- light - sharp even at f4 - great value - tripod collar (optional) allows for vertical composition without shifting tripod. Also allows for using the lens on a smaller tripod (if you're a traveller).

- no tripod collar and if purchased its expensive - no image stabilisation (but for this cost and quality, that can't be expected)

Lightweight and sharp lens without image stabilisation. I bought it for travel and portability with my 20D. However I've just managed to use it in a concert (800ISO 1/125 f4 in RAW to change exposure) to test it out, but would much prefer a prime lens (135mm f2 or 70-200 f2.8IS) if you were doing that regularly. For outdoor travel/people and tripod mounted stuff it seems ideally suited.

Customer Service

Not needed

Similar Products Used:

Canon 24-70f2.8L - heavy Canon 70-200f2.8L & L IS - heavy!

- VERY light weight - excellent build - superb glass yielding great images - sharp, bright, crisp

- shelling out extra cash for a tripod mount because it's not included - I yearn for it to be an IS lens

This is not only an excellent lens for the money - it is a lens of such quality that it would hold its own against any lens of much higher cost. It is of true "L" quality at a price that most serious amateurs can afford. The glass is beautiful. The viewing and results are crisp and bright. Nice color rendition. And truly sharp. The mechanics of the lens are pretty straight forward. Dials and switches work smoothly and reliably. Full-time manual focus is a great feature. An image stabilization version of this lens would really be fantastic!

Customer Service

In more than 30 years of shooting with Canon equipment, I've never needed it.

Similar Products Used:

300 4.0 L 24-70 2.8 L 100-400 L 75-300 IS

Extreme glass quality. Very low weight. Really quick autofocus. Nearly perferct autofocus.

Not 100% weather-sealed like the high-end glasses. Lens hood is REALLY UGGLY. White finish is endeed too catchy (I liked it for that at the beginning, but sometimes you better not attract attention so much) Build quality is quite low: it is practically sure that when you buy one, you will want to service it to have it cleaned and reassembled better (no big deal, just a pain...)

Excellent value for money. Supreme optics quality with multiple aspherical elements plus a fluorite glass. Exilarantly light, the first time you'll have it in your hands you will be shocked, it's incredible! Focusing is just near to perfection, but not quite..it's true that at 200mm and f1:4 the focus range is really minimal... I use it with a Canon EOS 20D, which has a horrible viewfinder, but with something better you can focus manually when needed. Autofocus is very very quick, with a 80-to-90% success in extreme conditions, like capturing birds flying close.

Sharp, sharp, sharp. Did I mention it's sharp? Light weight Great Contrast Awesome Bokeh

C'mon Canon cough up for a tripod mount it is an "L" lens after all BTW $120 extra

It was a tough choice between this lens and the EF 70-200 F/2.8 USM. Since I already have a Nikon 80-200 f/2.8 AFS I opted for the lighter Canon F/4 lens. The first one I bought came off of E-Bay new with the tripod mount. Unfortunately I had this lens for less than 18 hours before some scumbag stole it out of my car, so I didn't get to use it much. About 2 weeks later I recieved a replacement, again from E-Bay but this one with out the tripod mount. While it is light and easily hand held the lack of a tripod mount is the only major drawback to this lens that I found. (Ok, maybe it could use IS but then the price would almost double I'm sure) Now to the good part. This lens (and the EF 17-40 f/4) are easily the sharpest lenses I have ever used. I recently shot some rally racers and in motor mode I peeled off at least 120 shots in a 5 min period and every last one was tack sharp with beautiful contrast and probably the most attractive Bokeh I have ever seen, subtle so as to be looking at an out of focus background that your eye would naturally perceive. I love everything about this lens. It's light enough that you can hang it around your neck all day without ever feeling the need for a neck brace. It is one of only 7 Canon lenses that incorporate flourite glass which gives the best CA correction available. I tried to get purple fringing on the 20D and it was virtually impossible to see any. Wanna be a pro on the cheap? Then this lens is for you. Pros do you want a lens that is easy to travel with which, and I go out on limb here but..., is sharper than your big f/2.8 then this lens is also for you. two words... buy it!

