Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM lens review

There’s only one obvious difference in the Mk III lens from its Canon predecessor...

A Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM lens

Digital Camera World Verdict

A slight upgrade from the Mk II, the new edition looks pricey. If you want a top-flight 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, the Tamron G2 delivers excellent image quality, has a better stabilizer and comes at half the price.

Pros

  • +

    Excellent build quality

  • +

    Very good sharpness and contrast

Cons

  • -

    Not that different from the Mk II version

  • -

    Expensive to buy

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Not too long ago, we got the new and improved Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM, with a wealth of enhancements and upgrades that include a completely redesigned optical path and class-leading 5-stop image stabilizer.

By contrast, the only obvious difference in the new 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM is that, in the UK, it’s about a third more expensive than the previous edition. You could argue that, with the Mk II lens having been such a favourite of professional photographers across the world, there was little room for improvement. 

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Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! 

His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. 

In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.