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Canon 100-400mm L IS II
Full-Frame EF USM (2014-)

World's Best Telephoto Zoom

Sample Images   Intro   Specs   Performance

Compared   Usage   Recommendations

Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM (metal 77mm filter thread, 54.7 oz./1,550g without tripod foot, 57.0 oz./1,616g with foot, 2.75'/0.84m close focus, $2,399, or about $1,200 used if you know How to Win at eBay). bigger. I got mine at Adorama; I'd also get it at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay (How to Win at eBay).

This 100% all-content website's biggest source of support is when you use those or these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you take the chance of buying elsewhere. Never buy at retail because Canon doesn't seal its boxes, so you can't tell if a lens is used, damaged, a defective return or missing accessories. Thanks! Ken.

 

November 2023   Better Pictures   Canon Reviews   Canon Lenses   Canon Flash   All Reviews

Best 80-400mm & 100-400mm Lenses Compared.

Older version Canon 100-400mm L IS review.

Canon Extender EF 1.4x II

Canon Extender EF 2x II

 

Sample Images       top

Sample Images   Intro   Specs   Performance

Compared   Usage   Recommendations

 

Sports (Nature & Landscape)

Canon EOS R7 Sample Image File

Surfing Dog Catching a Frisbee, 10:42 AM Sunday Morning, 18 September 2022. Cropped from Canon EOS R7, OWC ATLAS S PRO 256GB SDXC card, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM II on EF to RF adapter at 400mm (650mm equivalent) wide-open at f/5.6 at 1/1,250 at Auto ISO 160, +0.3 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.7), Perfectly Clear. bigger.

I cropped the image above from this much larger image below:

Canon EOS R7 Sample Image File

Complete image from which the above was cropped. bigger.

My 100-400mm is so sharp that this is never a problem.

 

Surfing, Pacific Beach Pier, California

Surfing, Pacific Beach, California, 3:28 P.M., Saturday, 02 December 2023. Canon EOS R6 II, EF 100-400mm L II IS USM on EF to RF Ring adapter at 200mm, f/5 at 1/1,000 at Auto ISO 500 (LV 12.3), Skylum Luminar Neo. bigger.

 

Canon EOS R7 Sample Image File

Surfing Pug with His Mom & Dad, 10:56 AM Sunday Morning, 18 September 2022. Cropped from Canon EOS R7, OWC ATLAS S PRO 256GB SDXC card, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM II on EF to RF adapter at 400mm (650mm equivalent) wide-open at f/5.6 at 1/1,250 at Auto ISO 160, +0.3 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.7), Perfectly Clear. bigger.

I cropped the shot above from this EOS R7 frame:

Canon EOS R7 Sample Image File

Complete image from which the above was cropped. bigger.

The insane resolution of my EOS R7 and my EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM II (on EF to RF adapter) lets me crop whatever I need. This family was hundreds of feet away; I was standing back on the dry sand! I prefer my EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM II over the RF 100-500mm because it works much better with teleconverters, althogh I was too lazy to carry any today.

 

Canon EOS R7 Sample Image File

Surfing Chocolate Lab, 10:58 AM Sunday Morning, 18 September 2022. Cropped from Canon EOS R7, OWC ATLAS S PRO 256GB SDXC card, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM II on EF to RF adapter at 340mm (550mm equivalent) wide-open at f/5.6 at 1/1,250 at Auto ISO 200, +0.3 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.3), Perfectly Clear. bigger.

 

Canon EOS R7 Sample Image File

Surfing Dog with Blue Mohawk, 11:13 AM Sunday Morning, 18 September 2022. Cropped from Canon EOS R7, OWC ATLAS S PRO 256GB SDXC card, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM II on EF to RF adapter at 400mm (650mm equivalent) wide-open at f/5.6 at 1/1,250 at Auto ISO 250, +0.3 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.4), Perfectly Clear. bigger.

 

Here's the frame from which the above was cropped:

Surfing Dog with Blue Mohawk

Complete Image. bigger.

If I really wanted to crop-in, I can read the markings on his sunglasses, see the ocean spray on the lenses and see all us landlubbers and the bluffs reflected in them!

Surfing Dog with Blue Mohawk

Tighter Crop, Surfing Dog with Blue Mohawk. bigger.

Not bad for a couple of hundred feet away.

 

Katie plays tennis, 11 October 2016

Katie plays tennis, 11 October 2016. (Canon 1DX Mk II, Canon 100-400mm L IS II at 200mm, f/5.6 at 1/1,000 at Auto ISO 1,250, Perfectly Clear.) bigger or original file (image size M1, JPG quality 1).

 

Katie learning backhand for the first time

Katie learning backhand for the first time, 23 June 2015. (Canon 5DS, Canon EF 100-400mm IS L II at 200mm, f/10 at 1/640 at Auto ISO 400, Perfectly Clear V2.) bigger.

 

Katie practices her backhand

Katie practices her backhand, 23 June 2015. (Canon 5DS, Canon EF 100-400mm IS L II at 188mm, f/10 at 1/640 at Auto ISO 400, Perfectly Clear V2.) bigger.

 

Nature & Landscapes

See also Yosemite and the Eastern Sierra, October 2015.

Dawn over Lee Vining and Mono Lake as seen from Conway Summit, California

Dawn over Lee Vining and Mono Lake as seen from Conway Summit, California, 7:02 A.M., 13 October 2023. Canon EOS R6 II, EF 100-400mm L II IS USM on EF to RF Ring adapter at 135mm, f/5 at 1/100 at ISO 100 (LV 11¼), Skylum Luminar Neo. More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

Devil's Dawn, Partial Solar Eclipse, Mono Lake, California (crescent frame number R62_0638.JPG

Devil's Dawn, Mono Lake, California, 9:25 A.M., 14 October 2023. Canon EOS R6 II and EF 100-400mm L II IS USM on EF to RF Ring adapter.

This is a composite of two images with the same EOS R6 II and EF 100-400mm L II IS USM on EF to RF Ring adapter.

I used an image the crescent of the eclipsed sun and dropped on top of a shot of a glorious sunrise. I had planned to do this even before I shot the eclipse, since I realized the eclipse would be up in the sky at 9:22 AM and not make for much of an image by itself.

