Michelle: Let's start this review by saying that I am a complete rookie. I am very new to the DSLR world, and only have a very basic understanding of focal length, aperture, and shutter speed. That being said, I was looking for a lens to get better shots of my daughter's dress rehearsal this year. I can only shoot from the mid/rear of the auditorium, and it is very dimly lit. I researched and researched and this lens seemed to be the way to go. I figured for approximately $100 for the week, I couldn't go wrong. The shots I got of the girls dancing were amazing. They were clear, crisp, and beautiful. The lens is super fast, and worked great for this type of photography. I did feel a little obnoxious walking in with this giant lens, and it is quite heavy, but with my tripod it worked perfectly. Good luck!!!

Jon: I'm relatively new to the whole DSLR world. I shoot video for weddings and events. I used to use camcorders but jumped ship and bought a 7D. Coming from a camcorder world, you have a lot of zoom and never really have to worry that much about distances. I shot a few weddings with nothing more than 50mm and 18-50mm lenses. I was dying for a telephoto lens. BUT, since I shoot weddings I have to have a lens that's at least 2.8. Well, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM was awesome. I know most people already know this, but I fell in love with it. It made my shoot SOOOO much easier and I was able to get some amazing shots out it. The lens is big and heavy, but since it has a tripod mount built onto it, I was able to set my lens up on the tripod. I used my other lenses to shoot the bride walking down the aisle and I ran to my already set-up 70-200 and had my alter shot, ready to go. Keep in mind the minimal focus point is 55.1”. Great lens. I will definitely be renting again!

Jenna: I rented this lens for my first wedding as primary shooter a few weeks ago and fell in love. This lens is perfect for weddings or for any type of event where you need a little extra reach - it "goes the distance," so to speak, not only in clarity but also in quality. I will definitely be renting this lens again soon.. if I don't buy it first!

William: If you're looking at this lens, you already know the top notch quality that precedes it. The optics are sharp, the autofocus is fast, and f/2.8 is as wide as you can currently get with a zoom lens. The metal housing gives it some heft and means that it can handle pretty much anything, and the full time manual focus override means that you can always get your shot when you need to without flidgeting over toggle switches. Of note: I rented this lens for video and was blown away by the results. Contrast is spot on, focus is always sharp (of course I was using manual the whole time using peaking, but I didn't ever have to question my mark), and clarity is very high. After using this lens, it is very hard to go back to anything else.