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MichaD
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Registered: Nov 30, 2004
Location: Germany
Posts: 407
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Review Date: Apr 1, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 6
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Pros:
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Fast AF, close min-focus
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Cons:
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CA stopped down, sharpness not that impressive. Old IS system.N
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While the lens is definitely decently sharp I expected better from a L-prime.
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 Apr 1, 2010
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andrew81
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Registered: Jun 15, 2004
Location: Australia
Posts: 2500
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Review Date: Apr 1, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $500.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Light weight
compact
f4 is pretty fast
awesome out of focus background
very sharp and very contrasty
easily hand holdable
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Cons:
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my tripod mount is a bit sticky so when I have it on a mono or tripod going from horizontal to vertical and vice versa is awkward.
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I actually have the non-is version and I think it is very old. However this is easily the best lens I have ever used. Better than the 300 2.8 and 400 2.8. I shoot triathlon so the small size of this lens is a blessing. It takes a 1.4 converter very well. I do find the AF not as spot on when using anything other than the centre AF. I love this lens so much that I really dont want to sell it to upgrade to a 2.8 lens!
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Apr 1, 2010
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juan65
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Registered: Feb 4, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 305
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Review Date: Feb 18, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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very sharp lens, great for close up, minimum focus distance 1.5 meter can be switch to 3 m, IS, USM, I like the push and pull hood,(yes it can be locked when extended) it makes the polarizer filter a lot easier to use.
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Cons:
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none, and the IS is not noisy in my copy,
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first pictures came out with soft focus, I did the micro adjustment in my 7D to +12 and problem solved, so make sure your camera has the micro adjustment feature before you buy this lens,
I also recommend you buying from a dealer in your area, were you can walk in, test the lens in your camera and take it with you if you buy it,
trying to avoid sales tax from out of states online sales, may bring you problems, a lot of calls shipping lens back and all that bad stuff.
check out this tread; http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/868616/0#8142846
there is a picture of the lens with my camera in there.
because this lens has moving parts inside; the IS (image stabilizer)
I only recommend buying a new one,
buy it!
Juan
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Feb 18, 2010
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victoriae
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Registered: Sep 13, 2009
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Sep 13, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Not to big or heavy, very sharp, hand holdable for most shots, macro, reasonable price
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Cons:
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IS a little noisey but is not a problem
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Hi my first post, This is one of my best lenses and i have quite a lot of L glass, works well with the 1.4x converter. I was able to hand hold this with the 1.4x converter and on a 50D.
I also use this with my 1D MK iii for motorsport and gives superb results.
I think all things considered this is a very good lens and one i shall keep.
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Sep 13, 2009
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tonyat
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Registered: Jun 23, 2008
Location: N/A
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Sep 9, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,150.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Affordable for a long L lens. IS and Ring USM. Good Build Quality. Great in the sharpness, contrast and color departments.
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Cons:
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None from my point of view.
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I was using a Tamron 70-300 was just not satisfied with it. I decided I needed better image quality and IS. I did like the 300mm focal length on a crop body, though. Was considering Canon's 70-300 with IS, but after a lot of research went with this lens and really do like it.
Colors and image sharpness just knock me dead compared with what I had before. The IS has increased my keeper rate dramatically. The Ring USM focusing is a great improvement. I am not a pro, but I still appreciate the build quality even if it is a little heavier.
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Sep 9, 2009
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Eggyj
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Registered: Nov 5, 2003
Location: United States
Posts: 53
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Review Date: Jul 2, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $800.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Solid performance. Sharp, decent bokeh, portable, and flexible. Excellent close focus (1.5m). Built in hood. IS works fine. Good value. Good coatings, relatively light weight
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Cons:
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None
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A well balanced design. Close focus (not sure what previous reviewer was talking about at 6m ??) is a BIG advantage over prior 300mm design and 400 mm f5.6. Extremely flexible with 1.4x TC and ext. tubes or 500D. Provides very close focus 420 IS f5.6 with decent image quality, although rougher bokeh, and slower focus. IS could use a minor update but I've never had it let me down and I don't find the IS on my newer 70-300mm to be that much more effective - they both work. If you're shooting sunsets or distant scenics the old design with fewer lens elements might be better (better contrast less ghosting) but for field work with small critters and low light this lens is vastly superior.
One of the few reasons I still stick with Canon. I would love to see the same make-over of the 400 f5.6 (new gen IS, fast focus, and close focus <= 1.5m).
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Jul 2, 2009
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Janika
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Registered: Oct 17, 2005
Location: Canada
Posts: 367
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Review Date: Jun 30, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,200.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Easy to carry and handle, Relatively sharp, fast AF, Excellent for taking in-flight shots. Stabilizer works well for still objects, decent price-tag, Built in hood. Short min focusing distance, decent macro abilities.
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Cons:
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Not as sharp as it's predecessor, as it has more elements/glass, and a TC will make it worst.
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Had this lens for almost 4-months and I liked it, but You have to be lucky to get a sharp copy, which is a shame from Canon L series product. I recommend it for runway shoots, motor-sports, or winter sports. Way too short for birding / wildlife and a TC will slow your USM down. I sold mine this week and getting a 400mm prime instead.
