Well-suited for sports and wildlife photography, the EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM is a Canon L-series super telephoto lens that blends long reach with fast performance and intuitive handling. Using a pair of fluorite elements, along with four aspherical elements, both chromatic and spherical aberrations are kept to a minimum in order to realize sharp, clear image quality with accurate rendering and color fidelity. A Sub Wavelength Coating also contributes to color accuracy and helps to control flare and ghosting when working in backlit and harsh lighting conditions.
In addition to its optical merits, the 500mm f/4 is also characterized by its advanced four stop-effective Image Stabilizer system, which has three separate stabilization modes to suit various shooting applications. Also complementing handling is a sophisticated ring-type USM, which provides quick, quiet, and accurate autofocus performance along with full-time manual focus override. Additionally, this lens is weather-sealed for use in trying environmental conditions and it has a removable rotating tripod collar to benefit working atop a tripod or monopod.