Review Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6L IS II USM

For the provided lens Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6L IS II USM (IMAGE STABILIZER ULTRASONIC) many thanks to the store ProFotoSale, where you can find many new and used. lenses of different systems, including similar lenses for Canon EF.

Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM

Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM

Navigation

  1. In short
  2. Main Specifications
  3. Assembly
  4. Stabilizer
  5. Focusing
  6. Image quality
  7. Sample Photos
  8. My experience
  9. Prices / where to find
  10. Results
  11. User Comments
  12. Add your review, comment or question on the lens

In the review, I will call the lens Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6L IS II USM for short - Canon 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS II. In different sources, catalogs or stores, the name of the lens may be indicated a little differently.

Canon 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS II won't fit in my light cube for shooting its appearance, because I took its appearance from the site bhphotovideo.com... You can see how a particular specimen that I visited on a review looks like. here (profotosale.com.ua), here (club-foto.ru), here (instagram.com).

Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM

Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM

In short

The Canon 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS II is a telephoto zoom lens with built-in Image Stabilizer. Professional solution. Well built with a good picture. The main disadvantage is a slight distortion and an excessive amount of glare in the work in the backlight.

The scope of application of such lenses is quite large - from reportage photography to specific landscapes. For everyone who is not satisfied with the classic 70-300 mm range, this lens should please with extra 100 mm focal length.

Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM

Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM

The main technical characteristics of Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6L IS II USM:

Review Instance Name Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM IMAGE STABILIZER ULTRASONIC MADE IN JAPAN
Basic properties
  • EF (Eelectro-Focus) is a lens designed for Canon EOS full-frame cameras. Suitable for Canon mount cameras EF и Ef-s.
  • IS (Istomach Stabilizer) - image stabilizer
  • Ultrasonic/USM – ultrasonic motor
  • AF-MF (Auto Focus-Mannual Focus) - the lens is equipped with a focus mode switch
  • Focus Distance Limiter
  • Ring SMOOTH/TIGHT to control the smoothness of the zoom ring
  • L (Luxury) - premium lens
  • FTM (Full Time Manual Focusing) - the possibility of continuous manual focusing
  • SOUTH (Super Ultra Low Dispersion) - the presence of extra-low dispersion elements in the optical scheme
  • fluorite element in an optical scheme
  • Enlightenment ASC (Air Sarea Coating)
  • IF (Iinternal Focusing) - internal focus
  • Tripod foot
  • Ability to use a large number of teleconverters
  • Dust-proof coating near the rear lens and also on the inside of the hood
  • Protected enclosure
Front Filter Diameter 77 mm
Focal length 100-400 mm

Zoom ratio 4 x
Designed by for full-frame digital SLR cameras. Lens fit for all Canon EOS SLR cameras
Number of aperture blades 9 rounded petals
Tags
  • bayonet mount mark
  • infrared label for 100 and 135 mm
  • window with focusing distance in meters and feet
Diaphragm from F/4.5-/F/5.6 to F/32-F/40
MDF 0.98 meters

maximum magnification ratio 1:3.22 (the smaller the second number, the better for macro photography)

The weight 1570 grams
Optical design 21 elements in 16 groups, 1 special ED element SOUTH (Super Ultra Low Dispersion) and 1 fluorite

Diagram Canon 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS IIThe image of the circuit is clickable.

Lens hood Hood CANON ET-120B CANON INC. MADE IN JAPAN. The lens hood can be installed in reverse for transport or storage.
Manufacturer country LENS MADE IN JAPAN (made in Japan)
Period December 2014
Price

Focal length at 400mm while focusing at infinity gives an angle of view that actually corresponds to a focal length around 380mm.

Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM

Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM

Assembly

The Canon 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS II is very well built. The build quality is fully consistent with the professional orientation of the lens.

The lens is large and heavy. The weight of the lens is about 1500 grams (including the tripod foot).

The Canon 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS II has a detachable metal tripod foot. The position of the clamp of the foot is fixed with a special clamping non-removable screw. The collar freely rotates 360 degrees around the axis of the lens.

On the side of the rear lens there is dust-absorbing fabric cover... There is also a rubber seal for the lens mount.

When changing the focal length, the rear lens hardly moves, and the effect of the air pump is weak.

Separately, it is necessary to highlight the control ring SMOOTH<->TIGHT, which is responsible for the smooth rotation of the zoom ring. In the TIGHT position, the ring rotates tightly, and the trunk is devoid of spontaneous movement. In the SMOOTH position, the rotation of the zoom ring is light and smooth, however, in this position, the lens trunk can move spontaneously under its own weight.

