Anybody owned, or used the Canon 400mm f/4 DO IS II on....

their R series cameras ???

By now, anyone who knows me, or has looked at a few of my posts, probably knows how much I've hollered about Canon giving me zero choices between my beloved (but slow) RF 800 F11.... and the astronomically expensive 800 F5.6.

SO many X's I've dreamed about a "Glorified 800 F11".... in other words, a little faster, better build quality, rotating collar, FF focusing, etc.

Well, I think this lens, with a 2 X's TC is just about exactly what I'm talking about, on paper anyway.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1081814-REG/canon_8404b002_ef_400mm_f_4_do.html

With a 2 X's TC, 800mm F8... which of course would give me 1280mm on my R7. Then, if I could get by with 'only' 800mm, I could use it on my R5.

I'm SO tempted to rent this to see for myself. But it would be great to hear from someone who owns, or has at least tried this lens on their R series camera...

Still "a little pricey" I guess..... but a bargain, compared to some of the other Big Whites. Quite light, compared to those Big Whites too.

John Sheehy wrote:

Chris Wolfgram wrote:

their R series cameras ???

By now, anyone who knows me, or has looked at a few of my posts, probably knows how much I've hollered about Canon giving me zero choices between my beloved (but slow) RF 800 F11.... and the astronomically expensive 800 F5.6.

SO many X's I've dreamed about a "Glorified 800 F11".... in other words, a little faster, better build quality, rotating collar, FF focusing, etc.

Well, I think this lens, with a 2 X's TC is just about exactly what I'm talking about, on paper anyway.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1081814-REG/canon_8404b002_ef_400mm_f_4_do.html

With a 2 X's TC, 800mm F8... which of course would give me 1280mm on my R7. Then, if I could get by with 'only' 800mm, I could use it on my R5.

I'm SO tempted to rent this to see for myself. But it would be great to hear from someone who owns, or has at least tried this lens on their R series camera...

Still "a little pricey" I guess..... but a bargain, compared to some of the other Big Whites. Quite light, compared to those Big Whites too.

I've used it with the EF2xIII on both the R5 and R7; it works fairly well, but in order to get that one-stop larger aperture vs the RF800/11, you get slightly less global contrast IMO, and I don't think that the added IBIS works quite as well as it does with the RF800/11. The DO clearly has more resolution, but it may not be immediately obvious, due to the lesser global contrast, which can easily fool us into thinking "less resolution". If you do some extra sharpening, though, the DO punches right through the lower global contrast.

Of course, the DO has benefits like full-time manual override, which the RF800 doesn't have, although it is too slowly "geared" to be truly useful to get focus quickly in the ballpark when AF otherwise would fail. You can stop the DO down, but you really don't need to do that for sharpness; just for desired DOF. The DO can focus almost 2x as close. The "800/8DO" can be broken down to "400/4DO", etcetera.

Thank you. And at this price, of course I'd want it to be better than the 800 F11, at every thing. Hmmmm.

BirdShooter7 wrote:

Yes I’ve used this lens a good bit on the R5 and R7 and overall I like it. It’s great bear and with the 1.4x iii but I am not so happy with performance with the EF 2x iii unless the lens is stopped down a stop at which point you basically have a really expensive and heavier RF 800mm f/11…

Yes - the EF 2x iii is a bit much. The combination also has somewhat weird bokeh and I'm not quite sure if it is the DO, the TC or a combination. RF 2x is somewhat better, but I tend to use it mostly with EF 1.4x iii.

Do note that the IS on the lens is not as effective as current ones. Otherwise I like it on R7.

I would say don't waste time with the 400 DO and look at used EF 600 F4 IS II for about the same price. Then get the 1.4 and 2X III TC's to get you to 840/5.6 and 1200/8.

BirdShooter7 wrote:

Yes I’ve used this lens a good bit on the R5 and R7 and overall I like it. It’s great bear and with the 1.4x iii but I am not so happy with performance with the EF 2x iii unless the lens is stopped down a stop at which point you basically have a really expensive and heavier RF 800mm f/11…

.....and you shoot a lot of the same kinds of stuff I do (and you do it exceptionally well) so your opinion matters a lot to me. I guess its a good thing that your not telling me this lens / TC combo would blow away my RF 800 F11 Otherwise, I could end up out of a LOT of $ lol Thank you for your response.

KiloHotelphoto wrote:

I would say don't waste time with the 400 DO and look at used EF 600 F4 IS II for about the same price. Then get the 1.4 and 2X III TC's to get you to 840/5.6 and 1200/8.

Just SO big and heavy. I mean, I know it has fantastic IQ, and I guess I would use it where I didn't have to carry it far + I already have the TC's..... But it would have to be a "steal of a deal" used price.... and that never seems to happen to me. People want to sell me used stuff for 80+% of new.... and they offer to buy used stuff from me for 20% Story of my life.

Chris Wolfgram wrote:

KiloHotelphoto wrote:

I would say don't waste time with the 400 DO and look at used EF 600 F4 IS II for about the same price. Then get the 1.4 and 2X III TC's to get you to 840/5.6 and 1200/8.