Similar Products Used:

Nikon 80-200 f/2.8 AFS Sigma 400 f/5.6 APO Macro Nikon 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 D (garbage) Nikon 28-200 f/3.5-5.6 G (surprisingly good)

-Price relatively cheap. -Good build quality. -Light weight. -SHARP, SHARP , and SHARP!!! this is the most important thing isn't it. -Nice bokeh at 200mm

F4...is relatively slow. I wish they had put IS in it. No tripod collar provided. Thats all.

I am very excited to own this first L lens. I am currently working as a freelance wedding photographer but im sort of short on budget. My lens arsenal is dominated by SIGMA brand which is known for its low price. I really2 wanted a Canon L lens. And this is my first step entering the "BIG L" realm. Price is considerably cheap. But for the same price you would have got a 70-200 f2.8 SIGMA. which is of course one full stop faster. But after thinking over and over again, i picked this lens. Why? One full stop actually bothered my at first but I know that I can always compensate it with increasing ISO number. Problem solved. And you might say, what about the noise? Well, Im using noise ninja to remove it. Simple but useful! But, I took sometime trying a friend's SIGMA 70-200 f2.8.. It is actually a great lens. Black, heavy, bulky, but pretty d*mn fast with its f2.8. Its weight is 1.3kg. Can you carry it around for long? I dont think so. The Canon 70-200 f/4 L's weight is only 705gram. (almost half of the sigma). Im also thinking about the re-sell value. It is obvious that the L lenses have better resell value compared to Sigma lenses. .... And then YES, i bought it new from ebay... Quickly i ran a test on it. It was not a comprehensive test but it gave me the overview of the overall performance. And you know what? This lens is MAGIC! auto focus is quick and precise(faster than the sigma). The USM makes it silence. The sigma also has HSM but compared to this one, sigma's HSM is much much louder. Picture quality. I tried it at fully open at f/4 and the images didn't show any softness. Just sharp sharp sharp. The pictures from sigma are not bad but seriously not as sharp as the ones from CANON L. Build quality is nice. Even though it is not very heavy. The body is made of metal..White in colour of course. (nice nice). This lens does make heads turned to you :) This lens doesnt have weather protection but it doesnt bother me since i am a wedding photographer who always work in controlled environments. I am very much satisfied with this lens. But if i had more money, i would have bought the 70-200 f2.8 L USM. I cant wait to shoot my next client using this lens.. Conclusion : If you are reading this review, and you are now thinking of buying this lens or the SIGMA 70-200 f2.8. Dont think! Buy this lens and be satisfied!

Customer Service

Not needed so far.

Similar Products Used:

SIGMA 70-200 f2.8 HSM (Very Good) SIGMA 28-70 f2.8 EX DG (Moderate) CANON 90-300 f4.5-5.6 (sucks!) CANON 16-35 f2.8 L USM (fantastic!)

all-IF IT WAS A woman(no offence!) it would be perfect;strong made,with clean white smile,slim and well trimmed easy to carry,always light as well,well dressed in white and a red stripe.with black front or bottom(bottom HUH??)i mean im happy..!!

none

This is the worlds best canon zoom lens for the time being.period.i have tried them all from both sigma and canon ; its sharp its light weight its perfect colour its clear it has good rendition and no distortion,its has great great bokeh.its the best and i my agree its my favorite;although its small and other pro photogs laugh at me they are so quiet when my competitors see my prints or pics a the local news paper where i work. i can even make steady and sharp pics at sport events! its MY TOOL. thank you canon. leave it as it is,dont make it IS or so on..just put better coating on the surfaces and nothing else!!

Customer Service

nope

Similar Products Used:

100-300 f 4 sigma..70-200f2,8 from canon (both is and non is)alos sigma 70-200 f2,8 canon 100-400 is . the canon f 4 rules

Build quality, clarity of details, quality glass and outstanding value makes a winner on any Canon EOS camera

