The common strengths on the 70-200F4L are:
- Picture quality stays sharp all the way up to -200mm
- Zoom barrel doesn't extend (comfortable)
- USM, very fast focusing

The common weaknesses on the 70-200F4L are:
- No Image Stabalization
- Heavy

Introduction:
The Canon 70-200F4L is the cheapest "L" series lens in the market. It has a very good range and extremely good image quality.
Summary:
Canon has released 4 different 70-200 lenses (from cheapest to most expensive order);
70-200F4L USM
70-200F4L IS USM
70-200F2.8 USM
70-200F2.8 IS USM
For sports the best choice is the F2.8 IS, of course money is a big issue for a lot of photographers so we buy the cheaper F4L. Even if the Aperture isn't F2.8 the lens is still mighty fantastic! This lens will offer really great results! It doesn't always matter if you have "IS" because a true photographer who knows what he does is able to get amazing pictures even if he doesn't have this. A fantastic thing about the "L" series lenses are that they all come with a lens hood and a bag which saves you from spending over 100$. Compared to the 70-300 IS this lens is a better choice. The reasons are simple, the 70-200F4L is sharp until 200mm, it comes with a lens hood and bag, you can add teleconvertors and it has a metal focus ring. The 70-300 IS might have a extra 100mm but it is soft after -200mm, it doesn't have a metal focus ring and it doesn't come with a hood or bag.
Conclusion:
This is a very cheap well built high quality lens that suits any photographer well. I suggest buying this against the 70-300 IS because of the reasons above. You can find a used one for around 500$CAD which is a suitable price for such a stunning lens! Good luck and I hope my review helped!

Similar Products Used:

Canon 70-200F4L IS
Canon 70-300 IS

The build quality is great - it has physical balance and super smooth zoom and focus rings. Even the lens hood is beautifully made with a good confident fit. Weather resistant and all-metal casings.

The optics are superb. No other word for it. Looking through the viewfinder you can immediately see why it costs that much more. And when you see the shots on your computer screen, you then know that it's money well spent.

The sharpness is breathtaking, and there is no sign of edge fall-off, softness or CA at all. If you're in any doubt about buying - buy it!

Used with Canon EOS 1Ds.

I wish they'd provide a front UV filter. Not putting a filter on before delivery is like the old days when you had to buy a plug to go on your new kettle.

After having put up with ordinary cheap lenses which did a job (but not quite good enough) I decided to buy into the much-lauded L series. It's probably the best lens I've ever used. It's quality leaves anything else I've used way behind.

Customer Service

Simplyelectronics.net give the best new price by far. Their service is a bit slow, but to be fair I ordered it just before Christmas so there may have been postal overload, even though It came via CPD.

Well sealed and ruggedly designed. Lightest of all white lenses. Full metal jacket, not black plastic.

Longer lenght than usuall in this class due to internal zooming.

I own several prime and zoom lenses but this white lens is always on the camera. It covers a whole lot in 70 to 200mm if using a full frame DSLR. The whole lens is sealed and the zoom is internal, therefore the zooming doesnt "breath" and suck in dust unlike the extending zoom proboscis of cheap lenses. One of the more rugged lenses of the Canon white lens range,

Customer Service

Never needed

Similar Products Used:

Canon primes and zooms

Clarity, colour rendering, AF speed and size.

No tripod coller (I got a low price copy from ebay).

Out of all the lenses I own this lens is by far the best. I own a Canon 17-40 F4L and a Canon 300 F4L IS which cost an arm and a leg, but niether compare to the 70-200 F4L for sharpness and colour. Like others have said I am constantly amazed at the pictures I get with this lense. If you need a lense in this focal range then I recommend this one.

Customer Service

Not used

Similar Products Used:

Canon EF 17-40 F4L USM
Canon EF 300mm F4L IS
Canon EF 50mm F1.8 II
Canon EOS 40D

Sharp, light, reasonabl priced

No tripod collar included.

THIS IS A GREAT LENS! I have owned a number of zoom lens over the years, but none of them have been sharper or have had better color than this lens. I have used it with film and digital cameras and have been very happy with it. All that I can add to what has already been said about this great lens is: BUY IT! One more thing, B&H is the greatest, I have lost count of how many times I have ordered from them, and have always been happy that I did!