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Jun 30, 2009
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canonet
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Registered: Aug 9, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 1065
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Review Date: Jun 12, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,200.00
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Pros:
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SHARP-SHARP lens! Beautiful colors
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Cons:
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Still an F4 and needs a longer minimal focus distance choice like 6 meters.
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I bought this lens 2 years ago to use for football and has returned fabulous images and prefer to use this more than my 70-200 2.8L lens! The IS will let me use it down to 1/160 sec (reliably) and 1/125( if necessary) handheld. if you must have a telephoto prime and cannot afford a 300 2.8L, get this one and you will not be dissapointed.
The only downside is in many lowlight situations where you need the shutter speed, the F4 is fast enough. Also, needs a longer minimal focusing distance choice; 6 meters.
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Jun 12, 2009
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supershot
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Registered: Dec 30, 2005
Location: Canada
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Mar 9, 2009
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Recommend? |
Price paid: Not Indicated
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Pros:
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sorry I made a mistake ,I tryed a used one before which was damaged ,after trying a new one , I am very impressed,very sharp and good color I give it a 10 !!
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Cons:
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non what so ever
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I rate this lens a 10
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Mar 9, 2009
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supershot
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Registered: Dec 30, 2005
Location: Canada
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Mar 6, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 6
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Mar 6, 2009
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irispatch
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Registered: Feb 3, 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 111
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Review Date: Mar 6, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $850.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Size, weight, image quality, versatility Telephoto to close up in one lens.
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Cons:
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none
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Size packs easily in a carry on or my vest. Weight, light enough to hand hold and carry all day. Image quality is outstanding. After Renting a 100-400 twice and finding them lacking in sharpness and versatility I researched lenses for 6 months looking for something to photograph birds with that was withing my budget. The 300mm f4L kept coming up as a very good wildlife option for a crop camera. Since I like to photograph birds , flowers and insects this lens is ideal for me. The 400mm lacks IS and does not have the ability to perform as a close-up lens too. After a week in Florida I am very happy with the results, razor sharp images, with great color. I may just let the 70-200 F4IS go since this spends as much time on the camera as my 100 F2.8.
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Mar 6, 2009
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Barry Tucker
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Registered: Feb 20, 2009
Location: Canada
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Feb 20, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp and bright on my Canon 50D.
My copy is sharp, weight is comforting and perfect for wildlife.
I take pride in ownership of this very beautiful lens.
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Cons:
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None
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This really is a nice lens, but keep in mind it is a 300mm prime.
I own 2 "L" lenses, and the quality is outstanding on both my L glass lenses.
For me it was worth the money, I love this lens.
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Feb 20, 2009
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HMZRHS
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Registered: Apr 10, 2007
Location: Brunei
Posts: 62
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Review Date: Jan 8, 2009
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Recommend? |
Price paid: Not Indicated
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Pros:
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Fast and light
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Cons:
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Jan 8, 2009
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KKFung
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Registered: Dec 20, 2008
Location: China
Posts: 767
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Review Date: Dec 28, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,070.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Small and light weight Tele, good focal length for both sport, protrait and wild life. Very good fit for travel
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Cons:
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No cons due to it is the cheapest white prime
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Just bought a new one and tried protrait, sport and wild live, it is a all purpose tele in FF application
Excellent IQ and handling. I found it is just beyond the size limit for travel, any lens bigger than this size you will find trouble during walk and shoot.
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Dec 28, 2008
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primalcarl
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Registered: Dec 26, 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 26
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Review Date: Dec 26, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Excellent IQ, pretty light, IS, built in hood
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Cons:
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None
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I love this lens. I've gone through all variations of the 70-200, but always found myself wanting more reach as I visit zoo's a lot. I wasn't 100% satisfied with the image quality when using a 1.4x tc with a 70-200. I switched to a 100-400 and whilst the range was very good, I was very disappointed with the quality of images. They weren't as sharp or colourful as I was used to from L lenses.
I then made the decision to go for a 300mm F4 IS, and so far I'm very happy. Image quality is the most important factor for me, and this lens really delivers. Sharpness is excellent, and so is colour and bokeh. As the image quality of this lens is so good, you can crop images quite heavily without a significant reduction in quality (I have a 40D).
The only downside with this lens is the subject may be too close to you in certain situations, but that's not a fault with the lens just a question of choosing the right kit to take with you
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Dec 26, 2008
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JHV_Digital
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Registered: Oct 13, 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Dec 2, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $850.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Razor sharp even wide open (I'd hope so for this price). Not too bulky. Fairly fast focus.
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Cons:
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Noisy IS/AF
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I waitied an interminable time for this lens to arrive and when it finally did, it was pouring rain outside. My initial shots were indoors which is hardly a fair place to test a lens like this. Regardless, the results were fantastic. Super sharp as it should be and very good IS.
My only complaint is that the IS/AF is noisy. Not mildly annoying, Noisy like elves are moving heavy furniture inside the lens. I thought that I might have a problem with the lens but when I compared it to another copy at my dealer, it made the same noises as well. I'm going to wait for the Canon rep to come to the store and see what he thinks, but int the meantime, I'm very happy with this purchase.
I would easily recommend this to anyone who wants a super sharp medium telephoto.
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Dec 2, 2008
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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169
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313464
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May 15, 2013
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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97% of reviewers
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$1,060.26
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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9.71
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9.15
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9.6
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