Build Quality Optical Quality - Very Sharp!! Relatively lightweight

Tripod collar very expensive (but not really essential).

Superbly sharp lens and a lot easier to carry around than it's f2.8 brother. This was the first L series lens I bought for anybody who's wondering - they really are as good as everyone says!! Compared to my old Sigma 70-300mm APO this is in a completely different league - OK it's more expensive but its worth every penny!!

Customer Service

Not needed

Similar Products Used:

Sigma 70-300mm APO Macro Super II

Lightweight Fast focus Sharp, great colour and saturation Can be had used for great prices

Close focus distance of 1.3m

Having just carried this lens around Florence and Venice for two weeks, I have become comfortable enough with this lens to finally provide a review. Lightweight, incredibly fast focus and exceptional quality. Even in lower light, the f4 is fast enough to hand hold (carefully) at the lower focals, but it is not a 2.8. However, image quality is on par with the 2.8 and considering the weight differential and the price difference, you should consider this lens as an alternative

Customer Service

Not needed

Similar Products Used:

n/a

Affordability; sharpness; light-weight; contrast

ability to close focus (thinking of adding an extension tube)

Use it on my EOS30 & 300D mainly for portraits/people shots/landscapes. This lens is sharp right from the largest aperture. It's light enough to carry around and this is why I bought it instead of the 2.8 version. I always use it for head and shoulder shots of people, I found that I need to use f5.6 to get both eyes sharp. f4 is too large for this purpose and this is another reason I didn't get the 2.8. I get to use the 2.8 as well because I shot a lot with my mate who uses 2.8 and we swap lens sometimes. I find that the f4 is just as sharp as the f2.8. Well, put it this way, if you get the focus and exposure right, there's not much you have to do to adjust the sharpness and contrast on photoshop. Sharpness is always perfect when I shoot on film especially my favourite Sensia & Velvia. The lens gives you approx 110 -320 when you use it on DSLRs. I use it also with a Canon 1.4x TC which gives me 160-450 f5.6 which is still great as I shot a bit of sport and birds. I recommend anybody to get this lens :)

Customer Service

3.5/5 Canon Australia (Sydney)(great service but inability to spot problems)

Similar Products Used:

75-300mm Non-IS (dont compare the results with the F4 and you'll be still right) 24-85mm f3.5-4.5 (great starter, for me) 28-135mm IS (great all-rounder) 50mm f1.8 (another hidden jewel - cheap too)

1) Lightweight if compared to big brother 2) Wonderful, "airy" bokeh between f/4-f/6.7, especially if focused between 1.2 and 3 m; the longer is the distance the lens pleasant becomes bokeh, heading straight to a "reportage-like" style 3) High optical performance, especially at 70 mm. 4) Very good focal coverage. 70 mm for general plans & outdoors, 100 and 135 for portraiture work, and ~200mm allows some wildlife (partially wild, of course)

1) Difficulties in mounting it on EOS30/33 with BP-300 attached. Need to use both of hands continuosely because camera's battery block obscures lens holding area 2) Some mechanical problems are really possible! 3) Image detail slightly decreases when the lens is zoomed from 70mm upto 200mm. All zooms do suffer from that, but it seems to be very, very strange on fact only the central part of glass is used at the longer end. 4) Somebody (like me) do consider the lens as an affordable alternative to 300/4L, but this is NOT true. MF is more usable in the medium of ranges (1-5 m, like portraiture and wedding applications), an then its effectivity falls dramatically, making boats and animals a very diffucult ones. Hyperfocal is completely blurred, so only AF usable when targeting at ~infinity.

It's me again; some important updates are here

Customer Service

Warranty repair required once more again, when MF ring stopped working (not completely, but limited between 1.2 and 5 m, thus hyperfocal lost). Repaired. But still lovin' this lens!!!

Similar Products Used:

EF24-85/3.5-4.5 EF100/2.8 EF24/2.8 Zenitar 16/2.8 fish-eye (M42 mount)

Constant aperture, excellent sharpness (sharper than it's f/2.8 counterparts), ultrafast focusing, light, not too expensive L-lens.

White finish (attracts a lot of attention), f/4 aperture isn't too fast (in return it's sharper than the f/2.8 versions), can't focus closer than 1.2 meters.

I got this glass "2nd hand" (new in box), and I have not yet regretted a single buck I spent on it. It's sharp, fairly light, has USM drive and a constant f4 aperture. I love it.

