CanonEF100400mmf/4.55.

6LISIIUSMLensReview
ImageQuality
SamplePictures
Vignetting
Flare
Distortion
Specifications
ProductImages
Owner'sManual
PressRelease

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byBryanCarnathan

TheCanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSMLensoffersprofessionalgradebuildquality,fast,
accurateandquietAF,veryeffectiveimagestabilizationandveryimpressivewideopenimagequality
overtheentireandveryuseful100400mmtelephotofocallengthrange.Downsides?Therearevery
few,butsomemayfindthepricehighandtheweightheavy.However,ifthealternativesare
compared,neitherthepricenortheweightarebadforwhatyougetwiththe100400LII.
Irresistible Choco Explosions for All to
Enjoy
HovertoExpand

The100400LISIImaybethelongestrumoredlenseverofficiallyannounced.Beingrumoredfor
suchalongtime(10yearsormore?)certainlyhelpsbuildanticipationforalensandlikelyfewlenses
havebeenmorehighlyanticipatedthanthe100400LISII.With16yearsoftechnological
improvementsreadytobeimplemented,Ihavetoadmittobeingamongthoseanxiousforthearrival
ofthislens.Whentheannouncementwasmade,mypreorderwasimmediatelyplaced.

WhydidCanonwaituntilthistimetoreleasethe100400II?WhileIdon'tknowifwewilleverlearnthe
trueanswertothatquestion,thefirstanswerIwouldexpecttohearfromaCanonrepresentativeis
thatthelenswasnotreadyuntilnow.Thatanswermaybetrue,butifIdonmybusinesscap,Iseethe
Tamron150600mmf/56.3DiVCUSDLenscapturingaverysignificantmarketshareintheshort
periodoftimeithasbeenavailable.IalsoseeapairofSigma150600mmOSlensesannouncedand
becomingavailablearoundthesametime.IftheSigmalensesreceivethesameacclaimthatthe
Tamronlongtelephotozoomhasgarnered,wheredoesthatleaveCanon's16yearoldbest
competinglensoption?Inaddition,Nikonintroducedtheirlatestcompetitor,theNikon80400mm
f/4.55.6GAFSVRLensonlyoneyearprior.IthinkthatCanonneededtheupdated100400mmlens
initslineupandneededittoperformverywellforcompetitivebusinessreasons.Regardlessofthe
reason,anew100400Llensisaverywelcomedaddition.

FocalLength/FocalLengthRange
Thefocallengthorfocallengthrangeofalensshouldbeamongyourhighestcriterionforlens
selection.Thefocallengthdeterminesacombinationofperspectiveandframing.Witharangethat
startsat100mmandgoesto400mm(withoutextenders),thislenscoversalotofground(albeitless
thansomeofthethirdpartyoptionsjustmentioned).

Thewideendhasgreatportraitphotographycapabilitiesasillustratedbythe100mmf/4.5fullframe
imageshownhere.

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Parentschasingkidscanalsofindplentyofusesforthisentirefocallengthrangeincludingfortheirat
theparkandatthebeachneeds.
Thisisanespeciallygreatfocallengthrangeforwildlife.

Sportsphotographyneedscancoverthisentirefocallengthrange,havingtheabilitytotracka
continuouslyproperlyframedathletefromadistantlocationtoacloseposition.
Iuseallofthesefocallengthsforlandscapephotography.Longfocallengthscanmakeevena
mediocresunsetlookamazing.

Thislenswillbeextremelywellrepresentedatairshowsacrosstheworld.Iexpectthislenstobethe
idealsafariandzoolenschoiceformany.Thelistofusesforthisfocallengthrangeissimplyhuge.
ThoseusinganASPC/1.6xFOVCFsensorformatDSLRwillseeanangleofviewsimilartoafull
framemounted160640mmlens.Thisshiftednarrowerangleofviewrangemovesthe100400mm
rangedeeperintothesportsandwildlifeuseswithbirdphotographyandbigfieldsportsbeing
especiallygoodusesofthefocallengthrange.

especiallygoodusesofthefocallengthrange.
HereisanexampleofwhatthisfocallengthrangelookslikeonandAPSCformatDSLR.

100mm|135mm|200mm|300mm|400mm

Somehaveaskedifthe100400LII'sfocallengthisreally400mmontheupperend.Thisisafair
questionbecauseitseemsthatmanufacturerssometimestakethelibertyofroundingoff/upthe
specifiedfocallengthnumbersinzoomlenses.Inthiscase,thelenssetto400mmframesatestchart
from42.86'(13.063m)whiletwoofCanon'sprime400mmlenses(the400f/2.8LIIand400f/5.6L)
framethechartat44.87'(13.675m)and44.54'(13.576m)respectively.IfItaketheaverageofthose
twocomparables,Iget44.70'(13.625m)(usingthemetricnumbersforcalculating).Usingthatnumber,
the100400II'smaxfocallengthseemsmorelike383mmorjustslightlywider.Especiallywith
distortionpotentiallyeffectingthiscalculation,thatnumberiscloseenoughto400mmthatfewwillcare
aboutanyactualdifference.Canonhasclaimedtobewithin5%ofthespecifiedfocallengthnumber,
addingcredancetothecalculatedfigure'spossibility.

MaxAperture
Creatingazoomlenswithlongfocallengthsgenerallymeansacompromiseinmaxapertureopening
andlenssize/weight/cost.Forexample,lookattheCanonEF200400mmf/4LISUSMLens.WhileI
considerf/4tobeonlyamediumwidemaxaperture,thislensisonadifferentscalethantheCanon
EF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSMLensintermsofsize,weightandprice.
Capturingfastactioninlowlight(suchasindoorsorafterthesunsets)withanacceptablylowISO
settingisachallengeforanf/4.55.6maxaperturelens.However,f/4.55.6isveryadequatefor
stoppingactionunderreasonablelightlevels(suchasfulldaylightthroughmoderatelycloudyskies).If
theactionisnotmovingfast(orismotionless),thislenswillbeabletoserveverywellintothelowlight
hoursofthedayespeciallywiththehelpofIS.AveryimportantpointisthatI'dmuchrathercarrythis
lensforlongperiodsoftimethanthereferenced200400f/4L.
Asindicatedbytheaperturespecificationrange(f/4.55.6),thisisavariablemaxaperturelens.Asyou
zoomtoalongerfocallength,themaxapertureavailableisreduced.WhileIlovefixedmaxaperture
lenses(suchasthejustdiscussed200400f/4)andespeciallyappreciatethattheyallowaspecific
wideopenapertureexposuresettingtobelockedinovertheentirezoomrange,Ialsoappreciatethe
morecompact/lighterdesignthevariablemaxapertureallows.IfIamcarryingalongerthan200mm
telephotolensanysignificantdistance,Iprobablyamcarryingavariablemaxaperturezoomlens
model.

