CANON 70-200mm F/2.8

Rating:
Summary: Essential for serious and active photographers
Review: I bought this lens in January of 2003 after much recommendation. For what I had been shooting (college basketball) the 70-200mm f/2.8L was the most commonly seen lens aside from the 300mm f/2.8L. The fstop of 2.8 along with the zoom were the initial factors that drew me to buying it.

I first shot with it on January 11, 2003 at the Louisville vs. Saint Louis game and I was very impressed with the results I got, much of the unsharpness I thought originally to be attributed to grain was almost completely absent with this lens using the same film I had been using. This lens has spoiled me, it will be very hard on my next lens purchase to buy anything but L glass.

Another thing I should note, this lens is built like a tank, like all L-Series lenses and 1-series bodies, it can take a beating, this is not to say you should actively knock it into things or throw it around on purpose but mine has been sandwiched between me and a basketball player falling out of bounds before. It's also not a light lens, but focusing is fast and smooth. If you plan on shooting a LOT or have professional aspirations, the lens may not make the photographer, but it can help.

Rating:
Summary: Essential for serious and active photographers
Review: I bought this lens in January of 2003 after much recommendation. For what I had been shooting (college basketball) the 70-200mm f/2.8L was the most commonly seen lens aside from the 300mm f/2.8L. The fstop of 2.8 along with the zoom were the initial factors that drew me to buying it.

I first shot with it on January 11, 2003 at the Louisville vs. Saint Louis game and I was very impressed with the results I got, much of the unsharpness I thought originally to be attributed to grain was almost completely absent with this lens using the same film I had been using. This lens has spoiled me, it will be very hard on my next lens purchase to buy anything but L glass.

Another thing I should note, this lens is built like a tank, like all L-Series lenses and 1-series bodies, it can take a beating, this is not to say you should actively knock it into things or throw it around on purpose but mine has been sandwiched between me and a basketball player falling out of bounds before. It's also not a light lens, but focusing is fast and smooth. If you plan on shooting a LOT or have professional aspirations, the lens may not make the photographer, but it can help.

Rating:
Summary: You get what you pay for
Review: This was my first L lens and I am very pleased; zero buyer's regret for me.

When I first started to seriously consider buying one of the 70-200mm lenses I wasn't sure which to buy. I first thought about buying the f/4 version because it was cheaper but then found out the f/2.8 comes with a case (~ $40), tripod ring (~ $120), and a hood (~ $35) in addition to the extra stop in aperture. For the $600 difference it reduces down by about $200 by including additional stuff that you, frankly, should have.

Most notably is the tripod ring which takes the lens weight off the camera body but also balances the camera at the tripod mount. With the f/2.8 attached to my 300D it balances just fine on the tripod foot (even with a EX550 flash). In shooting with a tripod it's very easy to rotate the lens within the ring to go from landscape to portrait without off-balancing the weight.

The extra weight is an issue depending on your muscular build. I can shoot for a couple hours without the weight being bothersome but my fiancee (very petite) has some difficulties. In actual shooting I find the tripod ring comes in handy to put the weight on my palm thus leaving my fingers free to adjust zoom and focus without a hassle while providing a firmer base for stability.

I cannot comment on the f/2.8 IS version since I've never used it but I have seen people selling their f/2.8 IS because it was too heavy.

All-in-all this is an extremely good lens and you get exactly what you pay for: quality. Some day I intend on complementing this lens with the 24-70 f/2.8L for wider angle shots. Of course, if you have the chance to test all three versions of the 70-200mm lens at a store then you certainly should test them for yourself. And, by all means, buy a UV/protector lens.