If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to either Canon or Sigma’s 70-200 2.8’s this could be it. The Canon 70-210mm f3.5-4.5 offers excellent performance and superfast silent focusing with USM. It’s also very well made, although the zoom ring could do with a little more resistance. If you tilt the camera down it zooms out unless you hold the control, which is a little annoying if you carry the Canon EF 70-210mm f3.5-4.5 USM around a lot, but otherwise this is a very good lens.

Optical performance at full aperture is excellent with very good sharpness right in to the corners, Zooming out to 135mm and 210mm, quality is still very good - not quite as crisp as at 70mm, but there’s not a lot in it. Detail is still very sharp at 210mm, although at the longer end of the zoom range, there’s a noticeable softness on backlit edges, and the tinniest amount of CA starting to appear.