Anyone destroyed an EF 70-300mm L?

Steve Balcombe wrote:

Dunross wrote:

After much deliberation and many sleepless nights I've decided to bite the bullet and purchase the EF 70-300mm f4-5.6L IS USM. In the end, the combination of its physical attributes, IQ, image stabilization performance, and alleged durability made it a no-brainer for the style I shoot (that being extreme sports while participating). The body I'm using is a Canon 7D (which I love). We've been around the block and I have pretty good idea of how much abuse the 7D can take, but with the new lens that threshold is a bit of a grey area.

So, has anyone here killed an EF 70-300mm L. If so, what was the straw that broke the camels back? I'd also be interested in hearing obituaries for other weather sealed L lenses.

A full day and no response at all* - I guess that must be a good sign! When mine was almost new, I tripped and fell on a rough track. The 7D and 70-300L were subjected to the double indignity of hitting the ground then having me land on top of them. The 7D gained some deep scuffs on the top, but the lens was unmarked and has continued to work perfectly ever since. One experience doesn't prove much I guess, but it was a positive one.

I have several L's now, and build quality is superb in all of them. "Extreme sports while participating" sounds like a pretty stern test, but with reasonable care you shouldn't have any problems at all.

(* - when I started writing - Gelbvieh got in just before me!)

Thanks Balcombe, that's exactly the kind of anecdote I was hoping for. I hope that you came away from that spill without too many dents yourself.

I will certainly treat the L with the respect it deserves, but it sounds like it's going to be able to go everywhere I do, on the hip rather than in the bag.