I agree with avicenna. The 70-200 II came out in 2009 and you haven't had a chance to get your hands on one?? Stop comparing lenses that cost orders of magnitude more or less than others, and please check other sites before you recommend a 20 year old lens over a brand new one that all other sites consider improved (50 f/1.8s). You probably have a bad copy if your tests are against all other recommendations!