Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS USM Super Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Buy Cheap Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS USM Super Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras 

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Perhaps the best 400MM lens money can buy / Incorporates Diffractive Optics, Image Stabilizater & Ultrasonic Motor technologies
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Technical Details

- EF mount; super telephoto lens
- Fluorite glass; diffractive optics; image stabilizer; internal focusing
- 400mm focal length
- f/4 maximum aperture
- Micro UltraSonic Motor (USM)
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 "Wonderful lens! You'll take it with you everywhere." 2008-11-08
By Marcelo Clerici (Palo Alto, CA)
I hesitated for weeks before buying this lens. It's expensive (only $1,000 or so cheaper than the wonderful 400mm 2.8 Canon lens), it's 4.0 instead of 2.8, it's not an L lens (since it uses the less common diffractive optics), and the user reviews of the early production lenses were mixed (the latter reviews are much better). However, I finally decided to buy because I needed a 400mm lens for a mix of sports and outdoors photos, and I knew that I would rarely use the much heavier and longer 400mm 2.8 lens. It is true that the 400mm 2.8 has photographic advantages over the 400mm 4.0 DO, but those don't mean anything if you don't have the lens with you when you need it!



In the month or so I've had the 400mm DO, I've taken it with me on trips--in planes, inside the cabin, with enough space for two camera bodies, and 24-70mm and 70-200mm zoom lenses--and I've shot sports handheld _exclusively_. The autofocus is very fast, the image quality is _astounding_, and I can only say good things about this lens. Perfect 10 for me!

 "Light enough for a walk-around" 2008-08-23
By crusader (Seattle, USA)
This is an often maligned lens, due to its high cost and the lower contrast compared to regular lenses. Both are true and the latter is easily fixable in the digital workflow. The upside that no other lens can compete with is, that one can carry it for miles without undue strain, handhold for substantial periods of time, like waiting a few minutes for some wildlife to move into position, or for some sports action to happen. Obviously, there are even lighter 400mm lenses, but those have typically no image stabilization and a very small maximum aperture.

At this point for me, this is my one size fits all super telephoto lens. There are sharper lenses, longer lenses, faster lenses, etc. but this one can do almost everything, and do it good enough.

 "The best 400mm lens to carry outback" 2006-11-14
By Mark W. Bohrer (Saratoga, California)
This is my lens for handheld images of birds in flight. It's sharp and exhibits no color fringing or other chromatic aberration. By comparison, my Leitz 400mm f/6.8 Telyt shows a fair amount of color fringing outside the center region. To be fair, the Telyt is a much simpler design.



The Telyt does have higher contrast than the EF 400mm f/4 DO IS, but a levels layer in Photoshop can fix that.



The 400mm f/4 DO IS is much lighter than any 400mm f/4 lens with conventional optics. DO lenses have a diffraction element that compensates for the color dispersion of spherical lens elements. It also reduces optical complexity and size.



The f/4 speed makes autofocus faster, and allows even better isolation of subjects using narrow depth of field. While bigger and heavier than Canon's 400mm f/5.6L, the f/4 lens is light enough at 4.3 pounds that it's still easy to carry. I've used mine on hikes above 10,000 feet to photograph bighorn sheep.



IS definitely makes a difference handheld, and on a tripod below 1/125 second. Canon's 400mm f/5.6L is a non-stabilized lens.



I've taken some of my sharpest wildlife images with this lens - you can see every feather in some bird shots. Highly recommended if you can afford one.


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Canon EF 28-90mm F/4-5.6 III SLR Lens for Canon Cameras

Buy Cheap Canon EF 28-90mm F/4-5.6 III SLR Lens for Canon Cameras

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Offering the ideal match for the EOS REBEL T2/EOS 300X, the EF28-90mm f/4-5.6 III lens offers E-TTL II for outstanding exposure performance, as well as design features such as a metal ring located on the front of the lens for a contemporary look that harmonizes with the camera.
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Technical Details

- Renowned for ultra fast, ultra quiet, precision autofocus, this Canon EF lens has its own microprocessor controlled focusing motor
- From ultra-wide angle perspective, this lens can infinitely zoom to normal and portrait perspectives for diverse applications
- New mechanical construction and lubrication for smoother zooming action
- Accepts optional EW-60C lens hood
- Accepts optional 58mm-size Filters
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 "Decent bang for the buck" 2009-02-05
By J. Gintautas (CALIFORNI_A)
Ive only had my XTI for a few days and let me just say that Ive taken some amazing pictures with this lens, ive read that its great for beginners and better than the 18-55 mm kit lens. I added a few pics that I took with this lens check them out.