 

Pacific Beach Pier Sunset

Pacific Beach Sunset, California, 4:39 P.M., Saturday, 18 November 2023. Cropped from Canon EOS R6 II, EF 100-400mm L II IS USM on EF to RF Ring adapter at 140mm, f/11at 1/100 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.6), as shot. bigger.

 

Blue, Green & Aquamarine  Pacific Beach Pier

Blue, Gold, Green and Aquamarine, Pacific Beach Pier, California, 4:13 P.M., Saturday, 25 November 2023. Canon EOS R6 II, EF 100-400mm L II IS USM on EF to RF Ring adapter at 241mm, f/5 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 12.6), Skylum Luminar Neo. bigger.

 

Canon EOS R6 II Sample Image File

Foggy Sunrise, Toscana, Italia, 6:58 AM, Wednesday, 27 September 2023. Canon EOS R6 II, Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II USM on EF to RF Ring Adapter at 148mm at f/5.6 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100, +0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 13.0), Perfectly Clear (now sold as Radiant Photo). bigger or camera-original 24MP © LARGE NORMAL JPG file (7 MB).

 

Moonrise over Potato Peak, Bridgeport, CA

Moonrise over Potato Peak as seen from Bridgeport, California, 6:22 PM., 18 October 2021. Canon EOS R5, EF 100-400mm IS L II on EF to RF adapter at 371mm wide-open at f/5.6 hand-held at 1/80 at ISO 100, shade white balance to make it all more orange (but turned the sky more purple than its original deep blue), -2.0 stops exposure compensation to preserve details in the bright moon (LV 11.4), Skylum Aurora HDR to restore detail in the resulting very dark everything else as well as in the bright moon, all from my one JPG file. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

Snowy Sierras

Snowy Sierras, 9:11 AM., 18 October 2021. Canon EOS R5, EF 100-400mm IS L II on EF to RF adapter at 100mm at f/16 (for depth-of-field) hand-held at 1/100 at ISO 100, -0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.6), Perfectly Clear. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

Wood or Brick? Bridgeport, CA

Wood or Brick? Bridgeport, CA, 6:21 PM., 18 October 2021. Canon EOS R5, EF 100-400mm IS L II on EF to RF adapter at 100mm wide-open at f/4.5 hand-held at 1/10 at ISO 100 (LV 7¾), 4:5 in-camera crop, Skylum Aurora HDR to boost color and highlight the center from my one JPG file. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

Snowy Sierras and Fall Color

Snowy Sierras and Fall Color, 9:11 AM., 18 October 2021. Canon EOS R5, EF 100-400mm IS L II on EF to RF adapter at 114mm at f/8 at 1/500 at ISO 100 (LV 15.0), Perfectly Clear. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

Canon T8i Sample Image File

Desert Palms at Last Light, 7:29 PM, 17 June 2020. Canon T8i, Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II at 170mm wide-open at f/5 hand-held at 1/320 at Auto ISO 200 (LV 12.0), Perfectly Clear. bigger or 24 MP camera-original © 6.2 MB JPG file.

 

Walker Reservoir Paradise, Bridgeport, California

Walker Reservoir, Sportsmen's Paradise, Bridgeport, California, 5:47 P.M., 20 October 2019 (best trip ever!!!). Canon 5DS/R, Canon EF 100-400mm IS L II at 400mm, f/5.6 hand-held at 1/200 at Auto ISO 125 (LV 12.3). bigger or camera-original @ file.

 

Sunrise over Mono Lake

Sunrise over Mono Lake, October 2018, 7:11 A.M. Canon EOS R, Canon 100-400mm L IS III at 400mm, f/8 hand-held at 1/640 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear v3.6. bigger or © full-resolution file.

 

Water Flowing over a Rock in Lee Vining Creek

Water Flowing over a Rock in Lee Vining Creek, October 2015, 10:11 A.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II at 114mm, f/20 hand-held at 1/8 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger.

My stabilized 100-400mm lens lets me hand-hold it at 1/8 of a second, so I can capture blurry water motion without having to lug around a tripod. The Canon 100~400mm L IS II is state of the art and better than any other general purpose telephoto lens.

 

Yellow Aspen Leaves at Silver Lake

Yellow Aspen Leaves at Silver Lake, October 2015, 11:55 A.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II at 400mm, f/10 hand-held at 1/30 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger.

I love that I can hand-hold my stabilized 100-400mm lens at slow enough speeds to let me stop down in shade without needing a tripod!

 

The Moon as seen from Yosemite Valley

The Moon as seen from Yosemite Valley, October 2018, 7:17 P.M. Canon EOS R, Canon 100-400mm L IS II with Canon EF Extender 2x II and Canon EF Extender 1.4x II at 1,040mm total, f/16 hand-held at 1/50 at Auto ISO 400, Perfectly Clear v3.6. See this crazy rig that actually works hand-held. bigger.

 

Moon, Pines and Granite

Moon Behind Pines Atop Sentinel Rock, Yosemite National Park, 8:56:32 P.M., 16 October 2021. Canon EOS R5, EF 100-400mm IS L II at 400mm wide-open at f/5.6 on EF 2× extender II (800mm actual focal length and f/11 actual resulting aperture) on EF to RF adapter at 1/200 at ISO 1,600 (LV 10.6), cropped a bit but otherwise as shot, split-toned print. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

Yellow Aspen Leaf on River Rock, Merced River, Yosemite Valley

Yellow Aspen Leaf on River Rock, Merced River, Yosemite Valley, October 2018, 7:59 A.M. Canon EOS R, Canon 100-400mm L IS II at 124mm, f/11 at 1/25 hand-held at Auto ISO 400, Perfectly Clear v3.6. bigger.

 

Sunrise as Seen from Conway Summit

Sunrise as Seen from Conway Summit, October 2015, 7:12 A.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II and Canon Extender EF 1.4x II making 560mm, f/11 at 1/640 at Auto ISO 100. bigger.

 

Rainbow at Bridal Veil Falls

Rainbow at Bridal Veil Falls, October 2015, 4:31 P.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II at 400mm, f/5.6 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger.

