This is my first purchase of a Canon lens for my new EOS-D1 Mark III and I couldn't be more pleased. It focuses very fast and feels solid in my hands. As a longtime Nikon shooter, after handling this body & lens combo, it's no wonder why sports shooters jumped over to Canon a long time ago.

This lens is great at getting a sharp "main image" and a soft and beautiful out of focus background. Love it!

Once you get over the sticker shock of this lens you will be pleased with your purchase. I have had this lens for a few months now, replacing my Sigma 70-200 2.8 and it is a great lens! The IS really helps catch those shots that I missed before. The Sigma lens was good, but the Canon 70-200 2.8 consistantly delivers everytime.

It's big. It's heavy. But it does an awesome job. I have to carry this lens around for a whole day at a time, and by the end of the day it's tiring. But, it's the only lens that does what I need. Low light hand held, quality images. The f2.8 combined with IS mean I can handhold for just about all my shots. No blur even down to 1/60 second at full 200mm.

The included lens hood adds a lot to the length, but it works very well. It's held in place with a simple "push and turn" lock, so it won't fall off, even if you knock the lens against something. It will also keep the rain off the front lens (unless it's being blown straight at you, but then nothing works, does it?)

The autofocus has 2 settings. One for only when you are shooting at distance, and the other for closer work. I only use the longer setting. This is meant to speed up autofocussing if you know you will not be coming in close. Also, once you have locked in with autofocus, you can just turn the focus ring to over-ride autofocus. No fiddling with buttons on the camera, or having to always use manual focus (although that is an option). I frequently use auto to get close, then quickly adjust manually to get the final exact result I want.

One negative is the minimum focus distance. From memory, it's about 1.4m (or about 4 to 5 feet). It's not a problem for me, but check this limit if you need to come in close.

The tripod support bracket is easily removeable if you only do handheld. Saves a little on the weight, but also makes for a much easier lens to hold and operate.

So, if you need a fast lens with good image quality, just get this lens. If size/weight/$$$ are issues, then look to the non-IS or f4. But beware - if you get one of these "lesser" lenses you just might have to come back later to get the f2.8/IS version!

Happy shooting :)

This is my first L lens and I'm hooked!!! I did a lot of research before purchasing this lens. I wasn't planning on spending $1,700 on a lens, but I am very glad that I did. I was looking at the other 70-200mm options that can has as well as some other brands. What finaly made me decide on this lens is I couldn't find a single complaint about it. All of the other lenses had good reviews, but none were perfect across the board. Many said that they settled for lesser lenses and then upgraded down the road.

Pros:
This is a remarkably crafted lens. It is built like a tank. The zoom is amazingly smooth and the focas is beyond fast. I have taken 100's to 1,000's of photos with it so far and have yet to have it wonder. It is quick and percise on my Canon 30D. This is no light lens either. You can feel the sturdiness when you hold it. I added the battery grip to better balance the camera and its a beautiful combination. The two stage image stabilization works wonderfully as well. My previous zoom was a Sigma 135-400mm and had a heck of a time hand holding it. There is no problem at all hand holding this lens. Even with the 1.4x extender it takes crisp sharp photos. I will have a hard time even thinking about buying another lens that doesnt have IS. Contrast and colors are also gorgeous with this lens. I didnt know what I was missing until I purchased this lens. Lastly, and by far least is the 2.8 constant aperture. If you can afford it buy this 2.8 lens. You will not be sorry. The effects of the blurred background is brilliant! You can really make your subject pop and opens up all kinds of opportunity for creativity. Personally I think a large percentage of photography is mental. If you have awesome equipment you will strive to take better photos. This lens will do that for you and more!

Cons:
Really there are none. My only word of warning is this, as it relates to higher end lenses and bodies as well. A great lens does not make a great photographer. There is also a smaller margin for error in higher end equipment. As I upgrade to better equipment I am finding how challenging it can be to be a "real" photographer. A zoom of this caliber and 2.8 aperture can be difficult to get good high quality shots until you have mastered shooting at 2.8. Especially if you are are fairly close to your subject. The days of point and shoot are gone. It's time to think like the pros. hehe... I have no doubt that with some practice persistance i will be able to produce much higher quality photos with this lens than with any other lens that I could have chosen.

Conclusion:
If you can afford this lens buy it! If you can't afford it but have a credit card, buy it! If you have to sell a couple other lenses to be able to buy it, buy it! I'm sure the other choices out there, weather they are non IS or are F4 are great lenses. This is a superb lens though. You will not be disappointed.

When it came down to deciding on the 70-200 F4L or the 2.8L, I knew I had to have the 2.8. I made the decision to "save" a bit of money and get the 30D and spend the extra money on the 2.8. I am so glad that I made this decision. My first priority was image quality and I was ready to disregard its weight. Now that I have had a chance to shoot 40+ pictures in various settings, I can honestly say that I have never seen a lens turn out the awesome quality images that this lens does. The image quality and color balance is astounding. The lens is easy to use and very user friendly in regards to focus settings and zoom settings. Yes, it's heavy but I consider this aspect a small price to pay for great images. Carry a monopod around if you think weight will be an issue on extended shoots. Time to stock up on 4GB compact flash cards! You're going to need them as you feel like taking tons of pictures just to see how this lens performs in various situations. Like other reviewers here I can add- buy this lens, you won't regret it, even if you have to spend less on the camera body.

I bit the bullet and upgraded to this lens based on all the 5 star reviews. They are all correct. This is simply the best telephoto zoom I've ever used (most recently Sigma 18-200mm, Sigma 50-500mm). The image stabilization combined with the superior optics makes this lens unbeatable. I've shot over 500 photos in a week's time with this lens and attest that the color and sharpness attainable are astounding. With the image stabilization, a lot of my shots were 200mm at f/11 (for depth of field)and taken at an amazingly slow 1/100th of a second hand held! The performance of this lens blows me away!

Get it and see that all the hype is true.
I am honest, great lens.
If you are thinking about it then you deserve it because you care about photography enough to seek it.
If you ever decide on selling it you will have fantastic resale value.
Buy it now. Nobody is ever going to get that for you.

Purchased this lens a little over a year ago and I simply love it! The lens is a little heavy but when you're taking quality pictures with a professional camera one would expect a unit that is built with the best quality in mind to have some weight.

The IS in my lens makes it possible to shoot subjects from long distances clearly. The price might be a little much for the hobbyist but if you purchase this lens you'll get what some call "L" lens fever. This lens makes you want to purchase more lenses of this quality level.

One last thing is this lens GETS YOU NOTICED. So if you're trying to be incognito then this lens is not for you. Highly recommend this lens!!

I purchased this lens for shooting indoor and outdoor sporting events. I use this lens with a Canon 30D body. This lens has been a great addition to my set of lenses. I wore out the focus ring once already and Canon did fix it at no charge during its warranty period. I've had the lens for about 8 months and have already taken close to 7500 photos with it. I would recommend this lens to anyone, especially those shooting sports indoors or in low light conditions.

Great lens. Used with an EOS 5D it really preforms. I have had great success with this lens coupled with th Cannon 1.5 converter.
Highly recomended!

I'll keep mine short, since you can read all the reviews from all over the internet anyway, it's expensive, very nice shots are made from it, IS really helps, f2.8 makes the viewfinder brighter and AF functions much faster and last but certainly not the least... I'm very hapy to have it, it's a joy for me to use it, which is, i think, the most important thing. :)

I did a lot of internet-based research on this lens before stepping from prosumer lens to a professional version. What a difference in the clarity of my shots. The IS and 2.8 stop is a huge help for low light pictures. From here on out I am sticking to pro-everything.

