After purchasing my 20D with the kit lens, I wanted something that could do macros AND telephoto.  The main qualification is it had to be cheap and hold me over until I could afford a nice Canon 100-400mm.  Well, I was very surprised by just how great this lens is.  I have read a lot of forums that say "STAY AWAY", but I only had $150 to spend on a lens, so I picked this one up at the local Wolf Camera.

Below is a link to some photos that I have taken with this incredible bargain of a lens: