Roy: I'd rate this lens as OK to Good, depending on light. I'm really glad I rented it, because after using it, I'd never buy it. WIthout IS, this lens is a challenge to use in all but bright light...YMMV. I would fork over the dough for the version with IS or bump up to the 2.8 version. More bucks but worth it.

Randy: I love this lens. Yes it doesn't have IS. But if you buy the one with IS it's twice as much money. If you are shooting a moving subject, IS is not a help. It's only a help to remove camera shake and not subject movement. It's fairly light lens so I took it hiking in the Sierra with me and got some great shots with it. I also took some night photos using a tripod of course and was very pleased with what I got. This is a bargain L lens and I want to buy it now that I've rented it. This was the first time I've rented from Barrow Lenses and I was very pleased with their service.