Brother Printers
WhiteBoard
IP PBXs
Canon EF 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens
Key Features
EF Mount L-Series Lens/Full-Frame Format
One Fluorite and One Super UD Element
Air Sphere and Fluorine Lens Coatings
Ring-Type USM AF Motor, Internal Focus
Optical Image Stabiliser with 3 Modes
Rotating Zoom Ring & Torque Adjustment
Weather-Sealed Design
Detachable, Rotatable Tripod Collar
Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
1 Year Warranty
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens Review: The Ultimate Professional Wildlife & Sports Super-Telephoto
For professional wildlife photographers, aviation documentarians, field-sports photojournalists, and elite outdoor creators, a standard telephoto lens often cuts off right when a subject moves into the distance. Worse, entry-level superzooms sacrifice wide-open edge sharpness, suffer from sluggish autofocus tracking, and lack the rugged construction needed to survive harsh environments. Demanding field assignments require a lens that delivers pristine, prime-like resolution at its maximum 400mm reach, lightning-fast tracking precision, and heavy-duty weather sealing. The Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens is engineered precisely to serve as that definitive, high-yield super-telephoto asset.
As a massive mechanical and optical evolution over its push-pull predecessor, this second-generation L-series masterpiece integrates a refined twist-zoom ring, advanced anti-reflective coatings, and a revolutionary close-focusing macro dynamic. Let’s evaluate why this iconic super-telephoto zoom remains an indispensable, high-yield investment for full-frame and mirrorless photographers worldwide.
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Technical Specifications
Canon optimized the mechanical architecture, high-grade glass stabilization, and specialized weatherproofing of this elite super-telephoto zoom to deliver incredible rendering uniformity across its entire massive focal sweep:
| Specification | Technical Details |
|---|---|
| Lens Mount Type | Canon EF (Natively maps to Full-Frame and APS-C DSLRs) |
| Focal Length Range | 100–400 mm (35mm Full-Frame Equivalent on APS-C: 160–640mm) |
| Angle of View (Diagonal) | Approx. 24° to 6° 10′ on full-frame sensors |
| Maximum Aperture | f/4.5–5.6 (Variable) |
| Minimum Aperture | f/32–38 |
| Lens Architecture | 21 elements in 16 groups |
| Specialized Glass Optics | 1 Fluorite element, 1 Super UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) element |
| Diaphragm Aperture Blades | 9 blades (Circular array for smooth, creamy background highlights) |
| Autofocus Drive Mechanism | Inner-focusing Ring-type Ultrasonic Motor (USM) |
| Minimum Focusing Distance | 0.98 meters (3.2 feet across the entire zoom range) |
| Maximum Magnification | 0.31x (at the 400mm focal position) |
| Filter Interface Thread | 77 mm |
| Physical Weight | Approx. 1,570 grams (55.4 oz / 3.46 lbs without tripod collar) |
| Dimensions (Diameter x Length) | Approx. 94.0 mm x 193.0 mm |
Key Features of the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens
The EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM relies on a versatile 4x super-telephoto span, elite-tier Fluorite optics, and rapid internal focus tracking to provide a fast-paced, high-fidelity professional workflow.
- Massive, High-Impact 100-400mm Framing Horizon: Seamlessly bridging the gap between medium telephoto action and extreme long-range subject isolation, this lens provides incredible compositional flexibility. It handles everything from compressed environmental portraits and moving athletes at 100mm to dramatic close-ups of skittish wildlife, birds in flight, and distant aviation displays at 400mm—all without forcing you to change your shooting position.
- Prime-Like Sharpness via Fluorite & Super UD Glass: Completely shifting industry standards for super-telephoto zoom resolution, the internal optical layout integrates one premium Fluorite element alongside a high-performance Super UD glass component. This advanced pairing systematically erases secondary spectrum chromatic aberrations and eliminates color fringing, producing breathtaking contrast and razor-sharp center-to-corner clarity even when shooting wide open at 400mm.
- Advanced Air Sphere Coating (ASC) to Defeat Flare: To combat ghosting, internal reflections, and severe flare when shooting directly into bright skies or highly backlit environments, the Mark II architecture features Canon’s high-tech Air Sphere Coating (ASC). This multi-layer technology preserves elite image contrast and color fidelity, making it an exceptional asset for dramatic sunset wildlife silhouettes or heavy stadium illumination.
- Upgraded 4-Stop Optical Image Stabilization (IS) with 3 Modes: To counteract handheld camera shake across its extensive focal reach, the lens integrates an advanced optical stabilizer system offering up to 4 stops of shutter speed correction. It includes three specialized stabilization modes: Mode 1 for standard stationary subjects, Mode 2 for smooth horizontal panning shots, and Mode 3, which activates stabilization only during the exact moment of exposure to easily track erratically moving birds or athletes.
