Summary: I owned this lens for a few days, but made up my mind pretty quickly that it was not worth keeping it around. The lens is slow, loud, and hunts a lot. Its output quality is poor, to say the least, as it is chronically soft at just about all focal lengths.

Handheld, most shots at higher focal lengths are likely to be blurred, unless you are using a tripod, of course. In fact, this is one of those lenses that should be sold only in conjunction with a tripod. Buy a decent tripod and get this lens for free, or something along those lines.

If you own an SLR, but refuse to spend serious money on a lens (or do not care much about the quality of your photographs), and simply need something within these focal lengths, then this lens might be okay for you. However, if you are a dedicated photographer - regardless whether you are at the beginner, amateur, or professional level - then do yourself a favor and put those $150 into a jar instead. Now add $100 every month from savings, and voila - you can own the real deal, such as the famous 70-200mm f/4.0L or one of its bigger brothers in just a few months.

Summary: I bought this mainly to capture sports shots and the auto focus on this lens doesn't quite do the job. It's not quick enough for me to take a picture and be satisfied with the results.

Summary: I think this is a great lense for the $$. It delivers sharp, clear images, and gives more bang for your buck! I would highly rccomend this lense to amatures and pro's alike, it really delivers!