Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM

[Steven Gourlay]

I upgraded from a Canon 70-300 IS USM to the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens as i wanted to take photos of widlife and motorsport from a distance. I spent a bit of time reading up on a the lenses available and what would best suit me. The two main lenses that i was look at were the Canon 100-400 IS USM L lens and the 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM. After much thought i decided to go for the Canon lens mostly due to reading reviews and user comments.

I did think there would be a massive difference in going from a 70-300 - 100-400 lens but i was wrong. The first thing you notice is the serious weight and length of the lens. The 70-300 lens was pretty light and not long and moving up to the 400 i found getting used it took a bit of time. I tend to not use a tripod or monopod and just hold and shoot but that is going to change now. As i used to carrying and shooting in hand the big difference i noticed was the weight of the lens, due to the length being fully extended its hard to try and keep the lens steady in windy conditions. I will deffinately be looking at a tripod/monopod for this lens as i used it the North West 200 Irish motorcycle road racing, after a couple of days of photography my upper arms were starting to feel the weight of the camera and lens.

I read a lot of comments about the push and pull system this lens uses to adjust the zoom but i found no problem with this, you can quickly adjust the lens to lock at the position you want.

Image Stabilizer (IS)

This was also on the 70-300 lens i owned previously and would recommend anyone that likes to shoot from hand if they are after a lens ensure it has some sort of image stabilizer as its a huge help. I find it very helpful while taking photos moving ie in the car or on a boat. Turn off when using with a tripod as it can cause the IS to act strangely.
The Image Stabilizer has two modes and it is compatible with Extenders 1.4x II and 2x II

I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a lens for wildlife photography or motor sport, ive personally not used any extenders but plan on purchasing a 1.4x kenko extender.


Specifications

Construction 14 groups /17 elements in Canon 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L EF USM Auto Focus lens
Angle of view 24° - 6° 10'
F stop range 4.5-32 (5.6-40) with Canon 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L EF USM Auto Focus lens
Closest Focusing Distance 1.8m / 5.9 ft.
Maximum Magnification of Canon 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L EF USM Auto Focus lens 1:5
Filter Size Canon 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L EF USM Auto Focus lens accepts 77mm
Dimensions (Length x Diameter) 7.4" x 3.6" / 189.0 x 92.0mm
Weight of Canon 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L EF USM Auto Focus lens 3.1 lbs / 1,380g

Package includes with Canon 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L EF USM Auto Focus lens
Front Lens Cap, Rear Lens Cap, ET-83C Lens Hood, LZ-1324 Protective Lens Case,

Conclusion

I would highly recommend this lens to anyone that wants to get into wildlife photography, the lens is well made and the picture quality is outstanding. The weight of the lens has to be considered and if you are planning on using the lens in the countryside i would recommend getting a camouflage lens cover as the lens is white. This lens is what i would class as expensive but Canon equipment does hold its value well. All in all i am very happy with this lens and would highly recommend.

Yeah Steven i would agree about your comments on the lens ive had it over a year now and not had any problems with it. The weight does take a bit of getting used to but i tend to use a tripod most of the time now.

[Steven Gourlay]

Yeah i have a cheapo tripod at present i use for indoor still photography but looking at getting a decent outdoor tripod maybe one of the:

Manfrotto
Gitzo

Not 100% as they are expensive i will be taking my time on deciding whats best for me. Have you tried the 100-400 lens with any extenders Carl?

Looking on ebay that lens is about £800 is that about right? It looks an expensive hobby if you are paying that then the same for the camera?

[Steven Gourlay]

Hi Deano

I answered your post about what camera to go for in the Canon section. The L lens is classed as a professional lens and you do pay for that, there are a lot of cheaper alternatives out there like the Sigma 50-500mm.

I currently have a Canon 70-300 IS USM and have been looking about to see if it would be worth my while upgrading to a larger lens. This is one i have been looking at but the price tag is a bit to much for me at present.

[Steven Gourlay]

Originally Posted by rebel

I currently have a Canon 70-300 IS USM and have been looking about to see if it would be worth my while upgrading to a larger lens. This is one i have been looking at but the price tag is a bit to much for me at present.

The 70-300 is a very good lens but i would say if you want to get better results and are looking to upgrade i would certinaly recommend the lens. I used the 70-300 to try and take photos of stags and other wildlife in Ullapool and motorsport, i found that the motorsport i could never get close enough to the action to get good photos.

But you do have to weigh up the cost vs the amoun of use you are going to get, ie i use my lens a lot but you might only use it from time to time?

The lens seems to get a lot of good reviews but wonder how the Sigma 500 would stand up against it?

[Steven Gourlay]

Originally Posted by chuck

The lens seems to get a lot of good reviews but wonder how the Sigma 500 would stand up against it?

I was looking at getting the SIgma 50-500 lens but after reading a few people had compared both and said that the Canon was better all round.