Just SO big and heavy. I mean, I know it has fantastic IQ, and I guess I would use it where I didn't have to carry it far + I already have the TC's..... But it would have to be a "steal of a deal" used price.... and that never seems to happen to me. People want to sell me used stuff for 80+% of new.... and they offer to buy used stuff from me for 20% Story of my life.

A lightly used 500mm f/4 II is quite a bit lighter/ easier to handle. Cheaper too. Works well with the 2x III with static subjects. Maybe not so good with BIF, assuming you can manage it, as AF takes a bit of a hit. 1000mm also makes for limited FOV. Great for airshows with the 1.4x III too.

Chris Wolfgram wrote:

their R series cameras ???

By now, anyone who knows me, or has looked at a few of my posts, probably knows how much I've hollered about Canon giving me zero choices between my beloved (but slow) RF 800 F11.... and the astronomically expensive 800 F5.6.

SO many X's I've dreamed about a "Glorified 800 F11".... in other words, a little faster, better build quality, rotating collar, FF focusing, etc.

Well, I think this lens, with a 2 X's TC is just about exactly what I'm talking about, on paper anyway.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1081814-REG/canon_8404b002_ef_400mm_f_4_do.html

With a 2 X's TC, 800mm F8... which of course would give me 1280mm on my R7. Then, if I could get by with 'only' 800mm, I could use it on my R5.

I'm SO tempted to rent this to see for myself. But it would be great to hear from someone who owns, or has at least tried this lens on their R series camera...

Still "a little pricey" I guess..... but a bargain, compared to some of the other Big Whites. Quite light, compared to those Big Whites too.

I had that lens which I purchased so I could AF with a 2X on my DSLR's. Sharp lens, good in low light but heavy. Then the R came along and now all of a sudden no need for f8. I did shoot with that lens and the 2X on the R.

I decided to sell it as I could AF with my R and my EF 100-400 II and 2X. Not as fast but I got some nice BIF. That sold me on RF. Expensive lens and selling gave me some cap max room.

I got the R5, 100-500 and RF 1.4. Great combo. Now I have the 100-500, the RF 1.4 and R7 and R6II.

I've had better success with BIF and the R7, 1.4 and 100-500 than expected. Gets you to the range you want. 1120mm. I would not put a 2X on that combo for BIF. Maybe for static subjects but I have not experience with that to really say.

Hi

Bought one from MPB photographic - but either did not have a great copy or it's not as good as I hoped for with just a 1.4X TC on both R5 and R10.

I returned it after a few tests.

Christopher Frost found it not super sharp on the M6II - so maybe another not so great copy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPpc30aXFG0

Digital picture also backed my findings:

https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=962&Camera=979&Sample=0&FLI=1&API=1&LensComp=745&CameraComp=979&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=1&APIComp=0

E.g. Not as sharp (the copy I had) vs 300 2.8II and 500 4.0 II by fair margin in the centre of the frame. Some glow and softer edges - even if resolution perhaps somewhat still there.

Yes others including lens rentals sing its praises.

Was disappointed - but probably not going to try a 2nd copy.

cfieldgate wrote:

Chris Wolfgram wrote:

KiloHotelphoto wrote:

I would say don't waste time with the 400 DO and look at used EF 600 F4 IS II for about the same price. Then get the 1.4 and 2X III TC's to get you to 840/5.6 and 1200/8.

Just SO big and heavy. I mean, I know it has fantastic IQ, and I guess I would use it where I didn't have to carry it far + I already have the TC's..... But it would have to be a "steal of a deal" used price.... and that never seems to happen to me. People want to sell me used stuff for 80+% of new.... and they offer to buy used stuff from me for 20% Story of my life.

A lightly used 500mm f/4 II is quite a bit lighter/ easier to handle. Cheaper too. Works well with the 2x III with static subjects. Maybe not so good with BIF, assuming you can manage it, as AF takes a bit of a hit. 1000mm also makes for limited FOV. Great for airshows with the 1.4x III too.

+1 for the 500 f/4 II

I used the DO on a bunch of Canon lenses and have never found the bare lens to not be super sharp. It is much lighter than the 500 f/4 II. It is a nice lens on the r7 too, and the r5, but I prefer it on the r7.  Mine does have the smoothest IS, though, so the 100-500 and even the 800f11 has it beat there. It had the same great BQ as the other big whites. If I were you, I’d get a used copy rather than pay that big price that B&H wants. plenty of the around. Get the price down and you will have a great rig with the r7.

I used it with a 2x III on the R5 to see if I could get away with a smaller package than the 500 f/4 II, since I was looking at bringing it overseas for an extended period of time. Long story short, I kept the 500. The 400/with 2x wasn't as sharp as the 500/with 2x, and if I'm carrying that kind of weight around, I might as well go for it and carry the 500. (But also, I brought the Sigma 60-600 overseas, and my 500 is waiting for me when I return to the US.)

I know a lot of you like the 500 F4, but if I were willing to go that heavy, and that expensive, I might as well go with the 600 F4. With the 500 I'd always have to have the 1.4 TC on it anyway. But with the 600 especially on my crop sensor R7, sometimes, I might even be able to use it without the TC.

I'd still like to rent and play with that 400 DO F4 though.

Thanks again for all of you guys responses 👍