Canon EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II....at last, it's announced!!

kennethwfd said:
Sigma 150 - 600 twice as heavy, wonder how the canon will perform with T/c's in comparison to sigma without
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....Crikey! Does the Sigma 150-600mm weigh over 3,000g!? - If so, there really isn't much comparison as the Canon 100-400mm v2 can be handheld [I am starting a fitness regime of daily press-ups, and no, I'm not joking!].
 
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Notice that af micro adjustment is -3 :)

mb51xf.jpg
 
Balb0wa said:
Notice that af micro adjustment is -3 :)
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....I am still learning about such things - Is a micro adjustment something set in the camera body to better accommodate a particular lens? An individual lens or all lens of that specific model?

And is that -3 value a positive attribute?

Thanks :)
 
Its like fine tuning, perfecting the focus , its a good thing to have, different lenses, bodies , cant all be perfect.
 
ChrisHeathcote said:
How are you validating this comment? Just curious as given recent performance and announcements the 3rd party lens are performing very well.
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I have owned a 100-400L and currently own a 70-300L and a Sigma 150-500. Build quality of the 70-300L compared to the Sigma is way better and sharpness is in a different league as well as focusing speed. I would expect the new 100-400L to be very similar to the 70-300L. Maybe Sigma have upped the ante with their new 150-600 but I wouldn't know.
 
kennethwfd said:
yes, you're right.

Sigma 150 - 600 twice as heavy, wonder how the canon will perform with T/c's in comparison to sigma without
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Its also worth noting if you are comparing the Sigma with the Canon at 560mm (1.4x TC fitted), the aperture is actually f/8 rather than f/6.3. Also unless you are using a 7D2, 5D3 or 1 Series body you will lose AF and on those you will be limited to the centre 5 points.
 
Jackwow said:
I have owned a 100-400L and currently own a 70-300L and a Sigma 150-500. Build quality of the 70-300L compared to the Sigma is way better and sharpness is in a different league as well as focusing speed. I would expect the new 100-400L to be very similar to the 70-300L. Maybe Sigma have upped the ante with their new 150-600 but I wouldn't know.
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Hopefully not long before we start to see some comparisons :)
 
Bluetooth said:
Loving that window in the lens hood. lol
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....Me too. It's actually very important if you want to use a circular polarising filter. I bought a 67mm Hoya polariser to fit my 70-200mm F/4L and 100mm F/2.8L but also wanted one for my 300mm F/4L which is 77mm filter size, but to make it even more difficult that lens's hood isn't removable and it can be tricky to slide it to and from while keeping it straight.

This new window in the lens hood makes all the difference.

I hope that a lens hood is included in the price.
 
RedRobin said:
....Me too. It's actually very important if you want to use a circular polarising filter. I bought a 67mm Hoya polariser to fit my 70-200mm F/4L and 100mm F/2.8L but also wanted one for my 300mm F/4L which is 77mm filter size, but to make it even more difficult that lens's hood isn't removable and it can be tricky to slide it to and from while keeping it straight.

This new window in the lens hood makes all the difference.

I hope that a lens hood is included in the price.
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L's generally come with hood and bag included unlike all non L's
 
jerry12953 said:
Don't forget to add the weight and length of a 1.4xTC to get a proper comparison with these lenses......
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....Canon 100-400 II + 1.4xTC = 1795 g
 
RedRobin said:

....I am still learning about such things - Is a micro adjustment something set in the camera body to better accommodate a particular lens? An individual lens or all lens of that specific model?

And is that -3 value a positive attribute?

Thanks :)
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I check most of my lenses. On the 7D MkII you can adjust for all lenses, doubt that all lenses would need the same adjustment, or individual lenses. On the zooms you can adjust for the wide and the telephoto end separately. The camera recognises the lens when you attach it and sets the adjustment to suit.

My 500 is +5 on the 7D MkII and -3 with the 1.4 TC fitted.

Several ways and methods of checking. Lenscal, Focal, Dot tune. Ive tried most and come back to a simple home made set up which is accurate and repeatable. And that is the most important part of checking it IMHO.

Canon and I think Nikon advise minimum of 25 times focal length as a check distance.
 
