Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS L Topic

[Redskin301]

Cool pictures warthog, specially the firtst one creative shot. I ordered this lens last week, sow i will be a 100-400 user in the nearby future

[Joris van Boven]

Well, (semi)static photos are not the problem with this lens.
Moving objects are

[warthog64]

Well, (semi)static photos are not the problem with this lens.
Moving objects are

moving @ 400mm's




[/b]

[E. Schoonderwoerd]

A lot have been said about the 100-400, about it's pro and cons. What I miss is the aspect of the camera which is used.

Allthough you want to have a lens that will be 'perfect under all circumstances' the 100-400 mm seems to be slow when taking 'action shots', when using some kind of cameras. I own two bodies and using the 100-400 on my 1DII gives me perfect results (even wide open), compared to my 30D. The 1DII has two processors, one entirely for the AF. On the other hand, with all respect, a non 1-serie camera can not compete with 45 (larger) AF-points. Also the sensor of a 1 serie camera is larger. When you take these aspects into account, it makes a huge difference on which body you want to use the 100-400.

Furthermore the 100-400 mm is non-parfocal. See the next list followed by the explaination
(Parfocal zooms in the Canon EF lens line-up are essentially limited to the fixed-aperture L-series category and front-focusing zoom lenses.

The products include:
EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM ·
EF 17-40mm f/4L USM ·
EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM ·
EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM ·
EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM ·
EF 70-200mm f/4L USM ·
EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM ·
EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM ·
EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III ·
EF 90-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM ·
EF 90-300mm f/4.5-5.6
EF 17-35mm f/2.8L USM ·
EF 20-35mm f/2.8L ·
EF 28-70mm f/2.8L USM ·
EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM ·
EF 50-200mm f/3.5-4.5 USM ·
EF 50-200mm f/3.5-4.5 ·
EF 70-210mm f/4 ·
EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 II USM ·
EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 II ·
EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 USM ·
EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 ·
EF 80-200mm f/2.8L ·
EF 100-300mm f/5.6L ·
EF 100-300mm f/5.6

EF zoom lenses with Super Inner Cam focusing, which include most of the non-L zooms introduced from 1990 onwards as well as the EF 35-350mm f/3.5-5.6L USM and the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM, are not parfocal.
This is some more information provided by the invaluable Chuck Westfall of Canon US. This information was original posted on the Rob Galbraith Forums on 29 May '03

With some zoom lenses if you zoom after focusing, the focus point moves forward or backwards, so you need to focus again. This sometimes is called focus shift. There could be other meanings as well. Lenses that do not behave like this are called perfocal lenses

I hope this addition helps to find out the (dis)advantages of the camera or lens.

[wright flyer]

HA

Paar weken geleden voor de keuze gestaan voor een nieuwe set. Heb ook de 100-400 overwogen maar laten vallen, ik ben voor een 70-200 gegaan (IS, altijd handig voor choppers) en voor een prime lens.

v.w.b de 400mm plaatjes hier in dit topic, ik vind enkele nogal oversharpend. Goed te zien bij het nummer (kartelingen in lijnen). Overigens zitten er ook wel een aantal goede tussen, maar het vreemde aan de lens is dat de resultaten heel wisselend zijn, toch een grote gok voor 1400,-.

Frank

[Joris van Boven]

Hi Emile
Long time no see!!

Thanks for the update.

A lot have been said about the 100-400, about it's pro and cons. What I miss is the aspect of the camera which is used.

Allthough you want to have a lens that will be 'perfect under all circumstances' the 100-400 mm seems to be slow when taking 'action shots', when using some kind of cameras. I own two bodies and using the 100-400 on my 1DII gives me perfect results (even wide open), compared to my 30D. The 1DII has two processors, one entirely for the AF. On the other hand, with all respect, a non 1-serie camera can not compete with 45 (larger) AF-points. Also the sensor of a 1 serie camera is larger. When you take these aspects into account, it makes a huge difference on which body you want to use the 100-400.

Furthermore the 100-400 mm is non-parfocal. See the next list followed by the explaination
(Parfocal zooms in the Canon EF lens line-up are essentially limited to the fixed-aperture L-series category and front-focusing zoom lenses.