 "3.5 Stars" 2009-01-21
By Jacob P. Lavender (Germany)
In general I think that this lense is an excellent walk around lense that offers an adequate range for most individuals. I have used this lense on both an EOS Rebel K2 (kit lens for this camera) and a 30D (I only got the body). Of course, the 30D will easily out perform this lense and with the K2, unless you develop your own film, you will have to suffer the development by a "franchise" style 1 hr photo (if you are buying this lens, more than likely you're not developing and you probably don't want to pay astronomical prices for your shots anyway).



In general, I think that its an acceptable lens that offers quality shots. With this, you are getting a Canon lens at a CHEAP price in comparison with some of their others, so in some sense you are paying for the name. Is it worth it? In this price range...yeah, probably. We're not talking L class lens here.



So for the average person just wanting to get some good shots on their camera then this lens should work well. It does feel a little cheap and light in my opinion but its considered a kit lens to begin with so can't complain too much there. I've been using it for over a year now and thus far have taken some decent shots with it. I have posted some for reveiwers viewing pleasure. Nothing phenomenal, but something to go off of.



If I were to give a recommendation I think it would be as a kit lens, yeah its good. As far as buying afterwards I might consider spending a few more bucks and stepping up the zoom and aperature a bit. Low light kills this lense in my opinion but its only an f4 wide open...what do you expect? Put it on a tripod and set you camera to Tv and you can get some decent shots. I've post one that was at night with a great deal of light noise...it did ok...made for an interesting shot.



My greatest two gripes would be:



As mentioned above low light destroys this lens (it doesn't have IS and has an f4 aperature wide open...only so much to say here considering price though).



Second, I don't care for the switch between MF and AF...not convenient for me. It could work but I've never personally found it positioned well or ease of switching. Just a personal issue though. Others might find it perfect.



Overall...decent lens for just having a good time and getting a decent name brand to compliment.

 "Helpful!!!!!" 2009-01-08
By Jenica E. Skolek (IL USA)
This product was suggested to me for my Cannon Rebel and I am loving it!!! As a beginner photographer I couldn't ask for a better, more cost efficient tool!!! I suggest this to beginners and veterans alike!!!

 "Good Value" 2008-10-30
By L. Ewert (Marysville, Wa USA)
It's not fancy, but for the price its a good value. I find its a little stiff, but the photo quality is fine.

 "Cannon EF 28-90mm lens" 2008-08-26
By David L. Sher
Thank you for the promt service. The lens came just as ordered and well wrapped. AAA++++


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Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Buy Cheap Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

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An incredibly compact, wonderfully bright and precise extreme wide angle zoom / Close focusing to less than one foot
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Technical Details

- EF mount; ultra-wide zoom lens
- Super Ultra-low Dispersion glass; inner focusing; aspherical lens; full-time manual focus
- 16-35mm focal length
- f/2.8 constant maximum aperture
- Micro UltraSonic Motor (USM)
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 "Good quality and excellent pictures" 2009-10-05
By T. Petursson (Iceland)
The lens is easy to use, it is rather light weight and the picture quality is excellent. I took a tour to Time Square the night after I received the lens and shot some amazing pictures using only the ambient light available. I will definitely use the lens for landscape night shots and Northern Lights shots here in Iceland.

 "I use it to take pictures of buildings for work" 2007-09-17
By John (San Antonio, TX)
Let me start out by saying I'm a hobbyist and photography is not how I make my living...



I work for a company that supplies structural steel to the commercial GC's all over Texas. I use this lens to take great pictures of buildings! I can get up close to the building and take a great picture with a lot of crisp detail in the foreground and bokeh in the background. Without it, I was using a 50 or 85mm and I would have to stand too far away and would loose the detail up close.



Limitation: One thing to note is that on a 10D, the lens is so big that the integrated camera flash will cast a shadow in your pictures. This is not a problem with my 30D (or with a speedlite), but it is a problem when my father uses it on his 10D and didn't want to take a speedlite.



Overall, I really like using this lens and use it a lot... in fact, it stays on my camera 85% of the time.