The100400II'sspecificmaxaperturestepdownfocallengthsareshowninthechartbelow:
Model

f/4.0

f/4.5

f/5.0

f/5.6

f/6.3

CanonEFS55250mmf/45.6ISSTMLens

5563mm

6499mm 100154mm 155250mm

CanonEFS55250mmf/45.6ISIILens

5573mm

7495mm 96153mm 154250mm

70103mm 104154mm 155228mm 229300mm

7084mm 85134mm 135224mm 225300mm

CanonEF70300mmf/45.6ISLUSMLens
CanonEF70300mmf/45.6ISUSMLens
CanonEF70300mmf/4.55.6DOISUSMLens

7094mm 95184mm 185300mm

CanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISUSMLens

100129mm 130259mm 260400mm

CanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSM

100134mm 135311mm 312400mm

Nikon80400mmf/4.55.6GAFSVRLens

80134mm 135249mm 250400mm

Sigma150500mmf/56.3DGOSHSMLens

150173mm 174312mm 313500mm

Tamron150600mmf/56.3DiVCUSDLens

150225mm 226427mm 428600mm

Interestingandverypositiveisthatthe100400LIIholdsawideraperturedeeperintothefocallength
rangethananyotherlensshownhereincludingthe100400LI.AlsointerestingisthatCanonand
Nikonhavenozoomlenseslongerthan400mmandhavenolenseswithmaxaperturesnarrowerthan
f/5.6.Mostofthethirdpartylenseswithfocallengthslongerthan400mmreachf/6.3justbeyond
400mmifnotbefore.ManyCanonandNikonDSLRcamerasrequireaminimummaxaperture
openingoff/5.6forautofocustowork,buttheydoautofocusinthef/6.3maxaperturerangeofthese
otherbrandedlenses.

ImageStabilization
Alensdesignedtobe(relatively)verysmallandlightinviteshandholdingandhandholdingofa

Alensdesignedtobe(relatively)verysmallandlightinviteshandholdingandhandholdingofa
telephotolensisgreatlyaidedbyimagestabilization.TheCanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSM
Lensisequippedwithabestavailableatreviewtime4stopratedimagestabilizersystem.Thefirst
Canon100400IShadoneoftheearliestopticallensimagestabilizationimplementationsandwas
ratedatonly2stopsofassistance,sotheII'sISsystemaloneisahugeupgrade.AnotherISupgrade
istheadditionofMode3stabilization.
Mode1isthestandardISmodeandisdesignedforusewithstationarysubjects.NotonlydoesIShelp
deliverasharperimage,butyouwillalsofindtheMode1stabilizedviewfinderextremelyhelpfulfor
obtainingidealsubjectframingwhilehandholdingthislens.Astabilizedimagealsoaidsinautofocus
accuracy.
Mode2ISisusedforpanningwithasubject.Inthismode,only1axisofstabilizationisprovided
allowingalinearlymovingsubjecttobetracked.Notethatpeopletendtomoveupanddownin
additiontoforwardwhenrunning,makingsuccessfulrunningpeoplepanningshotsdifficult.Putthose
peopleonwheelsandyouhaveamuchmoresuccesslikelyscenario.Thinkbicycles,motorcycles,
racecars,etc.
Canon'snewestISmode,previouslyprovidedonlyonsupertelephotolenses,isthedesignedfor
trackingactionMode3IS.InMode3,imagestabilizationisactiveandreadyforusethemomentthe
shutterreleases,butactualstabilizationisnotineffectuntilthatprecisetime.Theviewseenthrough
theviewfinderisnotstabilized,andyouareabletofollowyourerraticallymovingsubjectswithout
fightingagainstimagestabilizationdesignedtopreventyoufromdoingthesame.ISMode3is
designedtodetectpanningmotionand,whendetected,willonlyapplystabilizationatrightanglesto
thedirectionofthedetectedmovement(likeISMode2).
Mode3ISdebutedwiththeCanon300mmand400mmf/2.8LISIILenses.IgaveMode3asignificant
amountofworkoutwiththoselensesandsubsequentlymadeMode3mystandardactionphotography
ISmodesetting.OffwasmypreviouschoiceIusuallyneedafasterthanminimumhandholdable
shutterspeedtostoptheactionIamshooting.But,IdidsometimesseebenefitstousingISMode3
foraction.Iwelcomethisadditiontoasmallertelephotolens.
Whentheshutterreleaseishalfpress,ISgoesintoaction.SomeclickingisheardwhenISstartsand
againwhenitstopsandinquietenvironments,whirringisheardwhileISisactiveonthislens.TheIS
soundsarenotbeloudenoughtobeaproblemunlessperhapsyouareshootinginadeadsilent
environment,inwhichcaseyourshutterreleasemaycausemuchmoreofanissue.Expectanin
cameramictopickupISnoisefromthislensduringvideorecording.
NotethatinMode3,ISsoundisheardwhentheshutterreleaseishalfpressed,buttheimageisnot
stabilized(includingintheviewfinder)untiltheprecisemomentthattheshotistaken.
The100400LII'sISsystemautosensesatripodinuse.CanonrecommendsturningISoffwhen
shootingtripodbased(primarilytosaveasmallamountofbatterylife)andleavingISonwhen
shootingfromalessstablesupportsuchasamonopod.
AswithsimilarCanonISsystems,the100400II'sISsystemisverywellimplemented.BythisImean
that,inpart,theimageintheviewfinderdoesnotbouncearoundwhenthesystemactivatesorduring

subjectframingadjustment.
The1/focallength(or1/focallength*1.6forAPSCcameras)ruletodeterminethelongestexposure
thatcanbeusedwhilehandholdingalenstypicallyholdsupwellforme.Inthecaseofthe100
400mmlens,Iwouldtypicallyexpectsharpimagesat1/1001/400secondorfasterexposures.
Shootingcompletelyfreehandat100mmusingafullframe5DMarkIII,mostofmyimagesaresharp
ata1/5secondexposure,equatingto41/3stopsofassistanceforme.Thekeeperrateisstillvery
goodat1/4secondandslowlytrailsoffthrough.5secondswherethesharpresultsbecomesparse.
Thelongestfocallengthofalensistypicallythemostimportantfocallengthtobestabilized,sincethat
focallengthtypicallyrequiresthefastestshutterspeedtobehandheld.At400mm,Iamgettingnearly
100%sharpresultsat1/20secondexposuresfromthislens,equatingtoaneasy,aboverated41/3
stopsofassistanceforme.Keeperratesat1/13and1/10secondremainquitestrong(forover5stops
ofassistance)andasusual,sharpresultscanbeobtainedatevenmuchlongerexposures(aslongas
1/4second)ifverylowkeeperratescanbetolerated.
TestingtheassistancelevelofISinthislenswascomplicatedbythearrivalofanastyvirusthatmade
itsroundsinourhousehold.IwaiteduntilIwassignificantlyrecoveredbeforecompletingthistesting,
but...IdonotfeelthatIwasquiteasstableaswheninfullhealth.Still,the100400LIIimpressedme.
Theimagestabilizationfeatureinthislensisverysignificantlyimprovedoveritspredecessorandthe
versatilityaddedtothislensbyISisbig.
Yoursubjectsmaynotbestillenoughforyoutomakefulluseofthislens'IScapabilities,butthereare
plentyofsituationsremainingtomakeISinvaluable.Forexample,analertanimalwilloftenremain
motionlesswhilecheckingoutasituation.Anotherexample:manywishtophotographamusicalora
speakereventwithsubjectsthataremovingonlyslightly.
Alsonotethat,inthefieldwithunstablefooting,windand/orothercomplications,youmaynotbeable
toreplicatemyresults.Still,ISwillprovideaverysignificantandlikelysimilaradvantageoveran
unstabilizedalternativeinthesesituations.Braceyourselfand/orthelensagainstsomethingstable
andyoucanlikelyexceedmyexposuretimes.

