filter Extra rubber ring for a comfortable grip Rubber bumper near the front lens Dust-proof coating near the rear lens and also on the inside of the hood Protected enclosure
Front Filter Diameter	not used Uses gelatin drop-in filters on the bayonet side
Focal length	200 mm EGF for Canon cameras with APS-C sensor and Kf = 1.6x is 320 mm EGF for Canon cameras with APS-H sensor and Kf = 1.3x is 260 mm
Zoom ratio	1 X (this is a fixed focal length lens, it does not have zoom)
Designed by	for full-frame digital SLR cameras. Lens fit for all Canon EOS SLR cameras
Number of aperture blades	8 rounded petals
Tags	bayonet mount mark depth of field scale for F / 16 and F / 32 window with focusing distance in meters (white marking, 1.9, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 20 meters and infinity mark) and feet (green marking, 6.3, 8.2, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, 70 feet and infinity mark)
Diaphragm	F / 2.0 to F / 32
MDF	1.9 meters maximum magnification ratio 1:8.33 (the smaller the second number, the better for macro photography)
The weight	2520 grams
Optical design	17 elements in 12 groups, 2 special optical low dispersion elements UD (Ultra Low Dispersion) and 1 fluorite The image of the circuit is clickable.
Lens hood	Hood CANON ET-120B CANON INC. MADE IN JAPAN. The lens hood can be installed in reverse for transport or storage.
Manufacturer country	LENS MADE IN JAPAN (made in Japan)
Period	Since 23 January 2008
Price	View on E-katalog View on ebay

One of the advantages of telephoto lenses with a maximum aperture of 1:2.0 is the ability to easily pair them with teleconverters. Canon 200/2 L IS works great with original 1.4X and 2X teleconverters.

Assembly

The Canon 200/2 L IS is very well built. The build quality is fully consistent with the professional orientation of the lens.

The lens is large and heavy. The weight of the lens is about 2500 grams (including the tripod foot). Older Version Canon Lens EF 200mm 1:1.8 L ULTRASONIC was half a kilo heavier.

The Canon 200/2 L IS has a non-removable metal tripod foot. The position of the foot is fixed with a special clamping non-removable screw. The foot rotates freely 360 degrees around the axis of the lens. During the rotation of the clamp, there are four positions with characteristic clicks, indicating the correct orientation of the foot in a strictly vertical or horizontal position. The leg of the foot can be removed, but this requires a special tool (curly screwdriver).

On the side of the rear lens there is dust-absorbing fabric cover... There is also a rubber seal for the lens mount.

At the front of the lens there is a rubberized decorative ring, for which it is convenient to support the lens and on which the temple buttons are located.

The front of the Canon 200/2 L IS has a large protective rubber bumper. For transportation on the clamp of the tripod foot there is two massive ears under the belt (under the carabiners).

The front of the lens is recess / groove for hood installation. The hood is not bayonet, but is installed in a similar way. The hood has a special clip with which it is fixed. The hood can be installed in the opposite direction. In this position, access to the focus ring is completely lost. The front of the hood has a small rubber bumper... The inside of the hood is covered with dust cloth.

Canon 200/2 L IS uses internal filters (Drop-In-filters). On the bayonet side of the lens body, there is a special groove into which the filter holder is inserted. To remove the holder, you need to press the two fixing metal buttons. I used a lens with an internal regular gelatin filter from CANON.

Unfortunately, initially the lens comes with a holder for gelatin filters. To use conventional filters that screw into the thread, you must separately purchase the Canon Holder 52. This holder allows you to use conventional filters with a diameter of 52 mm. There is also a special holder for polarizing filters Canon Holder PC-C52.

It's important: The lens does not have a thread for the front filters. The use of classic light filters that are attached from the side of the front lens is difficult.

The Canon 200/2 L IS does not come with a classic front protective cover, and therefore you have to use a fabric 'hood' on puffs, which is not always convenient. This is typical of most of these 'large' lenses. The hood for Canon 200/2 L IS has plastic curly protrusions for the lens bumper at its bottom, which allows you to tightly and conveniently install the hood on the lens.

The Canon 200/2 L IS comes in a stylish carrying case. The case has a lock and must be opened with a key.

Stabilizer

The Canon 200/2 L IS has a Canon IS (IMAGE STABILIZER) image stabilizer function that instructions can compensate 5 steps by shutter speed. In numerical terms, this means that with this lens you can shoot at shutter speeds up to 32 times slower than required by a lens without stabilizer.

It's important: The efficiency of the stabilizer, expressed in steps, depends on the testing methodology. According to other testing methods, there is information that the lens compensates for only 4 stops.

To enable / disable the stabilizer on the lens there 'STABILIZER ON/OFF' switch.

