There is a good reason why Canon's 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L lens, though nearly a decade old now, is still a perennial favourite with photographers – it's a terrific all purpose and wildlife lens. The Mark II version is in many respects even better.

Sharp; Easy to handhold; Well constructed; Terrific usability thanks to wide zoom ring

Expensive; f/5.6 maximum aperture may deter some

Canon EF lenses are the best. This particular lens has great stability, lets in so much light and is light weight compared to the previous version.

I have owned a number of large tele lenses, but the 100-400 stands alone in its combination of outstanding optics whilst staying super light. I know a lot of seasoned wildlife photographers who swear by this lens. Its great value, super sharp and very wieldy.

"I cannot give you a technical review of this lens but from the first moment I used it I could notice an amazing difference. I have owned a series of telephoto lens, the most recent was the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM.

The EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens delivers a superb combination of cutting-edge performance, compact construction and brilliant resolving power that's great for sports and wildlife photography.

If you want a quality telephoto zoom with longer reach, consider the EF 100-400mm IS USM, now available in a Mark II edition. Compatible with both cropped and full-frame bodies (and delivering equivalent coverage up to 640mm on the former), it's ideal for capturing distant action or wildlife.

This is an outstanding lens - definitely one of Canon's greatest. It also seems well priced in comparison to Canon's other super telephoto lens options.I've been using it professionally for over a year now.

Sharpness; macro capability; fast autofocus; build quality; image stabiliser; price

5.6 at 400mm

The Canon 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 IS USM Mark II has been worth waiting for, now with unrivalled all-round telezoom versatility. It rates best in class for sharpness, AF performance, image stabilization, close focusing and build quality. Canon has done a very thorough job and it's still good value, too.

Sports , wildlife and nature. Candids, and studio portraiture too at shorter focal lengths.;

Situations when only f/2.8 will do, or being discreet;

As I reach for my sun visor to block the blinding sun and navigate the winding country roads towards Doddington village, it strikes me that today’s field test could be my hardest challenge to date.

It stands out to us because of the New Air Sphere Coating (ASC) that is used in its manufacturing. Basically, what it does is that it coats the lenses and makes sure that the chromatic aberrations that cause back lighting of flares or ghosting effects are minimized.

9-blade circular aperture renders beautiful and soft backgrounds, A three-mode image stabilizer allows for four-step photo correction, New Air Sphere Coating (ASC) helps minimize backlit flaring and ghosting, New inner focusing AF system ensures fast and accurate focus with up to 0.31x...

Heavier in comparison to other lenses, Locking mechanism is quite lacking in function, Tripod collar foot is hard to attach and remove