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.

Canon has had 15 years to get the 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM Mark II right, and produce a worthy successor to the venerable, but still very capable original. And it has. The new Mk II has less in the way of revolutionary new features, as the Mk I was pretty well specified anyway, and Canon has...

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;

Excellent lens, the zoom adjustment ring eliminates lens creep. I already owned the 70-300 f4-5.6L IS and 300 f4L IS lenses and so thought long and hard prior to buying this but decided to go ahead for the extra reach it would provide for wildlife photography, I have absolutely no regrets.

Consistent Output; Durable; Easily Interchangeable; Great Value Lens; Quick Focus; Rugged; Sharp Focus; Strong Construction; Top Quality Zoom

"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.

Lens was well worth the wait. Pictures are sharp and clear. Full frame and vary, vary fast focus. Works well with Canon's 1.4 converter.

I got this lens to be able to reach out further than the 70-200 lens that I already own. This Canon 100-400 F/4.5-5.6L IS II lens is great. I've used it to take pics of both moving (ex - fast flying birds) and still subjects with great success (great clarity, color, etc.).

Quality; Size; Weight; Fit-n-Finish; Clarity; light transmission; Cost/value

None

I was a little skeptical when a Canon representative told me that the new Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens ($2,199) is just as good as the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM , the best zoom lens of that range we've tested.

Incredibly sharp throughout zoom range; Optically stabilized; Quick focus; 1:3 magnification; Relatively compact

Pricey; Some barrel distortion at 100mm

This eagerly awaited telephoto zoom lens replaces the old 100-400mm lens in Canon's lineup of professional lenses. Its predecessor was popular due to its relative compact size, light weight and good value for money.

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