Ef 70-200 f4 is usm

[Jeff49]

Anybody had experience with this lens? How sharp, and are you happy with it. Its big brother (f2.8 IS) would be nice, but out of my budget.

Any suggestions on how important is Image Stabolisation?

[crum]

Brilliant lens. Mine is sharp as a tack. You are better off spending that little bit extra for the IS too

[StephenM]

I've just picked up the non-IS version for $789, and I'm very very happy with it! I'll use it mostly for landscapes etc, for which IS is not relevant. But it works nicely for close wildlife as well , because it performs nicely even wide open, for example this rainbow lorikeet shot last week. So you can get away without IS if you want to save money - it depends on what you want to use the lens for.

Cheers,
Stephen

[Scotty72]

I've the 2.8 is version. It is great and pretty sharp. Depending on what you shoot, light etc, the IS can be very important.

If you want to do sports, esp in low light: it is indispensable.