Though those outside the realms of sports/nature photography and portraiture may have little use for the unique capabilities that the EF 200mm f/2L IS USM offers, initial evaluations suggest that Canon has (not surprisingly) created nothing less than an optically superior lens here. The background control and shooting speed options afforded by an f/2.0 maximum aperture combined with the lens's moderate working distance are the stuff that great images in sports journalism, especially, are made with. With stock of the 200mm f/2.0 just beginning to roll out in earnest and the Olympics just around the corner, we can probably plan on seeing more than a few of these babies on the sidelines in Beijing this summer.
As noted in the beginning of this evaluation, the stop of speed that the latest 200mm gains over the next tier of its competitors is a pivotal one, putting this lens in a different financial and functional strata. For many users and uses, there are plenty of great f/2.8 lenses in the same focal length that capture phenomenal images, can do nearly everything the 200mm f/2.0 is capable of with less back pain, and cost a third as much. That said, although an introductory price well over $5K puts the 200mm f/2L over the line into what has traditional been seen as "pros only" territory, if persistent rumors that Canon intends to bring the price down once production meets initial demand pan out, the new 200mm may yet reach a price that's more easily justifiable for a wider range of shooters.
Either way, after some field time with the new 200mm f/2, there's little reason to think that anyone, regardless of how much they pay for the new Canon L, is going to come away feeling like performance isn't in line with expectations.
David Rasnake
more : digitalcamerareview
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