Personally, I think FoCal is worth the money, as a couple of us said earlier, we needed a fair bit of adjustment on both 70-200 2.8 and 300 2.8 mk2s, really be interesting to use FoCal. However, it won't be available for a few weeks yet, probably 6-8 if recent experience is anything to go by.

In the interim, google "Micro focus adjustment" and you'll get some ideas.
 
Most time consuming was dot tune to end up with the same adjustment as my pikey set up gives me. Took me 5 minutes to do my 500 the other day. Just need a dry day and a bit of space for my set up.

Perhaps I'm slightly different in that I set my lens for wildlife to have a 50/50 split for DOF in front of and behind the point of focus. Reason for it is that I see no benefit in having DOF behind a birds head in what I call dead space. I would rather have a little bit more in front. Maybe its flawed reasoning but I've been setting them that way for a while now and I'm happy with the results so see no reason to change.
 
Gaz J said:
Several ways and methods of checking. Lenscal, Focal, Dot tune. Ive tried most and come back to a simple home made set up which is accurate and repeatable. And that is the most important part of checking it IMHO.

Canon and I think Nikon advise minimum of 25 times focal length as a check distance.
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....25 x 400mm = 10m. That's a long distance to set something up! Unless you live in a stately home, that setup would have to be outdoors on a perfectly still day.

But I have now found out that Canon recommend 50 x [that's x times and not a kiss!]
 
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RedRobin said:
....25 x 400mm = 10m. That's a long distance to set something up! Unless you live in a stately home, that setup would have to be outdoors on a perfectly still day.
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Since calibration is best performed at representative shooting distances in representative lighting and climate that would make sense, unless 400mm is your go to choice for the living room. Calibrating at between 25-50x focal length is a good general purpose range to cover broad shooting needs. If you shoot very specifically at some other distance then by all means calibrate at that distance. Otherwise the advice is there for a reason, not just to cause an inconvenience. It is you choice whether to follow out ignore it.

Personally I always calibrate outdoors, because that is where I shoot 99.99% of the time. I also pick a typical calibration distance for my anticipated needs. In my view 10-20m seems very reasonable for my typical use of a 400mm lens.
 
Thanks, Tim :)

My garden is long enough but I'll be waiting for a day when it's neither raining nor windy. There's no hurry for me to do this and I might wait until I get the 100-400mm II - It is currently more a case of when rather than if because it would streamline what I carry and also a high quality zoom 100-400 will offer more compositional options. As a bonus, the 7D2 with this lens would seem a perfect match for walkabout wildlife.

But the bottom line is that having all the right gear doesn't guarantee excellent photography. It's always good to have something to grow one's potential into though.

Was that posted sample shot set at -3 taken on a beta copy of the lens?

I mostly use Manual Focus enlarged in LiveView on my Canon 100mm Macro and my 70-200mm delivers images which look razor sharp anyway - If not, I think it's all down to my error.

With the very recent launches of the 7D Mark II and this 100-400mm II, it looks as if Canon are really responding to all the competition and also offering extremely good value for money.
 
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Park just sent me an email...

£1,999

OUCH...

We really get ripped off in the UK....
 
canon_togger said:
Think I'll wait for panamoz!
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....Aren't Panamoz overseas outside the UK? Their price, for example, on the 7D Mark II is only £60 less than Park Cameras who are well established in England and 'on the ground'.

EDIT: I have just read their 'About' and 'FAQ' online and they sound as if they provide good service and reliable warranty.
 
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Park cameras....£1599

Panamoz..£1260...but I'm not supporting Panamoz or going down the legality discussion, it's been aired often enough!!:exit:
 
Great company - used them many times, pretty fast too considering it's coming from t'other side of the world
 
I haven't seen this posted

Ken Rockwell review (well ish....a rehash of data maybe)
 
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mipevo6 said:
We really get ripped off in the UK....
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No we don't. We have the most competitive market for photographic equipment in the world. Take out VAT, import duties, local sales taxes and such like, and UK prices are consistently at least as good, if not better, than the USA.....

...EXCEPT when new items are launched. There is a must-have-it-now-at-any-price brigade in the UK, and retailers take advantage of them. That doesn't happen in other countries. Give it 3-6 months and the UK prices will have fallen significantly, but prices elsewhere won't, and there will be parity. I think the best way to look at it is that in the UK there are really two launches: one for the people with more money than sense, and then a later one for the rest of us. But neither group is being ripped off.

