100-400L f/4.5-5.6 IS USM LENS USER REVIEW

Friday, May 19, 2006

It is the lens that is talked about, raved about and celebrated all over the world. The reasons are many. To list a few -

1. Image Stabilization that can give shake-free images at lower shutter speeds
2. A long zoom range providing versatility in shooting different kind of subject
3. Sharpness levels that are not seen in comparable zoom lenses
4. Value for money


The 100-400L

Here are a feature list of what the lens offers:

1. EF mount lens for EOS cameras.
2. Zoom lens with focal length range of 100mm to 400mm
3. Autofocus with a USM motor
4. Image Stabilization
5. Push pull zoom
6. Speed - f/4.5-5.6
7. Minimun focusing distance - 1.8m

Who should consider this lens:

1. For wildlife photographer who can't afford the more expensive primes and fast lenses, but still needs a telephoto lens which can give reasonable image quality.
2. If your wildlife subject includes both birds and animals, a combination of which will require you to use wider range of focal length, but you would not want to spend time changing lenses often.
3. Some people use this for photographing airplanes.
4. This is also suitable for people photography. Though it is not the best lens for portraits it is very useful when you are shooting moments, or life in action. The zoom range is very useful though a 70-200 would serve the purpose well.

The 100-400L may not be for you if you are using an 18mp camera. It may provide sharp enough output, but if you are shooting with a 1Ds Mark II, the details may appear soft. See what luminous-landscape has to say about it. It may not be suitable for you if you need really razor sharp images with zero flaws. The 100-400L may not be very suitable for sports and action since it is not a fast lens,with the aperture opening up only by f/5.6 in the longest focal length.

For a wildlife photographer who is used to working with a tripod, a 400mm prime lens sold by Canon, which comes in the same budget may be a better option. Another option that people often consider is to use a combination of 300mm prime lens with a 1.4TC, which is again in the same budget.

IMAGE QUALITY

The 100-400L is respected for the sharpness and image quality it renders. Though general opinion is that it makes quality images with reasonable sharpness, you occasionally do hear complaints. I shoot with an 8mp camera and I have found the output acceptable, though it can't be compared with primes. I sometimes use the lens for shooting landscape(when I don't like to be bothered by the ordeal of changing to a wide angle lens) and in such cases I wish the output was a bit more sharper. But its still good enough and can be resurrected by a little extra sharpening on the computer.


A test image taken at 400mm


100% crop of the above image



A test image taken at 100mm


100% crop of the above image

Above images were taken with an EOS 350D, at ISO 200, f/5.6 and f/4.5 with the lens mounted on a tripod and using self timer, processed with Capture One pro and sharpened using photoshop.

OTHER FEATURES

With Canon's USM motor inside, focussing is noise free, fast, and near instant. There are two focussing modes - one between 1.8m to infinity when the camera hunts the full distance, and another mode between 6.5m to infinity. The later mode can be set when your subject is likely to be farther, and not having to hunt the full scope of the lens increases the focussing speed considerably.

The lens is not very heavy, and can be used for shooting handheld. Image stabilization is a great aid in shooting hand held. The IS is impressive, and I have got sharp images at shutter speeds as low as 1/6 sec in favorable conditions. Though it is difficult to achieve this figure in the field, it is not difficult to get good images at 1/30 to 1/60sec.

The 100-400L uses push pull zoom mechanism, which some people find annoying. My personal experience is that it is far more easier to work with a push pull zoom than rotating zoom. You can change the focal length much easily and must faster. And even if you are not comfortable in the beginning, it is a matter of getting used to it.

To conclude, it is a good lens for those who want to shoot birds and other wildlife handheld, but don't expect the sharpness of a prime.