 "Excellent Lens" 2007-03-08
By Jonathan Williams (Alaska)
Although I am very new to the SLR world I made the jump right to this L series lens and I love it. Super sharp images, great color, very fast focus, and having 16mm to play with at the wide end is a lot of fun. There is definitely some light fall off at the corners with the aperture wide open, but stopped down it isn't really an issue. There is slight distortion at the widest angles but I kind of like that effect to I'm not bothered by it. I shoot a lot in overcast and dark conditions so the f/2.8 is great. The only thing I have been struggling with is flare in bright conditions. Pointed near the sun at 16mm even with the hood on you still have to be careful. Like I said, I don't have a lot of experience yet so I can't say if this is normal or not. The flaring isn't anything so damaging that it cannot be corrected in Photoshop. I'm extremely pleased with this lens!

 "Looks like this lens just became a dinosaur!" 2007-02-25
By K. Ewing (UK)
On Feb 22, 2007, Canon announced a "II" version of this lens that will correct the optical performance problems this lens has. The new lens has been completely redesigned, and will require MASSIVE 82mm filters. Yikes! I do not own this lens, as I am now waiting to see if the II version will be more expensive, or if this version will drop below $1000. As mentioned, the new version will require 82mm filters, which will be even more expensive than the filters the I version uses.



The II version has now been listed on Amazon. It looks like the II will be about $300 more, rather than this version dropping in price (so far).

 "the best super wide zoom ever" 2007-02-18
By T. Rahman (UK)
buy it, if you have the cash.



- its canon 'L' series lens, best glass money can buy



- lovely colours



- fast focusing



- super wide zoom



- and not that heavy or bulky (as other would say)


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Canon EF 20-35mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Buy Cheap Canon EF 20-35mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

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A highly portable lens with high optical performance and a light weight of 12 oz. (340g). A very practical ultra-wide-angle zoom. The large front lens group minimizes peripheral darkening, and the flare-blocking diaphragm minimizes flare. Also, with lens group 2 being the zoom group, distortion is corrected.
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Technical Details

- EF mount; ultra-wide zoom lens
- Inner focusing; full-time manual focus
- 20-35mm focal length
- f/3.5-4.5 maximum aperture
- Ring-type UltraSonic Motor (USM)
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 "Fine performance for the price" 2007-04-26
By A photographer (Planet Earth)
The main problem with this lens is the speed, or the lack thereof. Compared to the EF 20/2.8, it's only a half stop slower but compared to the EF 35/2, it's one and a half stops slower. While this is not a big deal if you're shooting outside, you have a problem in low light environments. Secondarily, if you're shooting a small sensor DSLR, you're not getting the wide angle benefits of this lens.



For film or for full-frame 35mm sized sensor DSLR users, this is a good choice if you can live with the primary limitation of the slow speed. Optically, it's not bad at all. It has more distortion than an architectural photographer will want but if you're mainly shooting architecture you probably wouldn't be attracted to this lens anyway. As a reportage lens or a travel lens, it will serve well. Although it's relatively large--especially with the dinner plate sized lens hood in place--it's a lightweight. Build quality is industry-standard consumer grade for Canon. Which means it's actually very well put together from mostly plastic components. The lens mount is metal and the lens elements are, of course, glass. Autofocus is fast and the motor is a Canon Ultrasonic so you get the benefit of manual focus without having to flip switches to turn off the autofocus.



I've used this lens off and on for about eight years. I originally shot color nature and landscapes and this was a very useful lens for such purposes. I mostly used a tripod so having a slow lens wasn't a limitation. For the last few years, I have been doing only black and white film work with an emphasis on the artful aspects of photography. When I use 35mm, I've trimmed my most used lenses to mostly primes so this lens doesn't get selected as often as it once was. Still, when the light is bright, I sometimes use this lens for the convenience. It's very versatile with good performance. If used at medium apertures under the same lighting conditions, I seriously doubt anyone would be able to see any practical difference in photos made with this lens compared to one of the much more expensive L-series Canon zooms. For the price, it's very good value.

 "Great Lens" 2007-04-06
By J. M. Vuckovich
I love it. Im no pro but the wide angle is great for family pictures, weddings ect.

 "Affordable wide angle" 2007-03-22
By Fernando Valenzuela (California, USA)
This lens is good for those who are looking to get decent wide angle but don't have the budget for the EF 17-40 f/4L. In order to beat the quality of this lens you need to spend almost double.



I used the 20-35 on my Rebel XT which makes it equivalent to 32 to 56mm. It's not as wide as the EF-S 18-55 that came with the camera but the quality is much better. The ring type USM focuses fast and quietly. Overall, a great value for the price.



If you can afford it, I would step up to the 17-40 f/4L which gives you a little more range. If not, this is a decent alternative.



