One Lens, Endless Creativity

If I had to choose one telephoto to be always in my bag it would most definitely be the FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II. I have other lenses for specific use cases, like my 400-800mm for the ultimate moon photos for example, but the versatility of the 70-200mm is just unmatched. Especially when you carry a teleconverter with it. It will basically give you 2 or even 3 lenses (if you carry 2 teleconverters) in your bag!

In the Netherlands I use my 70-200mm to capture landscapes from a distance. On misty mornings I use the compression to bring solitary trees together and make them look closer to each other. A single tree in the mist, or a detailed shot of how the first light hits just that separate part of the tree. Or even closer: A tiny flower bulb backlit by the sun. I can take completely different shots with this lens from just one location. That’s what makes this lens so fun. I use the sharpness to capture everything at a very high resolution from a distance, but I use the f/2.8 to create beautiful, dreamy close ups of the flowers.

In the Netherlands I also often use this lens when photographing local forests and trees. And on my travels to Tuscany or Slovenia, I always take this lens because it allows me to bring the distant hills and mountains together at a longer focal range. And if I need a little bit more range, I simply attach the 2x teleconverter, which the lens performs extremely well with.

Here are three different shots from the same area. In the first image, I capture the entire landscape and use compression to bring the background closer to get a more balanced shot, using the first light to separate all the elements.

In the second shot I go in a little bit closer to get a more intimate look at the trees and how the light hits them. Here the sun was already up a bit higher.

In the last shot I go even closer and I focus on single details of leaves. This is one of my favourite close-up photos. It shows all the seasons in a single leaf, with a frozen lining around.

Here are two completely different photos from the exact same spot in Tuscany both using the lens wide open. In the first one I used the longer range of the lens to show the compression of the hills with the fog in between.

In the second shot I use the dreamy bokeh capabilities of the lens to capture a portrait of the poppy flower.

Here you can really see how I use this lens and maximise its capabilities to capture the variety of landscapes from a single location with different focal ranges and apertures.

I also often use the 70-200mm to capture ‘Abstract Nature’ photos. Its range and especially great sharpness work so well here. In abstract nature photos you sometimes don't really know what you’re looking at. And that’s the fun of it.

Of course, portrait photographers love this lens. It’s great for portraits, and as a landscape photographer I often take portraits with it. Just not so much of people, but more of animals. Cows, sheep, lots of horses and sometimes even an elephant find their way to my lens.

This lens is a must-have in my camera bag. As you can see, I capture an extremely wide range of subjects with it. And not only that, I can often capture so many completely different angles of the same landscape. From extreme close ups, to sharp photos of the entire landscape, and the teleconverters give you even more possibilities.

This is what makes the FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II my favourite longer range lens! The versatility of it is simply unmatched.