Subodh
Im not a professional photographer. This was my first L lens. Over a period of time that I acquired other L lenses (70-200mm f/2.8 IS USM, 15mm Fisheye etc) , Ive come to realize this lens isnt anywhere lesser in the leagues as other premium Canon lenses like 70-200L lens. First the Pros: 1. Once you get used to the push-pull zoom, focusing and zooming onto any object, at any distance becomes a snap. 2. Much has been said of the tightening ring, in my experience it has been a life-saver. With the same hand using the zoom push/pull just a flick of finger can increase or decrease the friction and one can adjust how quickly or slowly zoom push pull works. 3. The picture quality is amazing at least on my camera (50D) I did not notice much difference in picture quality between this and the 70-200mm lenses. Maybe it works differently for full-frame cameras. 4. I was quite skeptical about distortions as noted in some of the reviews. But in actual experience, Photoshop always had the correction data since both the 50D and this lens are supported. Its just a matter of loading up the RAW and your PS filters can automatically apply the respective correction for the FL you have the picture taken at. 5. One lens, huge range. One doesnt realize how easy this lens makes it until youve been using it for a while and then one day decide to go back to other lenses. 6. Beautiful pictures, bokeh as well, HDR shots, at least on 50D, theres not a single flaw I could find. 7. The lens is heavy; at least for me it means more stability. Combined with the IS on the lens I can be sure, my hand held shots will rarely have a shake. It may be a matter of personal preference but I did not find the lens to be heavier than two lenses put together to get the same range. 8. For a 3.5, the lens is surprisingly quick(unless in low-light scenarios). Ive rarely missed a moment because of the lens. Of course, if youve not used the lens for a while or do not use the fl selector, you could cause the lens to hunt (happened rarely to me but my friends definitely complained about it). Cons: 1. True, the aperture falls very quickly somewhere after the 50mm range but once you get a hang of how quickly and where, its not much of an issue. 2. In low light conditions, this lens does turn out very slow. Expect grainy, Ghost or long hunting times in the dark. I typically switch to manual focus and manual settings to correct these issues. 3. Obviously, using this lens means you wouldnt be hanging the camera or the lens around your neck. It goes in the backpack! All in all, I think this is a great lens. It does not replace the 70-200mm plus other lenses to get the same range. It compliments them when you cannot carry multiple lenses. Feel free to look at the images taken by this lens on my Flickr page [...]