Whileanf/5.6lensisnotmypreferenceforindoorevents,the100400mmfocallengthisawesometo
have,especiallywhenyoudon'thavefullcontroloveryourshootingposition.Ifthelightingisgood,this
lenswilldeliververynicelyforyouinthesescenarios.

ImageQuality
Theoriginal100400wasagoodperformerand,with16yearsoftechnologicaladvances,aneasy
conjecturetomakeisthatthenewlensisgoingtoperformnoticeablybetter.Ourfirstglimpseofthe
imagequalityexpectedfromtheCanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSMLensisprovidedby
Canon'stheoreticalMTFcharts.Belowarethesechartsalongwithcomparisonstotheoriginal100
400LISLens,toanothermorerecentlyintroducedCanontelephotozoomlensoption,theEF70
300mmf/45.6LISUSMLensandtoCanon'slongestfocallengthprimelensthatisstillrelatively
small,theEF400mmf/5.6LUSMLens.

EF100400LII

100mm|400mm|100mm+1.4x|400mm+1.4x|100mm+2x|400mm+2x

EF100400L

100mm|400mm

EF70300L

70mm|300mm

EF400f/5.6L

400mm

Thethicklinesshowcontrastwhilethethinlinesshowresolution.Thesolidlinesshowsagittal(lines
radiatingfromcentertoouterimagecircle)resultswhilethedashedlinesshowmeridional(lines
perpendiculartothesagittallines)results.Theblacklinesindicateawideopenaperturewhiletheblue
linesshowresultsatf/8.Theleftsideofthechartshowscenteroftheimagecirclemeasurementand
therightsideshowsperipheralmeasurement.Thehigherthelines,thebetterthelensperforms.When
allofthelinesgetcrushedintothetopofthechart,thelenspromisestobeamazing.
Asonewouldexpect,the100400IIwasplannedtoperformsignificantlybetterthanthe100400I.
Evenwitha1.4xextendermountedbehindit,the100400IIchart'slinesremainhigherthanthe
original100400'sresultsandthewith2xextenderchartdoesnotappeardramaticallydifferentthan
theoriginallenswithnoextenderbehindit.
The70300Lhasbeenmypersonaltelephotozoomlenschoicesinceitbecameavailable.Itisagreat
lens.Thatthe100400LII'stheoreticalperformanceissimilartoorslightlyworsethanthe70300Lat
thewideendwasnotaconcernforme.Atthelongendofthefocallengthrange,the100400LII
appearedtobeaslightlybetterperformer.Myguesswasthatthechoicebetweenthesetwolenses
wouldbebestmadeondifferentiatorsotherthanimagequality.
ThatiswhattheMTFchartssaid.Wealsoknewupfrontthatthenew100400IIlensdesignincludes

ThatiswhattheMTFchartssaid.Wealsoknewupfrontthatthenew100400IIlensdesignincludes
onefluoriteelementandonesuperUDelementthatpromisesuperioroverallimagequality.
WealsoknewthatanewAirSphereCoating(ASC)hadbeenintroducedonthislens.Accordingto
Canon:"ThenewAirSphereCoatinghasbeendevelopedbyCanontominimisereflectionsandflare.
Itconsistsoftinynanoparticlesofairtrappedinafilmabovetheconventionalmultilayercoatings.
TheseAirSphereparticlesformasuperlowreflectivecoatingonthesurfaceofthelenselementto
reducereflectionandactasacrashmattoreducethespeedthatlighttravelsthroughthelayerso
thereisnotsuchalargechangeinspeedwhenthelightentersthroughtheglassofthelenselement.
Themajorcauseofreflectionsisthesuddenchangeinthespeedoflightasitpassesfromairtoglass,
andthisnewtechnologypreventsthecauseofvisibleghostingandflare."
The100400II'sfrontandrearlenssurfacesarefluorinecoatedtoreducewaterdroplet,dustand
fingerprintadhesionandtoeasethecleaningeffortrequired.Thiscoatingworksgreatthedifference
isnoticeable.

Withtworetailcopiesofthe100400LIIlensinhand,theimagequalityoutcomebecomes"clear"
(punintended).
Succinctlydescribingthesharpnessofazoomlenscanbeaverychallengingendeavor,butthisone
...issimplyexcellent.TheCanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSMLensisextremelysharpacross
theentirefullframeimagecircle,evenwithawideopenaperture.Stoppingdownmakesnegligible
differenceincontrastandresolution.Stoppingdownprimarilyeffectsdepthoffieldandthatisthe
primaryreasonforusingaperturesnarrowerthanwideopenwiththislens.

Anotherreasontostopdownistoreducevignetting.Vignettingfromthislensisabitharderto
describethansharpness,butitisnotsignificantatanyfocallengthoraperture.Atthewideendofthe
focallengthrange,uptoabout1stopofperipheralshadingwillbe(barely)seenwhenawideopen
apertureisused.Asthefocallengthisincreased,wideopenaperturecornershadingbeginstoslowly
increase.At200mm,vignettingincreasesto1.2stopsandtoabout1.6stopsfrom300mmthrough
400mm.Stoppingdown1stopremovesabout1/2ofthevignetting,makingitnotusuallynoticeable,
andthesecondstopcompletelyeliminatesit.
APSCformatDSLRs,withtheirsmallersensors,donotutilizetheouterportionoftheimagecircle
andcompletelyavoidperipheralshadingwiththislens,regardlessofapertureandfocallengthused.
WhileIcanseeatouchofCA(ChromaticAberration)inthefullframecornersatbothendsofthefocal
lengthrange,theamountisveryminor.CAintheoutoffocusforegroundandbackgroundisminorat
100mmandnegligibleat400mm.TheoverallamountofCAisespeciallysmallforazoomlens.Here
isaworstcaseexample:

This100%cropwastakenfromnearthetoprightcornerofa100mmfullframe5DMarkIIIimage.
Stronglycontrastingdiagonallinesnearthecorneroftheframebestshowtheslightcolorfocusing
misalignment.
Anotherdefectthatthislenshasonlyatouchofisdistortion.Thereisasmallamountofbarrel
distortionatthewideendthatslowlytransitionstonodistortionaround135mmandthentopincushion
distortionthatremainspresentbutrelativelyminorovertherestofthefocallengthrange.

