The Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM lens is not designed as a macro lens, however, it is suitable for typical macro subjects, such as flowers - thanks to its long focal length. The closest focusing distance is 1.2metres, while the maximum magnification is 0.25x (at 300mm). Close-up performance. According to one poster, there is a cheap 75-300 mm version that isn't suited for astrophotography. If it is the cheap EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III, most users find the autofocus results to be soft. Even manually focusing this lens, I found it to be basically still too soft. I gave the lens away and bought the 200 2.8 which is so much better! Solution. The Image Stabilizer function can be used in AF and MF focus modes. Set the STABILIZER switch to. 2. Press the shutter button halfway. About 1 second later, the image stabilizer turns on. Before shooting look through the viewfinder and check that the image stabilizer is operating. If a Custom Function has been set to change the The EF 70–300mm f /4–5.6 L IS USM lens. Introduced on 26 August 2010, this lens is in Canon's L-series range of professional lenses. The lens includes 19 elements in 14 groups, two of which are ultra-low dispersion (UD) glass. It is designed to provide professional photographers the 70–300mm zoom range without sacrificing high image quality. Lens specifications. Focal Length & Maximum Aperture. 75-300mm 1:4-5.6. Lens Construction. 13 elements in 9 groups. Diagonal Angle of View. 32° 11' - 8° 15'. Focus Adjustment. Front group rotating extension system with USM. This is a medium weight lens. The zoom and focus rings are not smooth. It does feel more solid than the Canon EF 75-300mm III USM Lens but is also larger and heavier. Image quality from the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens is mediocre and very similar to the Canon EF 75-300mm III USM Lens . Compared to the original Canon EF 75-300mm IS zoom lens, this telephoto lens has faster autofocus, and overall the lens is lighter and has a smaller diameter than the original. The zoom ring can be locked at the 70mm position, making this powerful lens easy to transport, too." Product description from Canon at launch 2005. My Canon EF 300mm F/4L USM Lens. Canon 300mm F/4L (Non IS) The camera lens I am using is a first-generation Canon EF 300mm F/4L (Non-IS). This is an old L-series lens from Canon that does not include Image Stabilization but does include the ring-type USM autofocus motor. The Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom lens is an excellent choice for beginners venturing into telephoto photography. Its versatile focal range allows users to explore various shooting scenarios, from capturing distant subjects to achieving attractive background blur. The 300mm f/4L IS is an L-series lens, so it should come as no surprise that the autofocus is fast and snappy. The lens has USM, which stands for Ultra Sonic Motor – Canon’s fast autofocus motor. The USM autofocus on the 300mm is excellent, quiet and instant. Tracking is fast and it keeps up with the action. sjp2.