Having been interested in photography for a long time and having been on a tight budget most of the time, I finally settled on what I thought was a decent lens. Now, after using this lens for a couple of weeks, I'm wondering two things; 1. why did I think it was just a "decent lens" and 2. why in the world of edgy sports did I wait so damn long to buy one? I'm by no means a professional photographer, but operating this lens (range and focus rings) is like spreading warm butter on toast, SMOOTH and perfectly balanced on the Canon 7D. At first I found it heavy compared to the lenses I already owned and used. On a C-size Canon 7D sensor, I actually got a 112-320mm lens by multiplying the 70-200 lens value by 1.6. More range, but without compromising on the quality of the lens and the photos taken. Sigma comes with a lens hood for a standard sensor and an extension hood for smaller sensors, a tripod ring (located at a good balance point), a body large enough for the lens hood, and a lens with a filter if you use filters, and smaller than the manufacturer's lens. These were my final deciding factors when buying a Sigma 70-200 over a similar Canon (which charges extra for a tripod ring, lens hood, etc.). My lens is fast, quiet and takes great photos when the operator gets it right. In my case, operator error is the main reason why photos are blurry, camera/lens shake, or I just forget what I'm doing. I call it classic car disease. The prices on the Sigma website are prohibitive for my budget, but finding one with a UV filter at Revain was within my budget. I have a Sigma 70-300 OS lens and it's also peachy cream, just a bit slow for early morning low light, handheld. My experience with Revain and Sigma so far has been good and I am satisfied and would recommend both. The cost of the lens is a great policy. My next big outlay is the Sigma 150-500mm lens, followed by the 105 macro lens. My life experience is picking what works well for me and sticking with it as long as it works. .This is my story and I'm sticking with it. Let me please you with this lens, its performance and its price.