Canon 100-400 IS zoom for 50D

[shutterbug78]

<p>I have had my Canon 100mm to 400mm IS Zoom Lens sinse 2002. It worked great with my Film camera but not with my Digital Cameras, it is hit and miss with sharpness...mostly miss with great distances & better with close subjects. I have used the Canon 50 D sinse Oct. 2008 when it came out. Does anyone have this similar issue. There is visible dust in the glass but it costs too much to get it cleaned so I was told at our local Camera shop.</p>

[phule]

<p>[[ it is hit and miss with sharpness.]</p>

<p>How are you determining sharpness? 100% views or equivalent sized prints from your film days or something else? With the more narrow field of view (160-640mm), are you increasing your shutter speed when hand-holding?</p>

[shutterbug78]

<p>In my film days I shot slides mostly ...they were sharp. I use a tripod with this lens 99 % of the time except when I am capturing wild water fowl at Banner Marsh in IL. The roads have water up to them on both sides if you open your car door the birds quickly flee so I shoot from the window. <br />I do not own a window mounted tri pod but I turn my car imagine off to avoid vibrations and use the IS feature (not with a tri pod) I try to support the lens weight on the window ledge to the side against the windows frame and brace myself as still As I can. <br />I use a shutter speed of 800 to 1250 for flying birds at F8. I was told the sweet spot for this lens is F8. If I hand hold this lens I try to use a shutter speed no slower than 4oo...some times 350. </p>

<p >I zoom in on the eyes of the birds on the camera monitor and then view at 100% full pixel on a computer monitor to check sharpness<br>

.</p>

[michaeljlawson]

<p>Have you tried turning off the IS? The stability of the window frame and a steady hand may be causing the same issues as IS on a Tripod.</p>

[bobatkins]

<p>How did you judge film sharpness? 100% view on a monitor is similar to viewing a very large print, maybe 24" x 36", or using a 35x loupe to look at a slide.</p>

<p>Dust makes no difference to sharpness</p>

[shutterbug78]

<p>

<p>I have tried turning off the IS when not using a tri-pod. I viewed the images in my computer at 100% full pixel. The eyes of the bird are soft, as is the whole image.<br>

I have heard others complain about this lens on their digitals to.<br>

I can put on continuously shoot and one might be sharper that the others.</p>

 

</p>

 

[shutterbug78]

<p>The odd thing is that the farther away the subject the worse it is...not so bad for closer subjects.</p>

[shutterbug78]

<p>The lens is 7 years old. Does any one think that Canon has improved the newer versions of this lens?<br>

And is it true that a non zooming long lens like the 400 or 500mm are sharper by nature than a zooing lens?</p>

[darryl_klein]

<p>I've read nothig but good about them. In fact I have one arriving today that I purchased used to use on a 7D. I'll let you know... Wait .... mine is the L USM, yours also?</p>

[tapani]

<p>Fixed focal length lenses are indeed generally sharper than comparable zooms, and the 100-400 is no match for any of Canon's 400mm primes. Nonetheless, I find mine pretty sharp, with digital as well as film (I bought it in 2000, for EOS 3 - the design is actually 11 years old, the lens was introduced in November 1998).</p><div></div>

[shutterbug78]

<p>Darryl, it is the same. Let me know what you think of it's performance for distance at full pixel 100% on your computer moniter.<br>

I would love to have the 500 IS. I heard the dept of field is very shallow and you had to us F16</p>

[shutterbug78]

<p>Check out this link it is so cool....You choose 2 differant lenses and it visually compares a test image try it. I saved it to my favorites and will now use this method in choosing a camera.<br>

<a href="http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=278&Camera=453&Sample=0&FLIComp=7&APIComp=2&LensComp=113&CameraComp=453&SampleComp=0&FLI=0&API=2">http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=278&Camera=453&Sample=0&FLIComp=7&APIComp=2&LensComp=113&CameraComp=453&SampleComp=0&FLI=0&API=2</a></p>

[darryl_klein]

<p>If it's any indication of it's popularity, Amazon is getting $1600 for this lens without the lens hood. I paid $1200 on Ebay, and that was pretty much the going rate.<br>

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-100-400mm-f4-5-5-6L-Telephoto-Cameras/dp/B00007GQLS<br>

If a lens this old can command those prices, it must hold it's own! If worse case<br>

you find it defective, it may be worth a few hundred to send it to Canon to check it out?</p>

<p> </p>

[shutterbug78]

<p>I looked into it and it was going to cost almost half the price of a new one. I asked my local Pro Camera shop who ship cameras in for repair or cleaning regularly. I did not contact Canon them, selves to check out this option. I found a review for the straight 400 F5.6 L <a href="../canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00V5wW">http://www.photo.net/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00V5wW</a></p>

[marc_bergman1]

<p>Veronica,</p>

<p>What program are you using to process your images? What are your sharpness settings?</p>

<p>I have seen excellent results at Fred Miranda's Nature and Wildlife forum.</p>

<p>http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/board/41</p>

<p>Anecdotal information is that newer ones are consistently sharper. That may be due to better QC by Canon.</p>

<p>I would contact Canon about getting an adjustment. You may want to send the camera along with the lens.</p>

