Canon's EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM is simply a superb lens. I can't find any fault with it mechanically or optically. There are numerous improvements over the original Mk1 model and some of those are exceptionally worthwhile. Without spending a colossal fortune on the larger and heavier 200-400mmL lens, this really is as close as you can get without breaking the bank. Quite a few potential buyers will view this lens alongside the Sigma and Tamron 150-600mm alternatives and the reason why this lens is a practical choice is (1) Weight, (2) Image Quality and (3) Features.
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FEATURES:
There's a LOT of great features on this lens and some are subtle enough that many users may not notice them at first glance. The new slide-window on the lens hood is invaluable for adjusting a Circular Polarizer and it still clicks slightly in either (open/closed) position, preventing it from opening accidentally. The finish is really nice and the construction is sturdy. The now-classic White Canon lens coating reduces internal heating and the potential for expansion of internal components in hot environments. Though Canon declared this new lens to have a redesigned seal system from end to end, I am told that it requires a filter to be in place to completely seal it against the environment. To extend the Mk2 lens you need to twist the barrel - which is quite different to the 'Push-Pull' zoom variety of the Mk1. Canon says the new Twist-Zoom method, along with a different seal system, should reduce the chance of dust entering the lens array. A new "tension ring" between the focus and zoom rings stops the lens from sliding or shifting if tightened. All in all, the new lens variant is very practical and demonstrates careful planning by Canon lens developers. This is also a "modern lens" which will perform faster than the Mk1, especially on new model cameras like the 7D II and the 5D3. I found the AF exceptionally accurate and precise on my 6D.
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EOSM + 100-400mmL Mk2 + EF 1.4x III TC [901.6mm equiv focal-length].
FIRST IMPRESSION:
The lens is fairly heavy at 1570g. It's an attractive lens but it's weighty. It's still half the weight of some of the competition from the heavier 150-600mm range lenses. The circumference is also wider than what some people can grasp easily with one hand when picking it up. If you need to stand in one place to photograph passing vehicles or landscapes for long periods of time, you may want to invest in an inexpensive Monopod or a Tripod. Be sure the support is rated for about 3kg so that any combination of camera body, battery extenders and flash units are well supported.
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Auto-Focus & Image Quality:
The AF is VERY fast and VERY accurate. This lens performs exceptionally well in normal outdoor shooting and even some challenging situations. For very lowlight indoor shots it was sluggish - and probably the wrong sort of lens to be using for pictures of my cats in candlelight. This is best described as an outdoor lens and it performs excellently between sunrise and sunset, in clouds or bright sunlight. Some light-falloff (not physical vignetting) was visible in blue skies at the 400mm zoom mark but it was easily automatically corrected when I updated my lens software on the EOS 6D ...and was also eliminated by altering the aperture slightly. But this was really only visible when shooting bright, flat skies etc. Otherwise it wasn't visible at all. This is perhaps more of a property of physics and it far more noticeable in other lenses from other manufacturers The lens is sharp from 100mm to 400mm and there's no corner softness in any of my landscapes. Any distortion (if observable) was too faint to calculate.
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This is by no means the largest of the White Canon L-series lenses by a long-shot but it drew quite a bit of attention. In the morning of my first day with this lens I was approached by several motorcyclists wanting to pose with their bikes. I later stopped at Australia's only Carl's Jr for a chocolate shake and customers in the restaurant came over to compliment me on the lens (I suspect they just assumed all White lenses are magical) - including the manager who said he saw me shooting from a bridge earlier in the day. I stopped for fuel in the afternoon and the girl there recognized me by the lens I'd been seen holding earlier in the day. A wedding photographer came by to chat when I stopped for coffee and the police by the ocean assumed I was with the press and gave me a suggestion for photographing a cliff-jumping suicide that unfolded at sunset.
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EXPECTATIONS:
The first thing you'll notice is that it's well padded for transport when it arrives in the Canon box. It also comes with a rather pleasant zippered bag to travel with. I tested this lens with my Canon EOSM mirrorless prior to buying, just to see if I could use it with this early model mirrorless camera. But I brought it to use on my Canon EOS 6D DSLR camera. For those wanting the ultimate in APS-C (to increase the apparent focal length of the lens beyond 400mm equiv), the EOS 7D II and EOS 5D should work very well with this lens as well as the Mk III (1.4x / 2x) converters.
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The EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens on the EOS 6D - [Lens hood on the Left]
EOS 6D - [JPEG, handheld, Minimum Focus Distance] .
Minimum Focus Distance is just 38.58 inches at 400mm.
Another reason to consider this lens is that it can produce some decent closeups and shoots closer than other lenses with similar zoom ranges. Some people claim they've dumped their Macro lenses and 70-200mmL wedding lenses to replace it with this one but that's probably not a practical move if you have the 100mmL lens etc. I was able to shoot a picture of a Pumpkin pie I had bought without having to stand up or leave the table to frame the shot. I also photographed a couple of spiders nearby ...but a dedicated Macro lens is going to take you further. Still, to be able to shoot an object within 38.58 inches at 400mm is fantastic. If you enjoy wildlife, plant-life and landscape photography, this lens is a very practical choice.
