weird bokeh on 100-400 II

The shadows are pushed, but that's not causing the bokeh issue (I looked at the raw).

Maybe not that pronounced, but I sometimes get this type of bokeh when using the 100-400II on crop cameras (less so on the 5D4). It particularly happens when the background is grass, reeds, or thin tree branches, and mostly on warm sunny days. I still have not figured out why, but like others here, I suspect it is the atmospheric effect.

atmospherics and why is the subject so soft? better light always helps.

IMAGE LINK: http://erader.zenfolio​.com/img/s3/v25/p25684​09811-5.jpg

Your photo has nothing to do with the subject of strange/busy bokeh? I tried to figure out what you are answering in your reply and somehow am missing it.

losangelino wrote in post #18475102
The noise on his left pant leg is oddly high for ISO 250. Were the shadows pushed up? Wondering if the bokeh youre seeing is also just the same source of noise.

I noticed this too.

That whole picture looks kind of odd.

I've not run into anything like that with mine.

if you shoot in crap light you get crap results. you understand that? if you don't understand just skip my post in the future. I won't be offended because I skip almost all of yours.

The photo wasn't shot in crap light, again you didn't reply to any post nor quoted any, so your reply doesn't make sense, nor does your example exemplify anything being discussed. But that is par for the course I guess. And I am pretty sure even with crappy light, whatever that means, can still be used to create some great photos.

don't worry about me or what I post. move along son

Sometimes the 100-400 II shows weird bokeh, a kind of doubling of the out-of-focus areas. It is a well-known effect. The old 100-400 did the same thing. The issue has been discussed a few times here at POTN.

The effect varies quite a bit. Sometimes it is not noticeable, other times (but not as often) it really jumps out. It seems to depend on the aperture used, the distance to the background, and the shape of the things in the background.

Here is an example of mine, an arboreal Canada Goose.

Photo from Archibald's gallery.
Image hosted by forum (733994)

Here are some links to discussions of the weird bokeh issue with the 100-400 and 100-400 II.

http://www.birdforum.n​et/showthread.php?t=14​4328
https://www.photo.net …0-400-is-lens-help.50754/
http://www.fredmiranda​.com/forum/topic/13789​25
http://www.fredmiranda​.com/forum/topic/15113​36
https://www.juzaphoto.​com/article.php?l=en&a​rticle=47

There were also discussions here at POTN, but I can't find those right now.

Some folks blame atmospheric haze or a filter or humidity, but those are not the cause. The effect is due to the optics of the lens combined with the right conditions to bring it out.

I am pretty happy with the 70-200II with its bokeh. I will have to try it more on busy backgrounds to see what it does, but I remember the same basic issues with the original 100-400 too. This is about as low crappy light as you get, nothing but candlelights in the room, but it made for a nice scene after dinner and the evening out was nearly over.

IMAGE LINK: https://photos.smugmug​.com …/216A1071-X3.jpg&lb=1&s=A

I haven't ever seen those odd background details with my 100-400L ii.... I wonder if it's because I'm usually at f/7.1 or higher so I'll have larger birds in focus from their eyes to the tip of their wings.

I shot an outside beach wedding a few weeks ago with my 70-200 f/2.8 ll and didn't see anything odd there and I was wide open most of the time. I was the second shooter, btw. I don't have enough faith to be a main wedding photographer.

Phoenixkh wrote in post #18477432
I haven't ever seen those odd background details with my 100-400L ii.... I wonder if it's because I'm usually at f/7.1 or higher so I'll have larger birds in focus from their eyes to the tip of their wings.

I have, not often though, at various F stops. Still do not know what is common for those shots - F stops, lighting, temperature, presence of a TC, etc. But since this effect is only occasional, I am not going to spend time to determine the cause.

Even some of the best bokeh rendering lenses can produce funky patterns with the right texture & light combination at a distance that pops it just right. Far enough away, it will not do anything but blur. Close enough, it starts to blur and the weird stuff pops out. It's not unique to the 100-400's. All lenses do it. It's just a different combination of the variables that produces it for each one.

That said, it doesn't help shooting through heat haze, that will render both the subject (in focus) and out of focus areas into a weird mess.

Very best,

MalVeauX wrote in post #18477590
Even some of the best bokeh rendering lenses can produce funky patterns with the right texture & light combination at a distance that pops it just right. Far enough away, it will not do anything but blur. Close enough, it starts to blur and the weird stuff pops out. It's not unique to the 100-400's. All lenses do it. It's just a different combination of the variables that produces it for each one.

That said, it doesn't help shooting through heat haze, that will render both the subject (in focus) and out of focus areas into a weird mess.

Very best,

We don't quite have that "special" humidity you find in SE Asia.... but we get close here in Florida. It does make summer photography a challenge sometimes. Truth be told, we don't go out near as much in the summer months. I find the Spring bird rookeries around Florida to be tons of fun.. and it's usually only in the low to mid 80's.. so almost bearable for 3 or 4 hours.