 

Last Light on Half Dome as Seen from Stoneman Meadow

Last Light on Half Dome as Seen from Stoneman Meadow, October 2015, 6:05 P.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II at 107mm, f/4.5 at 1/100 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger.

 

Dawn's First Light on Distant Tree-Lined Mountainside

Dawn's First Light on Distant Tree-Lined Mountainside, October 2015, 7:25 A.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II at 263mm, f/5 hand-held at 1/60 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger.

 

Sunlight on Sheet Metal, Open Mine

Sunlight on Sheet Metal, Open Mine, October 2015, 4:38 P.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II at 248mm, f/14 at 1/1,600 at Auto ISO 100. bigger.

 

Blue Roof, Bridgeport

Blue Roof, Bridgeport, October 2015, 6:10 P.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II at 330mm, f/5.6 at 1/80 at Auto ISO 1,000, Perfectly Clear. bigger.

 

Valley Floor Fog

Valley Floor Fog, October 2015, 7:57 A.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II at 241mm, f/5 hand-held at 1/50 at Auto ISO 160, Perfectly Clear. bigger.

 

Valley Floor Fog

Valley Floor Fog, October 2015, 8:18 A.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II at 400mm, f/5.6 hand-held at 1/80 at Auto ISO 320, Perfectly Clear. bigger or full 50 MP (20MB JPG) file to explore on your computer (mobile devices rarely can display this resolution properly).

Man, this is a sharp lens and camera, and the stabilization is so good that I can shoot in dim dawn light at 400mm and not need a tripod.

 

Tombstone of Galen Clark

Galen Clark's Headstone, Yosemite Cemetery, October 2015, 12:27 P.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II at 120mm, f/5 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger.

 

Canon EL-100 Sample Image

Bike Del Mar, 10:08 AM Sunday morning, 18 September 2022. Canon EOS R7, Canon EL-100 flash, OWC ATLAS S PRO 256GB SDXC card, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM II on EF to RF adapter at 100mm (160mm equivalent) at f/5 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 12.6), Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original 32 MP © 9 MB NORMAL JPG file.

 

Ryan's about to show me a secret on Mom's iMac

Works great in the dark, too! (20 December 2014, Canon 5D Mk III at Auto ISO 5,000, Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II at 100mm, f/5 at 1/125, Perfectly Clear V3.) bigger.

 

Mercedes S550

Mercedes S550 in Diamond White 799, 3:15 PM, Wednesday, 13 May 2020. Canon 90D, Flash ON, Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II at 106mm at f/10 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14.6), as shot. bigger or full resolution 5 MB file.

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Introduction         top

Sample Images   Intro   Specs   Performance

Compared   Usage   Recommendations

Adorama pays top dollar for your used gear.

B&H Photo - Video - Pro Audio

Did you see my Sample Images? I've used just about every telephoto zoom made today and ever made, and this is the best. Read on if you like, but feel free to save yourself the time and just get yours at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay (How to Win at eBay).

My new Canon 100-400mm IS L II changed the game in professional telephoto zooms, replacing all 70-200mm lenses that used to be popular for decades because:

 

Close Focus

1.) The new 100-400 focusses so close that it replaces both my macro and any 70-200mm! It focuses closer than any 70-200mm or 80-200mm lens. No longer are we stepping back just so we can get focus!

While rated to 3.3 feet/1 meter, my 100-400mm actually focuses to 78 cm (31" or 2.55 feet) from the sensor at most focal lengths and to 90 cm (35" or 2.95 feet) from the sensor at 400mm. No LEICA telephoto can focus this close, nor can any 70-200mm lens focus this close — and this lens goes to 400mm!

That's from the sensor (back of the camera); it actually focuses to 54 cm (20") from the front of the lens at 100mm and 57 cm (23") from the front of the lens at 400mm!

Because it focuses so close, for many people like myself, this new 100-400 replaces our old 70-200 zoom and our macro! The reach to 400mm is far more useful than the little bit of range lost at 70mm, and being able to focus so close lets us photograph far more different subjects.

2.) This 100-400 gives much better perspective at its longer focal lengths than shooting with a dedicated 100mm macro. It shoots down to about 1/3 life size, and does it with plenty of room between you and your subject — better than the 100mm f/2.8 IS L.

 

Flourite Sharp     introduction       top

3.) It's ultra-sharp, especially at 400mm, but we expected that. It's so good that you don't need a lens profile for image correction — but you can use one if you like.

4.) Part of the reason it's so sharp is that has a Fluorite element. To get a Fluorite element in a Nikon lens, you have to spend over $10,000 for this kind of sharpness.

 

Fast Focus     introduction       top

5.) It focuses almost instantly, even at 400mm and even if it's way out of focus when we start autofocus. This is quite a surprise; every other ultra-tele is slower, while this new lens just snaps silently from one subject to the next.

6.) Even more astounding, autofocus is almost instantaneous even with my Canon EF Extender 1.4x II!

 

Made Better     introduction       top

7.) Unlike Nikon's mostly plastic 80-400 VR G, this Canon L lens is made almost entirely out of metal. This lens also focuses twice as close and costs much less than Nikon's. Ha!

8.) This huge zoom zooms easily and precisely without creep, even pointed up or down. If it does start to creep; there is a variable zoom drag setting ring right next to the zoom ring!

9.) It's got a real metal 77mm filter thread, not a plastic one or an oddball 82mm filter thread like too many of Canon's mechanically downgraded but optically superb L lenses today like the 24-70mm f/2.8 L II.

 

Works GREAT with Extenders     introduction       top

Canon EOS R, EF Adapter, 100-400mm, 2x and 1.4x converters

Canon 100‑400L IS II, 1.4x and 2x converters, EF Lens Adapter and EOS R. bigger.

See all the details at Performance > Extenders.

 

 

Works GREAT On Mirrorless     introduction       top

Just use any EF to RF adapter.

 

This Canon 100-400 II is an extraordinary lens. Images are astounding, but you won't fully appreciate the feel, instant autofocus and smooth zooming until you get your own.

This is a newer version of the classic Canon 100-400mm L IS, which has been a staple of professional nature and wildlife photographers since it was introduced in 1998.

This new 2014 lens updates the old lens from a push-pull to a rotary zoom, adds much closer focussing and greatly improves its Image Stabilization.