Put21lenselementsin16groups(upfrom17/14)intoatelephotolensdesignanditisnotsurprising
toseenoticeableflaringwithaverybrightlightsource(suchasthesun)intheframe.Puttingthefull
middaysunintheframewhileusingalongfocallengthisagoodwaytopermanentlyimpairyour
vision.
Thata400mmlenswillproduceastrongbackgroundblurwhenusedwithclosesubjectsiscertain,but
the100400LIIhasa9bladecirculartypeaperturethatdeliversabeautiful,softqualitytothatblurred
background.Thatqualityissimilarovertheentirefocallengthrange.Herearesomef/8examples:

100mm|100mm|400mm|FullFrame(reduced)

Intheabovecrops,the100400rendersoutoffocusspecularhighlightsassmoothlyfilled,nicely
roundedcircles(withthetypicalconcentricringsfoundneartheperimeter).Inthefullframeexample
(reducednotcropped),Christmastreelightswerephotographedatapproximately15'(5m)withthe
lensmanuallyfocusedatitsminimumfocusdistance.Theresultwasahandfuloftheblurredlittle
lightsfillingtheframe.
Whilethe100400LI's8bladeapertureproduced8pointstarsfromspecularhighlightscapturedata
narrowaperture,the100400LII's9bladeaperturewillproduce18pointstarsinthesamesituation
(anoddaperturebladecountresultsin2xasmanypoints).
Explorethe100400LII'simagequalityandcompareittootherlensesusingthelinksonthispage.I
thinkthatyouaregoingtolikewhatyousee.

Focusing
Liketheoriginal100400L,theCanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSMLensfeaturesRingUSM
(UltrasonicMotor)drivenAF.Alsoliketheoriginal100400L,100400LIIwasreleasedwiththe
latestavailableatdesigntimeCPUinstalledandthelatestAFalgorithmsapplied.However,the
differencethat16yearsmakesontheselattertwofeaturesisbig.Inaddition,acompletelynewinner
focusingsystemhasbeenimplementedinthislens.
AFaccuracyiscriticallyimportant(unlessusingmanualfocus)foralenstorealizeitsfullimagequality
capability.Extensivefocustestinghasproventhatthe100400LISIIconsistentlyfocusesvery
accurately.Theautofocusspeedisextremelyfastandthereisverylittlesoundheardduringthe
process.
ThislensfocusesinternallyandFTM(FullTimeManual)focusingisavailable.Thefrontelementdoes
notrotate,allowingcircularpolarizerfilterstoeasilybeused.
A2positionfocuslimiterswitchisprovided,allowingfocusingdistancestobelimitedtoaspecific
distancerange(9.84'/3m8)ortobeunlimited(Full).Limitingthefocusdistancerangecanimprove

distancerange(9.84'/3m8)ortobeunlimited(Full).Limitingthefocusdistancerangecanimprove
focuslocktimesandreducefocushunting.
The100400ISIILens'manualfocusringisnicelysized,isproperlydamped,andwiththelens
diametertransitionoccurringinthemiddleofit,isveryeasytolocateeveninthedarkorwithyoureye
attheviewfinder.Asexpectedforalensofthisgrade,thefocusringisverysmooth.Therateoffocus
adjustmentisidealinthe100300mmrange,butitissomewhatfastby400mm.Thereisatinyamount
ofplayfeltasthegearsreversedirectioninthisring.
AswithallofCanon'shighergradeautofocuslenses,afocusdistancewindowisprovided.Thislens
isnotparfocal,meaningthatrefocusingisrequiredafterzooming.Thisisespeciallytrueatshortfocus
distanceswherethesubjectsveryobviouslygointoandoutoffocusduringzooming.However,if
focusingat400mmatlongerfocusdistances,subjectsremaininverygoodfocusoverthemajorityof
thefocallengthrangewhenzoomingout,andunder135mm,thef/5.6depthoffieldcoversmuchof
thefocusdistancechangeneeded.
Usingthenearparfocalfeatureofthislens(asjustdescribed)ishelpfulforvideorecordingwhile
adjustingfocallengths.Videoshooterswilldefinitelyappreciatethefactthatsubjectsdonot
significantlychangeinsizeastheygoinandoutoffocus.
Ahugefocusrelatedimprovementthe100400LIIenjoysoveritspredecessoristhedramatically
shorterMFD(MinimumFocusDistance)andtherelatedsignificantlyincreasedMM(Maximum
Magnification)spec.The100400IIfocusesdownto38.4"(980mm)byfactoryspecandtestingshows
thatthislenscanfocusascloseas30.3"(769mm)at100mm.Thisdistanceisjustslightlyoverhalfthe
distanceoftheoldlens'closefocusspecandtheIIcanproducesubjectdetailsjustover50%larger
thanthepreviouslens.WiththerelationbetweenthedecreasedMFDwiththeincreasedMMnotbeing
linear,wecanexpectthattheversionIIlensisgivingupsomefocallengthasthesubjectbecomes
veryclose.
Model

MFD

MM

CanonEFS55250mmf/45.6ISSTMLens

33.5" (850mm)

0.31x

CanonEF70200mmf/2.8LISIIUSMLens

47.2" (1200mm)

0.21x

47.2" (1200mm)

0.21x

59.1" (1500mm)

0.25x

CanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSMLens
CanonEF70300mmf/4.55.6DOISUSMLens

55.1" (1400mm)

0.25x

CanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSMLens

38.4" (980mm)

0.31x

CanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISUSMLens

70.9" (1800mm)

0.20x

CanonEF200400mmf/4LISUSMExt1.4xLens

78.7" (2000mm) 0.15,0.21x

CanonEF300mmf/4LISUSMLens

59.1" (1500mm)

0.24x

CanonEF400mmf/5.6LUSMLens

137.8" (3500mm)

0.12x

CanonEF400mmf/4DOISIIUSMLens

129.9" (3300mm)

0.13x

68.9" (1750mm)

0.20x

106.3" (2700mm)

0.20x

CanonEF70300mmf/45.6LISUSMLens
Reviews>CanonZoomLensReviews
CanonEF70300mmf/45.6ISUSMLens

Nikon80400mmf/4.55.6GAFSVRLens
Tamron150600mmf/56.3DiVCUSDLens

VeryfewnonmacrolenseshaveMMspecsashighasthe100400LII.Thefeatureisespecially
welcomedbynatureandwildlifephotographerstryingtofilltheframewithsmallsubjectsincluding

welcomedbynatureandwildlifephotographerstryingtofilltheframewithsmallsubjectsincluding
ImageQuality
smallbirds.
SamplePictures
Furtherreductioninminimumfocusdistanceandincreaseinmaximummagnificationis
Vignetting
byBryanCarnathan
accomplishableusingextensiontubes,thoughinfinityfocusingissacrificed.Witha12mmExtension
LensFlare
LensDistortion
Tubebehindit,the100400IIhasa0.380.03xMMrangeand0.460.03xwitha25mmExtension

Specifications
Tubebehindit.
ProductImages
Evengreatermagnificationincrease,atanydistance,canbeaccomplishedusingextenders(tele
Owner'sManual

converters).TheCanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSMLensiscompatiblewiththeCanonEF
PressRelease