[shutterbug78]

<p>I use a Canon 50 D 1 year old. I shoot Raw 99.9% of the time. I convert my Raw with the software that came with the camera...Digital Photo Professional updated version 3.7.2.0.<br>

When I open my files in this program it defaults the sharpness to 3 in a scale 1-10 I usually leave it there and after optimizing the image in Adobe Photoshop CS2 I then re-check sharpness on my finished image....usually I do not add more sharpening...it doesn't help it....I tried sharpening it many different ways and settings. I do not think my Camera is set to a sharpen setting unless there is a default....I don't mess with it. </p>

 

[darryl_klein]

<p>Got the 100-400 L and preliminary tests find it is very sharp at middle apertures. I also have the 400MM 5.6 L and side by side the 100-400 is not as good, but very close depending on aperture especially 5.6-8.0 range.</p>

<p>Regarding sending it to canon, I'd check with them direct. Its hard to believe it would cost $800. Maybe someone on this forum would have some input. I dropped my 70-200 F4.0 and cracked the case, they charged me $300 although there was no glass damage. <br>

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=OnlineTrackSearchAct</p>

 

[craig_meddaugh]

<p>The first thing I would try is the 50D's focus microadjust feature. It could be that the 100-400 is front or back focusing on your digital body and not on your film body. </p>

<p>If that doesn't work, your lens may be out of calibration as the 100-400 is a pretty sharp lens. My copy compares quite well with my 600L IS under real-world conditions, especially on a crop body. Send it to Canon and see what they say. If you don't like the estimate (and I would suspect that repairs will be in the 200-400 dollar range) they'll send it back. </p>

<p>Why not post some test shots and maybe we can give you some better advice. </p>

 

[matthijs]

<p>O.K. Forgive the stupid question, but: which ISO value are you using? (Anything above 400 will probably be less sharp than your slides because of the noise.)</p>

<p>And indeed, show us testshots, a scaled down total picture and a 100% crop, so we can see more.</p>

<p>Have fun, Matthijs.</p>

[neill_farmer2]

<p>Veronica, I have a 100-400 on a XTi. I find that the AF of more distant objects, say 100 or more feet, is problematic compared to closer, say 25 feet, just as you have experienced. I take a lot more care with long shots, especially camera steadiness, shutter speed and aperture in order increase depth of field to cover focus errors. I often touch up focus although this is damn near impossible through the XTi viewfinder. Taking this care has improved my percentage of sharp images. I know the lens is sharp, because I have images at various distances that are stunning, I know the IS works well because I've successfully hand held at 1/100th and lower. I've also found that images in bright sun are much better than those shot in cloudy conitions.<br>

My thoughts are that pixel peeping at 100% is a more rigorous test than a slide (I've shot a lot of slides but not with the 100-400), the 100-400 is not an easy lens to use, there is a bit of learning to go through, no doubt you have been there done that, steadiness and focus are critical, and the light is everthing, and I'm starting to think that the AF on my camera is not up to the task on the longer shots?<br>

Neill Farmer</p>

[geoffm]

<p>My experience with this lens is much the same as Neill's. When you nail focus it's very sharp, but it is unforgiving of lapses in sharpshooting technique.</p>

[shutterbug78]

<p> Thanks you every one...for your input. Well, On Dec. 4th I took Darryl Klein's advise and I sent in my 100-400 IS to <a href="http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=OnlineTrackSearchAct">http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=OnlineTrackSearchAct</a> And it is already on it's way back....arriving Friday Dec. 18th 09. <br /> On line...they ask you what <em><strong>you</strong></em> think the problem is and via e-mail, they give you a ball park estimate also adding that after repairs are started they may find additional damage and give you another estimate. They quoted $318.00 and stuck to it.<br /> They did <em>not</em> tell me by e-mail what their own thoughts were as to what was wrong with the lens.....I hope I did not pay for them to open the lens and put it back together again for nothing. Perhaps there will be more information in the box it arrives in. <br /> I was told <strong><em>after</em></strong><em> </em>asking, that there is a 90 day guarantee on the repair.....(I scoured their website and didn't see anything in writing so I emailed and asked.) I can't wait to try it out my old friend.<br /> Craig Meddough suggested trying the 50D's focus micro adjust feature. I must admit, I did not know it had one and I will get out my manual and see what it is all about.</p>

[shutterbug78]

<p>I just received my 100 -400 IS lens back today the paper in the box said it did have a problem with the auto focus and they made some electrical adjustments ...also cleaned it . I have yet to try it out....busy with Christmas shopping and such.</p>

[birger hoglund]

<p>What happened if you put a converter to canon 5 D II to this one 100-400</p>

[shutterbug78]

<p >It has been my understanding that you lose sharpness with the 2x added to the 100-400 IS lens and It was true with my lens<strong> BUT</strong>...it already had sharpness issues and so I have not been using the 2x. <strong>BUT</strong>, now that my lens has been repaired....I will try it again when I have time....I have yet to try the repaired lens out due to the busy holiday. We have fresh snow and I need to track out to the bird feeders and fill them up to get the birds to come back....perhaps tomorrow I will get a chance. We are very cloudy and dreary the past several days....and freezing Temps.</p>