Canon EF 70-210mm = Thoughts?

T

tears2040

Carbonite Member
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Since I can't afford a new lens for my camera (T2i) I have been looking at older lenses. I came across this Canon EF 70-210mm f/4 and wanted to know if anyone has used it before?


Thanks!



* This is a push pull lens, meaning you physically pull it in or outwards to zoom. From what I am reading looks like you can experience more dust in your lens because of this and is also prone to lens creep.
* Introduced May 1987.
* Ugly as hell
* Still reading


Excellent review here
http://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/lenses/70-210mm.htm

Basically it has the SAME image quality as the L ( $1000) and the main thing it does not have is IS/USM. Now to me I would be using a handheld device for support or even a tripod so I want to believe that this would help any and all of those problems. They are selling on ebay for about $180-210 so I might take the plunge and report back. Sure this might be a 20+ year old lens, but who cares as long as I make it work!
 
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Looks like I will be the test dummy then......... Now you ask yourself why are you buying a non USM IS lens..... One answer

Fixed Aperture of f/4. I don't mind the noise, now the IS can be combatted with a good rig or tripod. I am told this glass is excellent even though it's 20 years old :undecided
 
Thats the thing with lenses, sometimes they just get cosmetic changes and not changes to the optical design. Which is why I could care less if a lens is "L" or not. Its the real world performance that counts. Not what Canon marketing or any other maker decides to name the lens.
 
shaocaholica said:
Thats the thing with lenses, sometimes they just get cosmetic changes and not changes to the optical design. Which is why I could care less if a lens is "L" or not. Its the real world performance that counts. Not what Canon marketing or any other maker decides to name the lens.
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Great post... Now you have to think to yourself how is it possible that a 20 year old lens still works? I look at the kit lens that came with my camera and I doubt it could last that long..........

Anyway I see one on Ebay for about $170, I'm going to buy it and will tell everyone if it was worth it..... I may have found a gold mine!
 
tears2040 said:
Now you have to think to yourself how is it possible that a 20 year old lens still works?
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Camera gear tends to get babied. Plus you'll never see the wrecked ones because they won't be for sale! Back in the first 2/3 of the century, camera gear was made pretty rugged. Not because they valued ruggedness but because that was the only way they knew how to make the stuff. Complex plastic parts were not easy to make back then. Nowdays with new technology, we can make really complex stuff on the cheap.

If you look at the lens, theres nothing in it that would decay over time that would render it useless. Only a few things that might be trouble:

1)Rubber parts tend to get stiff and crack. This is usually a cosmetic issue.

2)Grease and oil tends to break down making focus and zoom seem stiff or gritty. Even worse, it could bind the aperture or get on the glass. However, these issues can be repaired.

3)Fungus can grow on the glass. This doesn't necessarily make the lens unusable but it does reduce contrast and sharpness and ruins its resale value. It can be removed and the glass recoated but thats usually not worth the money unless the lens is super expensive.
 
shaocaholica said:
Camera gear tends to get babied. Plus you'll never see the wrecked ones because they won't be for sale! Back in the first 2/3 of the century, camera gear was made pretty rugged. Not because they valued ruggedness but because that was the only way they knew how to make the stuff. Complex plastic parts were not easy to make back then. Nowdays with new technology, we can make really complex stuff on the cheap.

If you look at the lens, theres nothing in it that would decay over time that would render it useless. Only a few things that might be trouble:

1)Rubber parts tend to get stiff and crack. This is usually a cosmetic issue.

2)Grease and oil tends to break down making focus and zoom seem stiff or gritty. Even worse, it could bind the aperture or get on the glass. However, these issues can be repaired.

3)Fungus can grow on the glass. This doesn't necessarily make the lens unusable but it does reduce contrast and sharpness and ruins its resale value. It can be removed and the glass recoated but thats usually not worth the money unless the lens is super expensive.
Click to expand...



Thanks for your knowledge, hopefully everything works out as even $200 is a lot of money for me because of everything else I have already bought :-BlackEye(DBG
 
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