I've been shooting this lens for two weeks on a relatively cheap Canon T1i. It is actually one of my favorite purchases ever. Auto-focus is super fast and amazing at picking out subjects in the bushes. I love the two focus modes which allow for faster focus when shooting subjects at a distance. The pictures are very sharp and clear. Probably a little less sharp than the F4 prime but not bad at all. The IS is quiet and really helps especially in low light. I did note that the sharpness drops off as you approach 400mm. I try to push out to 400mm and then bring it back a bit to sharpen things up.
Here are my pros/cons
Pros:
1. Super fast and amazingly accurate auto-focus.
2. Capable and quite two mode IS that makes a noticeable difference in the viewfinder.
3. Great price. This lens is a steal right now with everyone moving on the the 100-400 version 2, there are bunches of these version 1s becoming available at fantastic prices.
4. Super-compact. This lens fits in my bag on-camera. On camera is key for wildlife photography. You never know when you are going to need to shoot something. Keep the lens on the camera!
5. Well balanced weight.
6. Actually takes good macro shots! See note below:
Cons:
1. Auto-focus does not work great via adapter with my Sony mirrorless camera. Keeping it on the Canon for now.
2. Trombone style zoom. It's not bad to use but not so nice to carry. Twist ring locks the lens and is not as convenient at the lock seen on other zooms.
Note: If you buy a refurb or a used lens make sure you get it with the tripod mount ring! Other accessories included the bag, the lens cap, and a nice clear lens filter. You will want all these things if you are going to use the lens in the brush looking for birds. Again if you are looking for an affordable quality Canon Zoom buy this lens before they are all gone!!!!! I added some photos most taken at about 20-25 ft and one hawk at about 140ft. To make the most of this lens I found that it is best to operate in aperture priority mode with iso set to auto. That way when your bird in a tree takes off to and crosses a light background the iso and shutter automatically compensate. Seems to work for me. I will update this if I find a better way to operate.
Macro Note: So I was researching macro lenses and found the new version of this lens listed as a great macro lens........ What? So I tried it with this lens. Great focal length a nice looking boken and holy cow. Whats even better is that you can macro from a distance which means you don't startle of shadow your subject. So that's it. If I could add another star I would.
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