1.4xIIIandEF2xIIIExtenders.
ManufacturerID:9524B002

ReviewDate:20141229
Asisoftenthecase,thefocallengthrangeofthewithextenderscombinationsisquiteimpressivewith

relativelylittleincreaseinsizeandweight.Addingthe1.4xcreatesa140560mmlensandaddingthe
BuyNow
RentNow
2xcreatesaneyepopping200800mmlens.Thebigdownsidetousingextendersisthereductionin
maxapertureandtheimagequalitydegradationthatgenerallyaccompaniestheiruse.Withthe1.4x
mountedbehindthe100400,themaxaperturerangenarrowstof/6.3f/8andwiththe2xmounted,the
maxaperturerangeisreducedtof/9f/11.Notethatanf/8maxaperturelensplusextendercombowill
onlyautofocususingnativethroughtheviewfinderphasedetectionAFwhenmountedto1Seriesand
selectotherEOScamerasincludingthe5DMarkIIIandthe7DMarkII.OnlyLiveviewAFonthe
latestEOSDSLRswillAFusingthef/9f/11maxaperturecombo.
Extenderscanbeusedovertheentirefocallengthrange,butIfeelthatthelongestfocallengthisthe
mostimportanttotestsincethereasontouseanextenderistogainalongerfocallengththanthelens
nativelyhas.Usethebarelensfortherest(unlessthereisnotimeavailableforremovingthe
extender).At560mmwiththe1.4xinplaceandawideopenf/8.0apertureselected,imagesharpness
takesahitthatisnoticeable,butnotdramatic.Aslightimprovementisseenatf/11.0.The1.4xaddsa
slightamountofbarreldistortionthatessentiallycorrectsthislens'native400mmpincushiondistortion.
AslightamountofCAisaddedbythe1.4xIII.DecreasedAFspeedisaconcernwithusingextenders,
butIhaveadifficulttimeseeinganydifferencewiththe1.4xinplace.
Asusual,the2xextenderhasanoticeablygreatereffectonimagesharpness.Stoppingdown1stop
makesanoticeableimprovementin800mmimagequality,butthatmeansanarrowf/16aperture.
Positiveisthatthe2xnearlymatchesthew/1.4x'sdistortionpattern,butnotpositiveisthatthe2xadds
morepronouncedCA.Asexpected,the5DMarkIIIdoesnotAFwiththe2xinplaceandthe
viewfinderisdark,buthavinganf/81.0apertureavailableatthenarrowendoftherangeis...
interesting.Truthis,my2xwillnotlikelybefoundbehindmy100400LIIinrealapplicationsasIfeel
thatthiscombogivesuptoomuch.
OnemoreoptionforincreasingMMistheCanon500DCloseupLenswhichprovidesa0.780.2xMM
range.

BuildQuality&Features
ItisamodernCanonLSeriesLenstargetedatenthusiastsandprofessionalsshootinginanoutdoor
environment.IwouldhavebeendisappointedbyanythingshortofhighendfromtheCanonEF100
400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSMLens'buildqualityandIhavenotbeenletdown.Thisisaverysolidlybuilt
lens.RogerCicalaofLensRentals.comstated"It'sbyfarthemostheavilyengineeredzoomlens
AaronandIhaveeverseenandwe'veseentheinsidesofdozensoflensesinthisrange."

SelectView:MFD|MFD|w/Hood:MFD|MFD|RotatedCompare>

The100400LIIsportsamuchimprovedexteriordesignoveritspredecessor.Withasingleshallow
mountedswitchpanelandamostlysmooth/straightoveralldiameter,thisdesignisattractiveandis
verycomfortabletocarryanduse.Narrowerdiameterstowardthemountendaregentlytaperedinto
theprimarylensdiameter.
Iseldompreferarearpositionedfocusring,butonalensofthissizeandweight,thecenterofgravity
isfarenoughforwardonthelenstomaketherearfocusringpositionworkfine.Thatfartherforward
balancedpositionplacesthelefthandunderthezoomringasdesiredandthefocusringispositioned
farenoughawayfromthefocusringthatthereisnoindangerofitbeinginadvertentlymovedafter
autofocuslockandwhilerecomposing.
BothringsarenicelysizedandasImentionedbefore,thefocusringisespeciallyeasytofind.Itis
hardtomissthehuge,easytofindzoomringevenintheheatofthemoment.
Asexpectedforarelativelycompactzoomtelephotolensandaswiththeoriginal100400LIS,the
100400LIIextendssignificantly(3.04"/77.3mm)whenzoomedtoitslongestfocallength.Youwillnot
geta100400mmfocallengthrangeintotheretractedsizeofthislensandasexpected,long
extensionoccursas400mmisreached.Whatisverydifferentfromthefirstversionofthislensishow
400mmisreached.Theribbingonthezoomringprovidesthemajorcluetothechangewhilethezoom
torqueadjustmentringbeliesthechange.
Thebigchangefromtheolder100400mmLlensisthatthepushpullzoomdesignhasbeenreplaced
byastandardrotationalzoomringdesign.Photographersseemtobepolarizedwiththeirpreference
betweenthesetwodesigns,butapparentlymorepreferredtherotationaloption.Iamamongthose
whoprefertherotationalzoomandreallylikethenewfeature,butIdidn'tcompletelydislikethe
push/pulldesignandtheolddesigndoeshavesomeadvantages.Thebiggestadvantagewasthevery
fastfocallengthadjustment.Myleastfavoriteattributeofthepush/pulldesignwasthatthecamera
wantedtopullawayfrom(orpushinto)youreyeduringzooming.Thatfocuscouldeasilybeadjusted
whilezoomingthislenscouldbeviewedaseitherablessingoracurse.Iknowthatsomeareusing
the100400IIasapush/pullzoombygrippingthelenshoodandextendingorretractingthelens.

Smooth|Tight

Retainedfromthepush/pullzoomdesignistheZoomTouchAdjustmentRing(I'llcallittheZTAR).
Positionedbetweenthezoomandfocusrings,theZTARallowsthezoomfrictiontobesetasdesired.
Whilemanylensesprovideazoomlockswitchthatisusableonlywiththelensinitsmostretracted
position,theZTARprovidesfarmoreflexibility.
TheringislabeledSMOOTHandTIGHT.Inthiscase,smoothistheoppositeoftight,butthezoom
ringremainssmoothevenwhentight(thoughsomeslipstickactionispresentatthetightsetting).Why
notlooseandtight?Ormaybeeasyandtight?Probablybecausesmoothsoundsbetter.
TheZTARrotatesabout15degreeswithadetentpositionatthenormal/lightrotationalforcesetting.
Withmaxfrictiondialedin,thelensrequiresnoticeablymoreforcetoturnthezoomring,butitdoes
move.Thatthelensisnotcompletelylockedisprobablyagoodsafetymeasure.
Gravityzoomingisnotbadatthe"smooth"setting,butautozoomingfullyceasesataslightlytighter
thanthedetentindicatedfullysmoothposition.Settosmooth,thezoomringhasidealrotational
pressureneededforquickfocallengthchanges.Preferatighterzoomring?Or,wanttolockinazoom
setting?SimplytightentheZTARasdesired.
Idon'trememberseeingthisfeatureonanyrotationalzoomringlensbefore.Beingabletodialinthe
idealforyouzoomringresistanceisanicefeature.TheZTARfinishismostlysmooth(likethelens
barrel)andstaysoutofthewayuntilneeded.Withaseriesof5recessedgroovesevenlypositioneda
8locationsaroundthering,tactilelocatingoftheringisnothard.Theringitselfhassufficientfrictionto
preventaccidentaladjustment.
Whilealensextendingviagravitywhilebeingcarriedcanbeannoying,alensextendingorretracting
whilebeingusedcanbeproblematic(andmaddening).Thinkaboutthelensbeingtripodmountedfor
handsoffuseanddirectedupwardordownward.Youdon'twantgravityadjustingthefocallengthafter
theidealframingissetup.