The large component of photography is having an eye for subject material and then composition of the picture. I'm convinced too that there are folks that can compose a photo of pretty much anything and make it interesting and appealing in some fashion...although that is not me, but I keep trying.

A smaller component of the big picture (pun intended) would be the quality of tools that you are using to obtain your desired outcome. I have often taken photos in the past (35mm film days through recently), and alot of the time they looked, well, not as good as I thought they should have...I of course blamed that on my lack of skills. I can do that no longer...

The images I get with this lens are spectacular. I have kids playing baseball, soccer, participating in dance events, swim meets, etc. The first time I used the lens was at a baseball game and I was just amazed at how good of a photo I was able to take...speed, sharpness, it's all there...and when you put the IS feature on top of it, it just gets better. I highly doubt I'll ever take a shot that lands on the front of SI, but I can see a difference using this glass and I'm very happy.

One negative to some: yes it's heavy, but it feels like 3 lbs. of gold in your hands! I wouldn't want to have it hanging on my neck all day, but packing it around for a few hours a time isn't bad at all.

I'm not going to reiterate all the points made previously... SOOOO, read all the other reviews as I'm sure you will and believe it all because: "Yeah, it's that good"

There are more than a few positive reviews here on this particular item and I must say that I agree with almost all of them. This is a fantastic lens for your Canon 20D/30D camera. The images are nothing short of break taking and will make an amateur shoot like a pro.

Initially I had to drop this unit off at Canon in Orange County with my 20 for them to the lens to the camera. An otherwise sharp image got even sharper.

The item comes with a handsome case that offers very little protection so something stronger is recommended to protect this bad boy of a lens.

PROS
Gorgeous Imagery
Fast lens F/2.8
Quality lens.
Fast focus
Low light focus works great
Great bokey
Internal focusing
Image stabilization works great
The WOW factor
Nice dust shield

CONS
Very heavy
Scared to use in case it drops
Very pricey $$$$$$
Only 1 year Canon warranty-Tamron offers 6 years!
Cannot remove lens cap with dust shield installed as you can with Tamron

Overall a fantastic lens that is highly recommended. If you can afford it of course.

Hi all,
First of all I would like to thank [...] to make it a perfect delivery of this item on time and in a good condition.
The lens box has lens + Cannon hood + tripod mount + lens covering caps on both sides + lens carrying bag with strap - which is everything about the lens.
I am pretty happy about all this.
I took some test shots to start with and they looked great. I will write more about the lens' outdoor performance.
Happy shooting!

This is unquestionably the best lens in my arsenal, and I own several other Canon L-series lenses. It's not the lens with the most versatile focal length range, nor the most convenient thing to haul around, but for shooting with a full-frame D-SLR, no other zoom can touch its optical qualities and feature set: astounding edge-to-edge sharpness, freedom from vignetting, great color and contrast, large max aperture, fast auto focus and two-mode image stabilization that really works. It's so good optically, it makes me smile every time I find a reason to use it. Not everyone will want to put up with its considerable weight (it feels like it's carved from a solid block of metal) or hefty price tag, but if you need the capabilities of this lens it's simply the best.

Just to give you some background, I'm probably a typical "prosumer" photographer. I take maybe 100 shots a week, and I'll go out just to shoot maybe 6-8 weekend days a year.

This is the most expensive lens I own, and other than some indoor wide shots for family gatherings, it's the only lens I use. I got one of the kit lenses, and the quality of the shots with that lens is so poor in comparison, it pains me to have to use it.

There are a few things that make this lens great. Specifically, I find it surprisingly versatile. Other than some indoor wide shots, I can basically use it for everything. If you like portraits, this lens is fantastic for pushing everything but the subject out of focus. Of course, any tele is going to do that for you, but the crispness and quality of the shot, the lightning fast and accurate/usable auto-focus, really make this lens a joy to use.

Initially, the weight seemed like to big of a nuisance, but after comparing the quality of what I could do and what I got out of this thing vs any of the cheaper lenses I had, I just couldn't stop using it.

So if you're anything more than a point-n-shooter, and you're considering stepping up to a nicer lens, this one is worth every penny. I couldn't be more pleased.

This lens is one of (if not THE) best lens Canon makes, period. It is the premier "sports lens" in the industry, and it has that title for several reasons:

1.) BUILD QUALITY: It's built like a tank.

2.) WEATHER SEALING: couple with a 1 series body, as soon as it starts raining, everyone else will be scrambling to keep their cameras dry.

3.) SUPERIOR OPTICS: color and contrast from this lens are excellent.

4.) IS: I bought this lens because of the IS.

My former 70-200 lens was the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 HSM. I'm not going to sit here and lie saying the Canon completely blows the Sigma away- it simply doesn't. The Sigma is a fine lens. It is also built like a tank, the HSM is almost (when I say almost, I mean by milliseconds- ie barely noticeable)as fast, and the colors and contrast are superb- almost indistinguishable from an L lens. There are a lot of "almosts" in this paragraph, I know. The Sigma is "almost" perfect, the Canon IS PERFECT. If you are willing to pay the substantial price difference for perfection, more power to you.

The main reason I purchased this lens was not because it was white, not because it has a red ring, and not because it's a Canon. I bought it for the IS. I am a sports shooter and I found myself limited in the shutter speed I was able to use with the Sigma. I am a big proponent of the 1/focal length (x 1.6 on my 30D) rule. At 200mm, I would need a shutter speed of at least 1/320 to prevent camera shake. When using flash, I would have to use HSS for the flash to work at that shuttter speed. HSS significantly cuts down on flash output. I would rather use my cameras maximum x-sync speed (1/250) most of the time. This is where IS comes in handy for me. With the Sigma at 200mm/ 1/250 I would get blurry shots, with the Canon using the IS I'm safe. I can even go several stops slower than 1/250 if I desire. The IS is fantastic and is definitely worth the extra $$$.

I purchased this lens on a referral from a photographer in town. I am starting to shoot a lot of sports and never knew the huge difference that image stabilization would make. Shooting a football game with this lens was a pleasure. I put it on my Canon 30D and got some great shots. Just to see the difference I put my standard lens on and the shots were blurry of course. I HIGHLY reccommend this lens to anyone that shoots and needs the stabilization.

If your shooting Canon, this is the lens to get! Expensive, but worth the features. If you can wait, buy it with rebates.

I purchased this lens to use for sports shots and it has not yet failed my standards. Recently I was at 'Head of the Charles' in Cambridge Mass and almost every picture I took came out wonderful. For those that do not know of it, 'HOTC' is the biggest, and most famous regatta race in the world. The Image Stabilization is a dream...Some shots that I would never have a chance to capture, I get so easily now!

While I have heard that this is not a lens to use with a tripod, I do use a one for some set shots and those always come out great. The only real drawback of this lens is the weight, but it really is not THAT bad. Just get a more comfortable camera strap (the ones that come with the cameras, I NEVER like) and you will find that carrying this lens attached to your camera is no different than carrying another quality lens. The white paint will draw some looks, so you have to think about that as well.

Also, another side effect...As this is my first "L" lens, I am really itching to buy more! I'm totally ruined from purchasing "Non-L" lenses now.

Come on Christmas bonus!!!

