Reviewed by Ben Lee, http://dslrlensesonline.com editor.
Canon 100-400mm
The Canon 100-400mm is the lens for serious wildlife and outdoor photographers. Buy it here now!
The 100-400 IS lens is a high image quality, high build quality piece of kit that any photographer who is serious about outdoor long-range subjects should own.
It is by no means a small lens, nor a light lens (it weighs in at approximately 3 pounds or 1.3 kilograms) and as such smooth operation will take a little getting used to.
Indeed, its weight and robustness can work to your advantage when you consider than this lens is used on safari, in boats, during outdoor sporting events and other situations that can present circumstances or conditions that are detrimental to the longevity of your equipment.
Luckily, the included image stabilization (IS) technology does make hand-holding this lens more forgiving in such rough-and-tumble conditions, especially in low light or simply if your arms are still getting used to the extra weight and you can’t quite hold it still yet.
Canon 100-400mm review
As I mentioned just before, image stabilization is going to be important on a lens with this much bulk.
While some might argue that one should use a tripod to negate the reliance on IS, there are of course certain situations where tripods are neither practical nor necessary. Do you really want to miss the shot of the century while you are fumbling around with your tripod assembly?
With the 100-400 Canon, you are spoilt for choice with 2 different IS modes – one for stationary objects and one for moving. The IS feature will also be automatically be disabled if the lens detects that it is being used on a tripod and will lock itself in the centered position between the two settings.
It is important to note that with the use of any sort of image stabilization technology, you are simply providing a buffer against camera movement, and not the movement of the subject you are trying to photograph.
For a camera with such a large focal range, you would think that there is a lot of scope for things to go wrong between 100mm and 400mm. In truth, the EF 100-400 delivers excellent image quality throughout, with only minor hiccups here and there.
Canon 100-400mm – outstanding quality
There is slight softness present in the center wide open at its shortest focal length, but the sharpness improves considerably if you change down just 1 stop. There is also a hint of chromatic aberration visible in the corners, especially in full frame cameras from 250mm onwards.
However it is worthwhile keeping in mind that there are very few lenses on the market today that would do better at those sort of ‘extreme’ focal lengths – and the few that do are often 4 or 5 times the price.
As you would expect, contrast and color reproduction are on the high end of the scale and bokeh is also quite nice the further you zoom in – although it isn’t the best you will ever see and probably in most cases not even in the same league as the bokeh you will see in prime lenses.
| What you will like |
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| What you won’t like |
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What others are saying about the Canon 100-400
P. Lehmann from Texas added an insightful review and asked the question that anyone who is considering this lens should ask themselves – is it right for you?
If you’re like me and the majority of your work involves people and portraits, the 70-200 2.8 (even non IS) is a much better choice for around the same money. I would have gotten 100x the use out of it over the past year…
…. But this lens does shine with its strengths. IS allows you to handhold 400mm pics with greater success than the non-IS prime. I dont do weddings but I can imagine IS allowing this lens as a supplement when a photog is stuck at the back of a church during the ceremony… as long as the lights arent too low..
… Other benefits? The push-pull design allows almost instant adjustments.
Because it compresses, its easer to carry than the prime (length- and size-wise, not weight).
Canon EOS 1D Mk III with 100-400mm
So the question boils down to whether you really need the zoom, the IS, and the ranges of this lens at the higher price than the prime. Wildlife/landscape photogs that use tripods? Maybe not. Sports shooters with monopods? Maybe….
…That said, if you weigh your wants and this lens still tugs at your heart, dont hesitate to buy it. It delivers performance and value…within specific parameters.
Review shortened for size, read the rest here!
A word about the 100-400 push-pull system
This lens employs the use of a push-pull zoom mechanism which will the be one thing that a lot of people wouldn’t have used before (as opposed to the twist to zoom system which is more prevalent).
Basically there is a ring located on the focus ring which adjusts the tension of the zoom. It may or may not be to your liking because while it is nice to be able to lock your zoom to one particular spot, it can get in the way of focusing itself and you can end up inadvertently knocking the zoom ring while you try to focus (thus putting you back to square one).
Indeed, you will also find yourself adjusting the zoom tension for every shot because, well, every shot is different and as a result will need a different amount of zoom.
Whether you enjoy using the function or not is probably irrelevant – it’s more a case of if you can live with it. If you are unsure it is probably best to test drive the 100-400mm in a camera store first.
A secondary complaint of this system is that the constant in and out motion somehow draws dust inside the lens. At this stage I’m willing to discount most of those claims as coincedence because for every 3 complainers there are 97 people who are perfectly satisfied with the lens.
You can probably attribute a bit of dust here and there as part and parcel of photography, can’t you?
| Where can you buy and how much should you pay? |
You shouldn’t pay more than about $1,500 for this lens – but I have seen it for around $2,000 in some places. Check prices here.
Amazon.com have it for around this price at the time of writing.
With that in mind, please help support the maintenance of this site by using this link to make any purchases you might be thinking of making. I get a small commission from your purchase but it doesn’t cost you anymore to buy the lens. Any purchase is greatly appreciated, thankyou.
Conclusion
The Canon 100-400mm is certainly a lens that will please many different photographers from many different backgrounds, and I think that its versatility is one of its strongest points.
To repeat again that the lens has superb image quality throughout is a bit pointless, because we all come to expect such high quality from every Canon L series lens.
What I feel is more important in this instance is the fact that you will definitely get your money’s worth with the purchase of this lens – it’s not the sort of lens you can only use once or for one occasion or purpose.
Getting value for money is always important, especially when you consider how much you usually have to shell out for Canon’s finest. Make this lens a priority if you want it!
photo credit Dave-F A.J.Haverkamp
Related posts:
- Canon 70-200mm 2.8 – Go Out And Buy It Already
- Canon 50mm 1.8 II Lens Review – A Must Own Canon Prime Lens
- Canon EF-S 10-22mm – L Series Quality Without The Price Tag
- Canon EF-S 55-250mm IS Lens – Is It Right For You Or Worth The Money?
- Canon 100mm Macro f/2.8 USM – Making High Quality Macro Photography Fun
Filed under: Canon DSLR Lenses
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