Designedforoutdooruse,the100400LIIfeaturesaweathersealeddesign.Thislensisnot
waterproof,butitismadetobeusedinwetanddustyconditions.Specifically,themanualstates"Tight
sealstructureprovidesexcellentdustproofanddripproofperformance"butthendisclaimsthat
sentencesomewhatbystating"However,itisunabletoprovidecompleteprotectionfromdustand
moisture."ChuckWestfallofCanonUSAhasconfirmedthatafilterisrequiredforfullsealingofthis
lens.
TheCanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSMLenshasgainedalittlesizeandweightoverits
predecessor.The100400II'sweightincreasedby6.7oz(190g),thelengthincreasewas.2"(4mm)
andthegirthis.1"(2mm)wider.Iwouldtakethatminorchangejusttogettheimprovedphysical
designofthelens.
Model

Weight

Dimensionsw/oHood

Filter Year

CanonEFS55250mmf/45.6ISSTMLens

13.2oz (375g) 2.8x4.4"

(70x111.2mm)

58mm 2013

CanonEF70200mmf/2.8LISIIUSMLens

52.6oz (1490g) 3.5x7.8"

(88.8x199mm)

77mm 2010

CanonEF70300mmf/45.6LISUSMLens

37.1oz (1050g) 3.5x5.6"

(89x143mm)

67mm 2010

CanonEF70300mmf/45.6ISUSMLens

22.2oz (630g) 3.0x5.6" (76.5x142.8mm)

58mm 2005

CanonEF70300mmf/4.55.6DOISUSMLens

25.4oz (720g) 3.2x3.9"

(82x100mm)

58mm 2004

CanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSM

55.4oz (1570g) 3.7x7.6"

(94x193mm)

77mm 2014

CanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISUSMLens

48.7oz (1380g) 3.6x7.4"

(92x189mm)

77mm 1998

CanonEF200400mmf/4LISUSMExt1.4xLens

127.8oz (3620g) 5.0x14.4"

(128x366mm) DI52mm 2013

CanonEF300mmf/4LISUSMLens

42.0oz (1190g) 3.5x8.7"

(90x221mm)

77mm 1997

CanonEF400mmf/5.6LUSMLens

44.1oz (1250g) 3.5x10.1"

(90x257mm)

77mm 1993

CanonEF400mmf/4DOISIIUSMLens

74.1oz (2100g) 5.0x9.2"

Nikon80400mmf/4.55.6GAFSVRLens

55.4oz (1570g) 3.8x8.0"

(95.5x203mm)

77mm 2013

Tamron150600mmf/56.3DiVCUSDLens

68.8oz (1950g) 4.2x10.1" (105.6x257.8mm)

95mm 2013

(128x232.7mm) DI52mm 2014

Formanymorecomparisons,reviewthecompleteCanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSMLens
Specificationsusingthesite'sLensSpectool.
Wideraperturesandlongerfocallengthsincreasealens'size(andcost,especiallywhenfeatured
together).Hereisavisualcomparisonofofthe100400LIIbesidetwoofCanon'sothertelephoto
zoomlenses:

Positionedabovefromlefttorightintheirfullyretractedpositionsarethefollowinglenses:
CanonEF70200mmf/2.8LISIIUSMLens
CanonEF70300mmf/45.6LISUSMLens
CanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSMLens
Thesamelensesareshownbelowintheirfullyextendedstateswiththeirlenshoodsinplace.

Retracted,the70300appearsverysmallrelativetoitsbookendsabove.Extended,the100400LII
showsitselfthelargest.
Gettinganotseenbeforedesignisthe100400LII'stripodmountring.Theringitselfappearsnormal
andiswellintegratedintothelensshape,butnotnormalishowsmooththisringis.The100400LII's
tripodringisunusuallysmoothforalensofthissize.
UnlikeCanon'sothersmalllenstripodrings,thisoneisnotremovable.However,themount/footitself
hasatoollessdetachabledesign.Themountcanberemovedwithoutremovingthelensfromthe
cameraandremoved,theringonthecameramaintainsalowprofileincludingthesmallrotationlock
knobandthemountattachmentpoint.
Toremovethemount,putsomepressureonthemount(presstowardthelenstomakeremoval
slightlyeasier).Withtheotherhand,pullthelargethumbscrewhousedinsidethemountawayfrom
thelensandturninthenormal(rightytighty/leftyloosy)directions.Enougheffortisrequiredbythe
removalprocessthatinadvertentlylooseningthemountisunlikely(asitshouldbe).Thescrewinside
themountisspringloaded,presumablytomakereinstallationeasier.
Ascanbeseeninthephotobelow,therearetwoalignment/antirotationnubsprotrudingfromthe
mount.Theseareanimportantpreventionofthelensbeingtwistingoverthemount.Therearealso
fourrubberlikesquaresthatpressintotheringwhenthemountistighteneddown.
Idon'tgenerallyremovemytripodrings,andhavenotchangedmypracticewiththisdesign.Overall,
evenwiththemounttightenedasmuchaspossible,thistripodringhasabitmoreflexthansomeof
Canon'sotherdesigns.

Whenusingalenswithatripodringonatripodormonopod,Imountusingthetripodmountring100%
ofthetime(vs.usingthecamera'stripodmount).Thebiggestbenefitisthebetterbalanceofthesetup,
buttheabilitytorotatethecameraintheringisalsoagreatbenefit.IamusingaWimberleyP30
LensPlate(theP20alsoworksgreat)onmy100400II(asshowninmanyphotosonthispage).The
plate,inconjunctionwiththeArcaSwisscompatibleclampsonmyballhead,monopodandother
accessories,makesattachingthelensveryfastandeasy.
Notableishowsmallthislens'tripodmountis.ItisprobablyCanon'ssmallestEFlenstripodring
mounttodate.WitharoundedbackthatalmostfitsbetweentheantitwistnubsontheWimberleyP30,
caremustbetakentoinstallthisplate.Mytacticistotightenthelensplatescrewnearlyfully,carefully
slidetheplatesothatthenubsarebarelytouchingthebackofthemountandthenfulltightenthe
plate'sscrew.Installed,theP30makesanicecarryinghandleandIlikehowthisplatecanrestinmy
palmwhileIusemyfingerstofinetunethezoomring.
WhilemostotherlensesstillfitwithintheirCanonprovidedcaseswithlensplatesattached,notethat
thislensdoesnot.

AsusualforanLlens,thehoodisincludedandasusualfora100400mmfocallengthrangelens,the
hoodislarge.Thisonemeasures4.7"Wx3.2"D(113.6x86.8mm).Largelenshoodsarevery
protective,butadjustingacircularpolarizerfilterinsideofalargehoodis...extremelydifficulttostate
theissuemildly.Takingthehoodoffwhileadjustingthefilterisgenerallytheoption.Canonhas
addressedthisissuewiththeET83DLensHoodincludedwiththe100400LII.Thisisnotadesign
wehaveseenfromCanonbefore.

wehaveseenfromCanonbefore.

