Rating: 
Summary: a bit of trouble at the 300 end...
Review: I'm not a expert but, this lense has about everything I needed. It has a bit of trouble focusing in at the 300MM range and when using the 300mm you really need a tripod.
The USM is just as adversited quiet and quick. Pictures came out great but you may want to invest in a flash. At 300mm the stock flash is just not enough.
Rating: 
Summary: Buy the "IS" version instead
Review: If you're looking at this lens, you're more demanding than the average Joe who takes photos and have high expectations. This lens is not blazingly fast (f/5.6 at 300mm), and to reliably freeze camera shake, you're going to need a 1/500 sec shutter speed, which means that with ISO 100 film, you only can lose one stop of illumination under "Sunny 16" conditions before you have to decide comprimise somewhere to get your shot.
Consequently, shots into the shade, or conducted under the warmer and softer lighting conditions of the morning/evening will inevitably drive you to the comprimise of a high ISO grainy film or the bulk of a tripod to make up for this lens's lack of optical speed. If you always shoot in full noon sunshine, you'll be okay.
Even though its a great tool, most people don't like to carry a tripod, so the solution is to either accept grain in enlargements, not take certain photos, spend more money to go to a faster lens, or some combination of the above. I'll say it again: the most cost-effective alternative is to use a tripod. The next cost-effective alternative is Canon's "IS" (Image Stabilization) lens technology. There are two contenders in this focal length, the 75-300mm IS and the 100-400mm IS. The former is nearly a duplicate of this lens.... The latter is a 3 lb pro lens.... Of these two, the 75-300mm IS is the bargain.
I started with this lens and after just a few test rolls, returned it and got the 75-300mm IS. The IS technology reliably affords an additional effective two stops of speed, although it cannot be used to freeze subject motion as the shutter will normally also do. But it makes the use of high quality films, such as Fuji Velvia (ISO 50), Kodachrome 64 and even Ekta (Kodak Royal Gold) ISO 25 feasible. -hh
Rating: 
Summary: Just awful. Skip this lens.
Review: Returned it in 2 days. Just awful. Poor focusing and lots of hunting for focus on my Digital Rebel. Slowness made every shot underexposed. Lens mounted to the camera losely, so you could wiggle the lens. Lens gave error 99's on the EOS.
Avoid this product.
Update: Purchased the Canon EF 75-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens and it is absolutely wonderful. Worth the extra money for better glass, Image stabilization, and faster focusing.
Rating:
Summary: Great lens!!
Review: This has proven to be a versatile lens for me. The focusing speeds is a little slow, but it is useful for most photographic purposes.
It generates wonderful photos when attached to my Canon EOS IX Lite (APS).
Rating:
Summary: Great lens!!
Review: This has proven to be a versatile lens for me. The focusing speeds is a little slow, but it is useful for most photographic purposes.
It generates wonderful photos when attached to my Canon EOS IX Lite (APS).
Rating:
Summary: Good telephot "outdoor" lens.
Review: This is a good lens if you are looking for a long telephoto outdoor only lens. There are several reasons why this should be considered an outdoor use only lens.
1.) 4.0 -5.6 is a slow aperture, you will need lots of light to use this lens effectively.
2.) Cheaper flash units (such as the on camera flash) are designed to work with wider angle lenses, not a lens with a minimum 75mm range to maximum 300mm.
3.) The 75mm range is too long for most indoor shots unless you can stand SEVERAL feet back. Even for outdoor landscape shots the range on this lens is simply too long.
You will get good results from this lens if there is plenty of sunshine and you are farther away from the objects / people you are taking pictures of. You could use this as a portrait lens, but again you will need some distance between you and your subject, specially on the smaller sensor of Canon's lower-end SLR digital camera's (such as the D-Rebel) where this lens actually becomes a 120mm to 480mm.
So if you are going to the zoo, taking pictures of the kids during afternoon baseball, softball, soccer, football, ______fill in the blank games or if you are outside and have extra room to step back from people for portrait shots then you will have decent luck with this lens. Also, it is a cheaper Canon lens, so the optical quality compared to Canon's higher end lenses will result in "softer" images. However, if you have plenty of light and can increase the aperture to around 8 or higher, then you should get pretty decent results.
Rating: 
Summary: The perfect lens
Review: This lens coupled with the standard lens which accompanied my camera has been all I've ever needed. Excellent quality.
Rating:
Summary: Great for amatuers and novices.
Review: This lens has been a helpful addition to my camera setup. I purchased this lens and a tripod at the same time. I have found that using this lens at max zoom really does require the use of a tripod, or other stabilization method (such as resting it on a table or railing). There is no way to handhold this lens at 300 mm and still get razor sharp pics. I use this lens to attach to my Canon Rebel 2000. As a beginning photographer I use 400 speed film for nearly all my shots, and have been pleased with the results. I generally do not make enlargements from my prints -- they just go in my photo album -- so the relative graininess of 400 speed is not noticable in 4x6 prints. Coupling this lens with a polarizing filter dramtically improved the contrast and sharpness of distant objects in bright daylight -- particularly distant mountains and scenery. As far as zoom goes, this lens picks up where the standard Rebel lens leaves off and really pulls in the distant objects well. I have not tried to use this lens to shoot fast moving objects at a great distance (such as sports) but for landscapes or distant objects -- perched birds, mountains, bridges, sunsets, I have found this lens to be an absolutely indispensable part of my kit. It attaches and detaches from the camera with ease. The autofocus system focuses within a second -- I've never needed to switch to manual. I knocked a star off because I wish it came with a carrying case. The lens has some heft to it -- it weighs as much as the standard Rebel Body - if not more. It definetly feels solid and well-made, but at the price (which is expensive for me) I feel like I have to treat it with kid gloves, and I can't find a carrying case for it. When I pack this lens in a carryon I stick it inside a few socks to make due.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best of Canon's
Review: Unfortunately, this telephoto lens isn't as good as it might be. The reason for this is that first of all, the light-factor is very low, only 4.0-5.6 what makes you either using high-speed films (not lower than ISO 400) or using a tripod what's not possible (or suitable) very often. But, that was not the most important drawback of the lens. The most important, to my mind, is that the picture of ths lens is so unsharp, that very often you even think, looking at the picture, that you haven't focused right. It's bad for portraiture or close-up objects' photography. Anyway, the focus lenght of the lens is quite convenient as you can shoot from portraits to sport. Albet remember, that the film should be as high-speed as it's possible in the situation for the highest-possible-shutter-speeds in order to eliminate the possibility of stir. Overall, a low-class lens, quite good for its price.
Rating:
Summary: great optics, affordable price.
Review: when you deal with a canon lens you feal the amount of work spent in making these pieces, and this one is no exception. I baught this lens with my canon EOS 300D (Rebel 2000D)and was really impressed by the superb quality of the images produced. the focus is really ultrasonic, the quality of the lens itself is fantastic, it snaps in easily, and the range is superb for landscaps and closups alike. BUT the tradeoff includes a slightly slower lens to fit the price, otherwise who can buy a 70-300 USM with an f of 2.8 for instance?! the 4-5.6 f is suitable for most of your needs, but probably at the 300 end you MIGHT need a faster film or compansate with a slower shutter speed + a tripod. of course the lens will be somewhat heavy, so a tripod is highly advised. I totally agree with the writer who complained of not selling the lens in a case, after all what you pay for a respectable company, for this lens a case is mandatory.
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