Its image stabilization lets us shoot at 400mm hand-held in almost any light at low ISOs.

Like most Canon pro lenses, the 100-400mm's autofocus is fast and silent, and you may grab the focus ring at any time for instant manual override.

It's a tough all-metal, fast-focusing super zoom that's the same size and weight as the 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses. While 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses are for indoor sports or use with 35mm film, this new 100-400mm is far superior for nature, wildlife, portraits, daytime sports and landscapes, and anywhere you need the reach. Its performance is far better than adding a converter to a 70-200mm lens, and its zoom range is broader, too.

This 100-400 is one of Canon's Best Lenses.

I got mine at Adorama; I'd also get it at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II

Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II. enlarge.

 

Specifications         top

Sample Images   Intro   Specs   Performance

Compared   Usage   Recommendations

 

I got mine at Adorama; I'd also get it at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

Format

This is a full-frame lens, so it works on all formats.

Full frame lenses are at their best on full-frame, which is how I will be reviewing it.

You can make the usual inferences when used on smaller sensors.

 

Compatibility     specs       top

Works GREAT on mirrorless, just use any EF to RF adapter.

This lens is optimized for full-frame digital, and of course works on older 1.3x and 1.6x Canon cameras as well as 35mm EOS cameras all the way back to 1987.

This works perfectly with every Canon EOS camera ever made, meaning every Canon DSLR and every Canon autofocus film camera made since 1987.

This means of course it works great on today's EOS R3, R7 and other mirrorless, 5D Mark IV and I tried and autofocus and IS work just as well on my original Canon EOS 650 from 1987!

 

Name       top

Canon calls this the Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS II USM.

   EF: Electronic Focus. All modern Canon lenses focus with a motor in the lens.

   L: Expensive as L.

   IS: Image Stabilization so we don't need a tripod.

   II: Second version of the original Canon 100-400mm L IS.

   USM: UltraSonic focus Motor. The focus motor is silent.

 

Optics       top

Canon 100-400 IS II diagram

Glass, Fluorite, Super UD Glass and the Image Stabilizer section.

21 elements in 16 groups.

One Fluorite element.

One Super UD element.

Internal focus, nothing moves externally as focussed.

Fluorine coatings on outer surfaces to repel water, dirt and fingerprints.

"Air Sphere Coatings" inside, which are the same as Nikon's Nano coating, which are all variable index-of-refraction coatings that work better than multicoating. Each works by mixing submicroscopic nanobubbles of air and coating material in varying concentrations. Since the air pockets (named "spheres" by the marketing department) are much smaller than wavelengths of light, it makes the coating look like its solid and simply varying its index of refraction in a continuous fashion to gently bend the light into the glass with next to nothing reflecting off.

"Pumper" zoom; the front extends as zoomed to 400mm:

Canon 100-400mm IS II at 400mm

Canon 100-400 IS II at 400mm. enlarge.

 

Diaphragm       top

Canon 100-400mm IS II

Front, Canon 100-400mm IS II at 400mm at f/5.6. bigger.

9 rounded blades.

Round to f/11.

Nonagonal from f/16.

Stops down to f/32-40.

 

Close Focus       top

3.2 feet (1 m), rated.

78 cm actual (31" or 2.55 feet) at most focal lengths, 90 cm (35" or 2.95 feet) at 400mm.

 

Working Distance (front of lens to subject)       top

54 cm (20") at 100mm.

57 cm (23") at 400mm.

 

Maximum Reproduction Ratio       top

1:3.2 (0.31x), rated.

 

Minimum Subject Field       top

3.0 x 4.5 inches, rated.

77 x 115 mm, rated.

 

Focal Length       top

100-400mm.

On APS-C cameras, it gives angles of view similar to what an 160-650mm lens would give on a 35mm or full-frame camera. See also Crop Factor.

 

Angles of View        top

On full-frame:

24º - 6.1º diagonal.

20º - 5.1º horizontal.

14º - 3.5º vertical.

 

Maximum Aperture       top

f/4.5-5.6.

 

Caps       top

New 77mm Canon pinch-type front cap and standard EOS rear cap.

 

Hood       top

Canon ET-83D hood

Canon ET-83D hood. enlarge.

The plastic bayonet ET-83D hood is included.

It has a hole with a little slide, here shown half open, to make it easier to adjust polarizers.

 

Tripod Collar & Foot       top

The collar is permanently attached, however the foot comes off.

 

Case        top

Canon LZ1326 case
Canon LZ1326 case
Canon LZ1326. bigger.
Canon LZ1326. bigger.

Zippered and velcro closing padded LZ1326 case included.

This is a very useful sturdy padded case. You can use the double-handled zipper for solid closing, and once open, there's velcro on the top for shot-to-shot open and closing. Bravo!

 

Size       top

3.7" (94 mm) diameter x 7.6" (193 mm), when set to 100mm.

Gets much longer when set to 400mm.

 

Weight       top

Actual Measurements

56.998 oz. (1,615.8 g) with tripod foot.

54.680 oz. (1,550.1 g) without foot.

 

Canon's Specifications

57.9 oz. (1,640 g) with foot.

55.4 oz. (1,570 g), foot removed.

 

Announced       top

11 November 2014.

 

Promised       top

For December 2014.

 

Shipping Since       top

December 2014.

 

Canon Model Number       top

EF100-400LIS2.

 

Canon Product Code       top

9524B002 (9522B001 in Japan).

 

JAN Code       top

4549292-010350.

 

Includes       top

Lens.

Caps.

Tripod Collar with removable foot.

ET-83D hood.

LZ1326 case.

 

Price, U. S. A.       specifications       top

November 2023

$2,399 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.

About $1,200 used if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

February 2023

$2,099 at Crutchfield.

$2,199 at Adorama, at Amazon and at B&H.

About $1,200 used if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

September 2022

$2,399 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield.

About $1,450 used if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

January ~ August 2022

$2,399 new at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield.

About $1,500 used if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

December 2021

$2,399 new at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield.

About $1,600 used if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

November 2020

$2,399 new at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield.

About $1,400 used if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

October 2020

Canon raised the price to make it less attractive versus the more expensive RF 100-500mm:

$2,399 new at Adorama, at B&H or at Crutchfield.

