Optical Features:
Focal Length Range: 70-300mm, offering a versatile telephoto reach suitable for wildlife, sports, and portraits. On APS-C cameras, it provides an equivalent focal length of 112-480mm.  
Maximum Aperture: Variable, from f/4 at the 70mm end to f/5.6 at the 300mm end.
Lens Construction: 17 elements in 12 groups, including one UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) lens element to minimize chromatic aberrations and color fringing, resulting in high image quality and clarity throughout the zoom range.  
Image Stabilization (IS): Provides up to 4 stops of shake reduction, allowing for sharper handheld shooting in low light conditions and at slower shutter speeds.  
9-Blade Circular Diaphragm: Creates beautiful background blur (bokeh) for pleasing out-of-focus areas.  
Autofocus Features:
Nano USM Autofocus System: Combines a ring-type Ultrasonic Motor (USM) for fast and accurate still photo autofocus with a lead-screw type Stepping Motor (STM) for smooth and quiet video autofocus. This system offers quick performance across the entire zoom range.  
Full-Time Manual Focus: Allows for manual focus adjustments even when the lens is in autofocus mode.  
Handling and Design Features:
Lens Information Display: An integrated LCD screen on the top of the lens barrel that shows key information at a glance, including:
Focusing distance
Focal length
Amount of camera shake
Zoom Ring Lock: Prevents unwanted zoom creep when carrying the lens.  
Compact and Lightweight: Weighs approximately 710g and measures 14.55cm when retracted, making it relatively portable for a telephoto zoom lens.  
Filter Diameter: 67mm.
Image Quality and Performance:
Excellent Sharpness: Generally delivers excellent sharpness, especially in the center of the frame, throughout much of the zoom range.  
Low Chromatic Aberration: The UD element effectively minimizes color fringing.  
Well-Controlled Distortion: Exhibits well-controlled distortion for a lens in this class.  
Fast Autofocus: The Nano USM provides near-instantaneous and silent autofocus, making it suitable for capturing fast-moving subjects.