Another option to consider is the EF 20mm f/2.8. It's slightly faster but costs about $100 more.

 "Good lens but is it really worth $390?" 2005-08-01
By paparazzi83 (Honolulu, Hawaii)
I use this lens at work every day, and in general it's a very good lens. The optics are sharp, and the focus, athough not fast, is not something to complain about.



The only problem I have is that for $400 for a 20-35mm lens that's f/3.5 is a little pricey in my view. It's also not the sharpest lesn on the market, and when you can spend a another $200 for some 17-85mm IS I find it hard to justify buying this lens for the asking price.

 "Great for travel" 2003-07-20
By
This is a wonderful lens. It is especially nice for travel photos in cities, indoors, and for some landscapes. You also need to get a hood because of the wide angle of view. In addition, you need a filter to protect the lens as well as function as a filter -haze or polarizer. The filter must be a special wide angle filter (thin metal ring) and you won't be able to attach the lens cap over the filter. Small price to pay, however.


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Buy Canon EF 20-35mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras Now

Canon EF 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6 II USM Telephoto Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras

Buy Cheap Canon EF 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6 II USM Telephoto Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras

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Super-compact and light, this lens is compatible with all EOS cameras and ideal for digital SLRs - when used on the EOS Digital Rebel, it's equivalent to an approx. 90-320mm lens. The 13-element design's new optical coatings are optimized for digital cameras. It focuses down to under 4 feet (1.2m), and its Micro USM-powered AF is faster than ever, due to new electronics within the lens.
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Technical Details

- Focuses down to under 4 feet (1.2m)
- Micro USM-powered AF is faster than ever
- 55-200mm Focal Length and 1:4.5-5.6 Maximum Aperture
- 52mm Filter Size
- Compatible with all EOS cameras
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 "Excelent" 2009-03-28
By Nelly Ivonne Murillo (Honduras, Centro America)
I think this lent is excelent, you can capture image with a long distance. and the imagin are great.

 "good job" 2008-06-01
By K. Cook (Richmond, VA)
An all around good product, this lens does exactly what it intends to do. Nothing amazing, but doesn't disappoint if you're looking for a standard medium zoom lens. Relatively light-weight, and quick and easy to put on.

 "Get what you pay for... in a good way" 2008-04-08
By J. Mannion (Connecticut, USA)
You can't drop $200 and change on an entry level telephoto and expect it to be the most stunning piece of equipment you've ever laid eyes on. In that regard, I think the 55-200 does remarkably well. A bit of a learning curve involved, as it's not the fastest lens in the land.



It performs very well for sporting events, especially in the day. Nighttime sports are a cinch to shoot as long as the field/stadium lights are above average.



I love it to bits, I wouldn't travel anywhere without it in my camera bag (at least until I put aside enough coin for a real heavy-hitter telephoto). :)

 "2 Thumbs up!" 2007-01-31
By T. Summers (Washington D.C.)
Excellent lens very fast and gets you up close and personal. I really like the color quality as well as the quick AF functionality. Highly recommend for anyone who is wanting nice closeups pictures while shooting from a distance.

 "For the price ...Just PERFECT!" 2006-06-27
By R. Gutstein (Aventura, FL USA)
The Canon EF 55-200mm II USM is definitly worth the price. Autofocus responds well at all focal lengths. (See my photos for ballgame action & family portraits)


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Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM Super Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Buy Cheap Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM Super Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras 

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Super telephoto L-series lenses with an image stabilizer are intended for use in track and field sports as well as low-light nature and wildlife photography. The fluorite element and two UD-glass elements result in high resolution and high contrast. The ring USM and an improved AF drive algorithm make the AF speed the fastest in the world when used with the EOS-1v and EOS-3. This lens has AF stop and focus preset features.
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Technical Details

- EF mount; super telephoto lens
- Fluorite and Ultra-low Dispersion-glass; image stabilizer; internal focusing; full-time manual focus
- 400mm focal length
- f/2.8 maximum aperture
- Ring-type UltraSonic Motor (USM)
See more technical details

 "Unbelievable Quality" 2010-01-07
By D. Burbank (Ithaca, New York)
I purchased this lens a few months ago. It is absolutely incredible for sports photography and wildlife/nature photography. Fast focus, incredible sharpness, rock-solid feel. I can't think of any negatives. It's a bit heavy, so be prepared to hold it securely or invest in a high-quality monopod.