AslidingwindowatthebaseoftheET83Dprovidesa1.25x.785"(318x19.9mm)(WxD)opening
intothebaseofthelenshood,allowingafingertoreachthefilterwithoutremovalofthehood.Hereis
acloserlookattheaccesswindow:

Closed|PartiallyOpen|FullyOpen

Thewindowlightlyclicksintothefullyopenedandfullyclosedpositions,butcanremainatany
position.Thisisasimpledesignchangethatattemptstoimpartalargeusabilityimprovement.
Thefilteraccesswindowcanbepositionedatthetoporbottomofthelens.Thebottomismy
preferencefortworeasons.Oneisthatrainandothercontaminantsdonotfallintothehoodandthe
otherissomylefthandcanbeunderthelensinasupportposition.Ifshootingfromatripod,the
secondreasonisnotrelevant.
Inreality,I'mnotsoenamoredwiththischange.Thewindowdoesalloweasyaccesstothefilterand
facilitatessmalladjustments,butitissomewhatmaddeningtoadjustafilterthe90degreesneeded
whenswitchingfromhorizontaltoverticalshootingorientation.Becauseafingertakesuproughlyhalf
ofthewindowopening,afiltercanonlyberotatedbyhalfoftheopeningwidth.WithmyB+WCP
filters,Ifinditdifficulttogetagoodenoughsinglefingergraspontheringtomakeitturn(two
opposingfingersaredefinitelyoptimal)andatbest,itisaslowturn.Compoundingtheissueisthatmy
fingergetssoreandIprobablywillnotevenattemptthiswithcoldfingers.Thewindowdetractsfrom
thehoodaestheticallyandIdon'tcareforthefeelofitwheninstallingandremovingthehood.Sliding
intoandoutofacasesometimesleavesthewindowdooroutofposition.
TheET83Disflockedontheinsidetoeliminateallreflectionsandhasthenowstandardrelease
button(insteadofbeingafrictionfitdesign).WhileIseenoindicationsthatthislenshoodwillfail,the
hoodeasilydeformswithpressure.Itdoesnotexudeconfidenceoraqualityfeel,butsometimesapart
beingflexible/sacrificialonimpactcanbebeneficial.HoodssuchasthemetalZeissandSigmaSports
modelsremainmyfavorites(metalofcoursecomeswiththedownsideofbeingheavier).
Mostaregoingtobehappytohearthatthe100400LIIretainsthe77mmfilterthreadsizeofits
predecessor.Thisfiltersize,althoughsomewhatlarge,isverycommon.Whileitisgreattohavea
completesetoffiltersforeverylens,thisisnotalwayspracticalespeciallywhentraveling.Acommon
sizefacilitatesthesharingoffiltersforamoreeconomicaland/oramorecompactkitwhendesired.

Canonlensesofthissizeandqualitygenerallyincludeanicezippered,paddedcaseandthe100400
LIIfollowsthisstandardwithaCanonLensCaseLZ1326includedinthebox.Thisisthesamecase
includedwiththeCanonEF70200mmf/2.8LISIIUSMLens.

Price
Idon'trememberanewCanonlenseverbeingintroducedatalowerorevenequalpricetothelensit
wasreplacing.Moreoften,thenewlenscostsconsiderablymorethanthepredecessorandthatisthe
caseinthisinstance.TheCanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSMLenswasintroducedwitha
streetprice$500USDhigherthanthe100400L(withoutanyrebatesinplace).Thescenariothat
generallyholdstruewithnewCanonlensintroductionsisthattheolderlensretainsitvalue(and
sometimesincreasesinvalue),preservingthatinvestmentandreducinganyremorseaboutowninga
lensthatisbeingreplaced.
The100400LIIdefinitelydoesnotqualifyasaneconomylens,buttheintroductorystreetpriceforthe
100400LIIisnotunreasonableespeciallyconsideringthattheNikonversionispriced$500USD
higher.
Beingan"EF"lens,thislensiscompatiblewithallCanonEOSDSLRCameras.Thisreviewwas
completedusingapairofretailsourcedlensesofthismodel.Onewillremaininmykitlongterm.

AlternativestotheCanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSMLens
ThelensIexpecttheCanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSMLenstobemostfrequently
comparedtoisitswildlypopularpredecessor,theCanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISUSMLens.

comparedtoisitswildlypopularpredecessor,theCanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISUSMLens.
Thesetwolensesarecomparedinthenexttwoimages.

Theolderlens'primaryadvantageisitslowerprice,butitwillsoonbefoundonlyinusedconditionas
theIIisreplacingitinCanon'slineup.Thenewlensiscompletelyredesignedandoffersmany
advantages(manyI'vealreadydiscussedinthisreview),butimagequalityisthebiggest.The
differenceinimagequalitybetweenthesetwolenses,especiallyatwideopenapertures,issignificant.
Alsosignificantlyimprovedistheimagestabilizationsystem(4stopsvs.2)andtherotationalzoomis
mypreferencetothepreviousmodel'spushpulldesign.Thenewlensfocusesmuchcloserwitha
significantlyhighermaximummagnificationratio.

ThenextlensIimmediatelycomparedthe100400LIItoistheCanonEF70300mmf/45.6ISL
USMLens.The70300Lhasbeenmypersonallightweighttelephotozoomlenschoicesinceit
becameavailable.Itisagreatlens.Aworthconsideringdifferencebetweentheselensesisobvious
fromthename.The70300haswiderfocallengthsandthe100400haslongerones.Ifthemost
reachpossibleisneeded(wildlife,largefieldsports),the100400isgoingtobeabetteroption.Ifthe
widerfocallengthsaremoreadvantageous(portraitsforexample),the70300rangeisprobablybest.
Fromanimagequalityperspective,theselensesaremoresimilarthandifferentandthechoice
betweenthesetwolensesisbestmadeonotherdifferentiators.The70300Lhasaconsiderably
lowerpricetoitsadvantage.Itisalsolighterandsmallerthanthe100400LII.Whilethe70300will,
at5.6"(143mm)retracted,fituprightintomanycamerabackpacks,the100400LIIwillmostoften
needtobeorientedhorizontallytofit.Alargercaseisneededtocarrythe100400LIImounted.
TheCanonEF70300mmf/45.6ISUSMLens(thenonLversion)sharesalargeamountoffocal
lengthoverlapwiththe100400LII,but...thislensisafarcheaperandlowerperformingmodel.The
CanonEF70300mmf/4.55.6DOISUSMLenshasagreatformfactor,AFsystemandbuildquality,
but...itisnotmypreferencefromanimagequalityperspective.
Becauseitissuchanamazinglens,manyhaveoptedfortheCanonEF70200mmf/2.8LISIIUSM
Lensplusextenderstogainthelongerfocallengthscontainedinthe100400mmlenses.Evenwitha
2xextendermountedbehindit,the70200LIIwasnearlyassharpasthe100400versionIat
400mm.Whilethe70200LIIretainsthesignificantwideapertureadvantageinitsnativerange,the
100400LIIhastheclearimagequalityadvantageat400mm.Thecomparisonat300mm/280mm(w/
1.4x)iscloserwiththe100400LIIretainingamodestadvantage.Ifthewideraperturesareappealing
toyouand/oryouonlyoccasionallyneedfocallengthslongerthan200mm,the70200LIImakesalot
ofsense.Ifyouwillbeusingthemid200to400mmfocallengthsmuchofthetime,the100400
probablymakesmoresensetohaveinthekit.Havingbothoftheselensesisofcourseoptimal.
SeriousphotographersmayconsidertheCanonEF200400mmf/4LISUSMLensasanalternative.
The200400Lisanamazingperforminglensandiscurrentlymyfavoritewildlifelens,butthislensis
inadifferentleagueintermsofprice,sizeandweight.Fromanimagequalitystandpointalone,itwill
behardforsometofindenoughadvantageinthe200400Ltojustifythebigpricedifference,butthis
lensisthebetterperformer(andoneofthebestzoomlensesevermade).The100400Lhasafocal
lengthadvantageonthewideendwhilethe200400Lhasabuiltin1.4xextendertogiveitthe
flexibilitytoinstantlygoto560mm.The200400Lhasafixedf/4maxaperturethatallowsittostop
actionin1/2asmuchlightasthe100400Lwhenitsmaxaperturehitsf/5.6andthebigzoomcan

