Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L USM vs Canon EF 70–200mm f/4L IS II USM

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EF 200mm f/2.8L USM compared with EF 70–200mm f/4L IS II USM

	CanonEF 200mm f/2.8L USM	CanonEF 70–200mm f/4L IS II USM
Overview
Released
Released	December 1991	June 2018
Optics
Lens type
Lens type	Prime	Zoom
Focal length
Focal length	200 mm	70–200 mm
Maximum aperture
Maximum aperture	f/2.8	f/4
Minimum aperture
Minimum aperture	f/32	f/32
Optical construction
Optical construction	Nine elements in seven groups	20 elements in 15 groups
Special elements
Special elements	–	One fluorite and two UD elements
Coatings
Coatings	–	Super Spectra coatings; fluorine coatings on the front and rear elements according to Canon's US launch announcement
Diaphragm
Diaphragm	Eight blades according to Canon Camera Museum	Nine blades with a circular aperture
Angle of view
Angle of view	12° diagonal, 10° horizontal and 7° vertical according to Canon's original-model manual	–
Mount and compatibility
Mounts
Mounts	Canon EF	Canon EF
Image circle
Image circle	Full frame	Full frame
Compatibility
Compatibility	Canon EF full-frame and APS-C cameras	Canon EF mount full-frame and APS-C cameras
Focus and stabilisation
Autofocus
Autofocus	Yes	Yes
Minimum focus distance
Minimum focus distance	1.5 m	1 m
Maximum magnification
Maximum magnification	0.16×	0.27×
Optical stabilisation
Optical stabilisation	–	Yes
Autofocus detail
Autofocus detail	USM; full-time manual focus after One Shot AF while holding the shutter button halfway according to Canon's manual	Ring-type USM with full-time manual focus override
Focus distance detail
Focus distance detail	–	Maximum 0.27× magnification at 200 mm; internal focusing according to Digital Camera World
Stabilisation detail
Stabilisation detail	–	Five-stop CIPA claim at 200 mm on an EOS-1D X Mark II; three modes including exposure-only stabilisation for tracking moving subjects
Design
Dust and moisture resistant
Dust and moisture resistant	–	Yes
Filter diameter
Filter diameter	72 mm	72 mm
Maximum diameter
Maximum diameter	83 mm	80 mm
Length
Length	136.2 mm	176 mm
Weight
Weight	790 g	780 g (better)
Controls
Controls	AF/MF switch, focusing ring, distance scale and infrared index according to Canon's manual	AF/MF, IS on/off and three IS mode switches; focus limiter excludes distances below 3 m according to Digital Camera World
Zoom design
Zoom design	–	Internal zooming maintains physical length according to Digital Camera World
Weather resistance
Weather resistance	–	Dust- and moisture-resistant construction
Dimensions detail
Dimensions detail	83 mm diameter × 136.2 mm length according to Canon Camera Museum; measured from the mount surface to the front, with caps adding 21.5 mm according to the manual	80 mm maximum diameter × 176 mm length
Weight detail
Weight detail	790 g for the lens only according to Canon's original-model manual	Approximate 780 g maker figure; Digital Camera World specifies this excludes the optional tripod mount
Tripod mount
Tripod mount	–	Optional A II (W II) tripod mounting ring according to Digital Camera World; the maker photograph shows this separately sold accessory
In the box
In the box	–	Lens, pouch, caps, hood and instruction manual according to Canon UK
Lens hood
Lens hood	Built-in sliding hood; pull it out from the front of the lens according to Canon's manual	–
Release detail
Release detail	Canon Camera Museum records December 1991 marketing; this is the original version with a built-in hood	Canon Japan announced first sale on 28 June 2018; Canon Camera Museum gives June 2018 and the US launch announcement states late June. The day is the Japanese sale date, not a separately confirmed UK date.