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Traveling to Italy with Canon’s new EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM Lens

Durability for Harsh Weather

I didn’t have to worry about always putting the gear away when wet conditions prevailed, which they frequently did. Being an “L” lens, I knew the 70-300mm L IS would be resistant to dust and water, which made it easy use in the constantly changing weather and environmental conditions we ran into. It ran the gamut from dusty ancient pathways in the Coliseum; the ashen ruins of Herculaneum; the misty crater of Mount Vesuvius (which still spews forth); the black gritty sand beaches of the Amalfi Coast, and the unexpected downpours of rain in Pompeii. I always carry a camera/lens rain protector in my small bag “just in case”, which I did use, mostly for the camera, but the lens withstood the elements well even without it. And the (included) bayonet-mount hood protected the front of the lens from weather and environmental elements, which allowed me to keep shooting during the frequent rainstorms. In addition, it kept out unwanted light when the sun happened to be shining.

The short afternoon in Pompeii was the part of my trip I had been looking forward to most. It certainly was the highlight of my trip and being able to capture some nice images here were the most special moments of my journey through the ancient ruins of Italy.

The day was way too short and I was wandering, trying to capture an entire civilization in just a few short hours. (Impossible!) As the sun was setting, I suddenly realized that I was already a halfhour late meeting up with the rest of my family and the museum was closing. I reluctantly turned back towards the entrance and was suddenly caught in a major downpour. I had to run through the now very wet and slippery meandering rough stone streets of Pompeii (a confusing place even with a map) to catch up. Even though I was late, I couldn’t resist stopping for more shots along the way. The light was beautiful and I was fulfilling a longtime dream. I got a shot of this temple near the Villa di Diomede, which I would not have gotten had I kept the camera in the camera bag safely out of the rain! The durability of this “L” series lens gave me the confidence to keep shooting even in the downpour.

Other Features for Traveling Ease

We journeyed up the very steep streets in Positano to reach the highest points of the village overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. There’s nothing worse than a lens that is bumping and knocking around while you are trying to traverse difficult terrain, like very narrow streets with little European cars zipping past you. The Zoom Ring Lock helped keep the lens secured at the shortest lens position, which made it much easier to carry and I was able to concentrate on getting to the top safely! It was even comfortable and easy to carry hiking up the steep, slippery trail to the top of breath taking (and I mean that literally) Mount Vesuvius.

Conclusion

Overall, I was very excited to have had the privilege of being one of the first to try out this new lens. My goal at the start was getting great images with great detail and color, and it delivered: I am pleased with the richness and sharp detail that I see in the images of intricate ancient carvings and paintings, the detail in the shadows and the vibrant colors. When I finally got back and sat down at the computer, there was very little if any distortion or chromatic aberration to correct for. The smooth, responsive Image Stabilization was by far one of the most important aspects of this lens, really opening up opportunities for responsive, hand-held shooting, regardless of whether the lighting was good or not.

The lens quickly became a favorite as a trusted walk-around lens! Most of my trip I carried two cameras and two lenses. I typically carried the 7D with a 10-22mm for the wide shots and the 5D Mark II with the 70-300mm for telephoto and “close-ups”. The combination gave me the range of wide angle and zoom I wanted, beautiful image quality, and kept my travel bag light. All in all a great combination!

Based on my experiences in this short trip to Italy, with over 5000 images taken, I think the 70-300mm L IS lens is an excellent new choice for the professional photographer and will be a great, affordable step-up lens for the serious SLR enthusiast wanting to move to the quality of the superior “L” series lenses. I am always excited when Canon announces a new piece of glass and this one was no exception.