Canon 200-400 hands on

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Archive 2012 · Canon 200-400 hands on

Imagemaster
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p.3 #1 · Canon 200-400 hands on

PetKal wrote:
I betcha a nickel to a doughnut that of all 100-400 users' shots, at least 99% are taken at 400mm FL. Do you think that 200-400L will be any different ? So much for zoom "versatility".

And you could kindly lead an educational program to teach all the poor lost souls that buy 100-400's, 50-500's, 300-800's, Nikon 200-400's, etc., etc., because they obviously will use them all at the maximum focal-length 99% of the time.

Jul 03, 2012 at 02:10 AM

CW100
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p.3 #2 · Canon 200-400 hands on

PetKal wrote:
Imagemaster wrote:

PetKal wrote:

I betcha a nickel to a doughnut that of all 100-400 users' shots, at least 99% are taken at 400mm FL. Do you think that 200-400L will be any different ? So much for zoom "versatility".

and (of course) you would be wrong ... and short a nickel

Jul 03, 2012 at 11:46 AM

Imagemaster
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p.3 #3 · Canon 200-400 hands on

Seen at Wimbledon:

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/cameras/lenses/ef_200-400mm_f4L.html

Jul 03, 2012 at 06:08 PM

Bones74
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p.3 #4 · Canon 200-400 hands on

Imagemaster wrote:
Seen at Wimbledon:

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/cameras/lenses/ef_200-400mm_f4L.html

Dammit and all I had was my 24-105

(I went on Saturday to the tennis)

Jul 03, 2012 at 06:16 PM

PetKal
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p.3 #5 · Canon 200-400 hands on

Imagemaster wrote:
Seen at Wimbledon:

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/cameras/lenses/ef_200-400mm_f4L.html

Bad news: that thing is as big as 500 II, but it might weigh significantly more.
Good news: MFD=2m..........that's almost hard to believe.

Jul 03, 2012 at 08:11 PM

Monito
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p.3 #6 · Canon 200-400 hands on

The 100-400 has a minimum focusing distance (MFD) of 1.8 meters. So it is not so extraordinary that a lens with a range that is a subset would have about the same MFD. Also, remember that the Tele-Extender does not affect MFD; one of the lesser known benefits of them.

Jul 03, 2012 at 09:46 PM

Monito
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p.3 #7 · Canon 200-400 hands on

PetKal wrote:
http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/cameras/lenses/ef_200-400mm_f4L.html

It has almost as many buttons and controls as a camera!

Jul 03, 2012 at 09:47 PM

PetKal
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p.3 #8 · Canon 200-400 hands on

Monito wrote:
The 100-400 has a minimum focusing distance (MFD) of 1.8 meters. So it is not so extraordinary that a lens with a range that is a subset would have about the same MFD. Also, remember that the Tele-Extender does not affect MFD; one of the lesser known benefits of them.

True, 100-400 is extraordinary re MFD.
However, looking at 200-400L MFD from a supertelephoto lens perspective, it is still extraordinary because 400 DO MFD=3.5m and 400 f/2.8 IS MkII MFD=2.7m.

The flip side of a very short MFD is its AF response when on full focusing distance range....it might turn out to be very poor.

Jul 03, 2012 at 09:56 PM

kjetils
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p.3 #9 · Canon 200-400 hands on

Well, the Nikon counterpart has mfd 1.95m, so I'd be disappointed if not this was the same. But with the built in tc you actually get a decent magnification for small critters. I really hope the weight will be less than the new 500 though..

K

Jul 03, 2012 at 10:16 PM

PetKal
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p.3 #10 · Canon 200-400 hands on

Monito wrote:
PetKal wrote:
http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/cameras/lenses/ef_200-400mm_f4L.html

It has almost as many buttons and controls as a camera!

The only new control element is the TC on-off toggle.
The rest of controls is in accordance with the MkII standard. Mind you, an average user like myself doesn't have to fiddle with those switches much...thankfully. The only one that I have to operate relatively often is the focusing distance limiter switch, and that is not because I like to play with it.