This is a Must-Have lens for any situation - Portrait, Wildlife, Indoors, Outdoors. It is super-fast, super-quiet and has excellent Image Quality.

With so many positive reviews posted here and anywhere in any form of discussion around the globe, this lens is a must-have lens if you own a Canon digital SLR camera.

This lens, the superb built quality and image quality aside, is also a versatile lens covering portraiture, low-light shoots, sports, landscape, photo-journalism, you name it if you want the quality images. With Canon Close-up lens 500D, you can take unbelievable MACRO shots.

I also own a Nikon version of this lens, equally outstanding, so when I bought the Canon 1D Mark III, I immediately bought two lenses: this lens and the 16-35mm, f/2.8 II. Some highly reputable photo-journalist only have these two lenses to cover their entire work all around the world. If you can get 24-70mm,f/2.8, that will be all you need to do basically everything.

I will post some images taken with this lens: MACRO, night scene, daylight scene.

I borrowed this lens (and a 5D) and was absolutely floored. I'm used to my Canon EOS 20D and 28-135 IS lens, which are great in their own right but not in the same league with the L-class lens and full-frame camera.

Yes the 70-200 f/2.8 IS costs 4x as much as the 28-135, but its 4x more amazing (Yes I did the scientific measurements and everything ;-).

Its a rather large lens, but not so heavy as to be totally unwieldy. I wouldnt want it around my neck on a grueling hiking trip, but walking around town for a little while isn't going to kill you.

Images are sharp and focus is lightning fast, compared to what I am used to. This lens is on my wish list right there with the 24-70 f/2.8 and 85mm f/1.2 both of which I have used, but sadly enough, cannot yet afford.

I am a new to the scene wedding photographer and have just made enough cash to give a face lift to all my equipment. After shooting an outside wedding with a Sigma 55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens (and knowing that it would handle well being a slower lens and not needing to use it in a low lit church) I saw what I was missing out on! I got online and went to Amazon (because of their amazing prices that seem to be at least $100 cheaper for camera accessories) and purchased this gem.

Upon trying it out, it was nothing less than stellar in all areas! I still have a 1.6x crop Canon 30D so at times the zoom is perfect and at others it is a little too much for the situation at hand. Technically the lens is a 112-320mm on a crop body so be aware of that.

I purchased this lens wodering if I would actually use it much, as I generally shoot with primes. I have a 5D with a 50mm F1.2 , 85mm F1.2, and 135mm F2 as well as a 24-70mm F2.8 which spends most of its time in the bag. I have to say that the 70 -200mm F2.8 IS has been a revelation and the expected drop off in image quality has not materialised - particularly at F8 whereas the added flexibility it has provided is great. It is very sharp. Even at F2.8 and at extreme range I find the lens good and am thoroughly enjoying experimenting with it. I still don't fully understand the IS function but have used it in low light situations and am impressed with the results. In all I have no complaints and after a week of using it I have much praise for this lens and can recommend it wholeheartedly.

Canon makes 4 L designated lenses in 70-200 range. The question often is f 2.8 vs f 4, and IS vs No IS. I found the image quality of this lens fantastic, wide open, even at 200mm. I find for me IS is essential for this focal length, as I am often shooting portraits with this lens at 1/60th to 1/100 of second. The f2.8 allows for a more accurate focusing as well as better lowlight focusing, and of course, one stop of light. The downsides is that its heavier and more expensive than the f4 variant, but I think well worth it.

I did a lot of research before I bought this lens and I checked out over 15 companies prices and integrity. I could have got the lens for a few dollars cheaper from other dealers but I felt the safest with Amazon. I got the lens when they said I would receive it. It works perfectly and would purchase again in the future.
The lens is very pricey and heavy but I love the look and the great depth of field I get from the 2.8

Incredible lens. Great in lower light situations and even at slower shutter speeds. Worth the money for sure.

First off, I am very new to photography. I rented this lens, and I shot a Rave down in LA in a stadium. The lighting was less than desirable, but it seemed I could do no wrong... I hand held every shot, and whatever I pointed it at was pure gold. I shot with the onboard flash when I needed to, because I was too dumb to rent a flash unit.

I liken this lens to a magic wand. I normally shoot with my 28-135 kit lens, and after using this, I was sold on L quality. Autofocus was a snap, IS was a dream, the lens feels nice and I for one welcome the weight. I shot a 30D with a loaded battery grip, I ran around the stadium, up and down the stairs at least 50 times, shooting everything I could manage, for 16 hours straight. I felt pretty beat up by the end of it, but the weight of the lens never became an issue for me. I for one welcome weight, if it was light it just wouldn't feel like quality and inspire confidence.

Sure there are tactical advantages to being light, but this weight is manageable. I also shot a 50mm 1.2L, and I must say I was not blown away like I am with this lens. I am now selling everything I own to buy what I feel is a dynamic combo: this lens and the 16-35 2.8L - worth every penny.

The only thing I didn't like about shooting this lens was the focal length, 70mm on a 1.6x body is a little hard to swing in a stadium filled with 10,000 people. Especially in the crammed VIP room, but I somehow managed to do it, it just took a lot more effort. This is my fault for lack of lens selection. I would shoot with this lens 100% of the time if I could swing it.

On a side note, this lens draws serious attention, especially in Hollywood - everyone assumes you can make them famous. This might be a good thing if your looking for work, just keep your wives at home because I had to beat girls off with a stick (I brought sand to the beach if you know what I mean).

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (Purchased on 10/17/2007) was a good investment. I use it for basketball pictures. Indoors is a challenge and the lens works. Some of the older gyms are still dark and the pictures have to be modified with photoshop. If I had to do it again, I would still choose this lens.

You can't go wrong with a Canon L series IS lens! With Amazon you even save a few bucks!

I had previously had the Canon 70-200 F4L lens, and couldn't justify spending the money for the upgrade...

A year later, I bit the bullet and upgraded my 30D to a 5D, and realized the beauty of full frame DSLRs. At the same time, I went for the 70-200 IS, and have absolutely no regrets. The lens is super sharp, and in low lighting conditions, the lens holds amazingly!!!

When I ordered the 70-200 2.8 I was a little nervous about it's size and weight and thought I may have made a mistake in purchasing. It IS heavy and bulky, but WOW--I am in love with this thing! No regrets whatsoever. I am using it for wedding and portrait photography, and it is perfect if you like a zoom.

This is one of Canon's finest pieces of glass, period. I know there's debate over some L series lenses truly being of superior quality. But make no mistake, this one is the real deal.

Yes, it's heavy. But i just consider that proof of its substantial build and quality. It's not a walkaround lens. But with camera attached and hand under the zoom ring, it balances nicely.

Now, onto performance. Wow. The 2.8 allows you to freeze action under most lighting conditions. And it produces a really nice bokeh, so your subject is always the star. I used it to capture my 6 year old's soccer game and it's really nice to be able to catch the intensity of the player's eyes as the ball is frozen it midair in front of them, while the cars in the parking lot in the b/g blur away.

The depth of field control is amazing. At wide open, i was able to focus a soccer ball 150 ft away, while blurring out the grass 1.5 feet in front and back.

I've also shot some nice portraits with it...it's actually a pretty good length for doing this. I wouldn't have thought so.

The focus is super quick and silent. And for the most part, always dead on and razor sharp. I haven't noticed any distortion yet.

The IS function doesn't help freeze action any better. But it really pays off in lower light situations, where 3 stops really come in handy. I handheld a 1/15 sec shot with great results.

