Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM Lens

Pros: Image stabilization, far-field performance, compact length, internal focus, panning IS, accessories included
Cons: Expensive, relatively "slow", somewhat disappointing in the near-field, large diameter

So you just got that amazing entry level professional dSLR (E OS 20D) and finally grew out of the kit lens. You even upgraded to a more versatile u niversal zoom lens and a dedicated ...

Pros: Small and light given its zoom range. Image Stabilized.
Cons: Lower optical quality than a lens this $$$ should have

The Canon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO is a pretty impressive lens in some ways- But falls short in some areas as well. I wanted to try it, as it has a nice zoom range (70-300mm), is fairly small and light, and has both the Ultrasonic Focus and Image ...

Pros: Somewhat smaller Quick and Quiet focusing Image Stabilizing is great.
Cons: Bit heavier than hyped "May be short, but wide as applesauce jar."

Simple. I like it. I wanted to replace my Tamron 70-300. The Tamron was OK, and I had gotten it because for a while the Canon 70-300 USM lenses weren't available. My problem was, the Tamron didn't focus quick enough. I wanted to be able to ...

Pros: Compact lens....nothing else
Cons: Useless beyond 200 mm, heavy, useless image quality, very expensive

I read all the reviews and looked at the pictures submitted and then decided to buy this lens. I was going on a three week safari from Cape Town thru Namibia, Botswana and ending in Victoria Falls. I passed through Etosha and Chobe National Parks on the ...

Pros: Very good carry around lens, well built and very fun to use.
Cons: This lens is quite expensive, but in the end it is well worth it.

I have had this lens for about a month now. I also own the 70-200 L IS 2.8 which is a great lens as well, but big and very heavy. I wanted something that is easy to carry around, I also wanted Image stabilization and a little more length and not quite so heavy. This lens is fun to use, I now take it everywhere and IQ is great. This lens is always on my camera or in my bag. I have doubled the amount of pictures that I have taken since buying this lens.

Pros: Size, build quality, image stabilization, USM
Cons: Image quality, weight

I bought this lens for the reason most users are probably thinking of buying this lens (assuming image and build quality are givens): the size. The idea of having a 300mm lens that is only 4" long was hard to resist. While many things about the lens are attractive (the build quality, the size, the USM, the IS) ultimately I found the optics to be weak. I performed an all-day comparison between the DO and the 70-200 L F4. Shooting everything imaginable in every light imaginable across the entire aperture range, the L was the hands down winner in every setting. Even enlarging a 200mm L image to the size of a 300mm DO image, the L image was superior. The L had better contrast, better sharpness, better focusing feel, better everything. Oh, it's also $500 cheaper. I'm not sure where the weakness in the DO lens originates, (glass quality? the DO?), but something's keeping this lens from matching the image quality of the L. Would I prefer to carry around a 4" lens instead of a 7" lens? Absolutely! Would I sacrifice image quality to do so? Not a chance.

Pros: very light;very solid; superb Diffractive Optics. best lens
Cons: none.

I have used every Canon EF lens over the years. I am an exporter of camera equipment with offices in United Kingdom, Australia and Chile. I took this lens to South Patagonia at the bottom of the Andes in the Straits of Magellan, not far from Antarctica The range, the versatility, the stability lens is second to none. I sell this lens and it is a relatively slow mover right now. I wonder if people are not familiar with Diffractive Optics. The lens is solid, yet light as a feather. This is the one lens I brought to use with my new Canon 20D. Both are superb. Crystal clear and sharp focus. Excellent handheld shots at 300mm. Hooray for Image Stabilization! Try this lens..it is addictive. All the performance of any "L" lens, yet extremey compact! DO it. www.waynesworldofcameras.com