Jimmy's weblog

I’m convinced that digital photography will be the financial ruin of me. Not only did it lead me to purchase a Canon 300D digital SLR as soon as it was released, my renewed interest in photography has also started to translate in to an interest in expensive Canon “L” lenses.

My first foray in to the world of “L” glass was the 70-200mm F/4 zoom which I purchased a month ago. My experience so far has been a happy one, and I plan to write a full review of the lens in the next couple of weeks when I have some more example photos to show.

Canon seems to be one of the many companies that set their Australian Recommended Retail Prices (RRP) well above comparable prices in the United States. In the case of the 70-200mm f/4 zoom, the Australian RRP is AUD$1599. Luckily for consumers like myself who aren’t made of money, camera lenses are easily imported from other countries using the Internet.

When purchasing camera equipment (or any expensive items) on the Internet, It’s important to make sure you are using a supplier you can trust. In my case, I purchased the lens from B&H in New York. B&H have a reputation for being both reliable and price competitive at the same time, and their website is the most comprehensive I’ve seen in the photography industry.

The lens cost me US$580, a 67mm filter was US$25 and express airmail postage was US$65. The lens arrived with no problems ten days after the order was placed and my credit card was charged AUD$800 in total - almost exactly half the Australian RRP. I would have no hesitation in buying from B&H again, and in fact I have my eye on the Canon 17-40mm L lens at the moment.

So how does the lens perform? Very well. When combined with the 300D, images are extremely sharp and colours and tones are outstanding. Prior to this, I had been using Canon’s 100-300mm and been relatively happy with the photos. When I compare them to photos taken with the new lens, they look dull and flat. Don’t try this lens unless you want to buy it!