If there is one downside, it's that this lens is a bit of an ordeal to mount, unmount, recap, put in case, etc...so switching lenses as you go is really a pain and you can't go back and forth between this and a wide or prime, for instance. So i tend to stick with just this lens once i start shooting. Unless you're a pro with two bodies around your neck, you're always gonna be "stuck" with the big one. (not a bad thing, tho)

Bottom line: it's expensive. it's heavy. but for performance like this, it's worth it.

So, my daughters are in a sport where the lighting is much like the lighting in a cave when trying to photo the events - not so great. After renting this lens from a local camera shop and attaching it to my 30D, I was absolutely amazed at the shots I was able to capture. Not only did I no longer need to shoot at ISO 3200, but the detail of the images was not lost in the noise or dimness of the captured scene. I now shoot ISO 1600, max, thanks to image stabilization, and the photo detail of the L lens is amazing. It was so great, in fact, that I was able to sell photos of the event to members of the team.

Excellent L series lens, including construction and overall quality. It's price is steep, but does include the lens case, mounting collar and lens hood.

I cant really say much more than the thousands of sterling reviews all over the net. Simply one of the best built, toughest, most versatile with OUTSTANDING image quality lenses made! Rent one first if your unsure or frightened by the sticker shock, you will end up getting one:)

Debated for a while over this lens v/s the f/4 sibling. Decided to go with the f/2.8 even though I had some reservations about the weight. I have since used the lens a few times and the weight has not been an issue. Background blur is awesome and even though this is a zoom I swear the pictures look as clear as a prime. If you're going to spend this kind of money on a lens I would say go for the f/2.8 - this is a great investment that will provide satisfaction with whatever you are photographing.

I've had this lens for over a year now with my 20D. Excellent image quality, how ever there is some softness at f2.8. Great for low light, and background blur at wide open apertures.

This is my favorite lens - fast, sharp, with great color and reasonable reach on my 5D. (When the light's bad I'll even use it indoors, just for the speed to avoid the glare of the flash.) Outdoors, the "big white lens" effect doesn't hurt, either: you can walk just about anywhere with this lens on a big body if you look like you know what you're doing, they just assume you're a pro.

I bought this lens at the beginning of January 2008 and it has been about a month now. It is a terrific lens for my 20D and I am not regretted spending so much money on buying it. The lens was solid built and the focus is very fast considering it as a telephoto lens. Many people concern about the softness image quality that was caused by the shallow depth of view (when using F/2.8) and I found it is not an issue at all because if you have used/had the 50mm F/1.8 you know that the 1.8 would really make the image very soft and shallow focus. The 2.8 is really not that bad.
Like many people have commented before this lens is just one great lens for low light photography. The F/2.8 and the IS just make taking low light pictures so much easier than before. I usually take pictures under medium to low light and without flash situation, and with this lens I can take handhold pictures with the shutter speed down to 1/60 and the pictures are still very clear and don't see any blur which I don't think I could do if it were the F/4 IS version of this lens.

What a fantastic lens. I do a lot of low-light concert photography and this lens expanded my range of motion a great deal. No longer do I have to be right on top of the performers to get a close up. I can also explore the creative use of Depth of Field with much greater ease.

It is a heavy piece of glass without a tripod. Fortunately I work out so the weight doesn't bother me over the course of an hour or two.

I was a little worried about having to find a case that fit and a hood. Fortunately both were included with the lens.

The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens is nothing short of incredible. I'm using it on my Canon XTi. With the XTi's multiplication factor of 1.6 the effective focal length of this lens is 112mm to 320mm. The thought of a 112mm to 320mm lens which features a maximum aperture of f2.8 throughout its range and has image stabilization is hard to comprehend at first. After a couple weeks of use, I find this lens is fast, sharp, quiet, and a bit heavy. This lens is fantastic for portraits. It's also great for close-ups taken from about 5-6 feet away. It's far more versatile than I expected.

Using this product has been a joy. i am a sports photographer for a college basketball and volleyball team. The pictures I have gotten with this lens have been amazing from the first time I used it to now.

I owned the 4.0 non IS version of the 70-200 and that was great lens as well! But this blows it out of the water for almost every task i ever do.

I found that the f4 is just not fast enough whereas i can get really fast results with this new 2.8 it is great!

Go for the IS or you will just sell the lower one in a month or 6 months, lose money, then have to do it all over again.

Amazing lens! You get great contrast in photos, they come out sharp. IS helps you obtain shots that you would not normally get. However, those shots may not come out as crisp as you would like (I think expectations that IS is the cure-all should be lowered, remember, you were not suppose to get those shots). This lens and the non-IS version are in a class of their own. If you have money to spend, get the IS, if not, get the non-IS. In my opinion, these are not travel lenses, if I travel I use the 70-300 DO lens because I like to travel light (not a 2.8 but I compromise when it comes to travelling). For travel lenses, consider the DO, or the 70-200 f4. I will carry this lens only if there are specific things I want to shoot and I want the very best quality. Amateurs need not bother (unless they have money to burn), if its a serious hobby, get it, professionals, its a no brainer.

There really isn't much I can say about this great lens that has not been already said. But, I will warn you after you use this lens nothing else in your lens arsenal will have any appeal unless it is yet another "L" lens. After using the 70-200 f2.8 IS USM, I started selling off all my other lenses to save up for L replacements.

This is simply the best telephoto lens I have ever used. It arrived about 3 weeks ago and has performed flawlessly on both my 30D and my film camera (the old EOS 630). The blurred backround at wider aperture settings is satisfying and seamless, while the contrast, color and sharpness of the image are remarkable. There is a very slight, but barely perceptible, softening of the image on film when the lens is wide open at f=2.8, but by f=3.5 I can't detect any lack of sharpness even on enlargements.

The IS works perfectly. There is a little motor noise (very soft) while the IS is engaged, but nothing that would disturb a nearby subject. As others have stated, IS is no complete panacea for hand-held shooting in near total darkness, but I have been able to get a lot of great exposures that would have been impossible with any other telephoto.

Another huge plus is that this lens allows full time manual focus; you don't have to flip a switch to override the auto focus. All you need to do is start turning the focus ring. This saves a lot of time and missed shots when the autofocus is choosing something other than what you want to shoot.

On the other hand this is not a "walk-around" lens. It is very serviceable off the tripod for short sessions, or even hanging around for a couple of hours. If you watch Art Wolfe on "Journeys To The Edge" (highly recommended show on PBS)he uses this lens a lot, and often hand carries it around without using the neck strap. But it does get heavy after a while. And it is a long,fixed length lens. But the weight and length are just the price we have to pay for a lens that retains its maximum 2.8 aperture through its entire range.

If you are serious about the images you create, and can afford the price, this lens is an investment you cannot afford to pass up.

Pro: Great image quality, especially for available light portraits shot at f2.8 where you want a pleasingly blurred background. The IS is good but see note below.

Con: Weight if you plan on carrying it around all day on a pro camera body.

This is a great lens and if I didn't also own the 70-200mm f4.0L IS Canon lens I would have rated it 5 stars. IMHO the f4 is a better all around carry lens if you don't absolutely have to have the f2.8 aperture. The IS in the f4 is Canon's latest and is usable up to 4 stops slower shutter speed than you'd normally need at less than half the weight. The 2.8 version uses the very good, but older, 3 stop IS. On the surface you would think that the f2.8 aperture being one stop faster would place them on even ground where IS is concerned but it does not. the newer IS on the f4 version is INCREDIBLE in operation! To be fair to the 2.8 lens, given the same lighting conditions, it gives you one full shutter speed faster that may make a difference if stopping motion is needed in the shot. My best advice is to not end up with both lenses becuase it is so hard to decide which one to take along!

