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Archive 2013 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review

  
 
MDHO
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review


I have just taken delivery of the EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x lens. It is quite a nice piece of equipment. Not too heavy even for handholding for a short period of time. Will be taking it out the next couple of weeks to get acclimated. Only had a chance to shoot a few bird photos in my usual birding hot spots and went to the zoo one day. I have a few wildlife photo shoots coming up and trying to recover from a back injury I suffered from my last shoot in Maui. You can read my preliminary review of the lens on my website. The BIF and 100% crop shots are especially impressive, considering they were taken handheld @ f/4. http://MichaelDanielHo.com/canon-ef-200-400mm-f4l-is-1.4x-lens.html





Humming Right Along







Small Is Beautiful







What, Me Bored? (Handheld from about 100 feet)







Getting An Earful







Let Me Chew On This For A While



Edited on Jun 15, 2013 at 10:43 AM · View previous versions



Jun 08, 2013 at 09:34 AM
harshaj1
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review


Looking good Micheal.
Harsha



Jun 08, 2013 at 09:43 AM
dhb820
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review


Nice article and good info. Thanks for sharing.


Jun 08, 2013 at 09:50 AM
sdgnh
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review


Beautiful. Great review of the 200-400 as well.
Nancy



Jun 08, 2013 at 09:53 AM
Karl Witt
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review


Congrats on the new glass and pulling off starter shots like these with it!

That is an interesting lens, just too expensive for me

Karl



Jun 08, 2013 at 09:58 AM
Thang
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review


wonderful shots Daniel. Looking forward to more images from this lens...It's good to finally see some real world samples taken with the lens.


Jun 08, 2013 at 11:54 PM
kmunroe
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review


nicely done Micheal


Jun 09, 2013 at 03:35 AM
birdied
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review


Very nice set

Birdie



Jun 09, 2013 at 09:00 AM
surfnron
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review


Looking good to me Michael ~ Ron


Jun 09, 2013 at 09:04 AM
KCollett
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review


Lovely hummers Michael. Good zoo shots too.


Jun 09, 2013 at 12:35 PM
MDHO
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review


harshaj1 wrote:
Looking good Micheal.
Harsha


Thanks Harsha. I am getting more and more impressed by the lens. Take a look at this post on my Blog.

http://blog.michaeldanielho.com/2013/06/the-worlds-sharpest-dslr-zoon-lens.html



Jun 10, 2013 at 10:55 AM
RSPB
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review


Great review. i especially like THE bird-in-flight shots in your review page. Can't wait for your Photo shoot Photos.


Jun 14, 2013 at 08:54 PM
troylim
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review


I think that will be the next tele in my list
Superb images.



Jun 14, 2013 at 09:15 PM
Scott Stoness
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review


I will repeat my conclusions from elsewhere in case anyone cares:


some more wildlife sample shots from 200-400 here https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1220363

here are my cleaned up grizzlies that I posted here previously https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1220115

For my preferred subjects (big mammals) I think 200-400 is close enough in quality to 600 that the differences are obvious:
- similar quality
- great quality on both with 1.4x (1.4iii vs 1.4 internal) - not visually noticable
- zoom vs no zoom
- f5.6 vs f4 at 600
- more compact vs not
- similar weight

- as compared to 100-400 L, the only advantage is weight [the 100-200 is not useful for mammals) for 100-400 - the 200-400 is a joy compared as long as you are strong. I suspect women will be less strong and still prefer the 100-400 (3.5lbs vs 8lbs is considerable). Its amazing to look through 5dii w 100-400 vs 5diii w 200-400 - the 200-400 is so much brighter and if you look at thedigitalpicture.com or lensrentals.com blog, the iq is way noticable. And in my view, up until now for big mammals close in, the 100-400 was the best available for features.

To copy what I said in the nature post, with respect to 200-400 vs 600 v2:
Observations are:
- quality is so close [600f4 v2 vs 200-400]that only the obvious conclusions are available
-600 w f4 is one stop faster than 200-400 w 1.4int - not a profound observation, but 600 on 7d lets you get far away and not disturb the animals. And most good photography ocurrs at dusk or dawn so it matters.
- So close in 200-400 is better but 600 is better when they are further away and you don't want to scare them in the bush.
- the combination of 600 and 200-400 is superb
- Other that I have already said:
- 200-400 is same weight as 600 about
- switching back and forth to 1.4 is really easy
- in the car the 200-400 shines because it does not hit the mirror etc like the 600
- its hard to hold and zoom because its heavy and one hand is on shutter and one hand holding and the zoom is stiff but I am happy and am willing to lift weights to condition for the challenge (I am 6'2" and 230 lbs so 90% of my work with 600 is handheld, 5% on monopod and 5% on tripod already on 600 f4)



Jun 15, 2013 at 01:12 PM
MDHO
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review


dhb820 wrote:
Nice article and good info. Thanks for sharing.


Thanks. Look at the 100% cropped photo of the Victoria Crowned Crane taken handheld with the Canon EOS-1D X, built-in extender engaged @ f/5.6, AI Servo, IS Mode 1. I am quite happy with it.








Jun 22, 2013 at 08:35 AM
sorpa
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review


Great shots Daniel!
Cousins don't look happy. Might be the fence. Me thinks.



Jun 22, 2013 at 09:01 AM
Herb Houghton
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review


Beautiful set with the new lens Daniel. I'm looking forward to more from it soon.


Jun 22, 2013 at 09:12 AM
morris
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review


The results look great Micheal

Morris



Jun 22, 2013 at 09:33 AM
MDHO
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review


sdgnh wrote:
Beautiful. Great review of the 200-400 as well.
Nancy


Thanks Nancy. The lens is definitely good but not made for handholding for an extended period of time for a guy of my size.



Jun 23, 2013 at 12:55 PM
MDHO
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Lens Review


Karl Witt wrote:
Congrats on the new glass and pulling off starter shots like these with it!

That is an interesting lens, just too expensive for me

Karl


Hi Karl. It was a tough call for me between the EF 200-400mm and the EF 500mm II but the zoom won out in the end even at its heavier weight.






100% cropped, handheld shot of Chimp @ f/4, AI Servo, IS Mode 1.




Jun 25, 2013 at 04:35 PM
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