Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone owns or has used a Canon 100-400 L zoom lens?

If so i would be interested to know a bit more about what you shot, how you thought it performed and do you think its a good lens?

I have been looking at this lens, since it offers a very nice range for putting it in a back pack and heading out to the track for a few hours (day of course). It is a little on the slower side, however for day shots it would do.

Just looking for some thoughts here or post of some pics you have taken with it.

cheers,

personally dont rate it.... to the extent i used my 70 200 2.8 USM IS with a 1.4 converter instead . thats MHO

How you finding that lens? I'm in the market for a new zoom

Well its Canon's most popular lens for motor sports!
Although I really do like the 70-300mm IS USM

hi Dave, thanks for your comments. I too have the 70-200 2.8 and use the 1.4x TC, however i sometimes find that when i am on a corner, that extra little bit of zoom would be nice.

If this zoom is not that good, could you recommend any other L series lens that could be close to this? i am currently not in the market to purchase a prime for motor sport.

I have seen lots of people using this lens around the track.

cheers mate.

I use the 100-400 IS USM lens for my surfing shots.

Its a shit focuser in dark light, but I never use it in dark light so it doesnt bother me. I find the focusing in my photos to be dead sharp most of the time.

Just to carry on, I know pro shooters who shoot Surfing mags, and when they go to Tahiti, they leave to 400 f/2.8 at home, and use the 100-400.

The extra zoom is just so worth it

Thats very true Lance...

Looks like the 100 - 400mm is the go for you carrot!

Maybe suggest an L series 300mm or 400mm?

Good point Spose it all depends on your requirements

Exactly right
It was like me, being an idiot walking around with a 400mm L Series at QR and then finding out that where I was standing, most of the track was too close for the lens Then again, it was my first time there and I had no idea

It is not a great lens... too soft towards the 400mm end...

Go the 70-200 with teleconverter or a Sigma or Tamron equiv.

go a sigma 50-500_ heard its fucked around the 50is mark and 500ish mark heaps of zoom for daylight shit

dunno what crack ur smoking but from what i have seen carrot shoots cars cars are faster than surfing and id prefer to have to crop 30mm to have a faster focus and shutter than a slow 100 400....

i dont know anyone that uses a 100 400 on cars ... i lie angus has one he uses for shute shots at willowbank, everyone else i know uses a 70 200 2.8 IS with a 1.4 or has 300mm2.8 or 400mm f4

might work for lance with that nancy boy surfing shit, but nothing comes close to a 70- 200 in that range or the prime 300mm or 400mm

but hey what would i know

Its zoom is good, but its no where as sharp at the Canon 400. A guy I know uses it and the colours are so flat.

Thank you all for your postings on this lens. Much appreciate the feed back. You can use a lens in the store and take many photos, but its also good to know how people find it out in the 'real' world before you make a purchase.



Looks like it may be the way to go. I do really love my 70-200 2.8 and it excels in low light, however i was just after a lens with a little more reach. (The 70-200 2.8 is my main lens at the track at the moment, sometimes with the 1.4x TC on it.)
The only problem that seems with the 100-400 is if i was to use it at night. however at the moment i totally understand that it wouldn't be too useful at night. I guess thats where the 2.8 lens will come in.

Zeeute, so you have the 2.8L 400mm or the f/4?

How did you find shooting with the Prime?

I am sure that it has been mentioned here before, but i am not sure that a Prime would be the best for Motor sport unless you are camped in the one spot with great line of sight.



Thanks dave for your comments again.
So i am guessing what you are saying is that since i am after a bit more reach, the next lens i should probably look at would be a prime? If i am to primarily use this lens for Motor sport, and nothing else at the moment, maybe it is better to save and hold out for a 300mm 2.8 or a 400mm f4/2.8?
Since these primes would give back a lot better results?
Have you had any experience with a 300mm or 400mm prime on the track? if so was it ok to shoot with? (of course positioning would have to be good.)

Cheers mate.

carrot to give you an idea ... the limit you are aloud at the track down the line 100 400 will be useless as well.... so u have a good chance of missing that shot

id stay the fuck away from it 100 -400 that is



review from amazon

I own Canon's EF 1.4X II teleconverter and have used it on this lens with great results. The 70-200mm is so sharp to begin with that there's no appreciable loss in sharpness when combined with the 1.4X TC. Reportedly, the results from the 2X TC are not as good, and some find the falloff in sharpness to be too much (not just with this lens, but with any of the telephoto lenses).



and another

I reviewed the lens lineup at the Canon website and decided on purchasing the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM Lens. The 100-400mm is a great lens, but it can be a little soft. For that reason I decided to add the Canon EF 70-200mm 2.8/f IS USM telephoto zoom lens to my lens collection.

and another

The Canon EF 70-200mm is such an awesome lens, it almost fails to compare to the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM telephoto zoom. The EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM telephoto zoom lens is a well used option for me, but the clarity and sharpness of the 70-200mm IS lens is more refined.



personally if u get the 100 400 i will stab you..

i bought it and was extremely disapointed with it and sold it the next week

I own the EF 400mm f/5.6L USM... And i love it Really really good lens. I know your saying you don't really want it for motor sports, but here are the pictures i took with it from QR

http://www.boostcruising.com/forums/index....howtopic=284583

If you want, I can arrange for you to have a bit of a muck around with the lens?

Those shots from QR zeeute, how far from the track are you?