 "Worth the heavy load for nature" 2009-11-10
By M. Tinker (Encinitas, CA United States)
I consider myself to be a very privileged amateur wildlife photographer simply by being able to own one of these amazing over the top lenses! Its heavy, no mistake, and needs a monopod - I use the Manfrotto 681B.



Only own it if you feel able to throw yourself under it to protect your investment! I consider this ethical issue most early mornings when descending down slopes or climbing over rocks. A sturdy monopod has prevented many serious issues and I have yet to have a hard impact.



I go out early in the morning with it set to a default of F2.8/ISO800 and as the sun rises steadily move to F4/ISO200 ready for quick snaps. I keep a Canon EF 1.4x Extender in my pocket so that I can take small bird shots at 560mm. The extender does reduced the percentage of "keeper" photo's from say 25% down to 10% in typical use.



I have a 24-105/F4, 70-200/F2.8, 400/F5.6, but this is the lens I use for 90% of the time. I often have the 24-105mm or a 10-22mm in my pocket to capture wider shots, but they don't give the mind blowing shots that can only be achieved by one of the big telephoto's.



I considered the 500/F4 because its lighter, but I like the flexibility of 400/560mm and using every last bit of light that's available early in the morning.

 "Produces Wow Images" 2007-11-19
By Justin Jones
This lens is the tool to get images that jump out at the viewer. As a sports lens I don't know if there is a better solution. It is a lot of weight to pack around, but after one or two games you get used to moving it around. A mono-pod is required for shooting any more than a few shots at a time. Since I purchased this lens it has been attached to my camera exclusively with the exception of one wedding shoot.

 "One of the World's Best" 2006-12-25
By DSPhoto (Seattle, WA)
I consider this lens indispensible for the photography I do (action and sports). It has paid for itself in photographic sales many times over with images that no other lens can take. I combine it with good camera support (Gitzo 1325) and a Wimberly head. With a 1DMk2 body, we're talking over 15 lbs, and that's not something you want to hand hold. The images at f/2.8 are sharp and contrasty. When I nail a shot, the shallow depth of field is breathtaking. It's ability to stop action and to work in low light is amazing. I've had someone ask me how often I use this lens, and the answer is "every chance I get." You want to know how Sports Illustrated Photographers get their shots? This is part of their toolkit.

 "If you can afford it, get it!" 2005-10-25
By T. Harding (Palm Valley, Florida)
This is the most expensive, but most impressive lens I own. Produces amazing sports/nature shots. I could gush and gurgle about it all day, but the bottom line is if you want the long range lens to have this is it. Add the 2x converter and you have an 800mm lens.


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Canon EF 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Buy Cheap Canon EF 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

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Canon offers this ultra-wide zoom lens with portrait-length telephoto capability. By having multiple lens groups move during zooming, the lens was made compact and lightweight. The ashperical element suppresses distortion. High contrast is maintained at all focal lengths and sharp images are obtained.
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Technical Details

- EF mount; standard zoom lens
- Internal focusing; full-time manual focus; aspherical lens
- 24-85mm focal length
- f/3.5-4.5 maximum aperture
- Micro UltraSonic Motor (USM)
See more technical details

 "Bread and butter" 2008-07-26
By Mr. A. Pomeroy (Wiltshire, England)
This is a good-value lens that was designed back in the days of 35mm film cameras, although Canon still sells it as of 2008, and it works fine on Canon's digital models. It is a standard EF lens that will fit all of Canon's digital cameras. It is not one of those EF-S lenses that is restricted to the e.g. 400D / 40D range.



I believe it is one of the least glamorous lenses that Canon sells, in the sense that it has a moderate zoom range that is neither particularly wide nor particularly zoomy; it is not the cheapest, or the most expensive EF lens; it is not the most or the least fully-featured; it is neither flimsy nor rock-solid. It uses USM focus, which is silent and generally accurate. It doesn't have image stabilisation. It doesn't have a constant aperture. The zoom range is roughly 40-135mm on a x1.6 cropped sensor body, such as a Canon 400D / 40D. The zooming mechanism on my example doesn't creep. The closest focus distance seems relatively far, something like a foot and a bit. The manual focus ring feels a bit cheap, but then again the autofocus is fast and quiet, so it balances out. It has a 67mm filter thread, which is an odd size.



