By: joejoe9 (11-Jun-08)      Experience with product: 12 Days

Strengths:	IS, image quality, good range, light, price
Weaknesses:	AF, Small aperture, cheap construction

Full User Summary
Overall, I'm very satisfied with this lens considering of its price range. It is very useful on a 1.6x body and I'm using it even more often than my standard zoom lens now. Highly recommanded!

By: kbedwards (28-Apr-08)      Experience with product: 2

Strengths:	Cheap, light, small, good range
Weaknesses:	Cheap construction, slightly soft

Full User Summary
Only 2 weeks usage, but I am generally pleased with the lens. It's not great, but it is a budget level lens, so expectations should not be high. Considered the 70-300IS also, but at 2x cost, did not think it was worth it, and prefer to have 55 on the short end rather than 70.Recommended, for what it is.

By: delta2038 (10-Apr-08)      Experience with product: 7 Days

Strengths:	Image Stabilization.Low price.Decent build.
Weaknesses:	Slow AF.Small aperture.EF-S only mount.

Full User Summary
The No. 1 reason to buy this lens is image stabilization. I wouldn't buy any telephoto lens without IS nowadays. Compare any two pictures taken at 250mm and 1/15s, with and without IS, and you can tell the difference easily even on the tiny camera LCD.The No. 2 reason is price. If you are not planning to upgrade to a full-frame camera soon, this is one of the most affordable telephoto lenses available.The weakest point is AF speed. It will occasionally hunt too, especially in low light. However, given the price range, this is hardly unexpected.