Roger and Aaron at LensRentals.com decided it was time to test all the 200mm options for Canon and Nikon to find out which ones are the best.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that the more you spend on a 200mm lens, the better it gets. Especially in the case of the EF 200mm f/2L IS and EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS II.
My opinion, though, is that the extra cost involved in getting the brand-name zoom lens in this category is probably worth it if you can possibly manage it. The Canon and Nikon f2.8 stabilized zooms are amazing optics. The f/2.0 primes, while wonderful lenses and even better optically than the zooms, are priced like the specialty items they are. The third-party lenses and Canon Non IS are cheaper, and probably good enough for many uses. But don't kid yourself; they aren't as good.