The products include:
EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM ·
EF 17-40mm f/4L USM ·
EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM ·
EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM ·
EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM ·
EF 70-200mm f/4L USM ·
EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM ·
EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM ·
EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III ·
EF 90-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM ·
EF 90-300mm f/4.5-5.6
EF 17-35mm f/2.8L USM ·
EF 20-35mm f/2.8L ·
EF 28-70mm f/2.8L USM ·
EF 28-80mm f/2.8-4L USM ·
EF 50-200mm f/3.5-4.5 USM ·
EF 50-200mm f/3.5-4.5 ·
EF 70-210mm f/4 ·
EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 II USM ·
EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 II ·
EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 USM ·
EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 ·
EF 80-200mm f/2.8L ·
EF 100-300mm f/5.6L ·
EF 100-300mm f/5.6

EF zoom lenses with Super Inner Cam focusing, which include most of the non-L zooms introduced from 1990 onwards as well as the EF 35-350mm f/3.5-5.6L USM and the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM, are not parfocal.
This is some more information provided by the invaluable Chuck Westfall of Canon US. This information was original posted on the Rob Galbraith Forums on 29 May '03

With some zoom lenses if you zoom after focusing, the focus point moves forward or backwards, so you need to focus again. This sometimes is called focus shift. There could be other meanings as well. Lenses that do not behave like this are called perfocal lenses

I hope this addition helps to find out the (dis)advantages of the camera or lens.

[Iwan Bogels]

Hi Emile,

Thanks for explaining the non-parfocal subject. I was aware of this fenomenon, but hadn't thought about it on this problem.

But if I think about it, I feel that the AI-servo function eliminates this problem, as it's constantly adjusting the focus. So this shouldn't be causing problems in operational use.

Nevertheless it's clear to hear that your lens performs better on your EOS-1D compared to the EOS-30D. That's a very important point !

These days the price of second hand EOS-1D Mark II's is dropping fast, and is currently at about Euro 2100. Still a high price to pay, but I have heard more and more people switching to this camera, or buying it as a second body. I expect that with the introduction of the Mark III, the Mark II will drop even further.

Thanks again for the explaination, and I'm looking forward to read if people feel different about the non-parfocal and AI-servo thing. After all some people are using this lens at the full 400mm only, so shifting should not occur in these instances. Do these people also have the focus problem ?

Cheers,
Iwan

[Redskin301]

With some zoom lenses if you zoom after focusing, the focus point moves forward or backwards, so you need to focus again. This sometimes is called focus shift.

Sow this is an operator error if this occur

[SpotterNL]

With some zoom lenses if you zoom after focusing, the focus point moves forward or backwards, so you need to focus again. This sometimes is called focus shift.

Sow this is an operator error if this occur

No, it is a design 'feature'

[Kees van der Velden]

Some shots with the 100-400 of MOVING subjects:







camera used was a Canon 20D

Kees van der Velden

[E. Schoonderwoerd]

100-400 at 400 mm with eos 1DII (don't mind the dirty sensor)




Happy spotting!
Emile

[Joris van Boven]

Some shots with the 100-400 of MOVING subjects:



Kees van der Velden

Sadly bad news about the BA nr 6 http://www.scramble.nl/forum/viewtopic.php?p=170015" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Kees van der Velden]

Bad news Joris! I hadn't heard it yet. Thanks for pointing out.

Kees

[Mister C]

EF100-400mm combined with EOS30D. Never had problems with unsharp pictures..


Miroslawiec 26/4:

http://img296.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 22bcs3.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Poznan last Friday 27/4:

http://img82.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img6142buu4.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Rgds,

Carlo

[Rep09]

I sold my 100-400!
Only had problems with it!
3 out of 4 photos were unsharp.
It didn't matter what kind of weather it was, it didnt
matter which shutterspeed you used, it was 3 out of 4 times unsharp!

I visited ETB in Roosendaal 3 times but they could not
find any problem......(they repaired the stabilizer(???)but no approvement)
I went back to Kamera Xpress in Capelle a/d Yssel where I bought the lens and after thet tested it on a stativ, they admitted there was a well known problem with the 100-400 lens above 300mm but they did not wanted to tell me the exact details!
I told ETB/Canon about my experiences at Kamera Xpress but they were not aware of any unshapness with they 100-400 lenses and I was the first one who told them about this issue!

Maybe it is like a car, you must be lucky to have a good one!
A friend of mine uses a 100-400 without any problem. Really great photos!
I tried his lens on my Canon 30D and it worked all fine!
I went back to Kamera Xpress to try another 100-400, brandnew out of the box.....and yes: same problem, unsharp! Holy&^$$*.

So I sold my 100-400, which I am sorry for because the range is great!
It's much more flexiable then a fix 300mm lens but .......
I will stay with my 70-200 2.8 and my 300mm 4.0 with a 1.4 extender (if
necesssary)

Kas