EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Review WOW!

I love this lens... but I feel like I need one that's even longer.

Yes I know that's not surprising to the rest of you.

Archibald wrote in post #18333449
Have you consulted ebird?

Yes.

IanD wrote in post #18333446
Drive a little further east late next fall and I'll get you on Snowies and Great Greys.

OK. I'll keep that in mind. I found one great grey from ebird. There were reports of snowies not far from where I live but the several times I went they weren't there. The images I have seen they mostly hang around on top of the highway lamp posts.

IanD wrote in post #18333670
Sort of like our Guard Beavers.

Beware of Honey Badgers!!!

Takeoff !

interceptor dood...

Green Rat Snake found in the Coronado National Forest.

For Herpers this is often a life list snake.

NateD wrote in post #18335262
Green Rat Snake found in the Coronado National Forest.

For Herpers this is often a life list snake.

Do you mean difficult to find and tick off your list - like a birdwatcher has a list of species he or she has seen?

dodgyexposure wrote in post #18336206
Do you mean difficult to find and tick off your list - like a birdwatcher has a list of species he or she has seen?

Yeah, exactly. Sorry for the poor wording.

The reviews of this lens are making me want to get it. About 4 years ago I wanted a wildlife/birding lens and was just not impressed with the 100-400mm I IQ. I am the kind of guy who takes a lot of time to research and read reviews before dropping the kind of coin that I have spent on cars!!!! At the time the IQ, the awkward zoom, and "dust pump" reputation turned me off. I ended up with the Sigma 150-500mm zoom. I don't want to offend any Sigma fans so I will be gentle.....JUNK!!! After 6 months I sold it and bought the Canon 400mm L F/5.6 and in 5 minutes I had better images than I did with the Sigma. You guys are making me think about selling this lens and getting the 100-400mm MII. I just love the 400mm so much it is hard for me to believe that a zoom is going to give me the same quality. I shoot sports and know people that have the 400mm F/2.8 but use the F/5.6 during the day because of the size/weight and they feel as though they are not giving up much/any quality. Because I now shoot sports, a zoom would be a great help. I got to use the Canon 200-400mm F/4 w/1.4x converter @ the U.S. Open and is was such a pleasure, amazing!!!. However, at $11,000 it is completely out of the question. Thanks to all the people here that have responded to this thread, it has really helped my decision making.

Powerful owl (Ninox strenua)
With and without flash.

First: you won't be disappointed by this lens, it's fantastic in almost every way. You'd gain IS and versatility of the zoom over your current prime, at the cost of more weight. But when it comes to IQ vs. a prime, I have zero hesitation in putting this lens up against any prime in my lineup.

Second: you shot photos at the US Open... care to share any photos and/or experiences? When I am not traipsing about in the woods photographing wildlife/bugs, I'm wrapped up in tennis. You've combined my 2 favorite hobbies, so my interest is piqued

Pigpen101 wrote in post #18336321
The reviews of this lens are making me want to get it. About 4 years ago I wanted a wildlife/birding lens and was just not impressed with the 100-400mm I IQ. I am the kind of guy who takes a lot of time to research and read reviews before dropping the kind of coin that I have spent on cars!!!! At the time the IQ, the awkward zoom, and "dust pump" reputation turned me off. I ended up with the Sigma 150-500mm zoom. I don't want to offend any Sigma fans so I will be gentle.....JUNK!!! After 6 months I sold it and bought the Canon 400mm L F/5.6 and in 5 minutes I had better images than I did with the Sigma. You guys are making me think about selling this lens and getting the 100-400mm MII. I just love the 400mm so much it is hard for me to believe that a zoom is going to give me the same quality. I shoot sports and know people that have the 400mm F/2.8 but use the F/5.6 during the day because of the size/weight and they feel as though they are not giving up much/any quality. Because I now shoot sports, a zoom would be a great help. I got to use the Canon 200-400mm F/4 w/1.4x converter @ the U.S. Open and is was such a pleasure, amazing!!!. However, at $11,000 it is completely out of the question. Thanks to all the people here that have responded to this thread, it has really helped my decision making.

I did that, sold my 400 5.6 for the zoom. I really liked the 400 5.6 and it was great for flight shots where the IS is not an issue. The zoom is pretty amazing, though. I often shoot at local wetlands where the birds are accustomed to humans and sometimes get quite close or pop up close by. The zoom is great for those situations-when I had the prime I missed a lot of opportunities. If I was always far away from the subjects then it would not be an issue but I use the zoom feature a lot, whether I am shooting APSC or full frame.

As far as IQ I can't really see much difference between the two at 400mm but it's tough to really be objective when subjects are different so I don't know how valid my observations are. I recently got to use a 400DO as well as a 500 f4 for a couple of afternoons and talk about being blown away, I was by both. I am trying to figure out how to manage one of those beasts now........this never ends, does it?

Frankly if I only wanted to shoot at 400mm and didn't want to get UP CLOSE and personal the I think the 400 F5.6 L is very good and cheaper. On the other hand if you want to get close and need the versatility of the zoom then I can heartily recommend the 100-400 Mk2!

Nothing is perfect though! Much as I like my 100-400 Mk2 I really miss the "Trombone" zoom of the Mk1. This was much faster and more intuitive also the twist zoom of the Mk2 means that your left hand has to stay in one place - bad for balance. In practice this hampers the handling and stability of this (Mk2) lens which handles/balances badly IMO. Fortunately IS Mode 3 cures this but this is the ONLY lens I have that needs IS. Even my 800mm F5.6 L IS doesn't need IS!

Still the 100-400 is a remarkably good lens (IQ), very versatile and the close focus is excellent for reptiles and larger insects etc.

"One lens to rule them all"? Maybe not - but getting close...............