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Canon 100-400mm L IS II
Full-Frame EF USM (2014-)

World's Best Telephoto Zoom

Sample Images   Intro   Specs   Performance

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Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM (metal 77mm filter thread, 54.7 oz./1,550g without tripod foot, 57.0 oz./1,616g with foot, 2.75'/0.84m close focus, $2,399, or about $1,200 used if you know How to Win at eBay). bigger. I got mine at Adorama; I'd also get it at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay (How to Win at eBay).

This 100% all-content website's biggest source of support is when you use those or these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you take the chance of buying elsewhere. Never buy at retail because Canon doesn't seal its boxes, so you can't tell if a lens is used, damaged, a defective return or missing accessories. Thanks! Ken.

 

November 2023   Better Pictures   Canon Reviews   Canon Lenses   Canon Flash   All Reviews

Best 80-400mm & 100-400mm Lenses Compared.

Older version Canon 100-400mm L IS review.

Canon Extender EF 1.4x II

Canon Extender EF 2x II

 

Sample Images       top

Sample Images   Intro   Specs   Performance

Compared   Usage   Recommendations

 

Sports (Nature & Landscape)

Canon EOS R7 Sample Image File

Surfing Dog Catching a Frisbee, 10:42 AM Sunday Morning, 18 September 2022. Cropped from Canon EOS R7, OWC ATLAS S PRO 256GB SDXC card, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM II on EF to RF adapter at 400mm (650mm equivalent) wide-open at f/5.6 at 1/1,250 at Auto ISO 160, +0.3 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.7), Perfectly Clear. bigger.

I cropped the image above from this much larger image below:

Canon EOS R7 Sample Image File

Complete image from which the above was cropped. bigger.

My 100-400mm is so sharp that this is never a problem.

 

Surfing, Pacific Beach Pier, California

Surfing, Pacific Beach, California, 3:28 P.M., Saturday, 02 December 2023. Canon EOS R6 II, EF 100-400mm L II IS USM on EF to RF Ring adapter at 200mm, f/5 at 1/1,000 at Auto ISO 500 (LV 12.3), Skylum Luminar Neo. bigger.

 

Canon EOS R7 Sample Image File

Surfing Pug with His Mom & Dad, 10:56 AM Sunday Morning, 18 September 2022. Cropped from Canon EOS R7, OWC ATLAS S PRO 256GB SDXC card, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM II on EF to RF adapter at 400mm (650mm equivalent) wide-open at f/5.6 at 1/1,250 at Auto ISO 160, +0.3 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.7), Perfectly Clear. bigger.

I cropped the shot above from this EOS R7 frame:

Canon EOS R7 Sample Image File

Complete image from which the above was cropped. bigger.

The insane resolution of my EOS R7 and my EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM II (on EF to RF adapter) lets me crop whatever I need. This family was hundreds of feet away; I was standing back on the dry sand! I prefer my EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM II over the RF 100-500mm because it works much better with teleconverters, althogh I was too lazy to carry any today.

 

Canon EOS R7 Sample Image File

Surfing Chocolate Lab, 10:58 AM Sunday Morning, 18 September 2022. Cropped from Canon EOS R7, OWC ATLAS S PRO 256GB SDXC card, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM II on EF to RF adapter at 340mm (550mm equivalent) wide-open at f/5.6 at 1/1,250 at Auto ISO 200, +0.3 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.3), Perfectly Clear. bigger.

 

Canon EOS R7 Sample Image File

Surfing Dog with Blue Mohawk, 11:13 AM Sunday Morning, 18 September 2022. Cropped from Canon EOS R7, OWC ATLAS S PRO 256GB SDXC card, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM II on EF to RF adapter at 400mm (650mm equivalent) wide-open at f/5.6 at 1/1,250 at Auto ISO 250, +0.3 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.4), Perfectly Clear. bigger.

 

Here's the frame from which the above was cropped:

Surfing Dog with Blue Mohawk

Complete Image. bigger.

If I really wanted to crop-in, I can read the markings on his sunglasses, see the ocean spray on the lenses and see all us landlubbers and the bluffs reflected in them!

Surfing Dog with Blue Mohawk

Tighter Crop, Surfing Dog with Blue Mohawk. bigger.

Not bad for a couple of hundred feet away.

 

Katie plays tennis, 11 October 2016

Katie plays tennis, 11 October 2016. (Canon 1DX Mk II, Canon 100-400mm L IS II at 200mm, f/5.6 at 1/1,000 at Auto ISO 1,250, Perfectly Clear.) bigger or original file (image size M1, JPG quality 1).

 

Katie learning backhand for the first time

Katie learning backhand for the first time, 23 June 2015. (Canon 5DS, Canon EF 100-400mm IS L II at 200mm, f/10 at 1/640 at Auto ISO 400, Perfectly Clear V2.) bigger.

 

Katie practices her backhand

Katie practices her backhand, 23 June 2015. (Canon 5DS, Canon EF 100-400mm IS L II at 188mm, f/10 at 1/640 at Auto ISO 400, Perfectly Clear V2.) bigger.

