THE CANON EOS 100 - 200 mm  4.5A LENS HAS HAD VERY LITTLE WRITTEN ABOUT IT SO I DECIDED IT NEEDS A VOICE.

THIS LENS CAME OUT IN 1988. IT HAS 7 GROUP LENS CONSTRUCTION WITH 10 ELEMENTS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY 8 DIAPHRAGM BLADES. ALSO , ITS MINIMUM APERATURE IS 32 FOR GREAT DEFINITION.

I WOULDN'T CALL IT LIGHT WEIGHT OR COMPACT BUT IT SUITS ME WELL ON A TRIPOD FOR PORTRAIT SHOTS. THE CLOSE FOCUSING IS ABLE TO COME IN AT 1.9 METERS. ITS ALSO GREAT FOR SPORTS SHOOTING AND SINCE IT ONLY COMES AUTOMATIC FOCUS , YOU DONT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE AF/M SWITCH WHEN YOU ARE IN A HURRY. JUST MOUNT AND START SHOOTING.

SINCE IT DOESNT HAVE MANUAL FOCUSING , I HAVE READ THAT SOME CALL IT A CHEAP LENS. SINCE THE 80-200 4.5 WAS ONLY A FEW DOLLARS MORE I WOULD SAY THE 100-200 4.5A WAS MORE LIKE BUYING A STRIPED DOWN CORVETTE WITHOUT ALL THE FRILLS. IF YOUR LOOKING TO SHOOT ON THE FLY AND CANT BE BOTHERED WITH MANUAL FOCUS(ISNT THAT THE REASON WE BOUGHT THE EOS SYSTEM ANYWAY?) THEN THIS LENS IS A REAL BARGAIN.