actionin1/2asmuchlightasthe100400Lwhenitsmaxaperturehitsf/5.6andthebigzoomcan
createastrongerbackgroundblurduetothewideraperture.
Therearealargenumberofpeopleinterestedingettingthelongestfocallengththeycanfora
reasonableprice.Goingbeyond400mminaCanonlenswhilemaintaininganf/5.6orwidermax
aperturemeansaverybighitonthewalletatcheckout.Thesepeoplearelookingatthe100400LII
lensonlyforthe400mmfocallengthandinthatcase,the400mmprimesbecomevalidalternatives.
OnlytheCanonEF400mmf/5.6LUSMLens(andpossiblytheCanonEF300mmf/4LISUSMLens
witha1.4xextender)isinthesamepriceleague.The400f/5.6LhasbeenintheCanonlineupfor5
yearslongerthantheoriginal100400LIS,yetitisaverygoodperforminglenswithimagequality
essentiallyequivalenttothe100400LIIandlessdistortion(comparedat400mm).The400f/5.6Lis
lighter,longerandconsiderablylessexpensive,butthislensissorelymissingimagestabilization.Ifind
thezoomtobeafarmoreusefullens.
Thosewithlargerbudgetsneeding400mmorlongerfocallengthscanconsidertheCanonEF400mm
f/4DOISIIUSMLens.WhileIstillawaitthislens'arrival,Iexpectittoperformatleastaswellasthe
100400LIIandlikelybetterespeciallywithextenders.TheDOII's1stopwiderapertureishelpfulin
lowlightandespeciallywhenextendersareinuse.Whileitisanespeciallycompactandlightlensfor
itsspecs,the400DOIIisstilllargerandheavierthanthe100400LII.
Ifsize,weightandpriceareinconsequentialtoyou,theCanonEF400mmf/2.8LISIIUSMLensis
definitelyyourlens.Thislensisamazingfromimagequality,AFperformanceandbuildquality
perspectives.Withitsf/2.8aperture,thislenscanseparatethesubjectfromthebackgroundlikefew
otherlensescando.
ThosewillingtoventureoutsideoftheCanonlineupwillfindtheTamron150600mmf/56.3DiVC
USDLensonthemustcomparelist.ObviousisthattheTamronshiftsthefocallengthrangetoa
muchlonger600mm(withthemaxapertureslidingtof/6.3beyond428mm),butthislens'image
qualityintheabove500mmrangeisnotsogreat.Still,500mmbuiltinisbetterthan400mmandthe
Canon's100mmisbetterthantheTamron's150mmonthewideside.Withawideopenaperture,the
Canonhasbetterimagequalityovertheentirefocallengthrange,especiallyatthewideend.By
400mm,theTamronisnearlyequivalentandstillperformsquitewellinthecenteroftheframeat
500mm.TheCanonissharperovermostoftheimagecircleat560mm(with1.4extender)thanthe
Tamronisat600mm.
AnAFsystem,ifbeingreliedon,canmakeahugedifferenceinimagequalityandtheCanon'sAF
systemismystrongpreference.Atroughly1/2ofthepriceoftheCanon,theTamronhasastrong
advantagefromabudgetperspective.TheCanonhasthemaxmagnificationadvantageandis
smaller/lighter.
Awaitingreview(andavailability)areapairofnewSigmalenses:the150600mmf/56.3DGOSHSM
SportsandContemporarylenses.WhileIhaveonlybrieflyhandledtheselenses,Icantellyouthat
theSportsmodelisbig,heavyandexceptionallywellbuiltwhilethecontemporarymodelisabitlighter
andpromisestobelighteronthewallet.TheSportsmodelcostsnearlyasmuchasthe100400LII.

Summary
Manywerereferringto2014asthe"YearoftheLens"andtheCanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISII
USMLensjoinsahostofother2014anouncedmodels(includingtheamazingCanonEF1635mm
f/4LISUSMLens).Thislenshasbeenthehottest,mostindemandmodelofthemallandthereasons
forthispopularityareverygood.
Everysooften,alenscomesalongthatreallygrabsyourattention.Thisisoneofthem.TheCanonEF
100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIisinaneliteclassofzoomlenses,capableofproducingprimegrade
imagequalityatallavailableapertureandfocallengthsettings.Putaveryusefulfocallengthrange
intoaruggedlybuilt,progradelenswithfastandaccurateAF,veryeffectiveimagestabilizationand
veryimpressiveimagequalityanditisdestinedtobeaverypopularmodel.The100400LIIhas
quicklybecomeoneofmyfavoriteandmostusedlenses.Ihighlyrecommendthisone.

Bringingyouthissiteismyfulltimejob(typically6080hoursperweek).Thus,Idependsolelyonthe
commissionsreceivedfromyouusingthelinksonthissitetomakeanypurchase.Iamgratefulfor
yoursupport!Bryan
BuyNow

RentNow

ViewSamplePictures

MyRecommendedCanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSMLensRetailers
Whereyoubuyyourgearmatters.Youexpecttogetwhatyouorderedandyouwanttopayalowprice
forit.TheretailersIrecommendbelowaretheonesItrustformyownpurchases.GetyourCanonEF
100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSMLensnowfrom:
B&HPhoto
Adorama
Amazon.com
DigitalRev
eBay(Choosetrustworthysellersonly)
(Usingthelinksonthissitetomakeanypurchaseprovidessupportforthissite)

RenttheCanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSMLens
Doyouneed/wanttheCanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSMLensforonlyashortperiodoftime?
Or,wouldyoufeelmorecomfortablebuyingafterhavingahandsontrialperiod?Considerrenting.
Rentingisfastandeasy.TherentalcompaniesIrecommendbelowareexcellenttoworkwith.
Scheduleyourrentalnow:
LensRentals.com
LensProToGo
(Usingtheselinksforyourrentalsupportsthissite)

TheTipJar
Thissiteandmyfamilydependonyoursupport.Canyouhelprightnow?
Pleasesharethispage!
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MoreCanonEF100400mmf/4.55.6LISIIUSMLensRelatedInformation
RogerCicala'sTeardown
CPN:GettingclosertonaturewiththenewEF100400mmsuperzoom
CPN:Photographyisallaboutgreatglass:insidetheEF100400mm

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