 

Nature & Landscapes

See also Yosemite and the Eastern Sierra, October 2015.

Dawn over Lee Vining and Mono Lake as seen from Conway Summit, California

Dawn over Lee Vining and Mono Lake as seen from Conway Summit, California, 7:02 A.M., 13 October 2023. Canon EOS R6 II, EF 100-400mm L II IS USM on EF to RF Ring adapter at 135mm, f/5 at 1/100 at ISO 100 (LV 11¼), Skylum Luminar Neo. More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

Devil's Dawn, Partial Solar Eclipse, Mono Lake, California (crescent frame number R62_0638.JPG

Devil's Dawn, Mono Lake, California, 9:25 A.M., 14 October 2023. Canon EOS R6 II and EF 100-400mm L II IS USM on EF to RF Ring adapter.

This is a composite of two images with the same EOS R6 II and EF 100-400mm L II IS USM on EF to RF Ring adapter.

I used an image the crescent of the eclipsed sun and dropped on top of a shot of a glorious sunrise. I had planned to do this even before I shot the eclipse, since I realized the eclipse would be up in the sky at 9:22 AM and not make for much of an image by itself.

 

Pacific Beach Pier Sunset

Pacific Beach Sunset, California, 4:39 P.M., Saturday, 18 November 2023. Cropped from Canon EOS R6 II, EF 100-400mm L II IS USM on EF to RF Ring adapter at 140mm, f/11at 1/100 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.6), as shot. bigger.

 

Blue, Green & Aquamarine  Pacific Beach Pier

Blue, Gold, Green and Aquamarine, Pacific Beach Pier, California, 4:13 P.M., Saturday, 25 November 2023. Canon EOS R6 II, EF 100-400mm L II IS USM on EF to RF Ring adapter at 241mm, f/5 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 12.6), Skylum Luminar Neo. bigger.

 

Canon EOS R6 II Sample Image File

Foggy Sunrise, Toscana, Italia, 6:58 AM, Wednesday, 27 September 2023. Canon EOS R6 II, Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II USM on EF to RF Ring Adapter at 148mm at f/5.6 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100, +0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 13.0), Perfectly Clear (now sold as Radiant Photo). bigger or camera-original 24MP © LARGE NORMAL JPG file (7 MB).

 

Moonrise over Potato Peak, Bridgeport, CA

Moonrise over Potato Peak as seen from Bridgeport, California, 6:22 PM., 18 October 2021. Canon EOS R5, EF 100-400mm IS L II on EF to RF adapter at 371mm wide-open at f/5.6 hand-held at 1/80 at ISO 100, shade white balance to make it all more orange (but turned the sky more purple than its original deep blue), -2.0 stops exposure compensation to preserve details in the bright moon (LV 11.4), Skylum Aurora HDR to restore detail in the resulting very dark everything else as well as in the bright moon, all from my one JPG file. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

Snowy Sierras

Snowy Sierras, 9:11 AM., 18 October 2021. Canon EOS R5, EF 100-400mm IS L II on EF to RF adapter at 100mm at f/16 (for depth-of-field) hand-held at 1/100 at ISO 100, -0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.6), Perfectly Clear. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

Wood or Brick? Bridgeport, CA

Wood or Brick? Bridgeport, CA, 6:21 PM., 18 October 2021. Canon EOS R5, EF 100-400mm IS L II on EF to RF adapter at 100mm wide-open at f/4.5 hand-held at 1/10 at ISO 100 (LV 7¾), 4:5 in-camera crop, Skylum Aurora HDR to boost color and highlight the center from my one JPG file. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

Snowy Sierras and Fall Color

Snowy Sierras and Fall Color, 9:11 AM., 18 October 2021. Canon EOS R5, EF 100-400mm IS L II on EF to RF adapter at 114mm at f/8 at 1/500 at ISO 100 (LV 15.0), Perfectly Clear. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

Canon T8i Sample Image File

Desert Palms at Last Light, 7:29 PM, 17 June 2020. Canon T8i, Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II at 170mm wide-open at f/5 hand-held at 1/320 at Auto ISO 200 (LV 12.0), Perfectly Clear. bigger or 24 MP camera-original © 6.2 MB JPG file.

 

Walker Reservoir Paradise, Bridgeport, California

Walker Reservoir, Sportsmen's Paradise, Bridgeport, California, 5:47 P.M., 20 October 2019 (best trip ever!!!). Canon 5DS/R, Canon EF 100-400mm IS L II at 400mm, f/5.6 hand-held at 1/200 at Auto ISO 125 (LV 12.3). bigger or camera-original @ file.

 

Sunrise over Mono Lake

Sunrise over Mono Lake, October 2018, 7:11 A.M. Canon EOS R, Canon 100-400mm L IS III at 400mm, f/8 hand-held at 1/640 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear v3.6. bigger or © full-resolution file.

