Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens Imported

Comments about Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens:

I was able to try out this lens through the CPS program for 10 days before purchasing. The lens proved to be slighly sharper than my 100-400 at 400mm. Without IS photographing BIF is not a problem as long as the exposure speed is 2000/sec or more. This limits the lens for use mostly on sunny days. On less than sunny days a tripod or some means of stabilizing the camera would be helpful. I have shot around 1000 photos so far with this lens on my 7D and I am not sure why but my keeper rate is better than with the 100-400. It may be that the autofocus is faster than the 100-400. I like my 100-400 lens and will still use that lens on less than sunny days for BIF.

Comments about Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens:

This is a superb lens for anyone who needs 400mm, but not necessarily wide apertures. It is light and small (for what it is), and it is wonderfully sharp. I love the built-in lens hood.

If you are hesitating between this and the 100-400, I'd encourage you to get this one IF you think you will mostly be using the 100-400 at the long end. This lens is lighter and sharper.

Comments about Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens:

If you are looking for an unbelievable deal, don't pass this up. YES REALLY!
My pocketbook doesn't serve my "wants" but this lens serves my wants for the reach I was looking for. It is sharp, easy to use and light.

The price is a bargin for the value!
It totally serves the purpose and it's a thrill to get close without "getting close".

BUY IT, you won't be sorry.

Comments about Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens:

I decided to purchase this lens after a owning a bad copy of the Sigma 150-500mm. The majority of my shots with the 400mm F5.6 has been used for my wildlife/kayaking outings. The lens is light weight, and balances nicely on a tripod or monopod. The 400mm on a 1.6 crop sensored camera extends the reach out to 640mm. At this point the only thing I wish this lens had was image stablization for hand held shots.

Comments about Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens:

To take pictures of bird flying.

Comments about Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens:

this is a great lens for birds in flight. I had been hand holding the 800mm 5.6 so this is much lighter an easier to get on fast moving small bird at the shorter range. it doesn't have IS but at shutter speeds over 1600 which i use to freeze motion it dozen't matter. only draw-back is you need lots of light.but I new this when i bought the lens.

Comments about Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens:

My first impression was not all positive, mostly due to the somewhat loose manual focusing ring, but I noticed that this has no negative impact. To be sure, unless you have prior experience with a super telephoto lens, you will probably struggle to get sharp pictures in the beginning. Especially on a crop body. I did a comparison to my exceptional 200mm 2.8L and found resolution and sharpness to be in the same class (from the same distance, the 400 comes close to double the resolution of detail compared to the 200). With this focal length, atmospheric conditions (haze, blur from hot air rising, etc.) have a noticeable effect on image quality - or lack of it. I bought this lens for astrophotography, but surprsingly, I find it to be more versatile than any other lens (including for closeups of bees in flight). You need decent light, but I can't ding it for being slow as it makes up for it in price and [reduced] weight. A few folks complain about the lack of IS, but that does not do much for you on a tripod or when tracking a moving object, which covers most of my usage. Other than the loose focus ring, I wish it would focus a bit closer (in which case I could get rid of my 100mm macro lens...). Despite that, I still consider it my favorite lens and deserving of 5 stars.

Comments about Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens:

As a novice photographer I was ready to step up to my first telephoto. Attempting to specialize in wildlife photography, especially birds, my friend, who is an expert bird photographer suggested the 400MM. It's fabulous!
Light weight, easy to handle.
I would most definitely suggest this lens to a friend.

Comments about Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens:

I am primarily a sports and wildlife photographer. I have a a different brand 70-200mm f/2.8 lens plus 2.0x teleextender for indoor and outdoor sports works fine. However, when using the combo at 400mm images are a bit soft when focused on wildlife. I wanted a prime focus 400mm and extender extra crispness. Affordability was a factor and the EF 400mm was within my budget. My test shots to date are excellent and I am happy with it. Using the 1.4X extender images are a little soft if over 80 yards away but that was to be expected.

The lens is light, relatively, and could be used handheld if needed. I am using a monopod for stability and fast shutter speeds. It's slow at f/5.6 and f/8 with extender, but my Canon 60D handles noise well up to 6400 and even when used at 12800 (H setting) ISO. Would have preferred IS but apparently not available.

Autofocus doesn't function with the extender, but manual focus has been easy to adapt to.

I have to say, so far, it's a terrific buy.

Down the road I hope to replace my 2.8 70-200mm different brand with a Canon 2.8 70-200 IS for indoor sports.

Comments about Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens:

I use my EF 400mm f/5.6 with an EOS 7D mainly for bird photography, either for small birds which keep moving a lot or for birds in flight. It is not a heavy lens, so that I can shoot hand held no problem. But as there is no Image Stabilisation, it is important to set a fast shutter speed [I use at least 1/640sec] to get a sharp image.

Comments about Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens:

Finally got a lens that gives me the reach I wanted for wildlife and bird photos. As others have stated the AF is very fast, the lens is relatively light for 400mm and can certainly be handheld. I've tried my 1.4 II extender and need to practice manual focusing, with better light I think I will get better. The 400f 5.6 delivers as promised.