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EOSM - The textured finish reduces fingerprints and oxidization in salt environments. The White coating also deflects heat from sunlight, reducing expansion of internal components.
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IMAGE STABILIZATION:
The lens also has the latest generation of Image Stabilization and it's darned impressive. Additionally, the lens has a new 3-position Stabilizer switch that allows specialized commitment for general use, left-to-right panning or passive actuation ONLY when the shutter is depressed. Very nice additions. A focus-limiter is a welcome switch to see. But that Image Stabilizer offers 4-Stops and it is so effective that you can hand-hold your camera down to 1/13th second (or less) if you have steady hands... and that's at 400mm. Some users claim 1/5 sec from a seated position. On my EOS 6D, this lens was able to focus-track moving targets and vehicles and aircraft without concern.
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LENS-MOUNT RING & FOOT:
The Lens foot rotates smoothly and the lens-mount ring itself doesn't dismount from the camera. This is handy because you can rotate it out of the way when not needed - or to carry your camera about. Adding a small, lightweight monopod can increase the safety aspect of this carry method. There's an alignment mark on the ring to assist in re-orientation from Landscape to Portrait mode without any fuss at all. The lower portion of the foot can also be removed (lens can be removed from a tripod mount without removing the mount-plate first). Using the foot as a 'mounting point' for a camera produces excellent results with any tripod or monopod.
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BOKEH:
Yes, the lens produces nice shallow DOF shot as needed. But it also generates somewhat pleasing Bokeh as well. The images I've posted below should demonstrate how smooth the defocused background are and how defined it can be. This isn't too unusual with a zoom lens but it's just another welcomed capability of the lens. Adding a Polarizing Filter enables the owner/user an opportunity for good exploration of this on a sunny day.
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EOS 6D - [JPEG, monopod]
EOS 6D + Hoya 77mm Circular Polarizer- [JPEG, handheld]
EOS 6D - [JPEG, handheld]
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Below is a list of what motivated me to buy this lens over the predecessor and also it's comparative rivals:
* Superb Image Quality.
* Less vignetting than rivals.
* Fastest AF of its kind and class.
* Excellent Color Reproduction.
* Environmentally sealed (or so they tell me!).
* Minimum Focus Distance makes it a "Virtual Macro" lens.
* 4 Stop Image Stabilization.
* Compatibility with the superior 3rd Gen Tele-Extenders.
* Faster aperture at 400mm that alternatives
* Sharp from wide to max zoom - from corner to center.
* Allegedly works VERY well with the new Canon cameras.
* Focus Distance Limiter
* A practical 77mm thread for filters.
* Greater aperture range.
* Magnesium body.
* Features Canon's new "Air Sphere" element to reduce lens flare.
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EOSM + EF 100-400L Mk2 + EF 1.4x TC - [901.6mm equiv focal length]
EOSM + 100-400L Mk2 + EF 1.4x TC - [Handheld, JPEG, processed, slight crop... then reduced]
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EF 100-400mm Mk2 + Teleconverters
For those with recent model DSLRS such as the 5D3+ models and the Pro-DSLR models, AF is available for those models if you choose to mount the new Mk III teleconverters (such as the EF 1.4x III and the EF 2x III ). The new Mk 3 teleconverters are also more closely color-coated to match the White finish of the newer lenses. My mirrorless EOSM can AF with a TC on the 100-400mmL Mk2 lens but my EOS 6D will AF using Live Preview. On the EOS-M, the AF is quite slow with a TC in place behind this lens but I note that the combination is still very useful and that the newly released EOS-M5 ought to work VERY nicely with this lens. I bought the 1.4x III TC for shooting the moon and for similar work. Of course, on cameras with an APS-C sensor, you can benefit from an additional 1.61x magnification with the Crop Factor taken into account. There's plenty of people using a TC with this lens on their 5D+ cameras for birds etc. The shot of the moon (above) was taken just a few hours ago Handheld using the Image Stabilizer of the lens and the EF 1.4x III TC.
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EOS 6D - [JPEG, handheld]
EOS 6D + Hoya 77mm Circular Polarizer - [JPEG, Handheld, In-camera Correction auto-applied]
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5 STARS:
I have to rate this lens at 5 Stars simply because it performs so well and because of its complete feature-set. I don't like rating anything with a perfect score because usually I can find subtle flaws on a product. There's nothing I can point at on this lens that would warrant anything less than 5 Stars and I suspect other owners would likely agree. This is a well made lens. It was well designed and it performs as advertised. More importantly, I like what it does and the pictures it takes on both a Full Frame camera and an APS-C camera. It's fun to shoot with and it's worth the outlay.
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Regards,
Marco Nero.