Sharp wide open and at subsequent apertures Colour saturation awesome Bokeh also awesome Very light (especially after an 80-200 f2.8) PRICE

Tripod collar not included

Normally I would wait a while before posting a review but I am that impressed by this lens that I decided to post one now. This lens has big boots to fill as I bought it to replace my beloved 80-200 f2.8 'L'. My sole reason for replacing it was the size. My main style is travel photography and it was after much deliberation that I decided to go for the 70-200 which is 1/2 a kg lighter. Do I regret my decision? Hell no! I thought I might miss f2.8 but so far no, and I don't think I will. On my first test film I took a variety of shots at f4/5.6/8 & f11 (I rarely stop down any lower on a telephoto). I was thoroughly impressed by the sharpness, colour saturation and the bokeh. Every bit as good as my old 80-200 'L'. Also, the build is as good as you'd expect from an 'L' lens. The lightness in weight of this lens is an added bonus. In summary, this lens is an absolute bargain. If you don't need f2.8 then get this lens. For what it is, it's an absolute steal as 'L' lenses go. You will not be disappointed

Similar Products Used:

Canon 75-300 NON usm Canon 75-300 IS Canon 80-200 f2.8 'L' (a magnificent lens)

VERY fast focussing Relative light weight (good when you're on the go) Awesome colour, sharpness etc GREAT value Excellent build quality

absolutely none

Best lens, by far, that I have ever owned. I have primarily used it for travel photography (portraits, cropped in texture/colour shots etc) on both film (!n) and digi bodies and have been astounded by the results. This lens is really, really good! Don't get hung up on the F4 vs 2.8 thing, unless you shoot lots of low light or portraits, but if you do, you'll already know this. I alught at people who say 'I wish it was 2.8'...you can buy the 2.8 version but have to fork out more cash.

Customer Service

not needed

Similar Products Used:

Off brand - Tokina and Sigma. Neither are as good I'm afraid.

1) Lightweight if compared to big brother 2) Wonderful, "airy" bokeh between f/4-f/6.7, especially if focused between 1.2 and 3 m; the longer is the distance the lens pleasant becomes bokeh, heading straight to a "reportage-like" style 3) High optical performance, especially at 70 mm. 4) Good focal coverage. 70 mm for general plans & outdoors, 100 and 135 for portraiture work, and ~200mm allows some wildlife (partially wild, of course)

1) some difficulties in mounting it to EOS30/33 with BP-300 attached. Need to use both of hands continuosely because camera's battery block obscures lens holding area 2) some mechanical problems are really possible! 3) Difraction seen if stopped down to f/16-f/22. Slightly noticeable at f/16, heavy at f/22. To check point at white cloods or household lamp and make out-of-focus. You'll see it!

it's me again; some important updates are here

Customer Service

Required once more again, when MF ring stopped working (not completely, but limited between 1.2 and 5 m, thus hyperfocal lost). Repaired. But still lovin' the lens!!!

Similar Products Used:

EF24-85 EF100/2.8 Sigma 20/1.8

Image quality for a zoom. Sharp, contrasty, flare-resistant, well-built, light (half the weight of the f2.8L), about the best VfM in Canon lenses, shares a tripod mount with the (also excellent) 300mm f4.0L. Also a strength in my view is that it does NOT have IS - or am I the only sceptic left on Earth?

Being very picky: odd-ball 67mm filter thread; looks a bit longish and thin.

An excellent lens with unusually high image quality for a zoom - will even beat several of Canon's cheaper primes. One of the very few zooms I would trust for any critical shots (the others being its f2.8 big brother and the Leica telephoto zooms). Photodo.com calculates its actual range at 71-190mm on a film body which makes it c114-304 on a 1.6x-format digital SLR such as the D10. Add the 1.4x converter and you go above 425mm @ f5.6 equivalent on the D10 - huge versatility for a relatively light, compact package - and all combinations are sharp and contrasty. My 70-200mm f4.0L ALWAYS comes with me on hillwalks (with at minimum its new best friend, the 17-40mm f4.0L, the 50mm F1.4 and the 1.4x converter).

Customer Service

Never needed

Similar Products Used:

Canon 70-200mm f2.8L (faster but heavier brother) Canon 17-40mm f4.0L (excellent w/a zoom) Canon 75-300mm f4-5.6 (just dire!) Canon 28-105mm f3.5-4.5 (OKish) Leica R 80-200mm f4.0 (real quality - at a price!)

Solid build optical quality Canon product

Slower f/stop than its f/2.8 brother.

I guess your want to buy this lens but are not sure so your reading this. Well, let me say that if your worried about the product for the price...don't. Ignore the price and get this lens. It is excellent. Fast focus, quiet and sharp. Oh yes....you will love this lens. The peformance of this lens is great. If you do a lot of action shots, maybe the f/2.8 would be a better choice, but for everything else this is great. The zoom range is perfect to suplimant other standard lens like 50mm and 28mm. Don't have any reservation about the quality of this lens. It will please you at all f/stops.

Similar Products Used:

50mm 1.4 85mm 1.8 EOS 3 Elan 7 EOS 10D