I have had a chance to take a few shots on a tripod at different apertures. At f3.5 it has a nice tight field of view, and it is decently sharp; it seems to jump up in sharpness between f5.6 and f8, and doesn't get much sharper beyond that. On my 35mm Canon 600, with an uncropped field of view, there is noticeable distortion at both the wide and the tele ends. This is less noticeable on a cropped 350D, although it is still noticeable. Otherwise the image quality has no obvious glaring deficiencies. The background blur is pleasant. I found that I had to underexpose by a stop to get the exposure just right, but that might be me, or the camera.



It's attractive as a useful, well-priced walkabout lens for digital cameras, for people who don't mind the relatively tight field of view (40mm is just slightly wideangle). The only problem I can see is that the zoom bellows seems to suck up dust. My example had quite a few specks, although apparently this has an almost unnoticeable effect on image quality. It's a shame that Canon doesn't include a lens hood.

 "Make that 3.5 stars" 2008-07-20
By Coronet Blue (California)
Here's another case where it all depends on how you use it and what you expect. Personally, I like really sharp images. This means, I can photograph something that has a lot of detail and examine the corners of the image at 100 - 200% and "read" what's there. If this sounds like you, then this isn't what you're looking for (unfortunately, neither is the 24-70 L but its much closer).



If you just enjoy taking pictures and want a good, "walk around" lens that's not ridiculously heavy, you'll love this lens--and believe me, I envy you.



Sharpness. Its reasonably sharp at all apertures except wide open. No big deal since few lenses are great, wide open. Nothing is blurry (at least on an SLR with 1.6 crop factor) but nothing will make you break into a smile at the devastating crispness, either. Best f-stop was between 5.6 and 8, just where it should be.



Chromatic aberration. Not great, but there is something about digital cameras that makes even the most well corrected lenses show some "CA". If you can live with good-not-great sharpness, the CA shouldn't be a concern.



Barrel distortion. Gracious. The test at photozone_de should have prepared me for this, but at the 24mm end this lens is almost in semi-fisheye territory. So....flowers, people and landscapes, fine. Walls, windows and anything flat or square, not fine. Correctable in Photoshop but tedious to get just right.



Construction. Space age Polycarbonate (plastic). Seems fine to me. From the comments on "build quality" you'd think every doctor on vacation in Tahiti was embedded in Afghanistan. Its a precision item, made out of plastic but it looks to me like it will be fine, unless dropped. I did notice that dust gets inside but since lenses do not take pictures of themselves this shouldn't affect image quality. Dust sure hasn't hurt my ancient view camera lenses.



Focusing. The ultrasonic motor works flawlessly. Fast and silent.



So that's it. For me, the sharpness and barreling were an issue. But its a perfectly usable lens; just not a great one. Reasonably priced, too. While I wait for a spectacular L wide angle zoom, I'm going to get the 50 macro and probably the 35/2 as well. Not very convenient, I admit, but along with the Tokina 12-24 and my 70-200 L, I should be in good shape.

 "very good lens - underrated" 2008-02-01
By Louis Jaffe (San Francisco, CA USA)
I had been using the 24-85 for years on a series of Canon DSLRs starting with the original d30 and culminating with the 5d. Finally decided to spring for the 24-105L. I was immediately surprised that pix from the new lens didn't look so great as 3-4X higher price would suggest. Detailed comparisons showed the 24-85 was just as good in many instances. One edge (not the other) of the 24-105L was a bit better, but center sharpness was no better, even wide open. Contrast seemed equally good. I returned the 24-105L to the dealer and kept the 24-85. While it's true the zoom range is less, I also like the much lighter weight and more compact form of the 24-85.

 "Excellent outdoor lens for a 1.6x camera" 2007-08-09
By James Kirk (Florida)
Okay, so you are like me and think that standard 18-55, 17-55, or 17-50 zooms are too short for some outdoor events, but telephoto lenses are too long. SO you want a good in between. There are several choices including the Canon 17-85mm, Canon 28-135mm, the Canon 24-85, the Canon 28-105mm, and the Canon 24-105mm. While I would really prefer the Canon 24-105mm L series, it is very expensive, heavy, and large. The ones that start at 28mm aren't wide enough, so that leaves the 24-85mm.



The 24-85mm F3.5-4.5 lens is excellent for a midrange medium zoom on a 1.6x camera. Image quality, even wide open, is far better than the 18-55 kit lenses, plus you get USM with FTM, and a wider aperture. However, this lens really is best used in the F5.6-11 range, where the sharpness is quite good. Contrast and color are excellent at pretty much all apertures. Focusing is fast and accurate, and it has a nice distance meter.