None

Just got my hands on this wonderful lens and what a cool chunk of glass it is. I have been reading about Canon's "L" lenses for quite some time now.It seems as though the buzz is "you got to have em for any kind of professional applications". Making the transition from medium format to digital has been a great experience, with certain challenges. I started out with a consumer zoom and found that I was missing something..."LIKE CLARITY"....."Just a small issue". "All kidding aside". The consumer zoom was a disappointment in image and build quality. The lens is the eye of the camera and it stands to reason that the better the quality of glass, the better the quality of image. The Canon EF 70-200mm F/4 is a fantastic piece of glass for the money. At around $550.00 it's an absolute steal. I have found the picture quality and build to be outstanding. I remember reading a review that stated,"watch out you might cut yourself with this lens" the images are so sharp. I can sure atest to that as well. The bokeh (background blur) is beautiful. It looks so sweet to zoom in on a head shot and watch the background just fall out of focus. This a "GREAT" portrait lens. Auto focusing is fast and quiet and it just flat performs like a pro lens. Color and contrast is another area where the 70-200mm shines. The first shots I took were test shots to compare the lens to my Canon consumer zoom. Contrast and sharpness was a large improvement while color was relatively close.I found it was a significant enough difference to set my sights towards more "L" glass. I have decided to compliment the 70-200mm F/4 with a Canon EF 17-40mm F/4. This seems to be a good combination that would cover portrait length telephoto and wide angle zoom. I have also heard raves the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4, it appears to be a good option for the low light pics. The combination of the three would cover all the bases it seems. In conclusion, the 70-200mm f/4 is a great value for a a pro series lens. Canon had the right idea making this lens an affordable option to the "L" lens line up. This lens comes highly recommended.

Customer Service

None

Similar Products Used:

Canon EF 24-85mm

-Impressive image quality at any focal length -Good construction -Large zoom & focus rings -fast focus ( although not as fast as the 100-300 usm) -Compact and lightweight

-Odd filter size

The Canon 70-200 f4 L is one of the best lenses I've ever used. It has a very high level of sharpness and contrast, even compared with any fixed focal length. For tripod work I recommend the tripod collar. I bought this lens to replace Canon's 100-300 f4.5-5.6 USM, Which suffered in image quality as you zoomed out.

Customer Service

none needed

Similar Products Used:

Canon 70-210 f3.5-4.5 USM Canon 100-300 f4.5-5.6 USM Nikkor 75-300 f4.5-5.6 AF

Light weight (Handheld is very possible) Sharpness could really be expected. Good detail, perfect contrast and color.

Not really, but might be the collar sold seperately.

Amazing Lens for the 70-200 range!!!!! I first bought this lens with just one reason which was a need of lighter weight professional range lens for taking indoor event pictures due to an accident on my left hand wrist which caused me unable to hold any heavy F2.8 lenses weight more than 1.2 kg. as my wrist would get real sored after a while. I did not expect much out of this F4 L lense only the light weight I expected. However, after seeing pictures taken by this 70-200 F4 L even wide open at F4, I was indeed surprised. Sharpness was much better than my Sigma EX 70-200 F2.8 HSM as well as clearness. The (one stop less than 2.8) F.4 did not bother me at all since I am using DSLR. All I can say is this lens did really impress me by much and I would be using it for a very long time. The letter L (Canon L range) is suitable to be printed on this lens.

Customer Service

Never, but Canon Service in Thailand is extremely good and fast.

Similar Products Used:

Sigma EX 70-200 F2.8 HSM Canon EF 17-40 F4 L Canon EF 24-85 F3.5-4.5 USM Canon EF 50 F1.8 Canon EF 100 macro

The sharpness wide-open is amazing, and I've never had to compromise when deciding how big of an aperture is too big before I lose the DOF I need. If I want to isolate my subject, I crank it all the way. The focusing is of course quick and silent. The build quality is wonderful, with a metal barrel, smooth-as-glass movements and a solid mount.

The tripod collar is a must because of the weight and length of the lens. I tcan be done without it, but it places undue stress on the lens mount and plate pin, while kaking it difficult to keep the camera perfectly still on the tripod. The price of the collar is outrageous and it should really be included with the lens when purchased.

The 70-200 f/4L is a joy to use and rarely leaves my camera body unless I need a wide-angle shot. Compared to it's bigger brother the f/2.8L, the optical performance is identical while being over 50% lighter in weight.

Customer Service

None needed so far.

Similar Products Used:

Canon 70-200 f/2.8L Canon 35-350 f/3.5-5.6L