Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Autofocus Lens

First of all, this is the most complex lens Canon has ever constructed with 23 Elements in 18 Groups. No other lens in Canon Line up has this many Elements! Especially with 4 UD glass to produce sharp images. When I took the first picture with this lens, I was AMAZED that how sharp and fast the Auto Focus was! The motor is very quiet, and you feel some movement from the Image Stabilizer (IS)! Have a extra battery pack if you can afford one, or if you lucky and have one 1Ds or 1D Mark II N than you should be a fine! but the IS does tend to use 10-20% of the battery. Be sure to carry an extra battery Pack. You will not be upset with this lens! Be sure to research more about it in other forums and reviews! I looked at hundreds of web sites and researched over a couple of months before deciding on buying it! 1700 dollars from B&Hphoto.com! Get the US version! Import is less money, but you can never be sure if they come from a grey market. Happy Shooting

as zoomlens in this range, it's the best on market . absolutely.
but everybody : REMEMBER FIX-FOCUS lenses are faster , brighter and mostly better in quality. obviously forget the entry-level lenses . autofocus on a 135 2.0 or on a 200 2.8 is much faster than on this zoom, and the quality also. as I wrote it's a fabolous zoom , BUT REMEMBER IT'S A ZOOM . if you need it for reportage or travaling it's top. if you work professionally on location or studio , I would prefer a not-zoom

This is only lens available that will do what I need. I am a sports action photographer that needs to shoot in almost any condition. Most of the time I have to shoot high speed in very limited light, without additional lighting sources. Because of the constant changes in distance of the moving subjects I must use a zoom lens and because of limited light I require at least a f2.8.
The Canon EF 70-200 2.8 IS USM is the only way to go. I have other f2.8 lens in my bag but the Image Stabilization of this lens gives me almost 2 addition f-stops. This keeps my moving subjects in much better focus. Don't think about getting this without the IS! I know it can cost almost twice the money but it is worth it. Save your money and get one of these "there is nothing like it."

Russ - www.ProActionPictures.com

I consider myself a beginner at photography. I took pictures at my daughter's softball game with this lens. I gave a picture that I took of the pitcher to her parents. They took it to have it enlarged into a poster. The people at the photo shop refused to do it unless they had the photographer's permission since it was a professional photo. That meant it was copyrighted. HAHA ME A PRO PHOTGRAPHER!!!!!!!!!!! What a lens. Get one if you can

Pros: sharp, fast and built to stand abuse. its 2.8 aperture improves any camera performance. with 2x onverter you get 140-400/5.6 (really 196-540/5.6 with most Canon cameras except 5D). with 1.4 is afanatasic 100-320/4 lens. cons: expensive and heavy

Why did I want this lens?
*I decided to buy this lens after being disappointed in the low light performance of my Canon 70-300mm IS f4-5.6 lens. While great for many areas of photography, the 70-300mm is not a sports lens I've come to find out. This is especially apparent during night games, where it just isn't fast enough to stop the action like I want to do. While IS is great for counteracting camera shake, it is simply of no use in situations where you need a fast shutter speed to stop action in low light. Hence the need for a f2.8 vs f4-5.6.

70-200mm Review:
*I've had this lens for a few days now and all I can say is that it's amazing. I had high hopes, considering this lens is touted by many to be the "holy grail" of Canon lenses. I'm happy to say it does not disappoint. The day I got it, I spent about 45 mins in my back yard taking photos of my 6 y/o daughter and our dog. The portraits I got were tack sharp with beautifully blurred backgrounds. The zoom range is not quite as long as my 70-300mm IS, but for what it lacks in range, it more than makes up for in color, contrast, and just beautiful images (I'm planning on selling the 70-300mm IS and buying a 1.4x TC for this lens instead). After using this lens, there's no doubt why this is a top choice of professional photographers. It's quickly becoming my favorite lens!

PROS:
*Very sharp photos

*Focus is very fast

*Low light performance is much improved compared to my 70-300mm IS f4-5.6

*Image stabilization seems more advanced in this model compared to my 28-135mm IS and 70-300mm IS lenses, but that's just a "seat of the pants" observation.

*The lens does not extend while zooming or focusing, and the end element does not rotate (unlike my 70-300mm IS)

*Comes with lens hood, tripod collar, and it's own protective case from Canon.

*Built like a tank. This lens should stand up to many years of use (or abuse). It's very solidly built, with weather sealing throughout. Tolerances are very tight and fit/finish is the best of any lens I've ever used (SLR shooter for ~18 years).