The main downsides to this lens are it's mediocre build quality, which is a little wobbly at least on my copy, and the focus and zoom rings could have better feel. However, if you are comming from the kit lens or another cheap lens, it is right on par.



If you compare it to the 17-85mm, the 24-85mm isn't as WA and doesn't have IS, but it has FF capability, much better edge and center sharpness at all apertures, a faster aperture, lower price, and is a little more compact.



For full frame cameras, it covers a very important range, the wide zoom, which often used indoors, would preferably have good F2.8 IQ for indoors, something like the Tamron 28-75mm, or preferably the Canon 28-70mm, which is excellent indoors FF.



Overall, if you can get the Canon 24-105mm instead, it's definitely a much better lens in every respect. But if you don't want to spend that, this is a great lens at 1/3 the cost.

 "Beginners: Good lens but don't buy it!" 2006-07-11
By gogolplexer (Toronto, Canada)
I bought my first SLR camera about two and a half years ago ( a Rebel K2 film camera with kit lens ) before the birth of my daughter. As I became more familiar with photography and hungrier for better picture quality I bought the very cheap 50mm f/1.8 lens and was impressed by how much better the picture quality was.



That motivated me to spend some money and buy this lens with my Rebel Digital XT. This is a good zoom lens-- much better then the lens that comes with the camera. Compact, lightweight with good picture quality. A great value for the money. That's why I gave it 4 stars.



But after a few months I decided to go all out and buy the 24-70mm f/2.8L. WOW!!! "L" glass blows this lens away!



Okay, my advice to beginners is this: If you're buying an SLR camera its because you want to go beyond the normal point and shoot experience to more creative exposures and better picture quality. You're willing to pay much more for these qualities otherwise you wouldn't even consider an SLR. Don't go cheap on the lens. Nothing is more important than optics when it comes to camera equipment. Go all out and buy the L -lenses-- you won't regret it!



Yes they're expensive but they can last a lifetime and they hold their value very well. I don't use my 24-85 anymore so it was pretty much a waste of money. Save yourself some money and buy the 24-70 f/2.8L. The pictures you take will last longer than the memory of the money you spent.




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Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS USM Super Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Buy Cheap Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS USM Super Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

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This lens is ideal for sports and wildlife photography. The newly designed optical system has one fluorite element and two UD-glass elements to obtain high resolution and high contrast. Also, the minimum focusing distance was reduced to 18 ft. (5.5m). Extender EF 2x II can be attached to increase the focal length to 1200mm while retaining AF (at the center focusing point with the EOS-1v and EOS-3).
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Technical Details

- EF mount; super telephoto lens
- Fluorite and Ultra-low Dispersion-glass; image stabilizer; internal focusing; full-time manual focus
- 600mm focal length
- f/4 maximum aperture
- Micro UltraSonic Motor (USM)
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 "Worth the Weight!" 2009-05-29
By Charlie MacPherson (United States)
I've owned this lens for most of a year now, and I am completely satisfied with it.



Downsides - it's heavy at almost 12 pounds, and it costs half as much as a small car.



It's like adopting a 12 pound child - if you're on a photo shoot, you have to take it everywhere. You can't let it out of your sight. It's a lot to carry, you certainly don't want to bang it around, and it's always in the back of your mind that somebody might like to snatch it when you're not looking.



But all that said, this is one incredible lens!



After a year of shooting a competitor's 500mm f6.4 zoom - and agonizing over whether it would be worth the cost, I upgraded to the Canon 600mm.



The improvement in image quality is stark. Bokeh is superb. The f4 combined with the IS allows me to get images that were out of reach with the other lens. And the extra 100mm in focal length - especially when combined with Canon's matched 1.4X extender really fills the frame with whatever it is you're shooting.



I've shot it in temperature extremes from -3F to +90F and in over 20K images, it has never given me the slightest problem.



The autofocus is FAST and the dual-mode IS works extremely well.



Invest in a decent tripod and gimbal head (Manfrotto's works very nicely at a fraction of the cost of the Wimberly) and you'll be happy. Try to hand-hold this beast and you won't.



But if you're thinking about moving up to this lens, take it from an avid bird & wildlife photographer - you will NOT regret it!

 "Big Guns!" 2009-02-02
By Longhorn (Big country)
This is a great lens for bringing things up close and personal. Has image stabilizer that works great. Bit on the heavy side. Recommend it as worth the expense and weight.

 "Impressive, depending on your copy" 2008-12-20
By BirdPhotographer (Pacific NW, USA)
The good news is that this lens is capable of producing some very sharp, quality images. The bad news is that it depends on your copy (thus 4 stars instead of 5). Don't necessarily believe those who tell you that you have "bad technique".



