Customer reviews from usa.canon.com
Canon - EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Super Telephoto Lens - White
Average customer rating
4.9
(31 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 31 reviews
5 Stars
27
4 Stars
4
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Star
0
100%of customers recommend this product.
(
27 out of
27)
Customer Reviews for Canon - EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Super Telephoto Lens - White
Customer Rating
5
sleeper telephoto
on September 24, 2013
Posted by: taylorphototexas
from Redmond, WA
This lens has to be one of the best values at or above 300mm.
My first long telephoto and I still use it.
No IS and no big aperture, but in daylight you can get some great images. I've captured a number of dragonfly with this lens and honestly I wouldn't use anything else.
If I asked canon to change anything about this lens it would be to have a little closer focus. I've thought about having IS on it but honestly one of the reasons it is so sharp is that it does not have too many elements. With modern high ISO/low noise bodies, I think I can live without IS on this lens - it's not too heavy and the most hand-holdable of the super telephotos.
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Superior build quality, Super-sharp images, lightweight
Cons: less than ideal close focus
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Lightweight & Quality Super Telephoto Lens
on January 4, 2015
Posted by: Lionheart
from NYC
The Canon EF 400mm (Prime) is a true delight. This is my first Super Telephoto lens from Canon, I absolutely love this lens. I will never sell this lens because it is really that good.
1) The build quality is absolutely superb and built like a mini tank. Extremely durable. The white/cream, black and red line color scheme looks like a space aged telescope; very impressive design. Absolutely no slack, every screw and mechanism is tight and right. The built-in lens hood is very convenient for a lens of this magnitude, which extends outward even further making the EF 400mm look like a 'rifle scope' of sorts.
2) The AF is very fast but can get 'confused' if you have multiple subjects like branches and trees for wildlife photography. I just switch it to MF mode, and use the focus ring.
3) Shots come out very clean and crisp even at F/5.6 even without IS
4) I even use the 2x tele-converter, despite losing two stops of light, dealing with now F/11.2 (or 12) and managing camera shake, shots still come out very good, not the best, but really good at now 800mm!!! You can use a tripod for more stability.
5) Compared to other Super Telephoto lenses, this is very lightweight, but may still cause some neck strain with camera strap. I tend to hold both camera and lenses with one hand.
This is a great Super Telephoto lens to add to your collection!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Excellent value for money
on January 30, 2013
Posted by: Calcuttan
from Calcutta, India
I have been owning this lens for the last two years. It's mated to my 7D for bird photography and I have absolutely no regrets. It's a delight to own. Initially I used to use it only on a tripod (since it doesn't come with IS). But since January 2012 I have done away with the tripod for shots of 1/125 or faster shutter speeds. It is so light that one can carry it effortlessly and is great particularly for birds in flight shots.
My only grouse is that it has too long a minimum focusing distance. You can push a switch and reduce it somewhat from 8.5 m to 3.5 but that comes at the cost of focusing speed. At 3.5 m focusing speed is fairly slow. This results in missed opportunities for those rare moments when a bird perches close to you.
For day long trips in the wilderness, it is best to carry the camera/lens as a sling rather than round your neck.
I might one day graduate to a 500 or even 600 mm lens but I don't see myself parting with this lens ever. It is great for shooting from situations where a tripod is impractical - for example from a small rocking country boat !!
My only grouse is that it has too long a minimum focusing distance. You can push a switch and reduce it somewhat from 8.5 m to 3.5 but that comes at the cost of focusing speed. At 3.5 m focusing speed is fairly slow. This results in missed opportunities for those rare moments when a bird perches close to you.
For day long trips in the wilderness, it is best to carry the camera/lens as a sling rather than round your neck.
I might one day graduate to a 500 or even 600 mm lens but I don't see myself parting with this lens ever. It is great for shooting from situations where a tripod is impractical - for example from a small rocking country boat !!
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Super-sharp images, great value for money, feather light
Cons: long minimum focusing distance
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Great bird lens
on November 9, 2012
Posted by: River Runner
from Montana
This is one fine lens. For those wishing to photograph birds this is the lens to start with and keep on using for a long time. With the smaller crop factor sensors on the Rebel series just put the camera on the lens and never take it off.This lens becomes the equivalent of a 640 mm lens on these smaller sensor cameras. For the price and quality, the 400 mm/5.6 is unparalleled. Auto-focus capture is quick and accurate. The only drawback to this lens is that it doesn't have image stabilization, but you really don't need it. The images are tack sharp. This is the best bird lens for the money on the market today.
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Superior build quality, Super-sharp images
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Totally Awesome Lens!
on November 23, 2012
Posted by: grandpawrichard
from Burlington, WA.
I have owned and used this lens for about 5 years now and it is almost always on my camera! Sure, it is a bit heavy, but I have no problem walking around all day with it on my camera around my neck. I do a lot of Eagle and wildlife photography, so this lens is a fantastic tool!
This lens produces Razor sharp images at every setting from f5.6 to f/32 if you have enough light and a steady hand of tripod.
Even indoors at wide open aperture and slow shutter speeds I have been able to take amazing portraits from a distance during Orchestra Concerts using stage lighting.
I would and do Highly Recommend this lens to everyone!
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Superior build quality, Super-sharp images
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Perfect 400mm lens- just add IS, please
on September 20, 2010
Posted by: alcedo
from Burlington, VT
I second everything positive that was already said on "The Luminous Landscape" about this lens. The comparison with the 100-400 mm zoom is hard to avoid. I have used both lenses. The 400mm is sharper then the 100-400 at the 400mm end and much more lightweight and portable and quicker to use with the built-in lens hood, which should really be a feature of all lenses above 100mm. Yes, the 400mm performs best on a tripod, monopod or stabilized on a bean bag. It is not for images from a moving or idling vehicle! This should be the first lens for a starting bird photographer (the next being the 4/500 IS). It is not "getting old" as one camera magazine classified it. Please Canon, keep it in the line-up, just possibly add IS. A great lens!
Pros: lightweight easy to use
Cons: no is
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Very Sharp Glass...
on March 4, 2010
Posted by: Anonymous
Honestly I'm not sure lenses can be any sharper than this. Contrast/saturation/IQ are top quality rivaling even the flagship 400f2.8.
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Superior build quality, Super-sharp images
Cons: no is
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Absolutely Fantastic
on February 27, 2020
Posted by: GSL007
from Houston, Texas
I use this lens for nature photography and aircraft. It’s incredibly sharp – I’ve never seen a lens this sharp even wide open which defies lens logic. It’s also extremely lightweight and not too thick so it’s very easy to handle and maneuver. In Houston it’s usually bright so no IS isn’t a problem- just use good long lens technique. If I need to zoom I use my 100-400L otherwise I stick with this. Also I love the built-in hood and kind of like the fact that it doesn’t have IS – less expensive and nothing to go wrong.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com