Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

by Canon

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.1 x 6.1 inches ; 3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00007GQLS
• Item model number: 100-400IS
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (193 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: November 14, 2002

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Equipped with an Image Stabilizer, the Canon EF 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens makes it easy to capture the far-off action of fast-paced sports or zoom in for an intimate portrait with a blurred background. The lens offer such features as fluorite and Super UD-glass elements that largely eliminate secondary spectrum; a floating system that ensures high picture quality at all focal lengths; two Image Stabilizer modes; and compatibility with extenders 1.4x II and 2x II. The lens carries a one-year warranty.

• Focal length: 100-400mm
• Maximum aperture: 1:4.5-5.6
• Lens construction: 17 elements in 14 groups
• Diagonal angle of view: 24 to 6 degrees
• Focus adjustment: Rear focusing system with USM
• Closest focusing distance: 5.9 feet
• Zoom system: Linear extension type
• Filter size: 77mm
• Dimensions: 3.6 inches in diameter, 7.4 inches long
• Weight: 3.1 pounds

Product Description

Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

136 of 140 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Image Quality and Zoom Flexibility - Almost Magical, November 28, 2005

By 

Michael Morgan (The Last Hometown) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (Camera)

Reviews of this lens on the web are mixed with some showing soft results, particularly at 400mm. This is likely due to wide variations in sample lenses. I decided to take a chance and seem to have gotten lucky. My copy, just received from Amazon (Build date of Oct 2005) produces fantastically crisp and contrasty images on my 20D at ALL focal lengths from 100 to 400. It's almost magical. The images are much sharper using the same f-stops than those from a 70-200 f2.8IS lens at 100-150mm and virtually the same at 200mm. Even wide-open at 400mm this lens is quite sharp. At 400mm, I've compared to a very nice Canon 400mm f5.6L prime lens, with and without 1.4X teleconverter. The images have virtually the same extreme sharpness and contrast if the zoom is stopped down just one one-third stop (e.g. zoom at 6.3, prime at 5.6). With the 1.4X TC both lenses had to be manually focused but produced outstanding clarity with NO perceivable loss in quality. The focus is swift and true and the IS on this lens really works (and does not hum like that on the 70-200 f2.8IS) allowing handheld shots at 1/100 sec at 400mm. It may be that Canon has quietly improved this lens since recent reviews seem to be much more positive than those from a few years ago. Some folks don't like the push-pull zoom but it works great for me and allows very fast composition of scenes. The lens is about the same size as the 70-200 f2.8 IS but seems lighter and better balanced. Given the razor sharpness of its images and 100-400mm range, this seems like the perfect single lens solution for nature and bird photography. However, it is big and white so it may not be the best for candid people photography.

152 of 158 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerhouse, but do you really need THIS lens?, December 5, 2006

By 

Paul Lehmann (Dallas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (Camera)

If the answer is "Yes!" then buy with confidence. This lens dominates its niche. It delivers on its promises and is one of the classic white L lenses.

I got this lens to supplement the 28-135 IS, but I've ended up rarely using it. In fact, Ive decided that there may be a better choice for many photogs.

First let me begin by stating the obvious. Most images taken with this lens here and on online galleries like photosig or photo*net are taken at 400mm. Duh! I was hunting last weekend and took this lens along shooting animal pics from a blind. I set it to 400 and left it there. For wildlife and landscape shooters in particular, if the lens is going to be used at 400mm practically all the time, I think a better choice might be the 400mm 5.6 prime- costs hundreds less and sharper to boot. Going a step further, one sucessful wildlife photog I know recommends that if you are thinking about shooting wildlife other than birds, forego 400mm(prime or zoom)and get the 300mm F4 prime. His opinion: the larger size of most mammals offsets the loss of that last 100mm, yet is sharper, has lower light perfomance for the times of day when most mammals start moving, and yes, less money.

On the other hand, if your passion is shooting animals in a zoo, maybe this lens is for you. Dont have to worry about dawn or dusk shots and the range of the zoom might come in handy.

Sports shooters might actually benefit from the zoom's ability to adjust to capture unpredictable shots, but unless youre right on the sideline I still suspect it will be left at 400 most of the time, so ditto the prime. Ive read that 5.6 can be a bit slow for for fast shutter speeds in anything but optimum light. Of course, the next step up, the 400mm F4 is over five grand, so 5.6 is the practial limit for most average consumers.

