| 400mm |
$6,899 average price |
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Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM User Reviews
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Very sharp at f/4, exceptional focussing and IS. Works very well with Canon 2xTC III.Price
The four earlier reviews sum up well this lens. I use the 300mm f/2.8 II, 100-400mm II, Sigma 150-600mm C and the 400mm DO II on both a 5DIV and 5DS R. Optically at 400mm, there is little to choose among all four of them in the centre, but the 400mm DO II wins out at the edges. The DO II comes into its own in two areas. Firstly, for birds in flight, the exceptionally fast and accurate focussing of the bare lens puts it into a class of its own. Secondly, it works very well with the Canon 2xTC III. It produces contrasty images with great resolution and focusses reasonably fast. If you photographing perched birds and static animals in the open with reasonable light, then is it doesn't make too much difference using the DO II, 100-400mm II and the Sigma C. For birds in flight, the DO is my go to lens followed by the Canon zoom, and in the shade, the f/4 of course.
reviewed September 17th, 2017 -
Portability, and handling without and with extendersPrice
Canon 400mm f/4 DO MK II............... versus Canon 100-400mm MK II , Tamron 150-600mm and Sigma 150-600mm Sport,... and the optically perfect "Tony Northrup extender"...................... my first impressions
reviewed March 7th, 2016 (purchased for $7,000)
After working my way thru approx. 300 RAW pictures
taken with my Canon 7D MK II in combination with this
lens and the Canon 100-400mm L IS MK II, Tamron 150-600mm
and the Sigma 150-600 Sport, I found out that I, in general, agree with
the findings at:
http://arihazeghiphotography.com//canon-400mm-f4-is-do-ma/
Especially the findings regarding how it works with the Canon MK III extenders.
At the indicated, not the true, focal length of 400mm, the difference in resolution between my Tamron 150-600mm, my Canon 100-400mm MK II,
my new Canon 400mm f/4 DO MK II and a borrowed Sigma 150-600mm Sport, was of no significance to my photography. (that is, birds, butterflies and dragonflies, for the latter two I use my Canon 100-400mm because of its superior min. focal distance)
Looking at the contrast the Canon lenses came out on top. Looking at the other main optical parameters, not that important to me, the Canon 400mm DO came out on top.
Best performance at 400mm for the Tamron and the Sigma and the Canon 100-400mm occurred at f/7.1 to f/8 and for the DO lens at f/5.6.
At 600mm the Sigma outclassed the Tamron, both worked best at f/8.
But the Tamron has a great weight advantage, which to me, is a greater
benefit than the loss of sharpness above 450mm.
I preferred the Canon 400mm DO at 560mm and f/7.1, and also at 800mm f/8 (with Canon extenders MK III 1.4x and 2x) to the Sigma at
600mm f/8. (cropping) And this, please note, before I added the benefit of Canons superior stabilizing , better autofocus and the big weight advantage.
I like to carry the lens (in use) in its foot with a loose strap for extra
safety. Tamron has a good foot, the Sigma not so good, to short
a distance between the foot and lens body.
Both foots on the Canon lenses are to short for a good grip,
so I replaced the original Canon DO foot with the one Canon uses on
the 400mm f/2.8 and the 200-400mm f/4. Perfect fit and grip with good balance even when using the extenders.
In the end, when on foot in nature, size, weight and handling are the main
parameters, if not the only, in my world at least, that matters.
And for that purpose I could live with the Tamron, its a very good 150-400mm lens with an extra gear.
The Sigma is a good lens superior optically and mechanically to the Tamron, but too heavy to carry around in order to take photos on the fly.
Canon 100-400 MK II is, of course, the Sigmas total antithesis when it comes to handling, not to mention autofocus and stabilizing, and it can be used with the 1.4x extender.
Canon 400 DO MK II is as easy to carry around for prolonged time as
the Canon 100-400. Its the perfect lens for birds in flight, and has
the advantage of working surprisingly well with both extenders.
Its not always, when on the fly, possible to use the Tony Northrup
extender. This excellent extender is cheap and has an outstanding
optical quality. Does this extender exist ? I hear you ask ! Of course
it does, its your feet, move closer !
But when the Tony Northrup extender is not available, the next best
thing is, as I see it, the Canon 400mm DO MK II with/without extenders.
Eje Hulten.
[email protected] -
Light weight, Extremely well made, Fantastic IS, Good opticsNot tack sharp
I am strictly a wildlife shooter. My hobby in retirement.
reviewed December 5th, 2015 (purchased for $5,000)
I can say SLRGear's review of this lens is spot on.
Shooting wildlife I use the 300 II and 500 II lenses. Both are the pentacle of optical quality in there classes IMO.
The 400 DO II lens while very good, and the build quality is top notch. It just does not optically reach the quality my other lenses.
The colors are a little off. I cannot put a finger on it. Not a deal breaker, but different.
Optically wide open it is like my 300mm II lens with a 1.4 T.C. attached at F/4 (wide open). The problem is when I stop down my 300 to F/4.5-5.6 with a 1.4 T.C. It goes into the tack sharp range. While the DO doesn't.
Can you see the difference in sharpness? Yes you can. With a good monitor and 100% it is apparent.
If you'r main object is shooting BIF? I would say jump on this lens. It's AF speed is amazing, and very accurate. With the extra reach, and light weight it makes for one of the best BIF lens I have ever used.
If shooting larger animals it is a very good lens. You won't be dissapointed in the least.
Shooting birds I can definitely tell a difference in the plumage detail between this lens and the 300 or 500. Not huge, but it is there. That is what I am comparing it too. So, my score is going to be a little lower than the others.
if interested. I have some photos with it on my flickr site.
www.flickr.com/photos/avianphotos -
Light weight, Good Optical Performance, Improved ISCould be cheaper!
I bought this lens because I have always wanted a DO lens but the first version of the 400mm DO was a little disappointing - based on online reviews. So when the Mk II was annnounced towards the end of 2014, I eagerly waited for some positive reviews. After a long wait, I managed to come across 3 positive reviews of this new lens.
reviewed October 4th, 2015
When I got the lens, I tested it against my 300mm f2.8 II. Optically, I feel they are very similar. Performance with the 1.4X TC was very good - both AF and sharpness were very good. With the 2X TC, AF was noticeably slower but in good light, it was still reasonably fast. I had to do a bit of AF micro adjustment before I could consistently get accurate AF and sharp images. Yes, even with the 2X TC, the 400mm f4 DO II delivered sharp images wide open. BUT you need to be very careful with vibration due to mirror slap and other vibrations. Using Live View mode and a remote cord, I could consistently obtain sharp images @ f8 using the 7D Mk II.
This lens is a keeper for me because it has longer reach than the 300mm and sharpness is very good - with or without TCs -
Size, weight, optical quality.Price
This lens intrigued me ever since the first version came out, but I resisted the urge due to the cost and the fact the IQ was considerably lower than other super telephotos.
reviewed September 22nd, 2015 (purchased for $6,300)
I've used the 300f2.8 version II, and it was a nail biter when I decided to sell it for this lens. Thankfully, I couldn't be happier. The lens performs admirably with the 1.4x and 2x, easily yielding publishable images. Coupled with the 7D mark II, it is a fabulous combination with great reach and portability. Other than griping about the price, I can honestly say this is a great lens and I don't regret selling my 300.