Comments about Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens:

Just could not get this lens to focus sharp, used on both my 5D mark II and 7D setting on tripod and using the timer just could not get any image to look sharp and in focus. Spent a week getting photos of duck and birds and nothing work just not happy with the output. Sent back to B&H today. Not sure what I will do at this point.

Comments about Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens:

For the price, this lens is great performer. Sharp images. Focus is super fast. The one drawback is loss of AF with the 1.4 or 2x teleconvertor, but I knew that going into the purchase.

Comments about Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens:

This is basically the only option for the non-pro, non-rich photographer who wants to do wildlife or bird photography and stay with a Canon brand lens. I hesitated, hoping that IS or a larger aperture would become available in a reasonably priced 400 mm lens but finally took the plunge. I really like the lens! Auto-focus is very fast in decent light for shooting birds in flight or other moving targets, but most of all, it is SHARP. Last weekend I got photos of Bald Eagles in nearby Bay City MI from about 100 yards away. Using a tripod and Live View to focus at 10X magnification with the 400 mm plus a 1.4 times extender, I got photos that are sharp until I zoom in so much I see the pixels. Ever had a staring contest with a Bald Eagle? On the way home, I stopped at the arena to get close-up photos of hockey players. With indoor light and moving action, the f/5.6 aperture is not fast enough to get sharp photos without going to high iso - but I bought this for outdoor use and understand that it will not shine in low-light situations. Beautifully built, with a very nice case, built-in hood and a tripod collar that balances the lens on a tripod with my Canon 60D, this has been a joy to own so far. I look forward to thousands of bird and wildlife photos taken with this lens.

Comments about Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens:

Great lens for wildlife and distant targets - planes, trains and ships - very pleased with the quality of shots so far with this lens.

Comments about Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens:

still early, like the lens hood & handling of this baby!

Comments about Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens:

There have been a lot of comments about which of these 3 lenses is best. Here are my thoughts:

The 100-400 is without doubt the most versatile. For my uses, I decided not to purchase this lens because
1) I tend to shoot at the longest focal length the majority of the time,
2) I understand there have been quality control issues with this lens on occasion,
3) most reviews show a slight loss of IQ at 400mm.
4) Another slight negative is the lens hood is not nearly as convenient as the built-in ones on the 400 and 300.
If I had a 500 or 600 prime already, this would be my first choice. But, IQ is very important to me, so I decided to go with the 300 or 400.

I first bought a 300/4 with both 1.4x and 2x TCs. I have used this lens for a couple of years and really liked it. The IQ is superb without a TC, good with a 1.4x TC, and just acceptable with a 2x TC. The positives were:
1) 5 foot close focusing (great for butterflies/dragonflies),
2) f/4 allows use with less light than f/5.6 (although I found my best IQ at f/6.7 and shot there most often),
3) Using the 1.4x still allowed AF to work (although slower).
I finally decided to exchange it for a 400/5.6 because I found myself using the 1.4x most of the time to get the increased focal length. If you don't need the extra length, do a lot of close up shooting, but still care about IQ, the 300/4 is the lens to get.

After having the 400/5.6 for awhile, these are my impressions:
1) IQ is at least as good as the 300/4 (I think better),
2) I can shoot wide open (f/5.6) with no apparent loss of IQ,
3) the AF is amazingly fast (great for BIF shots).
This lens has a much longer minimum focusing distance (about 12 ft), but for my purposes it hasn't been an issue. Not having IS hasn't really been a big deal with me. I shoot the majority of my shots on a tripod, and even the other 2 lenses with IS require IS to be shut off when using a tripod. By using a remote release and a sturdy tripod, I can get great IQ at very low shutter speeds. When handholding for BIF shots, I shoot at 1/1000 or above, so IS isn't really much of an advantage.

So, for my purposes this is turning out to be a great lens. The IQ alone is worth it. Ask yourself what is most important to you, and what kind of shooting you will be doing. You can't beat the 100-400 for versatility, or the 300/4 for close shooting while retaining great IQ. But for the best IQ at the longest focal length when using a tripod, the 400/5.6 is my new favorite in this price range.

Comments about Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens:

This lens is the best bang for your buck
Its is so clear and sharp ,i shoot wild life and man does it take great pictures and birds in flight
you cant beat it very fast.
I have told a lot of my friends abouth this lens and two of them bought it and where very happy.
B&H are the best you cant beat there price or service A++++++++++++++++++++++++
Rich

Comments about Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens:

I bought this lens mostly for bird photography and so far am pleased as long as there's ample light. It's easier to handhold and more well-balanced than the 100-400mm I own and also appears to be sharper at 400mm. It does need plenty of light but that's stating the obvious. The built-in hood is convenient. If you don't have the bucks for the 400mm f/4 DO, or want a lens you can hike with, this should do the trick.

Comments about Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens:

Recommended to me by a professional wildlife photographer. Sharp clear pictures. I even used this lens handheld and took great shots. The lack of IS doesn't seem to be a problem