Great all-purpose telephoto zoom

Author's Rating:

Pros: Light, superlative "L" image quality at a very low price

Cons: f/4 aperture can be limiting for sports/action/wildlife photography and makes teleconverter use impractical.

The Bottom Line: 
If you do not need the high aperture or action capabilities of the 2.8, this lens offers equivalent image quality at half the price or weight.

Author's Review
This lens is a member of Canon's "L" (as in Luxury) series of professional lenses recognizable by the red ring on the lens front.

It is very compact thanks to the use of a calcium fluoride front element, a technology used in high-end telescopes and which only Canon uses in photo lenses. The distinctive white finish helps fight against heating by the sun's rays.

The 70-200mm f/2.8L and its image stabilized IS variants are mainstays of sports photographers. If you do not need the action capture capability of these lenses, the f/4 version offers the same or even slightly better image quality while being considerably lighter and cheaper. It can even be used as a portrait lens.

The USM (ultrasonic) motor makes focusing fast and buttery-smooth. The lens is supplied with a pouch and a lens hood, but without a tripod collar mount. The lens is light enough not to require one, however.