Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM upgraded sinse 2002 ?

shutterbug78 · August 5, 2014

Hello, anyone out there know if the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Tele zoom lens Has been upgraded sinse 2002 ? Glass & Coatings ? Mine was bought in 2002 and the lock ring is stuck ...I need to know if I should send it in to repair it or should I buy a newer hopefully upgraded version. The new Canon 200 - 400 is out of my price range ($11,000). I also own the 500mm which I love but we need a more light weight portable lens too. I like the zoom on the 100-400. Thanks for your input, Shutterbug78

Marcus Ian · August 5, 2014

I'm pretty sure it hasn't been updated since 1998 (when it was introduced).

I suppose the answer to the question 'should I repair it?' comes down to how much it will cost. While I certainly wouldn't expect any other particular failures, every other electrical and mechanical system in the lens is 12 yrs old as well - and has 12yrs worth of wear and use on them. Since there is no 'upgraded' version, that is the only compelling reason to buy a new unit, though, in my mind, it's not a very compelling reason ;)

Of course there are also persistent rumors that this unit is on a short list of lenses to be replaced (certainly it is old enough!)... Obviously those rumor so far have proven unreliable... but... tomorrow maybe? ;)

JDMvW · August 5, 2014

Canon does sometimes change things without saying so, but so far as I know, the current version of the EF 100-400mm lens is the same as was introduced waaay back in 1998.

While you'd think it would be time for an update, I'm not sure that the EF 200-400mm is it.

I just bought one of these last year and have been very pleased with it. If I ever figure out a way to write the newer one off on my taxes, maybe someday. ;)

phule · August 5, 2014

If you believe the rumor mills, the 100-400 may be updated this year. But I don't put a ton of stock in the rumor mills, so I'd contact Canon to see what the repair cost would be.

Marcus Ian · August 5, 2014

If you believe the rumor mills, the 100-400 may be updated this year.

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LOL, If I believed the rumor mills, I'd have been disappointed by a lack of a 100-400 mk2 for the last 5 yrs! ;)

Of course, I like to think that the reason is simply because it's hard to improve the unit, at least at a price point which would appeal to the same buyers...

Of course there is considerably more competition in this type of lens than there has ever been before... so who knows!?!

jimdavis · August 5, 2014

I had mine serviced last year. They replaced I think the fluorite glass and got the focus ring working like new. It cost half the price of a new one. I haven't used it that much since I got the 75-300L IS. In a side by side comparison the new lens snaps to focus, while the 100-400 is much slower to focus. This comparison on some trees in full sunlight.

I shot a lot of birds in the old days with the 100-400 and was very happy, it was able to follow a bird in flight nicely. But the 75-300 is just superb. I shot some dogs playing and it kept focus at all times easily.

The zoom on the 100-400 is far inferior to the ring focus on the 75-300. It's slow and not precise. You need to move your left hand way out there.

I shoot the 75-300 with a 1.4x extender when I need the extra reach. Or I just crop a bit.

I'd love to have an updated 100-400.

User_1172872 · August 5, 2014

I would send it to Canon for an estimate. Some years ago, I sent my 300 f/4 IS to Canon for a repair estimate. They quoted me $ 189 but when they repaired it they replaced a lot more than what was on the original estimate. Nonetheless, they stood by the $ 189 charge. I don't know if I just got lucky, or if this was policy at the time, but it seems to me that given the price of a new lens it's worth the risk of roundtrip shipping.

JosvanEekelen · August 6, 2014

In some (all?) countries Canon have fixed repair rates for lenses/bodies although I'm not aware of the limits of this pricing. It's worth checking with Canon. Rumours of a new 100-400 are around for years, so don't hold your breath.

shutterbug78 · August 12, 2014

Thank you all for you help. I think I will go ahead and repair it for now.<div>

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Mark Keefer · August 15, 2014

I read on a thread someone had the repair done for around $250. The lens is built like a tank, will be worth repairing. Curious how this happens? Shooting in dusty dirty locations, sea salt? Did you have a tendency to not fully rotate to smooth before zooming or gorilla tightening the ring? Lubing the lens with coconut oil accidentally at the beach? Maybe coconut sun lotion would help ;-) Just hoping to avoid this with my lens one day.

shutterbug78 · August 15, 2014

Hi Mark,

Good Question...how did it happen ? We can only guess...we discovered the problem a week after my Hubby used it at a Kids Birthday party in a bike riding type of play park. My husband set it on the end edge of a picnic table, upright in it's original carry bag... when I saw this I rescued It by laying it on it's side away from the edges of the table, protected from a roll.

But, we had 15 grandkids ages 10 and under plus a few of the kid's friends at the party...Hummmm ....an accident waiting to happen? Probably did already and some one picked it up with out telling us about it.

Yes my husband may have tightened it too tight...and the lens has been in many different environments over the last 12 years...

It has been repaired from falling off a tripod carried over my shoulder 2004 (Camera was not attached to tripod properly & Film camera had it's ribbon guts pulled out on impact on the road)... also was cleaned & Adjusted at least one other time in the last 2 years....not for locked up ring though. <div></div>

neill_farmer2 · August 17, 2014

The failure you describe is not uncommon with this lens. Provided you have not forced it and done further damage (as I did) the repair costs are reasonable, around 1/3 the cost of a new lens. Mine came back and seems to perform better than it did previously.

I don't think there were any in service upgrades of this lens. A few years back there was chatter that the later lenses performed better than the older ones but more experienced photographers seemed to think there was no difference. The lens has a learning curve, like any long telephoto, and the source of the chatter could well have been from inexperienced users or from those who now had the benefit of AFMA.

This is a popular lens, and I think good used examples will have a ready resale, I think I'd get it repaired, even if a revised version might be coming someday.

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Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM upgraded sinse 2002 ?

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