I went through 3 lenses before finally getting one that performed as one would expect for a $7,000+ lens. The first copy had obvious defects, produced soft images lacking detail, and was returned to the seller. The 2nd copy had something resembling bad chromatic aberration (also with soft images lacking detail once again), and went in to the California Factory Service Center twice. Both times, the FSC returned it to me in worst shape than when it went in. After contacting a Canon executive, my lens went to Canon's engineers and I was issued a loaner within 24 hours (something the head of the California FSC never offered). Canon's executives obviously care; I'm not so sure about their FSC.



Canon eventually told me they were going to use the lens to find ways to improve their manufacturing process. They offered to let me keep the loaner they had sent me, but I declined due to visible metal casting flakes on the outermost element. Canon ended up sending me a copy that was first inspected by their engineers. I've had that copy for 5 months now and it has performed superbly - sharp, good contrast, etc.



So if/when you buy this lens, buy from a seller you trust, and a seller that you know will work with you. I bought from Canoga Camera in southern California. With the first lens, they were supportive. With the second lens, they told me I could not return it, and then had their Canon sales rep call me. The sales rep insulted me (literally), told me I did not know what I was talking about, stated, "Are we done here?", and then essentially hung up on me. I was on my own when I contacted Canon executives in NY. Fortunately, they were extremely professional and responsive, but it was a long ordeal that was quite stressful considering how much money was at stake.



Using live view at 10x, the visible shake of 840mm (600mm + 1.4x TC) is evident, even when the lens appears to be steady. Yet with IS, the results can be impressively sharp.



In addition to a very sturdy tripod and good tripod head, I have gotten excellent results using the molar bean bag filled with 20+ pounds of pinto beans. This lens produces much better images than my Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS lens. Even with a 2x TC, the results from this lens are superior to my 100-400mm.



For reference, I own Canon's 24-70mm f/2.8 L, 70-200 mm f/2.8 L IS, and 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS. The 600mm is my only prime, so it should come as no surprise that it performs the best of all the lenses in my collection. The 70-200 is a close second in terms of performance.

 "Wow!" 2008-01-26
By RM (Magnolia, TX)
Increditable images. Forget the 600mm's, the images from this lens are very impressive, better than my other two Canon L lens - the f/2.8, 28-70mm zoom and the f/4, 300mm.

Before getting this lens in my hands, I thought I would be able to handhold shots using image stabilization. While this is possible, to get the full use from this lens a high quality tripod with Wimberley Mount is really a requirement. I have found this lens is really just too big to reasonably handheld. So unless you know a machinist, expect to spend another $1400. This adds not only to the price, but also to the equipment that you will need to carry to your shooting location, which brings up my next point.

In my research before getting this lens, numerous writers were complaining about carrying this lens to location. In my personal experience (I'm a 62-year-old retiree) I have not found this to be a problem. Yes it is heavy, but easily carried by the handle or inside a Lowes backpack if going a greater distance.

It should be noted that once you have all this equipment carried to a location, you are pretty much restricted to just taking pictures with your 600mm lens. Carrying this lens is a full time job requiring all your attention.

And taking about attention, you will attract a lot of it. Everyone, yes everyone will take notice of you, which as far as I am concerned is never a good thing, especially if you find yourself isolated along with some bad guys who realize the value of the equipment you are carrying.

 "excellent!" 2007-07-06
By lemmy shoyu (So Cal, USA)
Canon's 600mm F4 IS super telephoto lens is the ultimate tool for sports and wildlife photography. A quiet micro ultrasonic motor powers the world's fastest autofocus that gives the user the option of manual override, recalling a preset focus position or limiting focus distance to prevent hunting out of range. Ultra low dispersion glass and fluorite elements create high definition images with excellent contrast. Fast f/4 maximum aperture allows high shutter speeds in less than ideal lighting and facilitates the use of teleconverters. Optical image stabilization designed specifically for this lens operates in two user selected modes. Dust and moisture resistant construction make it ideal for the outdoors.



This lens has approximately 12 times magnification when used with Canon's full frame 5D DSLR, approximately 16 times magnification when used with EOS 1D Mark II or Mark III, and approximately 20 times magnification when used with Canon's 20D or 30D bodies. At Amazon's current price, this lens plus a Canon DSLR body costs less than other brand's 600 F4 lens that sadly is not equipped with VR.


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