[edited to fix typos, nothing else]
 
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StewartR said:
There is a must-have-it-now-at-any-price brigade in the UK, and retailers take advantage of them. That doesn't happen in other countries. Give it 3-6 months and the UK prices will have fallen significantly, but prices elsewhere won't, and there will be parity. I think the best way to look at it is that in the UK there are really two launches: one for the people with more money than sense, and then a later one for the rest of us. But neither group is being ripped off.
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.... :D How about those who can't really afford it if they were to ask a bank manager or accountant but who scrape together finance because life is too short and they want to learn how to use and enjoy it as soon as possible? - That's bods like me, if you hadn't already guessed. I pre-ordered a 7D Mark II (moving from a 70D) and have no regrets so far.

You have much more experience of price fluctuations than I do, Stewart, but how certain can you be that this 100-400mm II will have a price drop even before at least 9-12 months?

I shall be scraping any money barrel I can find to then start enjoying this lens as soon as I can (following real-world photographers reports/reviews). But I understand your point and think you are right about everything except the line about some having more money than sense.

Meanwhile, I have started doing press-ups every morning in readiness :)
 
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You can consult Camerapricebuster and similar sites for a price history. Here is an example of the 24-70/2.8 L II.

http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/Canon/Canon-EF-lenses/Canon-EF-24-70mm-f2.8L-II-USM-Lens

If the history went back far enough you would see a huge and rapid drop in the price of the 7D in only a few weeks following release. I paid £1167 for mine, from Jessops, only a month or two after early adopters were paying £1699 for the same thing. If I choose to buy a 7D2 I can promise that I shall be paying several hundred pounds less than £1599.

You can call it what you like, but if pennies matter it can pay to have a little patience.
 
tdodd said:
You can consult Camerapricebuster and similar sites for a price history. Here is an example of the 24-70/2.8 L II.

http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/Canon/Canon-EF-lenses/Canon-EF-24-70mm-f2.8L-II-USM-Lens

If the history went back far enough you would see a huge and rapid drop in the price of the 7D in only a few weeks following release. I paid £1167 for mine, from Jessops, only a month or two after early adopters were paying £1699 for the same thing. If I choose to buy a 7D2 I can promise that I shall be paying several hundred pounds less than £1599.

You can call it what you like, but if pennies matter it can pay to have a little patience.
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Sensible approach...

However, it does pay to negotiate even on something brand new...

i managed to get a decent discount on 2 7d2's and 2 batteries thrown in and a good discount on a grip as well.....

Don't just order on the internet, call up and ask :)
 
tdodd said:
You can consult Camerapricebuster and similar sites for a price history. Here is an example of the 24-70/2.8 L II.

http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/Canon/Canon-EF-lenses/Canon-EF-24-70mm-f2.8L-II-USM-Lens

If the history went back far enough you would see a huge and rapid drop in the price of the 7D in only a few weeks following release. I paid £1167 for mine, from Jessops, only a month or two after early adopters were paying £1699 for the same thing. If I choose to buy a 7D2 I can promise that I shall be paying several hundred pounds less than £1599.

You can call it what you like, but if pennies matter it can pay to have a little patience.
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....Thanks for that info and link, Tim :)

I guess that I may have made a mistake financially in buying my 7D2 so soon although my cost is spread interest-free over 12 months. A potential £500 saving could have gone towards the 100-400mm II lens! On the other hand I was able to sell my 70D without even advertising it anywhere and it will take me a month or two to learn the 7D II.
 
RedRobin said:
You have much more experience of price fluctuations than I do, Stewart, but how certain can you be that this 100-400mm II will have a price drop even before at least 9-12 months?
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Totally, 100% confident. Excluding taxes, UK prices always equalise with USA/HK prices. With niche low-volume lenses like the 200-400 it can take a while, but with popular lenses (and this will be a very popular one) it usually takes 3-6 months. The USA launch price of this lens is $2199 excluding local sales taxes, which is £1395 today. Add VAT and you get £1675. So - barring fluctuations due to exchange rates - that's roughly where the price of this lens is heading in the medium term.

If it's worth £300 to you to get the lens a few months earlier, then it's your money and your decision. But at last you're dong it with your eyes open.
 
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