canon

This lens is an absolute steal at under $600. As can be expected of any "L" series lens, it produces absolutely flawless images throughout the entire focal length range, even wide-open. Construction is rock-solid: this lens will last forever. This will be your "work-horse" telephoto lens.

On the down-side, it's heavy, and probably not a good choice for carrying around on hiking trips, though it's considerably lighter (and less expensive) than its f/2.8L cousin. No IS, so you'll want to use a tripod or other support, but the tripod ring mount is not included (about $120 extra).

Still, you should immediately buy this lens before Canon wises up and raises the price, or stops producing it altogether. You'll be kicking yourself later if you pass this one up.

This is my first "L" Series lens and I have to tell you that I'm very impressed. The focus is quiet and the images are sharp and crisp. The zoom is good enough to capture any shot. I think that I'm in very big trouble in the pocket book, because I don't think I'll be buying anything else but an "L" series!!

In my opinion, this Canon lens provides the best value in Canon's entire line up of "L" glass (lenses). If you have never used an L lens before, this will open your eyes to what you have been missing. Very fast focusing, very sharp images, very little chromatic abberation, and consistent quality through the entire zoom and aperature range.

One note; with a widest aperature of f/4 and a long focal length, you will not be able to take indoor photos without excellent lighting or a flash. I've tried to take photos of ice hockey, where the rinks are notoriously poorly lit, and had very little success. Even with a tripod it is a challenge to maintain a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the action of a kids game (yes, even with ISO at 800). But in good lighting or outdoors in the daytime, this lense rocks.

Great sports photos. Great nature photos. This lense is extremely versatile. I have even used it with flash indoors for portrait photography.

There is not too much to mention on the negative side. Its size and color do make it stand out a bit in public, and people may thing you are a professional photographer. I've also noted that the depth-of-field with a wide open aperature, especially at f4, is very narrow. As long as you've been careful to focus on your subject, the background will be blurry. But focus on something other than your subject and you may find your subject to be blurry.

All in all, this is one great lens that will let you take very sharp photos. And it is a bargain price compared to its f/2.8 and f/2.8IS sibliings.