Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens Review

Canon classifies the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens as a "Super Telephoto" lens. It is super in image quality, but is not super in size.

The Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens is relatively light in weight (2.8 lb / 1,250g) but very solidly built. It feels long and narrow (10.1" x 3.5" / 256.5mm x 90.0mm) in your hand - and feels even lighter than it is. This feel is most similar to the Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens. The built-in slide-out lens hood is very convenient.

A member of the Canon L Lens Series, the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens' overall optical and mechanical performance are excellent.

Focusing is very fast and quiet thanks to Ring USM (Ultrasonic Motor). CA (Chromatic Aberration) is very well controlled. Color, saturation and contrast are excellent. Bokeh (background blur quality) is very nice thanks in part to an 8-blade aperture. Vignetting is very well controlled. Very minor pincushion distortion is present, but it will not be noticed in most (if any) of your images.

The Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens performs superbly in the sharpness department. Even wide open, the 400 f/5.6 produces very sharp images - That is if you keep the lens still during the exposure ...

What is missing, in my opinion, is IS (Image Stabilization). Handholding a 400mm f/5.6 lens requires lots of light, high ISO settings, and/or very steady arms. Many people use this lens this handheld without a problem, but I think adding IS would be a huge improvement in the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens. Using a sturdy tripod or monopod can resolve this problem.

Weather sealing is another missing option that would be useful in the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens - a lens that sees primarily outdoor use.

The Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens is compatible with and performs very well with the Canon Extender EF 1.4x. Do note that autofocus will be lost on Canon non-pro bodies when using this combination. The 400 f/5.6 is also compatible with the Canon Extender EF 2x, but no Canon bodies will autofocus this combination. A notable of minor importance is that the lens diameter at the 400's mount is slightly narrower than the extenders.

When purchased from a reputable dealer, a tripod collar and nice padded Canon LZ1132 case are included in the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens box.

The Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens is popular for bird photography and especially birds in flight as it offers lots of reach for a reasonable cost in a relatively light package. Good vignetting performance helps keep even blue skies as they should be - evenly blue. Other uses include wildlife photography and well-lit field sports.

Canon 400mm Lens Comparison Picture

The Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 IS L Lens (above left) is shorter than the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens. The 70-200 IS has a Wimberley Lens Plate attached to the tripod collar.

The big question is always - which lens should I buy/rent? The Canon EF 300mm f/4 L IS USM Lens plus the Canon Extender EF 1.4x (420mm f/5.6 IS), the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens or the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens? This is not an easy question to answer, but I'll attempt to give some suggestions.

First, the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens wins the versatility category hands down. It is by far the most popular of the three lenses. It is very close in sharpness to the two primes when shot wide open at identical focal lengths and better than the 300 f/4 IS + 1.4x combo. It shows more distortion (pincushion) and more vignetting. The weights of these three comparable lenses and lens combinations are similar but the 100-400 will remove more weight from your wallet than the two primes.

If you already own a Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 IS L Lens, you might not need the 100-400's versatility as much. In this situation, one of the primes might make more sense for you.

The Canon EF 300mm f/4 L IS USM Lens wins for widest aperture and native (without 1.4x) smallest/lightest physical size.

A big advantage over the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens is the Canon EF 300mm f/4 L IS USM Lens and Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens' image stabilization. These two lenses also have the largest out-of-the-box magnification capability - .24x and .2x respectively vs. .12x for the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens (delivered at the relatively long minimum focus distance of 11.5' / 3.5m).

If you need the best 400mm image quality available in this price range, the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens is a good choice - it performs superbly. Give careful consideration to the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens before making your buy/rent decision.

Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens Sample Pictures ...

Rent the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens (Using these links supports this site)
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* If out of stock, ask the rental company if they can accommodate your need.

More Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens Reviews & Information
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Birds as Art (vs. 300mm f/4 IS)

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