The Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM telephoto zoom lens has been developed to meet the high-performance standards that today's photographers demand. The telephoto effect can make the picture look compressed or have excellent background blur. At the 300mm focal length, you can fill the frame with a postcard from 4.9' away. Ideal for sports, portraiture, animals, etc.

Improved Image Stabilizer Technology provides up to three stops of "shake" correction, and the "Mode 2" option stabilizes images while panning with a moving subject. Compared to the original Canon EF 75-300mm IS zoom lens, this telephoto lens has faster autofocus, and overall the lens is lighter and has a smaller diameter than the original.

• IS Image Stabilizer
    Image Stabilizer allows photographers to use shutter speeds up to 3-stops slower with no perceptible increase in image blur. For stabilized panning, IS Mode 2 only corrects for unwanted vertical shake by switching off IS in the horizontal direction. IS is ideal for low light conditions, fast paced scenes and for shooting from moving vehicles. IS switches off automatically when the camera is mounted on a tripod.

• Micro USM Motor
    The Micro USM motor uses ultra-sonic frequency vibrations to drive rapid auto-focus with near-silent operation. Good holding torque ensures there is no overshoot. A high speed CPU and optimised AF algorithm contribute to AF speed literally faster than the human eye.

• UD Lens Element
    A UD (ultra-low dispersion) glass lens element corrects chromatic aberration to achieve high resolution and contrast throughout the zoom range without colour fringing on subject outlines. Only lead free glass is used in the lens construction.

• Super Spectra Coatings
    Optimised Super Spectra lens coatings and lens element shaping suppress flare and ghosting, more prone to occur with digital cameras due to reflection off the image sensor. Coatings also help achieve true colour balance and sharp high contrast images.

• Pleasing Background Blur
    Circular aperture (8 blades) provides pleasing background blur.

• Secure Transport
    The zoom ring can be locked at the 70mm position, making this lens easy and more secure to transport.