Canon 70-200mm f4 vs Canon 200mm f2.8

[andy123]

Which is best for astrophotography? Canon 70-200mm f4 vs Canon 200mm f2.8

They are both similar priced second hand.

[Davey-T]

I have the 70-200mm it is useful for framing things like Lunar, planetary conjunctions but would prefer the 200mm prime for astrophotography in general.

Dave

[MarsG76]

I recommend to go for the zoom. 70-200mm will allow you the freedom to frame various constellations at various magnifications.

I use the 24-105mm lens and the various zooms come in handy frequently.

[andy123]

I usually prefer primes because they are usually sharper. The results for 70-200mm at Astrobin looks promising.

The 70-200mm is more useful for daytime photography also.

 

[Alien 13]

Another vote for the 70-200 which works fine wide open, the 200 needs stopping down a little for best results, something like f/4....

Alan

P.S. I agree that the zoom is far more useful as a walkabout daytime lens too.

[andy123]

Another prime is Samyang 135mm... Seems quite popular

[SteveNickolls]

Decent reviews are found here-https://www.lenstip.com/lenses_reviews.html

Interesting site too here-http://www.astropix.com/html/i_astrop/lenses.html

I can vouch for the Samyang lens.

Best Regards,
Steve

[Mick J]

The 70-200 is a great lens, good price/performance,  another favorite is the 'nifty fifty' cheap, plastic & sharp but that's not your question,  a second hand 70-200 f4 has served us well over the years, daytime nightime etc.

[andy123]

The Canon lenses have tripod collar which is very handy when attaching the lens to the camera and mount

[emyliano2000]

I would like to get a 70-200mm f4 ( can't afford the f2.8) but I'm not sure how it performs when fully opened. I heard that it's very close to the f2.8 stopped at f4 but I'm not convinced. Is anyone using the f4 fully opened and if so could you please post some photos.

Emil

[Knight of Clear Skies]

I have the 200mm L f2.8 and I've never been that happy with the stars it produces, even stopped down using step-down rings. I don't think it really deserves its reputation for astrophotography, the Samyang 135mm f2 may be a better bet.

[Owmuchonomy]

Don’t forget to consider weight. My 70-200 2.8 is a beast.

[Yearofthegoat]

Certainly for terrestrial, the f4 L 70-200 is better (i.e. sharper) at f8 than it is at f4. But it is still pretty crisp at f4.

The lens collar for this lens is handy for framing, as it has a 'partial release' knob which allows you to rotate the lens (and therefore camera) without undoing the whole thing. Very quick and easy.

I found that Canon's lens correction data option in their DPP program helps too.

[wxsatuser]

My 70-200mm IS II is slightly better than both my 200mm f/2.8s.
The former can just be run wide open across it's range but it still does'nt beat the Samyang 135mm f/2.