dk. Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 Hi everyone, I was just wondering if anyone on here has this lens? Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM)and what do they think about it? I am thinking of getting it in the future. From what I have heard it is better to get that (400F5.6L) then the Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM & Canon Extender EF 1.4x II for picture quality etc. If you can tell me your thoughts about this I would be grateful.Thanks DK. P.s. And if you have the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM does it work well with the Canon Extender EF 1.4x II? for picture quality? I know it would be maunal focus on the 20D with the 1.4 extender. :o( Thanks agian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giles_lean Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 <p> Only you can decide which is more useful for the photography that you want to do. This question comes up often enough that Art Morris put it in his FAQ: </p> <a href="http://www.birdsasart.com/faq_4f56or3is.html">http://www.birdsasart.com/faq_4f56or3is.html</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User_1172872 Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 My 400 5.6 and my 300 + 1.4X are equally sharp. But the 400 + 1.4x is much sharper wide open than the 300 + 2x; I sold the the 2X. The 400 has faster autofocus but the 300 will focus much closer and it has IS. You didn't tell us what you're going to photograph but if your target subjects are the passeriformes I would consider the close focus rather critical. OTOH the 25mm tube will bring the 400 to 8 feet. Although I have both if I had to choose one I'd keep the 300 (and the 1.4X) because of the IS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_snyder Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 I am in total agreement with the information given above by CANONUSER. The comments exactly match my experience except thatI sold the 400mm f5.6 lens and kept the 300mm IS lens. Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astcell Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 I have the 400/5.6L and I am amazed at the results it gives me. I use it alone or wiht the 1.4x, and it still beats out the 24-70/2.8L and the 70-200/2.8L in my opinion! The images (steady ones anyway) are tack sharp no matter how much I enlarge them. I cannot tell that the TC was used on them either. I am suprised at the quality, and how silent most users are on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew robertson Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 Canon User's experience is backed up with MTF data from Canon - the 300 f/4L IS + 1.4x II TC is optically slightly better than the 400 f/5.6L by itself. The IS and the closer focus of the 300 are really the deal makers / breakers here. As the 300 f/4L IS + 1.4x II is quite fast enough to photograph birds in flight, race cars, and other fast moving objects I don't think the slightly faster AF speed of the 400 makes the deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niklas_nikitin Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 On The Luminous Landscape you can read about the <a href="http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/lenses/forgotten-400.shtml">Canon's Forgotten 400</a>. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dk. Posted January 17, 2005 Author Share Posted January 17, 2005 For taking the time to write back. I am interested in taking Pictures of Nature/Animals with it by the way. If there are more of you out there that own these lenses I would still like to hear more about what you think about them etc. I must say I would like to be able to hand hold the lens at times, and the 300F/4L "IS" + Extender EF 1.4x II would be better for that. Canon user,Richard Snyder, Anyone? Can you tell me what shutter speeds are you able to hand hold the 300F/4L + Extender? Andrew Robertson, where is this MTF data from Canon, do you have a link so I could see it? Thanks again everyone, take care. DK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_mueller2 Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 I can hand hold my 300/4 IS + 1.4X II at around 1/100s with IS. I have heard some claim they can hand hold down to 1/60s but that's not me. BTW: The 400/5.6 is at least as sharp and focuses faster which makes it better for flight shots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_mueller2 Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 I forgot to tag the above file. 300/4 IS ISO 200 f16 1/100s at dusk as an experiment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew robertson Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 Jim, I have shot many birds in flight with my 300 f/4L IS, and the ones that weren't in focus were not the result of too slow an AF motor. The MTF charts for the 300 f/4L IS show it to be almost as good as the 400 f/5.6 L. When one adds the 1.4x II TC to the 300, one gets an optical system that performs better than the 400 f/5.6 (according, at least, to the MTF charts). In fact, the 300 f/4L IS with 1.4x TC beats ALL the other Canon super-teles with 1.4x TC. It's almost as if the 300 f/4L IS was designed to be used with the 1.4x TC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_dunn2 Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 <p>Huh? Are you saying that Canon's MTF graphs for the 300/4L IS USM + 1.4x TC are <em>better</em> than for the 300/4L IS USM on its own? That doesn't sound right, does it?