I bought this lens on sale, other wise I would not have purchased it. I take pics of birds and my results with this lens were disappointing at best. I was previously using a 55-250mm IS ll at half the cost and the results were spectacular by comparison.

The Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM ($1,399) is quite compact when you consider its zoom range and compatibility with full-frame cameras. Its DO designation refers to a design that incorporates diffractive optics, which helps keep the size down, but its image quality isn't up to snuff when compared with more traditional lens designs. If you're going to spend this much on a Canon telezoom, we recommend the EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM ($1,199.00 at Amazon) ; its telephoto range isn't quite as long, but your images will be noticeably crisper. The 70-300mm ($1,099.95 at Amazon)  measures just 3.9 by 3.2 inches (HD) when set to the 70mm position, weighs 1.6 pounds, and supports 58mm front filters. It can focus to 4.6 feet, which is good enough for Canon to qualify it as a macro lens. But its maximum magnification is only 0.19x, just about one-fifth life size, so calling it a macro lens is a bit of a stretch, especially when you consider the distortion that it introduces to images wh...

The Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM is a very compact telezoom for full-frame Canon SLRs, but its image quality is lacking.

Compact; Optically stabilized; Full-frame coverage

Pricey; Not that sharp; Lots of distortion when zoomed

The Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 USM L IS delivers high quality results throughout the zoom range but especially at 70mm. At 300mm it is clearly better than its in-house cousins (EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 USM IS & EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM DO IS) reaching very good to excellent center results combined very...

I've used the product to photograph landscape and some wildlife. The Canon 70-300L works very well on both my Canon 5D2 and my Canon 50D. the only problem is that you can't zoom with the lens shade reversed.

Quaility product; Fast focusing

Too expensive; Heavy

This is an excellent mid level zoom lens for the enthusiast or cash strapped semi-professional who needs a decent zoom lens. I bought mine through Amazon Warehouse Deals in Like New condition for about half price, so I did really well price wise.

The image shown is of Canon -EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L lens and not Canon -EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 so don't be confused like i was when i received the lens.Its a bit heavy using a tripod would b good and the lens becomes useless in low-light. Over-all its a good lens for a beginner with a good zoom.

The worlds best 70-300. This lens is amazing and will not let you down. Perfect for full frame or crop sensor Canon DSLRs. Great focal range for field sports such as rugby, soccer etc. The AF and stabilizer are awesome.

Handling and features Performance Verdict Specification Canon have given the 70-300mm range an L-series makeover and as a result this lens sports silent autofocus, with full-time manual override, weather sealing, optical stabilisation and tougher build quality than you might normally find on a lens...

Excellent build quality; Very good sharpness that is consistent through the range; Low CA; Low distortion; Effective optical stabilisation

May seem expensive for a f/4-5.6 zoom (although the premium is probably worth the extra in this case

At £432 the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens should come with a lens hood, but it doesn't. However, it does come with a soft case to protect against scuffs and scrapes and features an Ultra-low dispersion (UD) element and Super Spectra coatings to help reduce fringeing, ghosting and flare.

Canon's 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM lens is a step up from the average telephoto zoom. Canon also makes a much cheaper 75-300mm, but the lens tested here is designed for photographers looking for a step up in both build and picture quality – and this lens has an image stabiliser.