In either case, you will be able to substantially reduce this handicap IF you have a sensor that takes good pics at ISOs of 800 or above. Thats not every camera.

I put the lens on my 30D to check the aperture progression for you techies out there. The lens shows F4.5 100~135mm, F5.0 ~135~270mm, and F5.6 thereafter.

People and portraits? Thats where it gets trickier. I can see using 400mm compression for compositional reasons in an environmental portrait, but how much is that market segment? 100mm isnt a bad length for people pics, but doing long-distance photojournalistic stuff had me feeling like I was Magnum PI on a stakeout.

If you're like me and the majority of your work involves people and portraits, the 70-200 2.8 (even non IS) is a much better choice for around the same money. I would have gotten 100x the use out of it over the past year.

I bought this one before I really had the need for it, thinking I would expand my horizons, and it just never happened.

But this lens does shine with its strengths. IS allows you to handhold 400mm pics with greater success than the non-IS prime. I dont do weddings but I can imagine IS allowing this lens as a supplement when a photog is stuck at the back of a church during the ceremony... as long as the lights arent too low.

Right after I got it I was in DC and snapped a few pics of George Bush at the Capitol. Im nobody special and couldnt get any closer than the "Nobody Special" section...not close! This lens got usable pics that I could have cropped way down and still had good resolution close-ups. One of those pics is posted in the customer images here.

Other benefits? The push-pull design allows almost instant adjustments. Because it compresses, its easer to carry than the prime (length- and size-wise, not weight). And, in spite of the fact that I use it far less than I imagined, I have no plans to get rid of the thing.

So the question boils down to whether you really need the zoom, the IS, and the ranges of this lens at the higher price than the prime. Wildlife/landscape photogs that use tripods? Maybe not. Sports shooters with monopods? Maybe. People shooters like me? I've learned almost never, unless I someday find myself a private detective or a voyeur.

That said, if you weigh your wants and this lens still tugs at your heart, dont hesitate to buy it. It delivers performance and value...within specific parameters.

301 of 322 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pro lens, state of the art, big, heavy, and intimidating, May 25, 2005

By 

Automatt (California, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (Camera)

I've been shooting with this lens for a few days now. You can see the photos that I've taken with it on my photo site, the address of which is [...]. You can also see this review with photos taken with the lens side by side on my gadget blog, www.geekcrack.com. On to the review.

This is a serious lens. It is big and heavy and takes fantastic pictures. The image stabilization gets you an extra stop when shooting handheld, in that it minimizes shake enough. I've taken some spectacular twilight shots using this feature. For serious work you will need a tripod or some other kind of support, because this thing gets heavy. Note that the photo on Amazon shows the lens in its shortest configuration... zoomed to 400mm, it is a bit longer than pictured.

It is a fantastic lens. Great sharpness, clarity, no spectral flares that I've noticed-- none at all-- quick, completely silent autofocus. Reasonably fast lens, the image stabilizer effectively makes it a little faster.

The only problem that I've had with the image stabilizer is that it sometimes makes it hard to frame up parallel lines at the edges of photos. The way it works is that it the IS activates when you depress the shutter release halfway. It kicks in about a second later and the viewfinder image gets that steadycam feel.

When the image stabilizer kicks in, the image in the viewfinder shifts a tiny bit. It can throw you off if, like me, you do a lot of cropping in the viewfinder rather than in the lab later. Of course I am using the autofocus in servo mode, so that might have something to do with it.

The full time manual focus ring comes in handy when the AF gets confused, which is not very often, but it really depends on which EOS camera you're using. There is also a ring that lets you easily tighten the zoom, which is essential because the lens is heavy enough to zoom itself if you are not careful.

In fact, I mostly use this lens at fixed lengths, tightening it up at the length I want and shooting for a while, rather than dynamically zooming each shot as I frame it up. The latter style is generally how I shoot with shorter zoom lenses.

This baby comes with a great storage case and an antiglare hood, which I haven't used yet. If you buy this be sure to order the UV filter at 77mm to put on the front of the lens. This will protect your investment and will help with long distance shots because the lens is so powerful, atmospheric haze can be an issue.

If you decide to go for it know that you're in for a serious relationship with a serious lens. The payoff is that you have the gear to take incredible telephoto photographs, sharp photographs you can enlarge, suitable for publication.