To select the mode there is a switch 'STABILIZER MODE 1/2'. The stabilizer can operate in two modes:

• Mode '1' designed for most scenes and allows you to compensate for camera/lens shake in all directions.
• Mode '2' disables stabilization in the vertical or horizontal direction, depending on how the camera is moving. Suitable, for example, for continuous frame-by-frame shooting of moving objects with the camera panning. For example, to shoot a person running past (a person runs horizontally, the stabilizer dampens only the vertical vibrations of the camera/lens and allows you not to influence the rotation of the camera/lens in the horizontal direction).

I was able to take pictures of stationary objects without blur and hard effort for 1/20 of a second. And if you try hard, you can get a sharp frame even at shutter speed 1/10 second. In actual shooting conditions, the gimbal feels very good.

It is recommended to turn off the stabilizer when shooting with a tripod at slow shutter speeds.

Focusing

Canon 200 / 2.8 L II uses an ultrasonic focus motor Canon USM (Ultrasonic) ring type and focuses quickly (closer to 'very fast'). Focusing is quite quiet, but the hum from the focus motor will be clearly audible during movie shooting using the camera's built-in microphone.

On camera Canon EOS-1 Ds Mark II with advanced 47-point focusing module (7 crosswise) I had no problems with accuracy and tenacity of focus.

During focusing, the front and rear lenses remain stationary - the lens uses internal focus. It is possible to use any filters without problems.

The minimum focusing distance is only 190 cm, while you can shoot with a maximum magnification of 1: 8.33.

The Canon 200/2 L IS has a window with distance scales in meters and feet. There is a depth of field scale (but only for F / 16 and F / 32).

In manual focus mode, the ring rotates approximately 225 degrees (5/8 of a full turn), when reaching the extreme positions it does not rest, but continues to slide without affecting focusing.

There is a switch on the lens barrel that is responsible for the focus operation mode - 'AF / MF' (automatic / manual focus).

Canon 200/2L IS has focus distance limiter:

• In the '1.9m-∞' position, automatic focusing is available over the entire range of distances - from ∞ to MDF
• In the '3.5m-∞' position, auto focus is available in the range from 3.5 meters to ∞

During manual focusing, the limiter does not work.

Canon continuous manual focus control supported in 'AF' mode FTM (Full Time Manual Focusing), which implies that you can rotate the focus ring at any time. The intricacies of working with the FTM mode are described in detail in the review. Canon Zoom Lens EF 24-105mm 1: 4 L IS USM.

Focus Features:

1. Canon 200/2 L IS does not have a hard infinity mechanical stop, which allows you to accurately and quickly focus the lens to infinity under any external temperature conditions. For accurate focusing on infinity, you can’t just bring the focus ring to the extreme position on the side of infinity.
2. Canon 200/2L IS has strong effect 'Focus breathing' (changing the angle of view while focusing). During focusing on the MDF, the viewing angle decreases.
3. Focus shift (shift-focus, focus shift during aperture) was not noticed during operation and testing.
4. The accuracy and response of a lens is highly dependent on the camera used.
5. On mirrorless cameras Canon EOS M the lens can be used with an adapter Canon mount adapter EF-EOS M
6. On mirrorless cameras Canon EOS lens can be used with Canon EF -> R adapter

Temporal 'AF STOP' buttons, 'FOCUS PRESET' switches, 'SET' button

At the front of the lens, there are 4 auxiliary temporal buttons, which lock/stop focus by default.

It's important: You can reprogram these buttons in the menus of some cameras. For example, on camera Canon EOS-1 Ds Mark II These buttons can be programmed for the following functions:

1. Focus activation. Auto focus only works when one of the temple buttons is pressed.
2. Focus stop. Auto focus does not work while one of the temple buttons is pressed.
3. Forced use of all focus points. During focusing using only one focus point, pressing the temple buttons activates all 45 focus points.
4. Forced switching from ONE SHOT AF to AI SERVO AF.
5. Turn on the stabilizer. When the gimbal is in 'ON' mode, the temple buttons can activate it.

Canon 200/2 L IS has the function 'FOCUS RESET', which can be translated as 'Restore focusing distance'.

• For the lens to 'remember' the focusing distance, it is enough to set the desired focusing distance value (manually or automatically) and press the special button 'Set' ('Remember/Set').
• To 'recall' the focus distance value, turn the thin control ring (play ring) in any direction. This ring is plastic, not rubberized, visually weakly stands out against the background of the black focus ring.

The 'FOCUS RESET' function can be very useful when working with a tripod, when it is enough to accurately focus on the subject only once and 'remember' the distance to it, which will allow you to instantly return to the previous subject when refocusing on other subjects. Suggest your options for using this function in the comments.

Switch 'FOCUS RESET' has three positions:

1. OFF. In this position, the focus distance recovery function does not work.
2. ON. In this position, the focus distance recovery function works.
3. Sound wave symbol. In this position, the focus distance recovery function works. This is the audio confirmation switch for the focus distance recovery function. When the corresponding playback ring is activated, a sound identical to the 'sound of good focusing' will be heard. The sound is emitted even if sound notifications have been disabled in the camera menu. Also, while pressing the 'SET' button, a single beep will sound, indicating that the focusing distance has been memorized.

