Canon Zoom Lens EF 75-300 mm f/4-5.6 II USM

Aperture Range [f]	4.0-5.6 to 32-45	Closest Focus	1.5m / 4.9 ft.
Dimensions	122mm x 71mm / 4.8 in. x 2.8 in.	Magnification Ratio	0.25x / 1:4
Weight	480g / 16.9 oz	Filter Size	58mm

This is one of the older Canon zoom lenses that fits on full frame, 24x36mm, cameras. It is very light (plastic body) and small, so it is versatile. It focuses well, and fast.

I've tested this lens on 4 focal lenghts: 75, 130, 190, and 300 mm (links to charts made at various f-stops). To see the charts - dependence of image quality on a distance from the image center in the in full magnification please click on the thumbnails below. The average resolution in hundreds of line widths per picture height (LW/PH) is given below each chart. F/11 was the sharpest setting overall.

Tests at low fs	Tests at f/11

At wide open apertures the lens sharpness is reasonably good except at high focal lengths. 300mm lens sharpness is really problematic, as well as its contrast.

At f/11, the sharpness and contrast are improved, but still at 300mm they are below par - very similar to what is observed in Tamron super-zoom 28-300mm. Chromatic aberrations at low focal lengths are not a problem, but at high lengths is significant.

Distortions are generally low.  Size of the chart in the center is usually below 1% different than of the one on the side. The worst circle deformattion is on the side at high focal lengths (5 to 6% diameter difference in the ellipse at 190 and 300mm).

Users of APS-C - sensor cameras may see little difference in sharpness between the 70-200mm "L" lens described here (compare the 190mm with 200mm charts), however, the difference in contrast is noticeable. For the full frame cameras users this difference in lenses quality is significant, except for the low focal lengths, where the quality is comparable. The quality of 300mm lens setting is not good.

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