$2,199 new at Amazon.

About $1,500 used if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

$2,199, June 2020.

$1,799, July~November 2019.

$1,899, July 2018.

$2,049, January 2017.

$1,649 after rebate, Christmas 2016.

$1,899, December 2016.

$1,999, October 2016.

$2,100, January 2016.

$2,200, August 2015.

$2,200, at introduction in November 2014.

300,000 yen, January 2015.

 

Performance         top

Sample Images   Intro   Specs   Performance

Compared   Usage   Recommendations

 

Overall    Autofocus    Bokeh   Color   Distortion

Ergonomics   Falloff    Filters   Focus Breathing

Ghosts   Lateral Color Fringes

Macro   Max & Min Apertures   Mechanics

Sharpness      Image Stabilization

Sunstars   Teleconverters   Zooming

 

I got mine at Adorama; I'd also get it at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

Overall     performance      top

The Canon 100-400mm II is fantastic. It feels great, and the images are superb — even without a lens profile.

It's ultra-sharp as was its predecessor, but what really stands out are its insanely fast and close autofocus, even with a 1.4x teleconverter.

Like many close-focussing telephoto zooms, it isn't really 400mm at close distances due to an optical trick. It is 400mm at long distances where we need it.

 

Focus     performance      top

Katie plays tennis

Katie hits one while she's in the air, 27 October 2016. (Canon 1DX Mk II, Canon 100-400mm L IS II at 214mm, f/5 at 1/1,000 at Auto ISO 1,250, Perfectly Clear.) bigger.

AF is fast, silent and accurate.

 

AF Speed

Autofocus is essentially instantaneous, even from very close to very far.

It's the fastest focusing telephoto I've ever used!

 

Auto/Manual Switching

Just grab the focus ring anytime for instant manual-focus override.

To lock it into manual mode, move the switch on the lens.

 

Bokeh     performance      top

Bokeh, the quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to the degree of defocus, is great.

Backgrounds get very soft and never distract. That's why long teles lenses are a top pro choice for portrait lenses.

Here are full-frame samples shot wide open from headshot distance. Click any to enlarge:

Canon 100-400mm II bokeh

Canon 100-400mm II bokeh

Canon 100-400mm II bokeh

 

Color Rendition     performance      top

The color balance of this 100-400 seems the same as my other Canon EF lenses. No news here.

 

Distortion     performance      top

The Canon 100-400 II has little to no visible distortion.

In the lab, it has moderate barrel distortion at 100mm, none at 135m and moderate pincushion distortion from 200 to 400mm.

For more critical use, use these values in Photoshop's Lens Distortion tool to remove the distortion. These aren't facts or specifications, they are the results of my research that requires hours of photography and calculations on the resulting data.

On Full-frame and 35mm

100-400 II
at 10' (3m)

Original 100-400 at 10' (3m)

100mm
+2.0
0.0

135mm

0.0
-1.0
200mm
-1.1
-1.5
300mm
-2.0
-2.0
400mm
-2.0
-2.0

© 2015 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.

 

Ergonomics     performance      top

Canon EF 100-400 II

Canon EF 100-400mm II at 180mm. bigger.

Ergonomics are great. This big, fat lens handles super fast.

Zooming is a dream; just turn the ring and it moves smoothly, even if pointed up or down. It won't creep, even if pointed straight up or down!

The only thing that feels slightly weird is how the focus ring changes diameter towards the rear of the lens.

 

Falloff (darkened corners)     performance      top

Falloff is negligible, even without a profile.

In a DSLR with an automatic correction profile like the 7D Mk II, 6D, 5D Mk III and 1DX, the falloff is completely invisible.

I've greatly exaggerated the falloff by shooting a flat gray target and presenting it against a gray background:

 

Canon 100-400mm II falloff on Full-Frame

Uncorrected

 
f/8
f/11
100mm
200mm
400mm

© 2015 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.

 

 

Filters, Use with     performance      top

There's no problem with vignetting even with a stack of several filters.

There's no need for thin filters; regular thick and rotating filters work great.

 

Focus Breathing     performance      top

Focus breathing (the image changing size as focused) is mostly of interest to cinematographers who don't want the image changing size ("breathing") as the lens is focused among different subjects.

There is only the slightest bit of breathing. The image gets a little bit smaller as focussed more closely.

 

Flare & Ghosts       performance     top

There's no problem with flare or ghosts.

Only if you really push it and use a filter might you get a slight green blob in the darkest part of the image, but you're never going to see this in actual use.

 

Lateral Color Fringes     performance      top

There are nearly no color fringes, even without a lens profile. There's none at 400mm, and only the slightest green-magenta at the 100mm end.

This is excellent performance; no profile needed.

With a profile, these will go away completely.

 

Macro     performance      top

Macro gets close. Here's what you get on full-frame at three feet (1m) at 400mm. The dark corners at the top aren't vignetting; they're the ends of my table:

Canon 100-400mm macro performance

Longines 23ZS at close-focus distance at 400mm at f/5.6. bigger or full-resolution.

 

Canon 100-400mm macro performance

Crop from above at 100%. bigger or full-resolution.

If this is about 6" (15cm) on your screen, printing the complete image at this same high magnification would result in a 20 x 20" (50 x 75 cm) print!

If this is about 12" (30cm) on your screen, printing the complete image at this same high magnification would result in a 40 x 60" (100 x 150 cm) print!

This is super-sharp, and this is wide-open at f/5.6. Stop down and it ought to get even better. What look like chromatic problems are actually caused by the plastic watch crystal, and what looks like noise is the surface of the 60-year-old wristwatch.

Also here we are seeing the vapor-thin depth of field we always get at macro distances with every lens. Only parts of the watch face are in focus; the hands are closer and out of focus!

 

Maximum and Minimum Apertures        top

 
Maximum Aperture
Minimum Aperture
100mm
f/4.5
f/32
135mm
f/5
f/32
200mm
f/5
f/36
300mm
f/5
f/36
400mm
f/5.6
f/40

 

Mechanics     performance      top

Canon 100-400 II

Rear, Canon 100-400 II. enlarge.

The Canon 100-400 II is mostly metal. It's a real pro lens.