Customer Service

NONE-NEEDED

Similar Products Used:

Canon 17-40L -Canon 70-210- Canon 18-55 -Sigma 28-135- Sigma 50-500HSM

everything

I wasted money on other lenses before stepping up to "L" series

well, I'm not usually the kind of person who would write a review, because it's unusual for my to feel so strongly about a product. I thought about going into great detail about technical things like focus speed,sharpness, contrast e.t.c. blah blah blah... but i think it's better if i just cut to the chase... I've had quite a few lenses... a few Canons and a stack of third party ... my opinion is.. if you are shopping for a lens in this focal length;buy this lens... if you currently have a lens in this range from another company;sell your lens and buy this one.. or at the very least,borrow-rent-buy after checking the return policy and see if you don't feel the same way I do

Customer Service

haven't needed it

Fast auto focus
Super sharp even at F4

Doesn't come with tripod ring
I wish it had a little more reach like 70-300 instead of 70-200
Had to send it into canon with my 10D to have calibrated together because of back focusing issue. Canon did not cover the cost to calibrate the combo even though it is a know problem with the 10D because the 10D was out of its 1 year warranty this cost $200.

This is by far my favorite Lens. I've had this lens for a couple of years and am still amazed by the images that come out of it. This lens is extremely sharp even at F4. I've compared this lens to my new Canon 24-105 L, Canon 28-80L, Canon 100-300L, Tokina 300mm F4, and Canon 135 S/F. I found the 70-200 to be the sharpest and have the fastest Auto focus. I was hoping the the 24-105 would have the same extremely fast auto focus and sharpness at F4 as this lens but it doesn't. I was a little disappointed since the 24-105 cost almost twice as much as the 70-200L. The 24-105 isn't bad it just feels like it is a notch below the 70-200L.

I love the light weight of the 70-200L. This lens feels very solid in your hands but doesn't break your neck carrying it all day like the 70-200 F2.8 would.

Customer Service

Canon service took a couple of weeks when I had to have the 10D and 70-200 Calibrated to work with each other and cost me $200. the combo worked great when it came back but seemed kind of high since it was there problem.

Similar Products Used:

Canon 1D, D30, 10D, 30D
Canon 28-80L, 24-105L, 28mm, 50mm, 135mm, 100-300L
Tamron 28-300, 28-75
Tokina 12-24mm, 300mm

Build quality, smooth operation and tac sharp optics.

Its a little long.

I recently made the switch over to Canon and began with a 30d, a 17-40mm f4 L and this 70-200mm f4L. I was not that impressed with the 17-40mm f4 but am extremely impressed with the 70-200mm f4. For example, I have taken several shot of horses in the fields around where I live and the sharpness is outstanding with the coats of the horses so real, even after zooming in on my computer, that you can almost feel the texture. Out of focus "bokeh" is soft and pleasing. The operation of the lens is silky smooth and virtually silent. This is "L" glass and completely up to expectations. I decided to sell the 17-40mm as I cannot get used to its softness and am replacing it with the highly rated Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 Macro which I await with great anticipation. It seems that Sigma are producing some high quality glass these days and should no longer be looked upon as a cheap alternative to the often questionable quality of the Canon and Nikon brand names. When I had my Nikon D70 my favourite lens was a cheapie Sigma 55-200mm f4-5.6. I sometimes wonder if I should have bought the same lens again for my Canon instead of the 70-200mm f4L--no its not quite that good.

Customer Service

Not used it yet.

Similar Products Used:

Sigma 55-200mm f4-5.6, Nikon 70-210mm f4

build/weight, zoom with the qualities of a prime.

low-light capabilty.

The build of this lens is free of any reproach. Its rugged metal build with off-white paint certainly brings a different feel compared to my plastic 350D body!

It is currently the lightest (& most affordable) lens with CaF2 glass (telescope-grade fluorite) at ~700g and helps retain the handheld factor, especially on a light body like the 350D.

Other build details like the velveted lens hood inside fabric, for extra light absorbtion, are very appreciated.

This is a first telezoom for me. Its autofocusing capability is just as fast as my SIGMA 30MM/1.4 prime! (to which it is an excellent complement by the way) New users will need to accommodate for the focus switch (it helps determine if the subject is closer or further than 3m).

I am told the brand new model with Image Stabilisation & weatherproof build is worth all extra! IFF it fits in one's budget, one should certainly get it.

http://www.usa.canon.com/html/eflenses/lenses/ef_70-200_4/ef_70-200_4.html

Stunning Image Quality, Beautiful lightweight design, fast USM, L-Build, WOW factor, low COST.

Really NONE; but one could mention aperture, expensive tripod ring and no IS.

I only own 1 L-lens, the 70-200 f4. The first time I handheld it I could not believe how lightweight it was. And when I looked into the viewfinder, really, I could not believe the beautiful image created. In short, if you only have funds for one L lens, then this is a serious candidate. Overall you get much more than you pay for and perhaps you just have to learn to seek those opportunities when this lens shines, that is, bright days and outdoors.


If you are worried about the expensive canon tripod ring, there is another, less expensive option by ROXSEN, mentioned at: http://www.pbase.com/lightrules/image/70883547