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CONS:
*This is one heavy lens. I mounted this lens on my 40D with 430EX Flash and BG-E2 grip with 2 batteries installed, and I'd say it's around 7 lbs. Without the flash and grip, it's lighter and more manageable, but still not "light" by any means. That being said, the quality of images it produces is worth the extra effort in my opinion.

*Very large compared to the 70-300mm IS, or 70-200mm F4L. Check the net for rating sites so you can get an idea of how large this lens is. Take this into account when buying a backpack/camera bag. It won't fit in the bottom (camera) section of my Tamrac Aero 80 backpack, so I leave it in it's case and put it in the top section of the pack.

*Necessary for me to buy a "good" tripod now and ditch the cheap discount-store version I've been using. This setup is just too heavy for me to trust on a cheap tripod.

Conclusion:
If you shoot in low-light or want to take shots during action sports, this (or it's non-IS f2.8 brother) is your lens. I only wish I had this lens during the last season of softball games my daughter played in. I'm convinced I'd have a lot more "keeper" photos. I can't wait to try it out at my niece's soccer game this weekend. This lens is wonderful for portraits as well, with brilliant out-of-focus backgrounds and tack sharp subjects.

Amazing lens - first time using 2.8 and tried it with converter - very sharp photos - IS is amazing!

costly, but well worth the price, great photos, this is well built lens, save your money and buy this lens... don't make the mistake i made and buy cheaper lens, wait until you can afford this lens... dislikes--heavy,price but worth it

I purchased one of these recently after agonizing over what high-end lens to buy. After shooting with it I know I made the right choice. Bokeh is awesome, the image stabilizer works really well (IS) and the images are clear to the corners even at 200mm. You can't go wrong with this one.

Love this lens! The images are sharp as a tack. it takes a little getting used to the size and weight, but it's worth it.

The lens has excellent ratings with great versitility from sporting events, weddings, and portrait photography. The lens arrived in like new condition and I saved a few hundred dollars on my purchase. Very satisfied with the product.

I have been using a Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 for my all around lens. Now I have this to complete my needs. This has been a great investment for the value and quality. No regrets on the item. I was already aware about the weight of this but it doesn't hinder me to use it. Great quality of lens and the product it shows. A great buy!!!

This is a wonderful lens. I am using it on my 40D Cannon. The pictures are absolutely fantastic. The image stablizer is what makes this lens so perfect. It is heavy, but worth it. If you want a great lens this is it. I would recommend it to anyone.

Quick response, quick delivery. . .great to work with! Shipping rates were great also! Would do business with this seller again if they have an item
I need!

The increase in quality from my lens that came with my canon was obvious with the very first picture. Fantastic quality and the best pictures I've taken.

After researching this lens, the EF 70-200 f/4 IS and the 70-200 f/2.8 without IS, I decided to look for a version of the 2.8 IS on eBay. It has lived up to all the hype I have read about it. It is razor sharp, even wide open at 2.8 and the IS effectively gives you 3 f stops of speed, hand-holdable pictures are possible at 1/30th of a second instead of 1/200th. This is the cadillac of zoom telephotos, heavy but there is nothing sharper and not too many telephoto lenses faster than it. Plus is has the Canon "L" designation.

Whit this lens, shooting is exceptionally easy. You get the pictures you want and the controls on the lens are well designed and the placement is brilliant.

Amazing lens. Real keeper.

Simply the best lens I have ever bought, I should have got it a long time ago.
Smooth bokeh, fast, and very sharp

i like the great lighting and the perfection stabilizer function, the costruction is manichal, and the result is very very good.

Great condition, works perfectly. The lens was exactly how it was described in the ad. I love it! :-)

Although this lens is long and heavy it is work the price after you see the awesome photos that it produces. I rented this lens with a SXi/450 and went to Yellowstone for 10 days on July 1st and came home with over 5,ooo photos. A lot of them are worthy of being printed 11x17 and hung on a wall. This was the first time that I had used an SLR camera. I have since use the kit lens and a 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM and have several good shots but none have the sharp detail that the 70-200 produces. Works excellent at the grandsons football games and my wifes sisters daughters 1st birthday. Sister-inlaw has some awesome photos of her daughter's birthday. After coming home is started watching and bidding on this lens and finally got one. It is performing just as well as the one that I rented.

This is a great lens, solid, sharp and stable! just what I need for low light situations, especially where flash can't be use.

Trying to save a few bucks on a very expensive lens I turned to ebay. The vendor had very good reviews so I took a chance. The lens was shipped promptly and I received it quicker than expected. It came through as promised, like new. I have used this lens extensively and just couldn't be happier.