The front of the lens is recess / groove for hood installation. The hood is not bayonet, but is installed in a similar way. The hood has a special clip with which it is fixed. The hood can be installed in the opposite direction. In this position, access to the zoom ring is completely lost. On the inside, the hood is covered dust cloth. The lens hood has a special window for access to light filters.

Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM

Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM

Stabilizer

The Canon 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS II has a Canon IS (IMAGE STABILIZER) image stabilizer function that instructions can compensate 4 steps by shutter speed. In numerical terms, this means that with this lens you can shoot at shutter speeds up to 16 times slower than required by a lens without stabilizer.

To enable / disable the stabilizer on the lens there 'STABILIZER ON/OFF' switch.

To select the mode there is a switch 'STABILIZER MODE 1/2/3'. The stabilizer can operate in two modes:

  • Mode '1' designed for most scenes and allows you to compensate for camera/lens shake in all directions. While pressing the focus and/or metering activation button exposure the stabilizer starts to work and allows you to see the stabilized image through the JVI / computer / Live View.
  • Mode '2' disables stabilization in the vertical or horizontal direction, depending on how the camera is moving. Suitable, for example, for continuous frame-by-frame shooting of moving objects with the camera panning. For example, to shoot a person running past (a person runs horizontally, the stabilizer dampens only the vertical vibrations of the camera/lens and allows you not to influence the rotation of the camera/lens in the horizontal direction).
  • Mode '3' similar to '1' mode, except that the stabilizer will only turn on at full power while the shutter is being released. When sighting, the image is not stabilized. This method is useful for active shooting with unpredictable camera movement.

I was able to take pictures of stationary objects without blur and hard effort for 1/50 of a second. And if you try hard, you can get a sharp frame even at shutter speed 1/20 second and 400mm focal length. In real shooting conditions, the stabilizer works very well.

When shooting with a tripod at slow shutter speeds, it is recommended to turn off the stabilizer.

Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM

Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM

Focusing

Mode '2' uses an ultrasonic focus motor Canon USM (Ultrasonic) ring type and focuses quickly (closer to 'very fast'). Focusing is quite quiet, but the hum from the focus motor will be clearly audible during movie shooting using the camera's built-in microphone.

On camera Canon EOS-1 Ds Mark II with advanced 45-point focusing module (7x) I didn't have any particular problems with focus accuracy and tenacity. True, it is worth noting that at 400 mm focal length the lens sometimes 'hangs' in complete defocus and does not want to focus at all.

During focusing, the front and rear lenses remain stationary - the lens uses internal focus. It is possible to use any filters without problems.

The minimum focusing distance is only 98 cm, while you can shoot with a maximum magnification of 1: 3.22.

Canon 100-400 / 4.5-5.6L IS II has a window with a distance scale in meters and feet. There are tags for working in the infrared spectrum.

In manual focus mode, the ring rotates approximately 180 degrees (1/2 of a full turn), when reaching the extreme positions it does not rest, but continues to slide without affecting focusing.

There is a switch on the lens barrel that is responsible for the focus operation mode - 'AF / MF' (automatic / manual focus).

Canon 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS II has focus distance limiter:

  • In the '3m-∞' position, auto focus is available in the range from 3 meters to ∞
  • In the 'FULL' position, auto focus is available in the range from 98 centimeters to ∞

During manual focusing, the limiter does not work.

Canon continuous manual focus control supported in 'AF' mode FTM (Full Time Manual Focusing), which implies that you can rotate the focus ring at any time. The intricacies of working with the FTM mode are described in detail in the review. Canon Zoom Lens EF 24-105mm 1: 4 L IS USM.

Focus Features:

  1. Canon 100-400 / 4.5-5.6L IS II does not have a hard infinity mechanical stop, which allows you to accurately and quickly focus the lens to infinity under any external temperature conditions. For accurate aiming at infinity, you can’t just bring the focus ring to the extreme position on the side of infinity.
  2. Canon 100-400 / 4.5-5.6L IS II has a weak effect 'Focus breathing' (changing the angle of view while focusing). During focusing on the MDF, the viewing angle decreases.
  3. Canon 100-400 / 4.5-5.6L IS II (shift-focus, focus shift during aperture) was not noticed during operation and testing.
  4. Canon 100-400 / 4.5-5.6L IS II is not parfocal, but close to it.
  5. The accuracy and response of a lens is highly dependent on the camera used.
  6. On mirrorless cameras Canon EOS M the lens can be used with an adapter Canon mount adapter EF-EOS M
  7. On mirrorless cameras Canon EOS lens can be used with Canon EF -> R adapter
Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM

Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM

Image quality

With image quality, the Canon 100-400 / 4.5-5.6L IS II is doing well and even excellent. Of the shortcomings, one can only single out distortion and problems with glare in the backlight. But sharpness strikes from an open aperture over the entire range of focal lengths and across the entire field of the frame.

