Canon 100-400 L

I remember walking into the camera store ready to make my first BIG lens purchase.  In my arsenal at the time was a Rebel XT and the 28-135.  Unfortunately, the 28-135 couldn't give me the needed reach for wildlife photography.  Behold, the 100-400L.  It combines superb image quality with versatility.  After holding this beast in the store, I made the purchase and was off to the wildlife refuge ready to capture whatever critter came my way! 

The Canon 100-400 L is a push-pull design.  While many people dislike the feel of this, I actually enjoy it.  There is a tension ring that can lock the focal length or it can be loosened for zooming in and out quickly.  The IS (image stabilization) is rated for 2 stops, which is better than not having it at all.

I find the autofocus to be pretty good, although not super fast.  When shooting birds in flight, it has a tendency to hunt some, especially in lower light.  As far as tracking is concerned, technique is the most important part.  This lens is very capable of tracking birds in flight or soccer players running down the field.  It is definitely slower to attain focus than the high end primes, but that is to be expected.  This lens is not meant for speed.

The sharpness of this lens is excellent.  With that said, is it as good as the 300 2.8 IS, 300 2.8 VR, 400 2.8 IS, 500 4 IS, etc.?  Of course not!  Is it close?  I think so!  I have owned many of the faster primes mentioned above and my favorite aspects about the 100-400 L are the lighter weight and versatility.  Yes, the fast primes are big, sharp, and just plain cool!  But they are heavy and don't allow for zooming.  I usually left mine at home when I was going on a hike or general outing.  If I had unlimited funds, I would definitely add a few of these big boys to my collection, however, I don't see that happening for a LONG time.  The images from the 100-400 L are very sharp, vibrant, and have great contrast.  It is a keeper in my book!  Highly recommended!  Below are some samples taken with the 100-400 L.

Canon Rebel XT + 100-400 L

Canon 1Ds Mark II + 100-400 L

Canon 1D Mark IIN + 100-400 L

Canon 1D Mark IIN + 100-400 L

Canon 1D Mark IIN + 100-400 L

Canon 1D Mark IIN + 100-400 L