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    "I find I use this lens more than an other, just switching occasionally to the 50mm 1.8 and the Canon 70-300. It can be a bit soft and the focus can get wacky, but generally I am pleased. When I first received it I send it in for "service" for front focusing, a pain, but it came back spot on. I use this lens almost exclusively, and I find the 2.8 f is much better than any IS for my situations. I photograph mostly dance troupes, and nature. Sometimes misses focus by a mile...thought it was my 300d, but still does it on my 40d."

    "I purchased this lens for a high school journalism class. Already owning an older version of this lens for one of our cameras, I knew it was what we needed. It's sturdy, well built, and takes the daily use and abuse of high school kids.
It's a lot of glass--very heavy--but worth the load to get decent photos in low light. This is the most commonly used lens on our cameras--perfect for most situations."

    "I was looking for a less expensive alternative to the Canon f/2.8 and thought it would be a good lens. I looked at the poor reviews about focus issues and apparently thought that they would not apply to me... I was wrong. I do have several Sigma lenses that I really like, but this one I was a disappointment. It is awkward to focus right from the start and the auto-focus broke almost immediately. Would not recommend this lens."

    "The first photos I took with this lens were during daylight - I was extremely impressed. Great bokeh on portraits and sharp landscapes. However, when I took some night streetscapes, I was shocked by the flare. I have never seen flare like this - it is just plain bizarre, almost like needles of light coming out from every street light. I'm a bit disappointed because I wanted the f/2.8 for night photography. However if you aren't shooting night stuff, this lens would prove useful for a day-to-day (emphasis on the "day") lens."

    "What an excellent little lens! The picture quality and sharpness are simply excellent and the bang for the buck is huge. The lens feels like a lead brick (the weight might be considered a detriment), but to me it is confidence inspiring. Nothing is loose, wiggles or feels cheap. A true benefit of this lens is the constant f/2.8 aperture, which, when paired with a large-aperture sensitive autofocus system, will noticeable enhance the consistency of focusing, even outdoors and in good lighting. A darn near perfect lens. Bad points? Well, it IS heavy. Additionally, the 82mm filter threading makes filters very expensive. I use the Cokin filter system, which doesn't need to be threaded, so my pain is minimal. Lastly, I found usability to have a bit of a learning curve, because this lens has TWO autofocus switches, which have to be used in tandem, and there is no explanation as to why there are two switches or what to do with them. It's a quirk of the lens, requiring some attention, but not detracting from performance or quality. I can highly recommend this lens."

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