Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM DO IS

Ive read some very odd reviews about this lens varying from not so good to very good, does anyone own it who can give me a honest opinion of it thank you, as im looking for something lighter than my sigma 120-400 thanks

I had one, and really liked it. Used at f8 on a crop camera it could be lovey and sharp, but there were some issues with unusual-looking out of focus areas. It's small, light, unobtrusive, well built and versatile. It's also far too expensive.

Some examples:

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/ianev/473504327​9/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/ianev/473497161​5/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/ianev/366842000​7/

Thanks Alan i love the Yorkie shot so sharp

I think quite a bit can be deduced from the fact that Canon made just two lens models with "diffractive optics", and then abandoned the technology, it seems.

From what I've read, they are extremely light, extremely expensive, and offer reasonable image quality. If your needs and abilities match these criteria, they could be for you, otherwise, go with the non-DO alternatives.

xarqi wrote in post #14799034
From what I've read, they are extremely light,

i'm not sure about that...the DO weighs more than the 70-300IS USM...it is smaller though...

if weight is a concern, and you still plan on keeping the 120-400mm OS...just pick up a 55-250IS for when you want lightweight...$149 at b&h today...

The bokeh is just..soo..weird..look​ing.

The 70-300L has very nice bokeh and is 1/3 stop faster at 70mm. But it's also 2 inches or so longer and almost a pound heaver at 37 ounces.

I had one for about 3 years. Used it a lot. Liked the range, image quality was fine. It also worked with a Kenko Pro 1.4 teleconverter. A bit heavy and big but it was my main travel zoom.

BUT HATED the mechanical quality of the lens The zoom was hard to adjust. When pointing the camera down, the lens was hard to zoom wide. When pointing the camera up, the lens was hard to zoom telephoto. There was also zoom creep. The zoom would not stay in place if the camera was pointing up or down.

I finally got so PO that I sold the 70-300/DO and bought a 70-200/4L IS. Less range, but higher IQ and mechanically smooth as silk

Thanks guys, ill leave that one alone and look for something else cheers