 

Filter Threads

Anodized aluminum.

 

Hood Mount

Anodized aluminum.

 

Front Barrel

Plastic.

 

Identity

Painted on the (plastic) front extension of the zoom ring, forward of the red L ring.

 

Zoom Ring

Rubber-covered metal.

 

Zoom Cams

Feel like metal.

 

Zoom Index

Plastic.

 

Zoom Stiffness Control Ring

Metal.

 

Focus Ring

Metal, rubber covered.

 

Internals

Metal and plastic.

 

Tripod Collar

Metal.

Bottom part is removable.

 

Rear Barrel (section with switches and focus distance window)

Metal.

 

Switches

Plastic.

 

Moisture seal at mount

Yes.

 

Mount

Chromed metal.

 

Markings

Paint.

 

Serial Number

Engraved into metal lens barrel near mount.

Filled with black paint.

 

Date Code

None found.

 

Noises When Shaken

Very mild clunking.

 

Made in

Japan.

 

Sharpness     performance      top

Image sharpness depends more on you than your lens, and lens sharpness doesn't mean much to good photographers. It's the least skilled hobbyists who waste the most time blaming fuzzy pictures on their lenses, while real shooters know that few photos ever use all the sharpness of which their lenses are capable due to subject motion and the fact that real subjects are rarely perfectly flat.

This Canon 100-400 is extremely sharp throughout all of the full frame image at every setting. If you're not getting sharp images, you're doing something wrong.

It's super-sharp wide open, and diffraction will dull the image at the smallest apertures.

Even better than sharp, it's sharp even with teleconverters. I shoot it with the 1.4x, and it's great. You can see that Canon has even published MTF curves with the 1.4x and 2x extenders:

 

Canon's specified MTF curves:

Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II MTF
Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II MTF
MTF at 100mm
MTF at 400mm

 

Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II MTF
Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II MTF
MTF at 100mm with 1.4x extender
MTF at 400mm with 1.4x extender

Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II MTF
Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II MTF
MTF at 100mm with 2x extender
MTF at 400mm with 2x extender

 

Stabilization     performance      top

Optical Image Stabilization (OIS, IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)) is wonderful,adding about four stops of real-world improvement and letting me hand-hold at very slow speeds even at 400mm.

It's much better than in the previous 100-400mm.

My 45 MP EOS R5 adds in-camera stabilization, and also adds more resolution, making any slight blur more visible than in my 22 MP 5D Mk III shots further below.

"Percent Perfectly Sharp Shots" are the percentage of frames with 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness I get when I'm shooting hand-held while free-standing with no support or bracing. Hand tremor is a random occurrence, so at marginal speeds some frames will be perfectly sharp while others will be in various stages of blur — all at the same shutter speed. This rates what percentage of shots are perfectly sharp, not how sharp are all the frames:

 

At 100mm on my 45MP stabilized EOS R5

% Perfectly Sharp Shots
1
1/2
1/4
1/8
1/15
1/30
1/60
1/125
1/250
Stabilization ON
0
0
0
67
83
83
100
100
100
Stabilization OFF
0
0
0
0
0
33
17
50
100

I see a four-stop real-world improvement.

 

At 200mm on my 45MP stabilized EOS R5

% Perfectly Sharp Shots
1/2
1/4
1/8
1/15
1/30
1/60
1/125
1/250
1/500
Stabilization ON
0
17
0
50
83
100
100
100
100
Stabilization OFF
0
0
0
0
17
0
0
67
100

I see a three to four-stop stop real-world improvement

 

At 200mm on my 24MP stabilized EOS R3

% Perfectly Sharp Shots
1
1/2
1/4
1/8
1/15
1/30
1/60
1/125
1/250
Stabilization ON
5
0
0
33
33
0
100
100
100
Stabilization OFF
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
33
100

I see only about a two-stop real-world improvement.

 

At 400mm on my 45MP stabilized EOS R5

% Perfectly Sharp Shots
1/4
1/8
1/15
1/30
1/60
1/125
1/250
1/500
1/1,000
Stabilization ON
0
17
0
100
100
100
100
100
100
Stabilization OFF
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
50
100

I see a 4½-stop real-world improvement, which is spectacular.

 

Here's a hand-held shot at 1/15 on my Canon 5D Mk III:

Christmas Tree, RP 20 Dec 2014

Christmas Tree, 20 December 2014. (Canon 5D Mk III at ISO 1,600, Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II at 124mm, f/4.5 at 1/13 hand-held, Perfectly Clear V2.) bigger.

I get consistently sharp shots at 400mm at 1/15 on my Canon 5D Mk III. It doesn't get better than this.

Canon 100-400 II hand held 1/15

Palm, 21 December 2014. (Canon 5D Mk III at ISO 100, Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II at 400mm, f/22 at 1/15 hand-held, Perfectly Clear V2.) bigger or full-resolution.

In this shot, the reason it's this soft is because diffraction is dulling it at f/22.

 

Sunstars     performance      top

Canon 100-400 II sunstars

Best-case sunstar, f/36 at 1/15 hand-held at 227mm. bigger.

With its 9-bladed rounded diaphragm, this Canon 100-400mm L IS doesn't usually make sunstars.

The diaphragm becomes straight-sided from about f/16, but we need to stop down to f/36 to get much of anything. The good news is that IS lets us hand-hold at f/36 quite well.

 

Teleconverters     performance      top

The Moon as seen from Yosemite Valley

The Moon as seen from Yosemite Valley, October 2018, 7:17 P.M. Canon EOS R, Canon 100-400mm L IS II with Canon EF Extender 2x II and Canon EF Extender 1.4x II at 1,040mm total, f/16 hand-held at 1/50 at Auto ISO 400, Perfectly Clear v3.6. See this crazy rig that actually works hand-held. bigger.

 

Moon, Pines and Granite

Moon Behind Pines Atop Sentinel Rock, Yosemite National Park, 8:56:32 P.M., 16 October 2021. Canon EOS R5, EF 100-400mm IS L II at 400mm wide-open at f/5.6 on EF 2× extender II (800mm actual focal length and f/11 actual resulting aperture) on EF to RF adapter at 1/200 at ISO 1,600 (LV 10.6), cropped a bit but otherwise as shot, split-toned print. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

Extenders on Mirrorless

It works great, even with two stacked extenders, on Canon's full-frame mirrorless cameras with an EF Lens Adapter. It has fast, full-frame autofocus even with both my 1.4x II and 2x II extenders at the same time! This is a 280‑1,120mm f/12.6‑16 equivalent, and is easily hand-holdable!

