Scroll Right Scroll Left
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- More Crave photos
-
-
-
-
Photos: Gadgets we're thankful for, Part 1
November 21, 2008 10:52 AM PST 
Canon's EF 70-200mm F/4L IS lens
Canon EF 70-200mm F/4L IS lens
Canon's EF 70-200mm F/4L IS lens is a workhorse, and I love it. Sure, its price is on the wrong side of $1,000, but if you're serious about photography, rationalize it this way: it'll last you more than 10 years at a bit over 25 cents a day.
The lens has fantastic image stabilization that's enabled me to shoot all the way out at 200mm at 1/10 of a second handheld on many occasions, but even better is the terrific sharpness. Pro photographers prefer Canon's image-stabilized F2.8 lens with the same zoom range, but the slower F4 model is about $500 cheaper right now and considerably lighter, and I'm willing to bump my camera's ISO speed up a notch when it's darker. It's rugged and sealed against the elements, which I appreciate as I lug it on hikes, business trips, and especially backpacking excursions.
The lens comes with a removable lens hood to cut down on glare and protect the outer lens element--and even better for the status symbol crowd, it adds about three inches to the length to more effectively cow SLR owners who just have the kit lens. The bummer for tripod mounting ring is an extra $150 accessory.
--Stephen Shankland
Photo credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET Networks