For the lens, there is a lens profile in popular RAW converters, for example, in the native Canon Digital Photo Professional. Modern Canon cameras can recognize this lens, which allows you to automatically correct vignetting, distortion and some chromatic aberrations. Paired with Canon's 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS II enhancement algorithms, it's simply wonderful. Modern digital photography is not only the lens of the lens and the sensor of the camera, but also the post-processing of the result.

Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM

Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM

Sample photos (Full Frame)

Pictures in the gallery were obtained using legendary camera Canon EOS-1 Ds Mark II (Full Frame, 17 MP). Converting original RAW files with the original Canon Digital Photo Professional 4 utility.

RAW '.CR2' original photos can be download / watch this link (50 photos).

Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM

Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM

My experience

The Canon 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS II is very good. An excellent option for certain photo tasks.

Small aperture should not frighten those who know for what tasks the Canon 100-400 / 4.5-5.6L IS II should be used.

Subjectively, I liked the Canon 100-400 / 4.5-5.6L IS II much more than the analogue from Nikon - Nikon AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6G Super ED VR IF N Nano Crystal Coat.

Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM

Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1:4.5-5.6L IS II USM

Prices

Lens prices are available look at E-Catalogue at this link.

Results

The Canon 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS II is a great professional solution. Good optical performance, fast autofocus, effective stabilizer.

10 main advantages

  1. fast auto focus
  2. focus distance limiter
  3. internal type focusing, FTM support
  4. very effective built-in image stabilizer, 3 stabilizer modes
  5. high-quality assembly, zoom smoothness ring
  6. tripod foot support
  7. the ability to use autofocus teleconverters
  8. rounded aperture blades
  9. low dispersion element in the optical scheme and fluorite element
  10. good / excellent optical performance, including confident sharpness at open apertures over the entire range of focal lengths

10 main disadvantages

  1. previous version was easier
  2. for a long time there was no update for the previous version
  3. high cost (for example, Sigma 60-600/4.5-6.3 DG SPORT costs less)
  4. no focus lock buttons and other trifles inherent in more advanced lenses
  5. zoom is not internal (for example, Canon 200-400/4L he is internal)
  6. non-removable tripod clamp (only the foot is removed, for example, Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6G the whole clamp is removed)
  7. slight air pump effect during zoom changes
  8. uncertain focusing at 400mm (possibly depends on the camera used)
  9. in fact, at 400 mm focal length, the lens is closer to real 380 mm
  10. you can easily get strong glare from bright light sources, noticeable distortion

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Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

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Comments: 6, on the topic: Review Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6L IS II USM

  • Yuri Molchanov

    I spared some money for this lens (not often needed) and bought a Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM. But that's just wasted money. Sigma in a real situation did not cope with a single task for which it was intended. So Canon's shortcomings are just minor quibbles, if you compare them head-on (There was such a possibility).

    • Artyom

      Why is sigma so losing to this canon?

      • Yuri Molchanov

        In short, everyone. I will return from Antarctica, I will post sample photos. Currently limited in traffic. But the biggest disappointment is the work of autofocus and stabilizer. Disgusting. It's good that Tamron 70-300 didn't sell. I'll take it with me next time.

        • Igor

          I advise you to try Tamron 100-400, I rented 100-400 from Sigma, and in fact, especially the stub was pretty lousy. And now I bought a tamron - the stub is much cooler. Well, there are no complaints about the speed of af even on Nikon's BZK. In terms of sharpness at 24mp ff, everything is also good

  • Mikhail Rodionov

    I use this lens for shooting films about nature. In my opinion, the lens is excellent. But the mechanical part is disgusting: it sucks dust with terrible force and it is impossible to fix it firmly on a tripod - the native mount is flimsy.
    Here is my short review of an example of dusting:
    https://youtu.be/qDqn-zXq3bg

    • Victor

      I watched the video, before cleaning - a nightmare, of course. And this is a “dust- and moisture-proof” design ... O_O

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