Canon EF 80-200mm f/4.5-5.6 II Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

I'll be honest in saying that this lens doesn't absolutely thrill me. But it doesn't disappoint, either. It is a decent lens for the price and an excellent starter lens. I bought this lens when I made the step up to SLR with my 10D. It takes some decent pictures. Not stunningly sharp, yet usable for a number of tasks. I'm not so sure about action shots yet, though. The main test I had with it was a volleyball game my wife was coaching. I rattled off 100 shots with this lens, and got about 15 that I was happy with. I haven't really used it since then based on this. I've learned more things to help my photography in this situation, and I have learned that I probably wasn't using the correct focus drive for the situation. That most likely accounts for the vast majority of shots I didn't care for. Even though I now know this, I somehow associate this lens with my disappointment with those shots. I've since upgraded to an older 70-210 push-pull zoom lens that I like a lot better. I may sell this lens, but I'll give it another shot before I do that. Aside from that, the build quality is good for the price, and it is fairly lightweight for the zoom you get with it. It's not a terribly fast lens apeture-wise, but it seems to work well enough. I don't think you can get a better zoom lens for the price, so I can't knock it too much! Overall, you'd be wise to start off with a zoom like this one and work from there. It's a great starting block lens!

I got this lens as a gift back in 2002, I believe. It's a real work-horse.
It's very "plastic" compared to the more costly lenses, but that also keeps it very light. Because it's so light, I tend to lug it around more than I would if it were a more quality/heavy lens. So for the price, it gets the job done. Don't listen to the lens snobs that put it down. I've taked some outstanding photos with this lens, and yes... even at full zoom. And they talk about the poor build quality? False. Yes, it's plastic and cheap. But it's built well. Mine is over five years old and well traveled. Works perfectly!!!
UPDATE: today (Oct. 30, 2007) I tested this lens. I took photos of moving vehicles on an interestate and they came out crisp and clear at full zoom (200mm). I also took some photos of a cat outside, and they also turned out great at full zoom. For the cost of this lens, it can't be beat!!!

sometimes that cost can be overwhelming. I got this lens 10 years ago with my my Rebel G (film camera). I used this lens for about six months after getting my Digital Rebel. For the most part I was reasonably happy with my results. When stopped down to about f8 this lens can take some pretty good shots. About a year ago I bought Canon's 70-200mm f4L. When I go back and look at the shots taken with the two lens the difference is pretty dramatic. The 70-200 f4 shots tend (for the most part) to be very sharp with great contrast and color, while the 80-200 f4.5-5.6 tend to be pretty soft and drab. I would like to provided links to show the difference but Amazon does not allow it. Do a google for pbase and you can look at images from many different lenses.

In short, if you're just starting out, the EF 80-200 f4.5-5.6 is capable of taking some pretty good shots if you stop it down an f-stop or two. I give it 4 stars more for value then image quality. For 150.00-200.00 bucks you can get some pretty good shots with this lens, and when you learn more get better shots still. On the other hand, you also get what you pay for. Your better lenses have elements with special coatings (Canon uses synthetic Fluorite and other UD (ultra low dispersion) coatings that are quite costly but also provide color, contrast and sharpness that your plain standard optical glass cannot match. Plus they are built to much higher tolerances. If you get this lens you will probably be fairly happy with its results, but as you get more demanding you will probably upgrade if you become serious about photography. A good lens to learn the basics.

I had purchsed this lens for an EXTREMELY reasonable price and i must say it was worth every dollar. The shipping was also cheap and i recieved it in 4 days. There are no scratchs or dents and the lens was kept very clean. VOM is an excellent dealer and i encourage others to use their service. They are friendly and very well priced. Thank you so much. Ill buy from you again soon.

I bought this lens on the advice of the other reviewers, and I was not at all disappointed. This is a fantastic lens for what you pay. It is indeed a light light lens and it almost feels "cheap," but it functions great and takes great shots. When focusing manually, it doesn't feel as smooth as some other lenses. But you really can't go wrong with this lens.