 

Water Flowing over a Rock in Lee Vining Creek

Water Flowing over a Rock in Lee Vining Creek, October 2015, 10:11 A.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II at 114mm, f/20 hand-held at 1/8 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger.

My stabilized 100-400mm lens lets me hand-hold it at 1/8 of a second, so I can capture blurry water motion without having to lug around a tripod. The Canon 100~400mm L IS II is state of the art and better than any other general purpose telephoto lens.

 

Yellow Aspen Leaves at Silver Lake

Yellow Aspen Leaves at Silver Lake, October 2015, 11:55 A.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II at 400mm, f/10 hand-held at 1/30 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger.

I love that I can hand-hold my stabilized 100-400mm lens at slow enough speeds to let me stop down in shade without needing a tripod!

 

The Moon as seen from Yosemite Valley

The Moon as seen from Yosemite Valley, October 2018, 7:17 P.M. Canon EOS R, Canon 100-400mm L IS II with Canon EF Extender 2x II and Canon EF Extender 1.4x II at 1,040mm total, f/16 hand-held at 1/50 at Auto ISO 400, Perfectly Clear v3.6. See this crazy rig that actually works hand-held. bigger.

 

Moon, Pines and Granite

Moon Behind Pines Atop Sentinel Rock, Yosemite National Park, 8:56:32 P.M., 16 October 2021. Canon EOS R5, EF 100-400mm IS L II at 400mm wide-open at f/5.6 on EF 2× extender II (800mm actual focal length and f/11 actual resulting aperture) on EF to RF adapter at 1/200 at ISO 1,600 (LV 10.6), cropped a bit but otherwise as shot, split-toned print. bigger or fit-to-screen.

 

Yellow Aspen Leaf on River Rock, Merced River, Yosemite Valley

Yellow Aspen Leaf on River Rock, Merced River, Yosemite Valley, October 2018, 7:59 A.M. Canon EOS R, Canon 100-400mm L IS II at 124mm, f/11 at 1/25 hand-held at Auto ISO 400, Perfectly Clear v3.6. bigger.

 

Sunrise as Seen from Conway Summit

Sunrise as Seen from Conway Summit, October 2015, 7:12 A.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II and Canon Extender EF 1.4x II making 560mm, f/11 at 1/640 at Auto ISO 100. bigger.

 

Rainbow at Bridal Veil Falls

Rainbow at Bridal Veil Falls, October 2015, 4:31 P.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II at 400mm, f/5.6 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger.

 

Last Light on Half Dome as Seen from Stoneman Meadow

Last Light on Half Dome as Seen from Stoneman Meadow, October 2015, 6:05 P.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II at 107mm, f/4.5 at 1/100 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger.

 

Dawn's First Light on Distant Tree-Lined Mountainside

Dawn's First Light on Distant Tree-Lined Mountainside, October 2015, 7:25 A.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II at 263mm, f/5 hand-held at 1/60 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger.

 

Sunlight on Sheet Metal, Open Mine

Sunlight on Sheet Metal, Open Mine, October 2015, 4:38 P.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II at 248mm, f/14 at 1/1,600 at Auto ISO 100. bigger.

 

Blue Roof, Bridgeport

Blue Roof, Bridgeport, October 2015, 6:10 P.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II at 330mm, f/5.6 at 1/80 at Auto ISO 1,000, Perfectly Clear. bigger.

 

Valley Floor Fog

Valley Floor Fog, October 2015, 7:57 A.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II at 241mm, f/5 hand-held at 1/50 at Auto ISO 160, Perfectly Clear. bigger.

 

Valley Floor Fog

Valley Floor Fog, October 2015, 8:18 A.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II at 400mm, f/5.6 hand-held at 1/80 at Auto ISO 320, Perfectly Clear. bigger or full 50 MP (20MB JPG) file to explore on your computer (mobile devices rarely can display this resolution properly).

Man, this is a sharp lens and camera, and the stabilization is so good that I can shoot in dim dawn light at 400mm and not need a tripod.

 

Tombstone of Galen Clark

Galen Clark's Headstone, Yosemite Cemetery, October 2015, 12:27 P.M. Canon 5DS R, Canon 100~400mm L IS II at 120mm, f/5 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger.

 

Canon EL-100 Sample Image

Bike Del Mar, 10:08 AM Sunday morning, 18 September 2022. Canon EOS R7, Canon EL-100 flash, OWC ATLAS S PRO 256GB SDXC card, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM II on EF to RF adapter at 100mm (160mm equivalent) at f/5 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 12.6), Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original 32 MP © 9 MB NORMAL JPG file.

 

Ryan's about to show me a secret on Mom's iMac

Works great in the dark, too! (20 December 2014, Canon 5D Mk III at Auto ISO 5,000, Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II at 100mm, f/5 at 1/125, Perfectly Clear V3.) bigger.

 

Mercedes S550

Mercedes S550 in Diamond White 799, 3:15 PM, Wednesday, 13 May 2020. Canon 90D, Flash ON, Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II at 106mm at f/10 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14.6), as shot. bigger or full resolution 5 MB file.

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