Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

I bought this lens used and used it for about 2 months. I had a couple fall day trips planned and I wanted something to reach a little farther than my 70-200mm. I picked this lens because there are one or two other long zooms I plan to try and I feel this lens was the standard to compare them to in the Canon arena. I liked that the lens is fairly compact for a lens with 400mm reach. When at 100mm, its about the same length as my 70-200mm f2.8 IS. Its a bit heavier than the 70-200, but not very noticeably. It seems well made. The zoom action is push-pull like some of the old Canon fd lenses except you use a separate ring to focus. The focus is quite fast, I was able to keep track on some relatively slow birds as well as some football players in action. This lens can be hand held in decent light (sunny), since its relatively light and fairly short compared to other pro-level solutions. The zoom does not creep as long as you tighten the variable friction ring before you sling the camera. The lens isn't very fast aperture-wise, but its as good or better as any other zoom in its class. You have to spend a lot more money and move to a prime to get a large aperture in these focal lengths. The Image Stabilization works well, but I can't help think this lens should have been updated to the newer 4 stop system Canon is using now. I have heard that a new version is right around the corner (early 2010). While don't mind the push-pull zoom, it makes accuracy a little more difficult. I tended to over-zoom, then under-zoom before getting the composition right. Also I think this type of mechanism tends to move the lens barrel around more during action which can make it hard to keep the lens on target while tracking moving subjects. While I liked this lens a lot and may end up with another one in the end, I'm anxious to try out the Sigma 150-500mm OS lens first. One additional detail I will add is that I recently dropped my 70-200mm f2.8 IS lens and had to ship it to Canon for repairs. The cost was very reasonable for the work required and the lens literally works better than it did when I bought it (and it was new!). The turnaround time was fast. MY point? Canons repair service reputation is another good reason to consider a Canon lens over other manufacturers, especially for the L lenses.
Wade

Outstanding, great quality, rapid focus. Expensive but worth it every cent.

I purchased this lens for a safari. I looked very hard at a number of zoom lenses, in the 300-500mm range, and this was among the most expensive. However, after reading all the reviews, this looked to be the right lens...and it sure has been. A lens less than 400mm would not have been effective for wildlife. And a zoom lens was a must, and kept me from changing lenses constantly. The picture quality has been excellent. The exceptionally fast focus has been the most surprising benefit to this lens. The focus is almost instantaneous. Overall, for the Canon SLR, I believe that this has been exactly the lens that I was looking for, and I am most satisfied with it.

That is not to say that it is perfect. The long zoom and heavy weight make it difficult to hold steady. The stabilizer helps a great deal. However, it has taken some practice to get the pictures right (and I still have a problem with it from time to time). The stabilizer also makes some noise, and you can feel it when it turns on. Battery life has remained very good. I have been able to take about 500 pictures a day for two consecutive days using nothing but this lens, and still had some battery life remaining.

The lens itself is quite heavy, though that was to be expected. The casing is very solid and rugged.

Zoom - This has a push/pull zoom instead of the traditional zoom (by turning). I must say that I am very pleased with the push-pull action. It allows for very quick zooming and I am able to stay on target with it.

The other lenses in this capability range (Tokina, Sigma, Tamaron) were all somewhat cheaper (generally 800-1100 USD). This lens (new) is in the 1600-1750 USD range. I purchased a used lens on Ebay and was able to split that difference. I am very glad that I did so, and would highly recommend this lens.

Canon 100-400.....I like it !

Although certainly not a lightweight, and not one I'd carry around on a daily basis in my camera bag, the Canon 100-400 zoom does exactly what it's supposed to do.....and it does it well. A very well built piece of equipment,and with a good solid feel. Some reviewers have been, shall we say, less than enchanted with the push-pull zooming function. I admit, that though my prefernce would have been the more conventional rotating barrel design, the push-pull {with a little practice} becomes second nature. Hand held zooming with the 100-400 is, at best, awkward.....but since it really is meant to be a tripod lens anyway, there is not a problem. My copy is amazingly sharp throughout the focal lengths, but does get ever-so-slightly softer at both ends of the f-stop range. The USM motor is fast and very quiet. A great complement to any serious amature's, or professional's arsenal.

Great lens

This is just a great lens. I rented one about two years ago for an Everglades trip to see if I liked it and rented twice more after that because I knew it performed. I lusted after owning one because of all the shots I'd see when I wasn't renting one. Now that I own one, I have a tough time believing it when I see guys writing "used it twice." What?!

The autofocus focus is FAST and accurate ... faster than my eyes and hands. I've swung it around to catch a bird in flight and after quickly locking onto the subject, it stays with it whether coming toward you, going away or doing loops.

The zoom is push-pull on the barrel rather than mechanized. This is actually an advantage since it lets you very quickly zoom into wildlife or sporting events where the subjects just aren't sitting still waiting for your lens to get there.

Resolution is unbelievable to me. Shots 50 to 100 yards away look as if you were on top of the subject. And the image stabilzation feature is wonderful when taking action shots. I just don't know how I'd get them without it.

The ONLY negative comment I have is the weight of the lens. Again, for wildlife photography, the subject doesn't always cooperate and holding that lens up for 2-3 minutes waiting for the subject to turn its head can become painful. But the results are well worth the negative.

I'm very happy with this product.

Canon Zoom 100-400mm

I own the Nikon 80-400mm VR zoom which I use on my D3 and D700. Recently I added a Canon 7D and wanted a similar zoom for it. I have used the Canon a lot this winter and the lens is very good. It is not as sharp at 400mm , a bit soft at its zoom extreme. I also am not a big fan of push/pull zooms compared to rotary zooming on Nikon, but it works ok. Images have been very good.. mostly action shots of animals. It is a big lens, but manageable. I use it on a tripod or handheld using a Bushawk should mount. In my opinion, Canon needs to refresh this lens.. and upgrade it. I wouldn't buy it new. Several websites state the Canon 400mm L is a much sharper lens. I would probably buy that instead, but it doesn't have image stabilization, which i use a lot. For the money as an ebay purchase , this was an excellent buy.