If you are going to have 1 lens in your bag then this is the lens. It takes awesome action shots. I have taken soccer pictures and bsketball pictures with this and it does an outstanding job.

the 70-200 f/2.8 L IS was my second L series lens purchased, and they still do not disappoint. build and image quality is amazing, and even though its on the heavy side, the images are well worth the extra weight over an inferior telephoto lens.

this lens can cover you in most situations, from outdoor nature photography to indoor studio. for outdoor, i also recommend purchasing the 1.4X extender-which increasing the zoom range to 280mm at a constant f/4, still respectable for medium to low light photography with a high iso.

while it may be pricey, its more than worth it. if cost is an issue, the 70-200 f/4 L IS or non IS lenses are both very good, but the IS is really worth the extra money, especially on a lens of this length.

Having owned this lens for about a year, I'm continually amazed at the quality of pictures taken with this lens. The lens is extrenely fast to focus and has a nice constant 2.8 aperture not to mention the great image stabilization. While more expensive that the 4 aperture little brother, this lens is worth the upgrade if you shoot in low light situations. I've used it on my 40D and now on my 1D Mark III with great success.

I say "unexpectedly" not because I thought it wouldn't be great; I damn sure expected it to be great for nearly 2 large. I say "unexpectedly" because I did not expect to get so much use out of it. I had planned to use it sparingly (for special events, weddings, portraits) but it turns out I am getting 80% of my great shots with this lens. In fact, I just got finished with a day of shooting with this lens mounted on a 40D and the 35mm f/1.4 mounted on a 5D and all of the "keeper" shots were taken with this lens and the 40D combo. The 40D is a nice camera, but it's no 5D. In fact, up until this point I have not been thrilled with the 40D (in comparison to the 5D which really spoils you with its low-noise and sharpness) and have used it only as a backup. I attribute my satisfaction with the day's results, however, to this lens. It's just flat out awesome. Ditto everything that has already been said about it. The combination of the sharpness and the telephoto focal lengths is just stellar. I have used many other telephoto lenses and I can not recall any of them being so sharp at the longer lengths. This lens stays razor sharp at all lengths. I also don't mind the weight as much as I thought I would. In fact, not once today did I say to myself "this lens is just too heavy." I was too busy shooting to worry about it. It's big and heavy to be sure, but not as big and heavy as I thought it would be. So I am very pleased so far in every way. Like always, if I find an issue down the road I'll come back and revise this review to reflect it. Right now, I have zero complaints.

An incredible lens that will absolutely transform your photography if you have never used a Canon L lens before. It is an outstanding piece of glass with quality that is second to none. When using it for sports you will get professional looking shots with beautiful blur when using it wide open and freezing the action at high shutter speeds; it is tack sharp. When used for portraiture, it is my favorite lens by far because of the the exquisite quality and versatility it offers. It is a heavy lens and you need to be ready for that. Expensive but worth every penny.

This is a fast 70-200mm lens, and f/2.8 max aperature is available throughout the zoom range. This gives me greater flexibility in low light or fast-action situations, and gives good depth-of-focus control. The fast lens speed and good image stabilization makes it more forgiving for hand-held shots. The IS will work on or off the tripod. Autofocus is fast and image quality is tops. It is well sealed for dust and moisture resistance (this does not mean waterproof).

The price of having a faster lens is the greater weight and cost. If light weight is more important to you than speed, Canon's 70-200mm f/4 is lighter (and lower cost).

I bought the basic, f/4 non-IS version of this lens about a year ago and liked it a lot. However there was always a niggling feeling that I should have gone the whole hog and bought this one as it would be more versatile for wedding photography. So, I recently caved in and made the purchase. The wide aperture and particularly the IS are superb but, compared to the f/4 lens, sharpness is not blowing my skirt up. Side-by-side, the much cheaper f/4 lens is slightly sharper both in the centre and in all corners. That is not to say the lens is soft, but it isn't the all-round stunner I was hoping it would be. Had I never tried the f/4 I'd have given this lens a 5-star review. I was hoping to sell the f/4 lens, but now I feel I should keep it, as it unexpectedly outperforms the f/2.8 IS when optimum sharpness is required.

I have had a Canon digital SLR for several years, but have never owned an L series lens until now. I never thought I would drop this much $$$ on a lens, but it became pretty much a necessity in order to shoot all of my kids' sports activities especially gymnastics where I needed a fast telphoto zoom lens because all the events are inside and there is no flash photography allowed! I considered the non IS version, but my experience with other Canon IS lenses moved me to make this choice.
So far I haven't been disappointed in any way. The lens is very solidly constructed. The IS and USM work great, and the zoom is very smoooth. All of the images I have shot with this lens are sharp throughout the zoom range.
The bottom line...this is an awesome lens though it is a bit pricey for non professional photographers. The upside is that these lenses retain their value well when properly cared for as can be attested to on Ebay.

I use this lens as my walk around on my 5D all the time. Sharp, fast and versatile. Only drawback is weight so carrying it all day can be a drag if you are not use to it. Add the 1.4 Canon TC and add more versatility too.
Can't say enough about this copy.

Title says iot all, the best there is and I echo all the good things said.

Simply put...worth it! The IS is needed for those just in case moments and prevention is far better than I wish I would have. My first shoot was an engagement session and the lens delivered brilliantly. With the correct settings it does an amazing job at blurring the foreground and background and focussing your subject(s).

It is everything I thought it would be. If you can afford it, then it's great!

I've had this lens for nearly 2 years and hardly ever used it until the last few weeks. I use to shoot with a Rebel XTi, but now I'm using a 5D. Pictures taken with the XTi were usually nice, but nothing special. Eventually I got into panoramas using medium format, manual focus lenses and shift adapters, so the 70-200 was put on a back shelf and was only brought out when I began to wonder if I was having trouble focusing my old, used MF lenses.

I had a $95 Hoya UV filter on the 70-200 until one day I was comparing its sharpness and image quality on the 5D to a set of 25 year old, medium format, manual focus, East German, Carl Zeiss Jena lenses. The 70-200 could not match the old commie MF lenses until I dumped the UV filter.

Then a couple of weeks ago, because so many of my usual haunts are flooded by the Mississippi, I dragged out the 70-200, put a 2X extender on it and started shooting big white egrets in a local park. It doesn't work so well as a bird lens, especially white birds against a green background. Focus wasn't so good. I compared it with the 2X extender to my 300mm Zeiss Jena, manual focus, MF commie lens targeting a monochromatic stone church bell tower from 600 to 700 yards out. The old commie lens bested it.

But this Father's Day it took wonderful pictures of family coupled with the 5D, and again today, it took beautifully sharp photos, coupled again with the 5D, but general photography, not big white birds or monochromatic stone work at great distances.

If you want to see what this lens can do:
1. Ditch any and all filters. High priced UV filters are worse than useless, they significantly degrade image quality and the lens doesn't need nearly the protection every newbee seems to think it needs. If you put one of those on the front of an f/2.8 70-200 you wasted $1000 of the $1600 you paid for the lens.
2. Ditch any and all tele-extenders. Getting good shots with an extender is very hit or miss, especially if the target is pretty much monochromatic and/or glaring white and very far away.
3. Get a 5D (or 1D) because with the little Canons (anything less than a 5D), you'll never know just how good this lens is. Of course, if you can't afford a 5D or better but plan on getting one some day, it's alright to buy the f/2.8 70-200 now. It'll be there waiting to show you what it can really do when you finally get a camera that can do it justice.

