Amazing image quality and image stabilization.

No weaknesses. Nicking it on price would not be fair because the big white Canon lenses are top tier and it seems like they spare nothing to make them.

I believe I got mine in 2006 or 2007 and it has never disappointed. The f4 works for most outdoor use and it is a lens you can carry easily compared to the 2.8 with foot.

The amazing quality really showed when I used it with my now retired film body, but also shows when my 17-85 is at telephoto and this as at its widest.

I started taking photos as a kid, and worked for as a darkroom tech and photographer when I was a student decades ago which make this lens seem like cheating.

This fits in a category I call "shut up and buy it". You could add that it is reason alone to go with Canon's system.

Customer Service

It's hard to need or experience customer service when you have one of the best and most reliable lenses in the world.

Similar Products Used:

I've had Canon and 3rd party 70ish to 300ish zooms since the mid-1970s and none compare.

Excellent image quality .
Lightweight
Image Stabilization effective

Bokeh not as pronounced as F2.8
No tripod mount

I made a comparison between this and the 70-200 F2.8 non IS, as they were around the same price. I was expecting the heavyweight F2.8 to be better; but if anything, the F4 was sharper and the IS a real bonus.
Lightweight and highly portable; its a great travel lens.
Bokeh is good for an F4
Image quality is superb wide open and gives good results with a 1.4 x extender.
Given the price of this lens; having to pay extra for the tripod mount is a big black mark for Canon.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon 70-200 F2,8 VR1

Light and small 70-200 with an incredible good IS. Great quality and extraordinary results. Canon is the best at telezooms! Very versatile in comparison with primes. Balances nice on my 5D, much better then the F2.8 IS wich need an EOS1 or maybe an batterygrip.

IS makes some noise, does not sound very nice. Bokeh not so beautiful as some primes. I rather have a black lens, white attracts attention.

5 years ago I bought the EF 70-200 F2.8 IS and sold my 70-200 mm F4.0. Not really for the F2.8 but for the IS. The 70-200 F4.0 was and is a great lens, but I missed the IS. You have to work with monopod. The F2.8 IS is also an great lens but heavy, big. It is not the lens you will like to put in your bag if you are not absolute sure you will need it. I thought about getting a secondhand F4.0 for sunny daytrips. Then I saw an f4.0 IS version, with BW uv filter for 700 euro. Quite a bargain, like new. What a small light lens! Made some great pictures with it.

Customer Service

Good but expensive.

This is probably one of the best lenses Canon ever made. I've bought it by trading in a cheap Canon EF 75-300 USM. I enjoy using this lens every minute. It dot a whole lot of strong points:

- Excellent build quality: fully metal construction, dust sealed.

- Very fast AF (uses ring USM motor, of course:-)) Previous lens that I had (EF 75-300) had a very slow AF. Also non-rotating front element (haven't used polarizer with it yet, though....) This lens can be definitely used to shoot action.

- Outstanding stabilizer. It was possible to shoot this lens with exposures 1/20- 1/30 sec at the focal lenght of 200 mm.

- Quite compact size and light weight. This lens is just slightly larger than EF75-300 but is a whole different league!

- Excellent optical quality.

I was even able to shoot some pictures of football with this lens! On 1.6 crop DSLR this beauty becomes 116-320mm equivalent focal length- very useful, indeed for DSLR!

Highly recommended as an all-around travel telephoto zoom. Very enjoyable lens for handheld shooting in available light.

Pricey, but worth it. Focal length too short to shoot football(European, aka soccer, of course :-)))

Outstaning product- lightweight, excellent image quality, great IS.
Very tough

Customer Service

none needed yet.

Similar Products Used:

Canon EF 75-300 USM (non-IS)

Light weight, very sharp, IS, lightning fast USM focusing, excellent colour and contrast

Price - but worth it.
f/4 verses f/2.8 - but much lighter.

Upgraded from the non IS version, which was also spectacular, the IS makes a world of difference. I can now shoot 1/20 sec. @ 200mm and get sharp results. Overall sharpness is as good if not better and flare and CA are better controlled.

Similar Products Used:

EF 24-105mm f/4 L USM