Canon EOS R, EF Adapter, 100-400mm, 2x and 1.4x converters

Canon 100‑400L IS II, 1.4x and 2x converters, EF Lens Adapter and EOS R. bigger.

This is because the AF sensors are on the image sensor, not buried deep inside a DSLR, so they see what the sensor sees and just work. With a DSLR, only the center AF sensor works at all with the 2x converter, and there is no AF on a DSLR when using both converters at the same time with the 100-400.

The one gotcha has always been that while the EOS R easily records the lens and teleconverter used, and reports the true f/stop and effective focal lengths with teleconverters, when you use the 1.4x II and 2x IIconverters at the same time it only calculates the effects of the 2x converter - but the pictures still look great and AF is still fast and sure.

The -III extenders don't stack.

Using full-frame mirrorless cameras with an EF Lens Adapter completely changes the rulebook. Teleconverters work great with no slowing of AF performance and focus out to the edges!

 

Extender 1.4× on DSLRs

Performance is excellent with the Canon EF Extender 1.4× II. It's sharp, and focuses extremely well. Since the combination is only f/8, only the center AF area in my 5D Mk III and 7D Mk II work, but boy do they work well! Neither will let me select any of the other AF points.

Stone RP 20 Dec 2014

Stone. Canon 5D Mk III at ISO 100, Canon 100-400mm IS L II with Canon EF Extender 1.4x II, 560mm at f/8 (wide open) at 1/400 hand-held, Perfectly Clear V2, no lens profile used. bigger or full-Resolution.

 

Stone RP 20 Dec 2014

Plant. Canon 5D Mk III at ISO 100, Canon 100-400mm IS L II with Canon EF Extender 1.4x II, 560mm at f/8 (wide open) at 1/320 hand-held, Perfectly Clear V2, no lens profile used. bigger.

 

Extender 2× on DSLRs

There is no autofocus with my Canon EF Extender 2× II on the 5D Mk III and 7D Mk II because the combination becomes f/11. Everything else works great and of course manual focus, IS and Live View work great, but I haven't shot any samples.

 

Zooming     performance      top

Zooming is a breeze. It's smooth, well-spaced, precise and fast.

There is a drag control, marked SMOOTH—TIGHT so you can make it as easy or stiff as you like. I leave mine at SMOOTH for easy zooming, but it will extend towards 400mm as I walk around with a camera and this lens pointing down around my neck.

My 100-400 II holds focus very well as zoomed. Don't ever get one at retail because Canon does not seal its boxes, so you have no way of knowing if you're getting someone else's return or one that was dropped. They have to be well adjusted for the focus to hold as you zoom.

 

Compared         top

Sample Images   Intro   Specs   Performance

Compared   Usage   Recommendations

 

Best 80-400mm & 100-400mm Lenses Compared.

 

I got mine at Adorama; I'd also get it at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

Versus the RF 100-500mm L IS

The RF 100-500mm L IS is more expensive and more plasticy. Both are optically superb, however the RF 100-500mm L IS can't work set to shorter than 300mm when used on an extender, while this EF 100-400mm L IS II works throughout its entire zoom range, and the original EF and EF II extenders can be stacked!

The EF 100-400mm L IS II is a brilliant lens that sells for much less and works magnificently with an EF to RF adapter ring on mirrorless cameras.

The EF 100-400mm L IS II is just as sharp and focuses just as close and just as fast, and works great with the EF 1.4× and EF 2× extenders.

The 100-500mm weighs less. The EF 100-400mm L IS II is made with a lot more metal and feels much tougher, but weighs as much with no foot as the RF 100-500mm weighs with its tripod collar.

  Canon RF 100-500mm Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II
 
Announced
7/2020
11/2014
Maximum Apertures
f/4.5~7.1
f/4.5~5.6
Filter size
77mm
77mm
Filter threads
Plastic
Metal
Length

8.17"

208mm

7.6"

193 mm

Gets longer as zoomed?

Yes

Yes

Works on Mirrorless?
YES
YES, with EF-RF Adapter
Works on DSLR and 35mm?
NO
YES
Exterior
Plastic
Metal
Interior
Plastic & Metal
Metal
     
Sharpness
Extreme
Extreme
Fluorite element?
No
YES
     
AF Speed
Fast
Fast
Full-time instant manual-focus override?
NO, requires menu fiddling and only then works some of the time
YES, direct mechanical connection
Close focus

2.9'/0.9m at 100mm

3.9'/1.2m at 500mm

2.75'/0.84m at 100mm

2.75'/0.84m at 400mm

Max. Macro Ratio
1:3 (0.33×)
1:3.2 (0.31×)
Focus distance window?
No
YES
Focus distance shown in finder?
YES
No
     
 
     
Distortion
Distortion auto-corrects on Mirrorless?
YES
YES
Distortion auto-corrects on DSLRs?
n/a
YES
     
Works with teleconverters
Zoom range with teleconverters
only 300~500mm
100-400mm full range
Stack 1.4× and 2× converters?
NO
YES (with original and -II EF extenders; -III extenders don't stack)
     
 
     
Tripod collar included?
YES
YES
Removable tripod collar?
YES
Only foot comes off; collar remains.
Weight w/foot or collar

54.0 oz.

1,530 g.

57.0 oz.

1,616 g.

Weight, no foot or collar

48.3 oz.

1,370 g.

 54.7 oz.

1,550 g.

Price, 9/2020
Price, 03/2021
Price, 08/2022

 

Versus the Original EF 100-400mm L IS

Canon EF 100-400mm L IS USM

Canon EF 100-400mm L IS USM.

The original Canon 100-400mm L IS USM also has superb optics, but is a push-pull zoom. This new -II lens adds much closer and faster focusing, much better image stabilization and updates to a rotary zoom ring. This II lens has extremely fast autofocus, and it's still fast even with a 1.4x extender.