Exactly what I was looking for to add to my studio. This lens has a lowed me to take much better photos b/c of the high quality glass inside of it. I love this lens and would highly recommend it to anyone

got this lens because of the reviews. there is no question the glass is outstanding. the night time pictures are out of this world. shot a thunderstorm, unbelievable pictures.
overall very very nice. But the weight is an issue. it is pretty darn heavy after two hours. i would not use it as an everyday lens. it is worth having in the bag, but until i get a lot stronger, it is my #2 lens. (24-135mm #1)

Very sharp, great bokeh, very fast and silent AF. Practically no chromatic aberration and vignetting (except perhaps at F2.8). Ideal for sports shooting. With the IS one can shoot usable pictures at 1/20 sec. Highly recommended. See also:

[...]

Excellent lens that produces great quality images. It is a bit on the heavy side, but well worth the extra weight. I have used it for over a year and the improved quality of my images is really amazing. If you serious about producing excellent images this is the lens for you.

Prior to my purchase of the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM, I was torn between this one and another Canon lens, the 70-200mm f/4 IS USM. My research and reviews on the two lenses revealed that the lenses are identical in the same aperture ranges, though I think the larger fixed aperture of the f/2.8 has the bigger advantage when shooting in low light conditions, which I often do. The lens is a bit heavy, but can be handheld. Because of the weight, I opted to get the IS version instead of the non IS one. I have used the lens in live band shows and it reveals excellent images at 70mm up to 135mm, though I agree with most reviewers, that it is a bit soft on the 200mm range. All in all, It has big advantages over this other brothers (Canon f/4, or the non-IS) , though I cannot compare it with other third party lenses (Sigma, Tokina, Tamron). The only drawback would be it's weight.

I am very happey with Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS USM , it's a great lens , very sharp crisp iamge

Many have already commented on how silent and "fast" this lens is. Agree that its heavy, but using a hand strap allows for greater stability. Build quality is excellent as it is for every other Canon "L" series lens. Some quip about the white color and it does attract a lot of attention.

A few things surprised me, the date code on the lens that I purchased was no less than two weeks old from where it was manufactured in Japan. This is a big lens that looks like a bazooka with the hood attached. Despite its size, it is very well balanced on my 1D Mark II. I've taken pictures for 2-3 hr stretches and it does cause some fatigue in your forearms, wrist, and hand muscles.

The bokeh is dreamy and the IS has allowed me to capture images that would have been less likely without the IS. Same image with and without IS and you'll see the difference -- especially in low light conditions or at shutter speeds less than 1/100.

Lastly, image quality and sharpness appears to be dependent on sensor size. Images from full frame sensors (1D series and 5D) are sharper and less soft compared to those images taken with APS-C sensors (Rebel, 30D, 40Detc). This has to do with pixel density and the "magnification" which exaggerates perceived softness.

This is every bit a professional lens -- great build quality, sharp, weather-sealed, and of course the price. There are many debates about IS or non-IS and 2.8L or 4L. Yep the 4L has better MTF graphs, newer generation IS system, and the images are stunningly crisp. But if you shoot in variable light conditions, the 2.8 won't let you down. Just ask the pros...

There are four models of Canon 70-200 L lenses. Two are F/4.0-5.6 and two are F/2.8. Each set of two has an imaged stabilized and non-stabilized version. The pricing starts at about $700 and moves up to this one that is about $1699.

After reading many reviews, it seemed to me worthwhile to invest in this one rather than the 4.0 versions. It is great to have constant F/2.8 all the way through the zoom range, and also to have image stabilization. I crank it up to ISO 1600 then shoot wide open at F/2.8 and people are amazed I can get pictures even in fading daylight without flash.

It seemed rather strange to read reviews saying that the color was great, but after experiencing it I now know what they mean. Wow, what great images and the bokeh (out of focus background) is absolutely wonderful. Not many told me about that great benefit.

If you think you can only afford the least expensive model ($700) then carry your lunch for a while and go all the way with the savings! Turn down your heat 2 degrees or turn up the temperature on your A/C by 2 degrees. Eat chicken instead of steak weekly. Car pool! This lens is worth making some sacrifices!

One caveat: some reviews I saw elsewhere have said that Canon optimizes this lens for full-frame SLRs (the expensive ones from about $2,000 (5D) to $8,000 (1DS), while Nikon optimizes its version for cropped frame SLRs. Therefore, I am not sure it will be as much of a "wow" on a cropped camera because I have not been able to try it. I have a 5D and have been lending out my 20D to my son-in-law for the last couple of months.

There is a reason why this lens so expensive: everyone is prepared to pay the price. This is simply the best portrait lens available. It's fast - through the whole range from 70 to 200 mm it can operate at f/2.8. Wide open it produces a really great bokeh that rivals that of prime lenses. The AF focuses quickly, and very quietly (which, considering that this is a zoom lens, is not that important). Operating the zoom ring feels almost perfect, as it is positioned exactly where you expect it, and it is wide enough not to accidentally touch the focus ring.

The lens has an image stabilisator that is more than capable, and *very* helpful when trying to follow motion (the lens provides a special IS mode for this). The IS is nicely balanced, and does not jerk the image when activated (the slight oscillation it induces on the hand holding the lens takes some getting used to).
It's incredibly sharp at one stop above 2.8, and no discernible vignetting fully open (I'm using it on a 1.6 FOV body). Since the lens uses internal focusing, the front will not turn, making using circular polarizers much, much simpler than with other lenses that do not have this feature.

One thing that is of concern, and will always be, is that this lens is heavy. At almost 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) it is by far my heaviest lens, and makes that camera/lens combination top-heavy. Luckily, the lens comes with a tripod ring that helps alleviating this problem (you do have a tripod, right?). One of the reasons that this lens is so heavy is the way that it is build: metal, and professional grade environmental sealing. It is safe to assume that unless you are using an equally professional camera (which i do *not*), the lens will outlast the body it is mounted on.

My lens came included with tripod ring, a hood, and nice bag (with it's own shoulder strap) - so stay away from any bundles that offer a carrying bag or hood. The only thing I needed to purchase was an UV filter (I use it to protect the lens) -- I recommend B&W filters -- and a tripod plate. I also got the 1.4x extender, but have found little use for it so far.

The reason I find this lens so good is that it produces excellent pictures -- especially for portraits. Since it produces beautiful bokeh (the blurriness behind the focused object) and operates in fairly low light conditions without a flash while still giving sharp images it will allow you to shoot incredibly beautiful pictures. And having a 200mm zoom allows you to give your model some space to relax, while the range of 70-200 allows you to quickly adapt to the situation without having to change the lens. The result many times are downright stunning. If there is a perfect portrait lens, this is it.

I wholeheartedly recommend this lens over its more affordable brethren (the non-IS and the slower variants of this lens). You get what you pay for. If there is one L lens you want in your lineup (or better: can afford to have) make it this one.