Diaphragm

Diaphragm lens consists of 8 rounded petals, which form a rounded hole. Aperture closes to F / 32.

One of the implicit benefits Telephoto lenses with a maximum aperture of 1: 2 is the ability to easily use them with teleconverters.

When using a 1.4x teleconverter, the lens turns to '280 / 2.8', while autofocus can be performed on all Canon digital SLR cameras.

Even when using a teleconverter with a magnification of 2X, when the lens turns into '400/4′, it can automatically focus on all Canon DSLRs. Many digital SLRs Canon EOS cameras have a limit on the maximum relative hole with which they work focus phase sensors one camera or another. Typically, cameras should use an aperture ratio of at least 1:5.6.

Image quality

The image quality of the Canon 200/2 L IS is good or excellent.

Sharpness/Resolution

• in the center of the frame at F / 2.0 the lens has good / excellent resolution
• there is a very slight drop in sharpness towards the far edges and corners of the frame
• the stock of sharpness should be sufficient at least for teleconverters with a magnification of 1.4x
• only on very closed apertures, detail can drop due to diffraction
• very high resolution over the entire field of the frame at apertures in the region of F / 4

Distortion

• the lens has a low level of distortion

Vignetting

• strong vignetting is observed only at f / 2.0
• vignetting almost completely disappears at F / 4
• vignetting is easily fixable in the editor

Aberration

• the level of chromatic aberration is low (only in the most difficult conditions can you get noticeable chromatic aberration)
• spherical aberration rate is low
• the level of freezing (aberrations coloring contrast elements in the blur zone) is low

Rest

• in backlight and strong side light, you can get a noticeable amount of glare
• nice, good color reproduction
• diaphragm opening at covered values ​​is well rounded
• in many scenes, the lens can create nice bokeh
• get eight rays star effect complicated

For the lens, there is a lens profile in popular RAW converters, for example, in the native Canon Digital Photo Professional.

Modern Canon cameras can recognize this lens, which allows you to automatically correct vignetting, distortion and some chromatic aberrations. Paired with Canon's 200/2 L IS enhancement algorithms, it's simply wonderful. Modern digital photography is not only the lens of the lens and the sensor of the camera, but also the post-processing of the result.

Sample photos (Full Frame)

Pictures in the gallery were obtained using legendary camera Canon EOS-1 Ds Mark II (Full Frame, 17 MP). Converting original RAW files with the original Canon DPP4 utility.

RAW '.CR2' original photos can be download / watch this link (73 photos).

My experience

I really love these lenses. I should note that no class lens TBU will not replace the Canon 200/2 L IS.

In some situations, the Canon 200/2 L IS can be a great addition to portrait primes. Canon 135 / 2 L, Canon 85/1.4 IS L и Canon 85/1.2L II.

Most likely, a replacement for the Canon 200/2 L IS will not be released in the near future, and therefore you can safely buy the 200 Canon 2/2008 L IS and not worry that it may become obsolete.

300/2.8 or 200/2? Everything depends on the tasks. But I would opt for 200/2 which makes 300/2.8 with a 1.4X teleconverter.

200/1.8 or 200/2IS? The version with a stabilizer is newer and optically more perfect. The older version has a 24% wider aperture. For a portrait, I would look at 200 / 1.8, for everything else - at 200/2 IS.

Prices

Lens prices are available look at E-Catalogue at this link.

Results

The Canon 200/2 L IS is a great professional solution. Good optical performance, fast autofocus, effective stabilizer, nice bokeh. One of the best lenses in the Canon L series.

10 main advantages

1. fast auto focus
2. focus distance limiter
3. internal type focusing, FTM support, FOCUS RESET function
4. rare ratio of focal length and aperture (especially fast telephoto lens)
5. very effective built-in image stabilizer, 2 stabilizer modes
6. high-quality assembly, rich delivery set, tripod foot support, drop-in light filter system
7. the ability to use autofocus teleconverters
8. rounded aperture blades
9. two low dispersion elements in the optical design and 1 fluorite element
10. good / excellent optical performance, including confident sharpness at F / 2.0 across the entire field of the frame

10 main disadvantages

1. previous versions Canon EF 200/1.8L USM и Canon FD200/1.8L had a maximum relative aperture of 24% more
2. strong 'Focus Breathing' effect
3. high cost (at the time of the announcement, the cost was about $ 6000, and now much more)
4. heavy weight and large size (weighs almost Canon 400/2.8 IS USM DO III)
5. the tripod foot can only be partially removed and only with a tool (shaped screwdriver)
6. only 8 aperture blades (for example, Canon 300/2.8L IS USM II petals 9)
7. difficult to find on sale
8. the set includes only a holder for gelatin filters, but not for threaded ones under 52 mm
9. tangible vignetting on f / 2
10. you can easily get strong glare from bright light sources

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Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram