4x Zoom Lens variably extends from 100mm to 400mm focal length / For use with Canon 35mm SLR Cameras / EF-Mount / USA
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

Technical Details

-100-400mm telephoto zoom lens with f/4.5 maximum aperture for Canon SLR cameras
-2 Image Stabilizer modes make it easy to capture far-off action or close-in portraits
-Flourite and Super UD-glass elements largely eliminate secondary spectrum
-Compatibility with extenders 1.4x II and 2x II; 5.9-foot close focusing distance
-Measures 3.6 inches in diameter and 7.4 inches long; 1-year warranty
See more technical details

 "Lens" 2010-07-20
By Shark
It's a good lens, but the Image Stabilization switch broke the first time I turned it on. Have since purchased a replacement lens and that switch appears to be solid. So far, so good.


 "Speechless" 2010-07-13
By justron
Truly a work of art. If you do any airshow or wildlife photography a must have. I received the lens the day before I went to the Red Bull Air Races and had no trouble adjusting to the feel and settings. With the Image Stabilization and that extra 100mm of zoom I was floored when I viewed the pictures later that day.


 "Zoom Zoom!" 2010-06-19
By D. Beahn (Fort Myers, FL United States)
I'm a fairly new photographer that was looking to build a basic collection of professional grade lenses on a budget. I wanted to be able to produce high quality photographs, but since my budget was limited I opted to go with the Canon 7D first, since that was the body I wanted to (eventually) use as a secondary. Next, I needed lenses. I was willing to spend a little bigger on lenses because they tend to have a much greater staying power when it comes to their useful lifespan, and they tend to hold their value quite well over time (when compared to camera bodies). I decided my basic kit should include a fast 50mm prime lens (I went with the EF 50mm f/1.4), a mid-range (lens range, not quality range) lens (EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II USM), a lens to do wide angle work with (EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM) and a Zoom lens. I selected the EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM for the zoom lens. As a bonus, 3 of these lenses take filters at 77mm, which lets me carry (and buy) fewer filters.

With an eye to the long term I planned to use this lens, I wanted to buy in the "L" class of lenses. The only real choices here are the EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 L IS USM and the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM, both of which are "push/pull" zoom lenses. I didn't understand what that meant until the lens arrived - you literally push the end of the lens out to zoom in, and pull it back to zoom out. It was both odd and cool at first, and after I got used to it, I find it to be very efficient. I opted for the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM. Both lenses have excellent reputations, but the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM offers extra zoom range, and since zoom is the reason I'm buying this lens, that makes the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM stand out. This lens is just a little softer than the EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II USM, but that isn't unexpected. It still produces sharp, beautifully colored images, has a fast, accurate auto focus, and enough zoom to get in nice and close for casual wildlife photography. The IS works well - you'll appreciate it for those high-zoom-panning-bird-in-flight shots.

This lens also comes with the hood. It doesn't snap into place the way the EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II USM hood does, but that was new for that lens, so not having it here is forgivable. My advice is that you keep the hood inverted on the lens when the lens is not in use, and that you always use the hood when you are using the lens. The hood reduces and in cases prevents lens flare and provides a bit of protection for the lens itself.

Build quality is what I've come to expect of the Canon "L" class - fantastic.

A word about the large, white, heavy Canon "L" class lenses. First, they're big and heavy. They're also magnificent. If you have one or more of these lenses you need to accept that the average camera bag is no longer going to be enough. There are good solutions available out there, or you can put something together out of bits and pieces. I also found that the standard camera strap was no longer acceptable. The big lenses also make people curious - you're going to attract attention.



 "Wondeful lens - more versatile than you might think" 2010-06-18
By Eric Strate Photography (Spokane, WA United States)
The 100-400 covers a lot of ground, so to speak, in focal length. It goes without saying that the optics and image quality are great as this is an L-series lens. Mine is a *little* soft wide open (F5.6 at 400mm) but certainly not to the point where it detracts significantly from the image quality. I hesitate to even mention that because I don't want to imply that the lens has faults at that aperture - but I want to give as accurate a depiction of my lens as possible. Sharpness is phenomenal overall.

This lens is ideal for someone who likes to shoot a lot of wildlife as long as you can handle the weight over long periods of time. Handheld shots at 400mm are a breeze as long as you are shooting at a reasonable shutter speed. I have no trouble dropping to 1/100th of a second at 400mm with IS on. If you are thinking you will be at 400mm most of the time you might consider the 400mm F5.6 prime as it is significantly less expensive and lighter (lacking IS though). It's a very popular lens for nature watching as well.

I've found this lens to be sharp enough that I can use it for portraits as well and have found other professionals doing the same thing (I recently was looking through a photography magazine and there was an entire model shoot done with the 100-400.) If I am shooting a soccer game, for example, I can easily transition between 400mm for shooting the action at a distance or zooming in on player's faces to capture their expressions during the game and then easily move down to 100-200mm and shoot some quick impromptu portraits of families, kids, etc. If you are just getting into photography and looking for a lens specifically for indoor events like basketball remember that at 400mm you are limited to F5.6 for your max aperture. That being the case, if the lighting is not very good (like most gym lighting) you will need to bump your ISO up quite a bit to keep the shutter speed high enough for crisp action shots. If you are using an older camera you will start to run into the limitations created by your camera's high ISO capability. This isn't a flaw of the lens, just a fact of life and the physics of how aperture works. The alternative is to get the 400mm F2.8 L lens, but a quick look at the price of that will likely change your mind.

There are competitors to this lens from Sigma and Tamron - for example the Sigma 50-500mm lens (nicknamed "Bigma" for its size). I can say from experience that the image quality of the Sigma is not in the same league as the Canon. I'd much rather spend the extra $500 and get the Canon. Haven't used the Tamron zooms, so I can't speak to their comparison to the Canon, but I have heard they were getting some good reviews.

The last thing I'd say is that if you aren't certain you need the zoom range up to 400mm, I'd strongly consider thinking about getting the 70-200 F2.8 instead. For a mid-range zoom, this lens cannot be beat and having a max aperture of F2.8 throughout the zoom range is great. If I was going to be shooting basketball indoors, for example, I would choose the 70-200 F2.8 over the 100-400 even with the extra reach it provides. Again, this only really applies if you have some reservations about needing that much reach.

All in all this lens provides excellent image quality at a very reasonable price when you consider the focal lengths it covers. Some don't care for the zoom mechanism (pull/push) but I find that this allows me to zoom in and out faster and more precisely.




 "Great lens, but" 2010-06-08
By Mike From Mesa (Mesa, AZ)
I think the first thing that must be said is that this lens takes great pictures. The IS works really well and allows hand-held use, even in relatively dim light, if you are willing to crank up the ISO enough. I have taken some pictures I was very pleased with at about 7pm in the evening by using ISO 800 and, upon occasion, ISO 1600. Otherwise this lens needs either a monopod or, preferably, a tripod.

The barrel slides in and out smoothly making it easy to frame your picture and the auto-focus works well. Fast and quiet. I have not had a problem with the AF hunting except in very low light. Except at 400mm the pictures are sharp and clear and, when the lens is fully open, the DOF is nice and slim allowing the subjects of the photo to really stand out. Even at 400mm this lens is much better than my Tamron 200-400 in terms of clarify and, what softness I did find at 400mm, was easily corrected in Photoshop. All in all a very nice lens except that ...

1) This lens is heavy. I know other people have said the same thing, but it did not become clear to me until I tried to use this lens as a "walk-around" lens. After about 30 minutes it started to become a real problem. And, because I was using this lens on an entry level DSLR (the Canon T1i) it felt as though the lens was not secure in the camera mount. The lens is so much heavier than the camera.

2) This lens is long and there is no lens lock switch as on some other zoom lenses. There is a barrel tension adjustment which, I suppose, is supposed to help keep the lens from "creeping", but it did not prevent the lens from extending to its full length when I used it. Since the lens, including the lens hood, is 14" long when extended, I found the lens handing down to my knees if I did not hold the lens when walking.

3) Canon provides a very nice padded lens case, but no case strap. The vendor I bought this from (Canoga Camera) provided a lens strap, but it was thin and without padding so using it became painful after a bit. It might be worth purchasing a padded lens case strap.

4) Obviously, because of the length of this length even when closed, you cannot expect to use the built-in flash without creating unsightly shadows in your picture, but I had no problems using even my small (270EX) Canon SpeedLite.

5) A comment. Some reviewers have warned against using cheap UV filters. I bought a UV filter which I believed to be just fine, but it caused really unsightly blurring in the pictures I took when I viewed them at 40% or more. I initially thought the problem was the lens and could not believe such an expensive lens would take such bad pictures. But after I removed the filter and re-took the pictures I realized that the problem was the filter, not the lens. Be careful if you buy a UV filter to make sure it does not adversely affect your pictures.

I use my camera and lenses mostly away from home. I like to hike through the National Parks in the West and that generally means climbing up and down on a regular basis. Given that usually I also carry either a monopod or a tripod, it makes it difficult to use this lens as a "walk-around" lens. I need one hand to hold the lens, another to hold the monopod and a third to help me get up or down some of the hills. So to use this lens I would have to leave it in the case (swinging back and forth as I climb) so that I have at least one hand free, or use a back pack. Either of those means leaving the lens un-mounted and having to then constantly mount and un-mount the lens to take pictures.

Given all of this I would recommend this lens if you expect to use it close to home (or car, or camp site) and do not expect to have to do much hiking. Under these circumstances this is a wonderful lens. Otherwise you are going to have to be constantly mounting and un-mounting it to take pictures. Not only is that trouble, but it means you are going to lose a lot of spontaneous shots because you will not be prepared.

If, like I, you expect to be climbing or walking in rough areas, I would recommend a smaller lens. I reluctantly returned this lens and expect to replace it with the Canon 70-300 DO. It won't have the reach, and may not have the IQ, but it will be easy to use and I will be ready to use it.


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