I have done a lot of researches before decided on getting this sweet baby. I chose this over the regular f2.8 and f4 IS because I know I want the best. A lot of people complained about the weight and I have to admit it is quite heavy especially carrying it the whole day. After the first day of shooting, I couldn't wait to put my CompactFlash into the digital photo frame to evaluate the quality of the pictures. I immediately forgot about the weight and I appreciated so much on the picture quality. Then I remove the card and load all the pictures on my 24" IMAC. The result are more stunning! Next, I tried printing one of my best shot onto a premium photo paper. You know what I am going to say! The image is tack sharp with great contrast. I tried a lot of other "L" zoom lens including the f4 non IS and none of them give me the same level of quality images. Although I still think prime lens are the best for quality but I don't think you can find a better zoom lens on the market. This is the one!

This is a wonderful lens. Well worth the money. The senior portraits I took came out beautifully. Works great for outdoor shots!

I bought this lens for shooting softball action in early evening, twilight, and night games. The autofocus is unbelievably quick and impressive. It's important to remember to set it to IS mode 2 during action. I forgot a few times and the images were not clear enough. The zoom ring is smooth and is conveniently placed. I chose this over the 80-300 mm because the 70-200 got better ratings regarding picture quality and it has the f/2.8. The range of 70-125 is great for infield and shallow outfield, but beyond that it needs to be on a tripod or monopod. I'm thinking of renting 100-400 to see if that works better for my needs. I've taken a few shots indoors of my dog and wasn't impressed -I'm sure it is due to my lack of skills and not the lens itself. I haven't learned to use a monopod so I've been hand holding it while attached to the Canon 40D. I don't think it's too heavy, but I've been getting flair-ups in my carpel tunnel pain the day after using this lens.

It's really difficult to add something new as everybody agrees that this is an amazing lens. Before I bought this lens I had owned Canon 70-200 f/4 non-IS version. It was also excellent lens in terms of image quality but this one adds faster aperture and more importantly excellent Image Stabilization.
Lens is really heavy comparing to non-IS version of 70-200 f/4 but that extra weight is worth of it. Pictures are excellently sharp, you can shoot hand-held with times below 1/100 sec. which is a dramatic improvement.
I believe any of Canon 70-200 lenses is great but not each is usable in low light conditions without tripod. 70-200 f/2.8L IS excels in such situations so if you're sure you'll be dealing with low light, this lens is for you.
It's excellent for wedding photography, portraits, nature, animals etc.

Sheesh...after reading all the reviews, buying this lens, and using it...what else is there left to say? You'd be wasting your time on other Canon 70-200 lenses. IS and f/2.8 is the way to go.

This lens is still one of my favorites and used most of the time. Good all around zoom lens.

At first I was hesitant to get this lens because of its price. I looked at the cheaper non-IS and the f4 version. But after a lot of research I bit the bullet and made the purchase. I have to say I do not regret it one bit. If you look on ebay, craiglist and many forums you'll find a lot of people selling their f4 versions. The reason they often gave was "going to upgrade to the f2.8 IS". So I thought id just save myself the pain of buying and selling, and just get the lens I really wanted.

Now that I have it, this lens is awesome. Nothing short of it. Whether its sports, portraits or wildlife, this is THE lens to have. I'll just break it down more simple:
Pro's:
- Awesome image quality
- f2.8 w/IS makes shooting low light events now possible.
- Autofocus is very fast.
- Zoom range is good
- This version of the lens is dust/water resistant.
- Built like a tank.

Cons: (not sure if these are all truly cons, just observations)
- Its heavy. After shooting a full day race event my arm was sore. Id guess it somewhere around 3.5 to 4 pounds
- It will attract looks and attention. People will assume you work for a news paper or magazine.
- Its a big lens. There's no hiding this under your jacket to get it in somewhere.
- Price. Unless your Richie Rich, a $1700 lens is considered a major purchase.

I shoot a lot of horse events (dressage, jumping, etc.) and this lens has rapidly become my favorite, both for range and speed. Stops action with crisp detail and beautiful color. Somewhat heavy, but pretty much ANY lens in this category is going to give your arms a workout. I use a monopod for more stability.

I will preface this by saying that I bought the 70-200/4L non IS before getting the f/2.8 IS version. The f/4 version is not shabby at all for its price point. A lot of people think that the price of the f/2.8 IS version is very high, and it is. However, for some people, and you'll know who you are, f/2.8 is necessary in order to capture the picture that you want. For those who have not noticed yet, there are four different 70-200s in Canons lineup. Starting off with the f/4 non IS as a base price, you have to add about $500 for either IS or f/2.8, or $1000 for both.

Here is a quickie for those deciding if they need either f/2.8 or IS:

f/2.8 is useful for two things compared to f/4...
1) thinner DOF, yielding a more out of focus background, which is pleasing for portraits
2) shooting action in low light environments, in which case f/2.8 can make your shutter speed twice as fast as f/4, all things else the same (ISO, etc).

IS is useful for one thing: canceling out the hand movements that you yourself make. It will not freeze the movement of your subject; you need a flash or a faster aperture lens to do that. One thing that comes out of this is the ability to shoot stationary objects much clearer than a lens without IS. Another thing is that on long lenses such as this one, IS can help you compose your picture more accurately, because the viewfinder will be stabilized along with the lens, allowing you to perfectly frame your shot. This is one advantage to Nikon and Canon's implementation of in-lens IS, compared to Sony and Pentax's implementation of in-body IS.

Anyways, that tutorial aside, let me focus on two things that matter most: build quality and image quality.

Build quality is amazing. If you are used to consumer grade lenses like the EF-S series of lenses or the kit lens, and have never touched an L lens, this thing feels rock solid. The f/4 version had the same build, but the f/2.8 feels more solid. I think this is all due to the weight: this lens weighs approximately twice that of the f/4 versions. The zoom and full-time manual focus rings are very smooth in action. Like its non-IS f/2.8 sister, this lens come with a tripod mount. If you use a tripod, I highly suggest you use the tripod ring to mount your setup on the tripod, because it will provide a better place to balance your lens+body. There is a knob you can twist on the tripod ring that will loosen the ring so that you can swing your camera from landscape into portrait mode and vice versa, without adjusting anything on your tripod. The one thing about build quality that didn't impress me was the included lens hood. It is plastic and my hood doesn't fit the bayonet mount perfectly...it has some play and sometimes rattles when I move the camera back and forth. Not a huge deal, but you would expect more since Canon paid attention to all the small details elsewhere. By the way, this lens is weather sealed. Both the 70-200/4 IS and 70-200/2.8 IS are weather sealed, while their non-IS sisters are not sealed. Note that this sealing is only effective when you have a weather sealed body to mount it on (read: 1D series camera). There is a rubber ring around the lens mount that provides some of this sealing, and the 1D series has the complementary sealing around its lens mount. A note on this: I discovered a speck of dust on an inner element that wasn't there when I first got the lens, which is curious for a weather sealed lens. Not that it really affects anything.

