I got this lens 2 weeks ago. A friend of mine was niceenough to carry it to Australia for me. It is the best lens I own to date. crystal clear shots,sharp, excellent handling. A heavy beast, yes, but whats amonopod for? I cant stop playing with it. Works well at close range andwith zoom too. Gets you respect from other photographers tooas they drool when they see the red L series stripe and thebig gray body.

Pro: * Range is amazing. No need to change lens / switch camera; you'll always get the shot ( yes, that split second :) * Image quality is very good throughout the range(as expected being an L - and given the price). * Image stabilsation (IS) works great for non action shots and action shot if you can pan. Does not compensate for the small aperture though. * As any USM lenses I used, very quite focus. Cons: * Slow lens (3.5 is at 28mm, it climbs to 5.6 fairly fast in the zoom range). * Big and somewhat heavy (I usually carry it between 4 and 10 hours; the height become noticable at the end but I don't mind much) * You will draw attention. Other : * Push/pull design (not a pro nor con, just need to get used to). * The locking ring is your friend (esp. when moving around in a crowded room). * Focus seems to hunt a bit at long telephoto and low light but can be imprroved by switching the focusing distance to 2.5minfinity. * Ah... if only this could come in a fixed 2.8. I would bet most people looking into buying this lense would put the extra cash to get the speed.

I found this lens to be absolutely astounding. Does it have its problems? Yes. Are they show stoppers? No! Ive noticed some CAs at the wide angle end of the focal range but nothing that Lightroom, PS or any other descent RAW converter cant handle. The sharpness and contrast seem fine to my critical eye and it is critical. There isnt an image that I print for sale that I dont touch up some, including sharpening and adjusting saturation and contrast, no matter what lens was on my camera. The minor, and I reiterate, minor short comings of the 28-300mm lens, that includes the weight, are far out weighed by the incredible versatility of such a wide span in focal lengths. Ive got one other Canon L series lens thats finer in terms of image quality, and thats the 300mm f/2.8 and its not even fare to compare a prime to any zoom telephoto. I shoot primarily landscapes and wildlife. The 70-200mm f/2.8 that I had just did not give me the range and the wide angle versatility that the 28-300mm does. I sold the 70-200mm. I chose to sacrifice the faster lens for a lens that gives me a broader range of focal lengths and for me it was a good decision.

I've had the 28-300mm lens for a year and very pleased with its performance. Even though, the lens is a bit heavy, a bit pricy, and does not accept a tele-converter, it's really fantastic lens for garden photography. To be able to maintain 2.3 ft.close focusing throughout the entire zoom range, makes this lens ideal for macro/close-up photography. Also, this lens will focus even closer with a 25mm extension tube and 500D close-up filter—wow. Now, I hardly use a macro lens. For extreme close-ups, I mate this lens with an extension tube on a Canon 7D. To make make up for the lack of a tele-converter, I use this lens on a 7D with the APS sensor, and for landscapes and garden vista shots, a 5D MII is used. I shoot all of my images from a tripod, so weight is not an issue for me— a tremendous lens for my applications.

I use the lens on a 5D MK II. I was surprised by its weight but it's managable. Wide open at 28mm and 300mm, I still get tack sharp images. The autofocus is fast. I have been looking for a lens to cut down the load that I tend to carry when traveling. It won't replace my 500mm nor my 14mm but will fill in the rest.

Far more useful than combo of 70-200 and 28-105. Only minor problem: slide not as smooth as 100-400. It 'stutters' a bit as you slide it in and out.

One lens cannot be all things but this compromise design does remarkably well. If I can only take one lens this is the one. It is durable beyond anything I own. I've carried it in my tank bag on my dirt bike (motorcycle) on rugged jeep trails in the mountains. It survived everything including crashes. I tripped in the dark in China recently and it hit 600 year old stone paving but it suffered nothing but scratches. I shot from a helicopter without doors poking it into the 130 MPH wind and rotor turbulence and had it extended to 300mm and it gave me sharp results. The surprise with this lens came with using it in very low light street photography. It seemed to focus about as quickly as my 70-200/2.8. It is far better in low light than my 24-105/4. Worth every dollar I spent many times over since it always nailed the shots.

I am 76 use it with 40-D for landscapes, portraits, skies, clouds, crowds. Great sharpness, color etc. The only con is the weight, which I readily accept for the quality images that I am getting. It's weight is not that bad really! I should have bought this lens long ago. It is the only lens that I will take with me now & I have three others.

Great for sports. I used it on a wedding shoot and the results were great. Not light weight by any means

Great lens......I was a little nervous about such a large ticket purchase without knowing someone that had used this lens. After the lens was delivered, I was able to try it out and all I could say was WOW!I have taken many pictures in a variety of lighting situations and have found the lens to produce some great pictures.It is the lens that stays attached to my Canon 40D due to its wide range of applications. The weight can be a bit daunting at first but you get use to it and it is no worse that lugging around a camera bag with the lenses you would need to get the same focal range of this single lens. Great travel lens, reduces the amount of gear you need to take with you on any given day. Expertise: Novice Problems Encountered: Slow to focus at times in low light levels. Previous Equivalent Item Owned: Canon Rebel XT; 18-55 f5.6 lens; 70-300mm f4 lens Items I Recommend: Padded neck strap