Vibration Reduction image stabilization helps to reduce the appearance of camera shake to better enable handheld shooting in low-light situations.

Multi-focus system incorporates two separate AF drive units, which are synchronized, to deliver especially fast and accurate focusing throughout the zoom range. This system uses stepping motors, which offer impressively smooth and quiet autofocus performance that is well-suited to both stills and video applications. Full-time manual focus override is also possible and an internal focusing design is used, where only the internal lens groups are moved during focusing, to maintain the overall length of the lens during use and to promote faster focusing speeds.

Programmable Control Ring is, by default, set to adjust manual focus, but can also be used to control aperture or exposure compensation.

Integrated OLED lens information panel allows you to quickly confirm aperture setting, focus distance, and depth of field figures right on the lens in both bright and dark situations.

Two assignable L.Fn buttons work in conjunction with camera-based Fn buttons to provide seamless points for quickly changing exposure settings and other functions.

Specialized electromagnetic aperture mechanism provides greater exposure control stability that is especially beneficial when working with fast continuous shooting rates.

Dust- and moisture-resistant lens barrel, along with a front fluorine coating, benefits the lens' use in inclement conditions.

Removable, rotating tripod collar spins on ball bearings to permit quick and smooth switching from vertical to horizontal shooting orientations.

A ring-type Ultrasonic Motor (USM), along with an internal focusing system, high-speed CPU, and optimized AF algorithms, are employed to deliver fast, precise, and near-silent autofocus performance as well as full-time manual focus override.

As a member of the esteemed L-series, this lens is sealed against dust and moisture for working in inclement environmental conditions.

Protective fluorine coating has been applied to the front bulbous element to resist fingerprints and smudges and to make cleaning significantly easier.

Rounded nine-blade diaphragm contributes to a pleasing out of focus quality that benefits the use of shallow depth of field and selective focus techniques.