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User_1172872 Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 For the 300 by itself I can use 1/60 consistently. With the 1.4x, I will not hesitate to try 1/60; most (not all) are free of camera shake. Be aware, though, that if you plan to photograph small active birds then 1/60 and 1/125 can be just too slow: you'll lose far more shots due to subject motion than camera shake. In my experience IS is simply not the limiting factor in bird photography; subject motion and depth of field are the issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew robertson Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 Yes, according to the published MTF charts, the 300 f/4L IS is better with the 1.4x TC than without. This is surely uncommon but by no means optically impossible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_eadie Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 Hi, re the 400 5.6 with a 1.4x it is still super sharp. Bear in mind the additional 1.6x from your 20D. I can not hand hold and get consistently sharp images with the 1.4x on top of my 10D's 1.6x (some people do however). Even with my tripod I need to really concentrate on good technique to eliminate shake wth the 1.4x. I love this lens and hand held on my 10D without the tele-converter it is awesome for birds in flight. There are examples in my photo.net portfolio.J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dk. Posted January 19, 2005 Author Share Posted January 19, 2005 Thanks Guys for the info. Jason Eadie, the pictures with your 10D and 400mm F5.6L are they hand held or using a tripod? What shutter speed's do you need Usually so there's no camera shake? Your pictures are very nice I Like the Australian Kestrel the most I think but all are good. Boy I am not sure what to get now, I guess I might get more use out of the 300mm F4L and 1.4 tele because Of the "IS" and being able to hand hold it alot more etc. But I want the best picture Quality First and foremost, and well I am still not sure which one has it, Has no one out there done Tests on the two back to back? The 400mm F5.6L against the 300mm F4L + 1.4 Tele, that would be a nice thing to see. Thanks again everyone. Take care. DK. P.s. I am Canadian Eh! ;o) lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_eadie Posted January 20, 2005 Share Posted January 20, 2005 Hi, the details of the pics say if hand held or not. I normally try and follow the old rule of shutter speed being at least your focal length. J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rokkor fan Posted January 20, 2005 Share Posted January 20, 2005 It strikes me that the inclusion of IS on the 400mm f/5.6 would have to be on Canon's agenda. It is the only super-tele (excluding the 1200mm) without IS at the moment. With IS this would be a kickass lens, at a reasonable price. Perhaps next PMA? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew robertson Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 I bet they have inventory remaining on the 400 f/5.6, and that's why we haven't seen an IS update yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug_kay Posted January 27, 2005 Share Posted January 27, 2005 Well, I prefer a lens without IS. The reviews on some of the error messages that occur with IS lenses have scared me away from them. However, if you are going hand held with a 300 or 400mm I guess the IS would be nice. Anyway, They make 3 Cannon 400 primes. One is standard f. 5.6 fixed, one is IS f. 2.8 and the other is f. 4.0 with IS and diffractive optics to decrease size. You can get the older 400 f. 5.6 for about $1100 which makes it a bargain compared to IS. I love the metal built in shade and the lens is very compact. I use it with the 1.4x extender for a 560mm effect. See attached 1/125 @ f.11. I used a tripod in my backyard with a Canon 10D. ~Doug<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charles_lipton Posted January 28, 2005 Share Posted January 28, 2005 I wanted to buy either the 300mm f4 IS or the 400mm f5.6 lens...Sooo..being the smart guy I am ..I emailed Canon ....My concern is which lens would focus faster and be sharper; the 300mm IS + 1.4X TC or the 400mm f5.6 alone....The canon tech rep told me that autofocus is so close between the two there is no discernable difference...but, the 400mm f5.6 will focus sharper..... So....I have the EOS 3 and 20D...i may just buy both anyway..hehe... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dk. Posted February 1, 2005 Author Share Posted February 1, 2005 Thanks Guys, Oh and Charles your funny. ;o) LOL DK. P.s. By the way I have the 300mm f/4 L IS and Canon EF 1.4x II on order now and am waiting for it. I feel I will get more use out of it. I only hope it takes great sharp pictures. Wish me luck. ;o) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew robertson Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 David, hope has little to do with it. I loaned my 300 f/4L IS to a buddy and he couldn't get a sharp image from it. Without technique (which must be practiced and developed) the lens is just an ineffectual boat anchor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_chappell Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 <I>Canon User's experience is backed up with MTF data from Canon - the 300 f/4L IS + 1.4x II TC is optically slightly better than the 400 f/5.6L by itself.</I><P> Would you post a URL for this, please? I can't find any MTF data for lens plus converter combinations on the Canon USA site. Also, according to Michael Reichman, the Canon MTF charts are theoretical -- based on lens design and not the results of direct measurements. So how realistic they are in real life is open to interpretation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew robertson Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 Canon's Lens Work III book lists a lot of MTF data. Even if computed, it shows that the EF 300 f/4L IS has a higher theoretical potential MTF than the 400 f/5.6, so unless you are comparing a defective 300 f/4L IS against an uncommonly good 400 f/5.6L it will likely hold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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