This new lens also has dirt and fingerprint resistant fluorine coatings on the outside, and "Air Sphere Coatings" on the inside to reduce flare. The new hood also has a hole to make it easier to adjust polarizers.

Close focus alone is enough reason to prefer this new lens, and improved stabilization is also very welcome. The original Canon 100-400mm L IS was among Canon's first lenses with stabilization, and while stunning in the 1990s, is nowhere near as good as Canon's newer lenses. The improved IS of this new lens is also a huge reason to get it for us who hand-hold everything; the old lens was only sharp down to 1/60 hand-held at 400mm and this new lens is hand-holdable much slower.

The original Canon 100-400mm L IS costs much less today new or used, and also has superb optics. If you use this lens often you'll prefer this newer lens for its closer and faster focus, zoom ring and improved IS to allow hand-holding at much slower speeds, but if all you want are superb long-range optics, either is wonderful. See also Is It Worth It.

 

 
Anni
2014-
1998-2014
Filter
77mm
77mm
Autofocus
Nearly instantaneous
Very fast
Close Focus

3.2'

1m

6'

1.8m

Zoom
Ring
Push-pull
Zoom Drag Adjustment?
Yes
Yes
Stabilized?
Yes, 4 stops
Yes
Stabilizer modes
3
2
Stabilizer performance
excellent
fair
Hood (included)
ET-83D
Case (included)
Optics*

21/16

1 Fluorite

1 Super UD

17/14

1 Fluorite

1 Super UD

f/min
f/32-40
f/32-40
Blades
9 rounded
8
Focus Preset
no
no
Max Magnification
0.31x
0.20x
Max Repro Ratio
1:3.2
1:5
Diameter

3.7"

94mm

3.6"

92mm

Length at 100mm

7.6"

193mm

7.4"

189mm

Tripod mount
included
included
Tripod Mount removable?
Yes, even when mounted to camera.
Yes, but have to remove lens from camera.
Weight with collar

57.9 oz.

1,640g

52.307 oz.

1,482.8g

Weight, lens only

55.4 oz.

1,570g

48.160 oz.

1,365.3g

Canon Item Code

9524B002

2577A002

Price, 11/2014
Price, 9/2017

* elements/groups.

 

More Comparison Charts

 

Usage         top

Sample Images   Intro   Specs   Performance

Compared   Usage   Recommendations

 

I got mine at Adorama; I'd also get it at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

Teleconverters and Tele-Extenders

See my Teleconverters section above.

 

Canon 100-400 II

Canon 100-400 II. enlarge.

 

Canon 100-400 II

Controls, Canon 100-400 II. bigger.

Zoom Drag Control (SMOOTH — TIGHT)

The SMOOTH — TIGHT control sets the zoom drag.

I leave mine at SMOOTH, which means loose.

If your lens flops out on you while carried around your neck, set it more towards TIGHT. Unlike amateur lenses with locks, you're never locked into one setting if a photo opportunity

appears and you're set to TIGHT. It's stiffer in TIGHT, not locked.

 

Focus Ranges

Use the FULL setting.

If you're shooting far-away objects and are having a problem with the lens getting confused and trying to focus on close objects, the 3m - ∞ setting will prevent the lens from trying to focus any closer than 10 feet (3 meters).

AF - MF

Use AF, in which setting you may grab the ring for instant manual override.

The MF setting is only for if you want to lock-out autofocus.

 

Image Stabilization

I'd leave it ON all the time, except for time exposures on a tripod.

MODE 1 is normal.

MODE 2 is for panning.

MODE 3 is the same as MODE 1, but only active while exposing; it won't stabilize the viewfinder image.

 

Filters

I'd leave either a 77mm Canon UV filter or a 77mm Hoya Alpha MC UV on the lens at all times.

If you want the best possible protective filter, the 77mm Hoya HD2 Protector is ultra multicoated, repels dirt and fingerprints and made of shatter resistant glass.

If I was working in nasty, dirty areas and don't want to spring for the HD2 filter, I'd use an uncoated 77mm Tiffen UV filter instead. Plain glass (uncoated) filters are much easier to clean, but more prone to ghosting.

I would leave the hood at home.

For color slides like Velvia 50, I use a 77mm Hoya HMC 81A outdoors.

For B&W film outdoors, I'd use a 77mm Hoya HMC Yellow K2 or 77mm Hoya HMC Orange.

 

Recommendations         top

Sample Images   Intro   Specs   Performance

Compared   Usage   Recommendations

This is the lens for professional hand-held general-purpose nature and wildlife shooting. If you're taking an African safari, this is your lens. It's also wonderful for portraits, with a long zoom range that will blow-out backgrounds better at 400mm at f/5.6 than a 200mm will at f/2.8 (focal length is far more important to selective focus than aperture).

This is a better lens than any 70-200 for nature and landscape work because it now focuses even closer and faster than the 70-200s. We lose very little on the short end, and gain double on the long end. Since you probably have a zoom that goes to 70 or 105mm anyway, you don't need the 70-100mm range of the 70-200, and everyone will use the 200-400mm extra range of this 100-400mm lens.

Get a 70-200mm if you're shooting action in low light, but with the super high ISOs of digital, my 70-200 just got booted out of my bag in exchange for this lens. I will use the extra 200-400mm range of this lens, and don't need the 70-100mm range of the 70-200. See also Assembling a System.

The only reason for the old f/2.8 lenses is for shooting indoor sports. Otherwise, the added reach and closer focus of this new lens replaces the 70-200. Especially for portraits, the 400mm end gives even softer backgrounds than a 200mm f/2.8.

If you think you want one, get it. You'll LOVE it! I have a friend who's owned one of the original versions for years leading safaris in Africa, and we have his images on our walls. They look fantastic! This new lens makes it even easier to get great results.

I got mine at Adorama; I'd also get it at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

If you find my work helpful, my biggest source of support for this all-content, junk-free website is when you use those or any of these links when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. It helps me keep adding to this free website when you get your things through these links to approved sources — but I receive nothing for these efforts if you take the chance of buying elsewhere.

Thanks for your support!

Ken.

 

© Ken Rockwell. All rights reserved. Tous droits réservés.

 

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Mr. & Mrs. Ken Rockwell, Ryan and Katie.

 

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