Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM

New and very much improved, the Mk II is a major revamp

Canon’s original 70-300mm IS USM has become a bit of an embarrassment. As discussed in our Super Test (issue 123), it has an outdated image stabilizer, a sluggish and noisy autofocus motor, and handling is impaired by the focus ring and front element both rotating during autofocus. It wasn’t the sharpest tool in the box either. The Mk II puts all of that right, and more besides.

The standout new feature is a revolutionary Nano USM autofocus system. It’s like the best of ring-type ultrasonic and STM (Stepping Motor) systems rolled into one. You get super-fast performance for stills shooting, along with smooth and virtually silent autofocus transitions when shooting movies. The front element and focus ring both remain fixed during autofocus, while the latter enables manual override with a super-smooth, electronically driven ‘fly by wire’ arrangement.