"Power focus" and IS Mode III are totally unneccessary in my books, but obviously someone must have asked for those features.

Jul 03, 2012 at 10:25 PM

PetKal
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p.3 #11 · Canon 200-400 hands on

kjetils wrote:
Well, the Nikon counterpart has mfd 1.95m, so I'd be disappointed if not this was the same. But with the built in tc you actually get a decent magnification for small critters. I really hope the weight will be less than the new 500 though..

K

There you go, I didn't know that......then the Nikkor 200-400 MFD spec might have been a design target for Canon 200-400.

Jul 03, 2012 at 10:27 PM

kjetils
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p.3 #12 · Canon 200-400 hands on

Yeah, guess so. It also looks like there is a 5m to infinity setting(?) that should be quite useful in limiting focus 'wander'.

K

Jul 03, 2012 at 11:10 PM

Pixel Perfect
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p.3 #13 · Canon 200-400 hands on

PetKal wrote:

The flip side of a very short MFD is its AF response when on full focusing distance range....it might turn out to be very poor.

Hence the distance limiter switch.

The mfd of the 100-400 is good, but the at mfd the lens is no where near 400nmm, it's actually ~330mm. Technically a 400mm lens @ 1.8m should have greater magnification than a 300mm @ 1.5m (300 f/4L IS), but the 100-400L is actually worse and the same as the 70-200 f/2.8L IS II @ 1.2m.

It would be nice if a new 100-400L could do a bit better on the magnification at mfd, irrespective of what the number is for mfd.

Jul 03, 2012 at 11:11 PM

PetKal
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p.3 #14 · Canon 200-400 hands on

Yes, 5m to infinity is a very good upper range, compared to 500 II (10m to infinity which is just OK) or very restrictive 20m to infinity of 800L.

Jul 03, 2012 at 11:42 PM

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p.3 #15 · Canon 200-400 hands on

Pixel Perfect wrote:
PetKal wrote:

The flip side of a very short MFD is its AF response when on full focusing distance range....it might turn out to be very poor.

Hence the distance limiter switch.

Ditto. The Sigma 180mm macro has a focus-limiter with three distinct ranges.

Jul 04, 2012 at 12:13 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.3 #16 · Canon 200-400 hands on

PetKal wrote:
Yes, 5m to infinity is a very good upper range, compared to 500 II (10m to infinity which is just OK) or very restrictive 20m to infinity of 800L.

On its picture it is easy to see the 3 focusing limits:

Full
2m to 6mm
6mm to infinity

Jul 04, 2012 at 09:46 AM

PetKal
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p.3 #17 · Canon 200-400 hands on

Fred Miranda wrote:
PetKal wrote:
Yes, 5m to infinity is a very good upper range, compared to 500 II (10m to infinity which is just OK) or very restrictive 20m to infinity of 800L.

On its picture it is easy to see the 3 focusing limits:

Full
2m to 6mm
6mm to infinity

I read that as "5" not "6", however, I trust your eyesight more than mine.

Jul 04, 2012 at 10:37 AM

Monito
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p.3 #18 · Canon 200-400 hands on

PetKal wrote: Yes, 5m to infinity is a very good upper range, compared to 500 II (10m to infinity which is just OK) or very restrictive 20m to infinity of 800L.

Fred Miranda wrote: On its picture it is easy to see the 3 focusing limits:
Full
2m to 6mm
6mm to infinity

PetKal wrote: I read that as "5" not "6", however, I trust your eyesight more than mine.

I'm not sure I trust either.

The focusing limits would definitely not be marked in millimeters!

Jul 04, 2012 at 11:58 AM

PetKal
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p.3 #19 · Canon 200-400 hands on

Fred may have good eyesight, but his SI units might be a bit rusty.

Jul 04, 2012 at 12:07 PM

Fred Miranda
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p.3 #20 · Canon 200-400 hands on

PetKal wrote:

Fred may have good eyesight, but his SI units might be a bit rusty.

I posted it a 2:46am. Give me a break!

Jul 04, 2012 at 04:21 PM

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