Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM II Super Telephoto Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras

This new (II) version of the lens drops several pounts of weight. Mounted on a 5d mkII, hand-holding this lens works for minutes at a time and isn't a problem. I'm very happy with the purchase -- fulfilled by Samy's Camera in CA -- a plus for those that are in WA state. I was lucky and got one from an early batch in December 2011.

Pros:

- Awesome image quality. Sharp over the full frame at f2.8. Non-existent distortion in all images I've looked at.

- Can hand hold it for useful periods of time.

- Extremely fast and accurate auto-focus.

- Great for distance portraits and sports.

- Much better lens cover design vs. older 'white whale' lenses -- much easier to remove and replace the lens cover. (see caveat below)

- New version of lens case. Easier to move lens in and out versus older style 'white whale' lens cases.

- Attracts lots of attention. Good for those that want it. It attracts the ladies (!). I'm neutral on this matter.

Cons:

- Expensive. Make sure to pay with a credit card that offers 2%+ cash back.

- New style velcro lens cover can fall off if not pulled snug with the lens facing down. Expensive to replace, so pay attention.

- Attracts lots of attention. Bad for those that don't want it.

Other notes:

- This lens should also be great for gigapan style work -- haven't had a chance to try this yet.

- Some photo post-processing software doesn't recognize this lens yet, and offers to correct using the wrong lens profile (eg: 400mm f5.6). Just skip these correction operations -- isn't really needed for this lens anyway.

- Get a good mono-pod to go with this.

- Don't drop it ... and watch your surroundings.