Image quality is amazing. Some very choosy pixel peepers will tell you that this particular lens is not the sharpest 70-200 in the Canon line-up. They are being very nitpicky; all 70-200s perform amazingly in terms of IQ (contrast, colors, sharpness). I have done some real world testing myself to clear the fear of shooting wide open at f/2.8, and I have found it produces sharp pictures at f/2.8 until you get to about 200mm, in which case the sharpness goes down a little. However, that said, it is hard to shoot accurately at f/2.8 and 200mm...the depth of field is extremely thin and lack of sharpness could be due to misfocusing. Once stopped down to f/4, it is plenty sharp at all focal lengths. Until you try this lens out, you will not know the meaning of creamy bokeh (an exaggeration, since there are other lenses out there creating awesome bokeh too). At 70mm, the bokeh is still amazing, but once you get to 150mm or longer at f/2.8...the background really starts to get creamy and extremely easy on the eye. My main use for this lens is for portraits, as its longer focal length starts to compress the perspective and is extremely good for tighter portraits. Colors on this lens are amazing straight out of the camera. Of course, in post processing they get even better. One time I did a shoot using my 17-55/2.8 IS and my 70-200/4L non IS, and the colors were very noticeably better on the 70-200. Upon getting the 70-200/2.8 IS, I didn't notice any change in colors between it and the f/4 version, and didn't bother to shoot portraits anymore with the 17-55, but if A>B and C=A, then C>B (A being 70-200/4L, B being the 17-55, and C being the 70-200/2.8IS). Sorry had to put some math in there :). One thing I noticed is that this lens shoots warmer than my other lenses, which is not a bad thing when it comes to portraits. Performance wide open is very good, and stop it down a bit and you'll get a little more contrast and sharpness, as it is with any lens.

If you guys are curious about the large number of switches on it, here they are, from top to bottom:
1) focusing limiter switch: either 1.4m to infinity or 2.5m to infinity. Use the latter if your subjects are farther away from you, in order to get the fastest AF possible. I don't bother with this switch, since AF is lightning quick. There is a reason lots of sports shooters use this lens
2) AF switch: either manual focus or automatic focus. Not of much use, since this lens includes full time manual, meaning that you can adjust focus manually by turning the ring, even when the lens is set to autofocus.
3) IS stabilizer switch: on or off. I leave mine on all the time, but sometimes when its bright outside, I just turn it off to conserve battery
4) Stabilizer mode: mode 1 or 2. Mode 1 stabilizes your lens in all directions, while Mode 2 is for when you pan, in which case the lens will sense which direction you are panning in, and disable that axis of the stabilizer. (I wish my 17-55/2.8 IS had this feature, as the viewfinder jerks when you have IS on and are trying to pan).

In use, this thing is much heavier than the f/4 version (of course, since it weighs twice as much). On a 40D, it will require two hands (one under the lens, one on the camera) most of the time due to the center of gravity being in the lens and not the body. The 70-200/4 was a much better balance on the 40D, and it was easy to hold that setup by one hand on the camera grip. The 70-200/2.8 IS is also large and noticeable with its white coating. One time I took it to my university's basketball game, and an official told me to put it away, since it was too long for their regulations. He told me that those regulations were put in place by the media, since the media basically wants to be the only people selling shots. I looked at the sideline and all the media shooters were using the same exact lens to cover the game. Basically, you will get lots of attention with this lens, wanted and unwanted. With the hood on, it is very long. The tripod ring gets in the way sometimes, so I settled on leaving it on but twisting it 180 degrees so the leg is on the top side of the camera, out of the way. In such a location, it can serve as a handle of sorts, though I wouldn't carry it by that all day. One minor annoyance I have with the lens in operation is that the MF/AF switch is easily moved. A couple times I pulled it out of my bag to shoot with only to notice that it would not AF because it was in MF mode. I have heard of people fixing this by putting tape over the switch, to keep it in AF mode. I have not done so myself, as it has only happened to me a couple times.

Notes on the IS: I barely shoot this on the tripod, since I can take advantage of its IS. Canon advertises this lens as having a 3 stop stabilizer, meaning that you can shoot stationary objects clearly in 1/8 the amount of light you would normally need. Therefore, at 200mm, you would only need a shutter speed of 1/25 on full frame, and 1/40 on crop bodies, instead of 1/200 and 1/320, respectively. I have been able to shoot still objects clearly at 1/15 at 200mm (320mm equivalent on crop). Amazing, considering the focal length!

I use this lens on a Canon 40D, and cannot wait to use it on a full frame. On the 40D, it provided an excellent lens to cover dance shows, fashion shows, etc on stage in the venues I frequented at my university. However, now that I have graduated and will likely attend less shows, I am looking to convert this lens more into my go-to for portraits. A 70-200 on a crop body puts a little too much distance inbetween you and the subject. This can be a good thing, since not everyone is the most comfortable when a big lens is pointing at them from a few feet away. However, in order to maximize blur, I had to stand farther away and use the longer focal lengths. On full frame, one can stand closer and still use long focal lengths, thus taking advantage of this lens's bokeh at closer range. Also, personally, I find the thought of carrying this much glass around for a crop body a bit wasteful, and can't wait to use its full imaging circle in all its glory.

A note on other lenses: If you don't want the f/2.8, the f/4 versions are just as good in the build and image quality departments, at a much lower price and weight. Also, if you want lens with good, creamy bokeh at a focal length less than 100mm, consider the 85mm f/1.8 prime, which provides the same pleasing bokeh at 85mm wide open that the 70-200/2.8 does wide open at 150mm or more. The 85 is significantly cheaper and lighter, too.

Summary: Stellar build quality, excellent image quality (colors, contrast, sharpness). Image stabilizer is very effective. An f/2.8 zoom in this focal length range is very useful for covering stage events and sports with moving subjects in dim lights, so that you can minimize motion blur. It is also a great lens for portraits, providing extremely pleasing, creamy out of focus blurring, and excellent perspective for tight headshots. It is relatively heavy and a bit front-balanced on a 40D, but this is the price to pay for so much fast glass in a zoom. The ultimate low light zoom, if you can swing its price and weight!

What else can I say that has already not been said. I am should have not purchased a couple of consumer lenses and went straight for the gusto. It might be a bit heavy, but this lens is the greatest.

This is one of the most versatile high quality lenses around. For the hobbyist, this will suffice as your number one lens for portraits and medium distance telephoto shots. It's a fast lens with exceptional quality glass.
This lens, along with the EF 14-35mm f/2.8L USM and the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM is all a serious hobbyist-photographer needs as basic gear. Ok, it's expensive; but so is quality. If you're a designer and not a pure photographer, then don't waste money on high quality glass. A high end point and shoot will do. Photoshop/Painter skills is where you should invest.

Pros Best lens I have bought yet.
Cons Heavy and Price

I can not have not say enough good things about this lens. I use it for sports and outdoor shots. Well worth the money

What can I say that hasn't already been said about this lens? Absolutely wonderful. Fast accurate focusing for sports. Tremendously wide aperture. Crisp images. Great bokeh. Expensive, but well worth it.

i purchased this lens by reading other reviews and going off of a gut feeling. This lens is just amazing. fast quiet auto focus. super sharp. amazing glass. i highly recommend also purchasing the canon 1.4 extender with this lens.

I am so happy I bought this lens. It is sharp and produces beautiful images. Allowed me to capture wedding images I would not have been able to before.

I had the 70-200 F4 L for a few years (non IS), which is an excellent lens, and a bargain "L" but I sold it to upgrade to either the 2.8 IS or the 4.0 IS. Both are great lenses, but I bit the bullet and went 2.8 IS, knowing the lens is a beast, but also knowing I'd carry almost anything if it was the right tool. For those who are trying to make this decision, all I can say is that after the first 100 shots, I'm hooked on this lens. Faster, better focus than my copy of the 4.0, which was no slouch. INCREDIBLE bokeh, and ability to handhold shots that would be blurry without IS.

Wow, I have been spending way too much time reading and reviewing this lens, seriously, just get it. My lens had a code