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Canon EF 400mm f5.6 L USM review

Canon EF 400mm f5.6 L USM review

Lowest New Price at Amazon.com: $1,339.00

Lowest Used Price at Amazon.com: $1,249.00

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1.0

4.4 (53)

Overview

A compact and lightweight 400mm super telephoto AF lens driven by a ring USM (Ultrasonic Motor). The optical system incorporates one Super UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) glass lens element (2nd) with an optical effect similar to fluorite, and one UD glass element(5th), comprehensively eliminating the secondary spectrum and realizing extremely sharp, high-contrast imaging performance at almost same level as EF400mm f/2.8L USM. Other professional features are: a built-in lens hood with locking mechanism, dual manual focusing rings, a removable ring-type tripod mount, full-time manual focusing, and focus range selector for 3.5m to infinity or 8.5m to infinity. Extenders EF1.4X and EF2X can be used with manual focusing.

Depth-of-Field Data for EF400mm f/5.6L USM

[unit:m]

D	F5.6		8		11		16		22		32
D	ND	FD	ND	FD	ND	FD	ND	FD	ND	FD	ND	FD
Inf.	757.09	Inf.	549.05	Inf.	388.52	Inf.	274.80	Inf.	194.46	Inf.	137.68	Inf.
20	19.50	20.53	19.32	20.73	19.05	21.05	18.68	21.52	18.19	22.22	17.54	23.30
10	9.88	10.13	9.83	10.17	9.76	10.25	9.67	10.35	9.54	10.51	9.36	10.74
7	6.94	7.06	6.92	7.08	6.89	7.12	6.84	7.17	6.78	7.24	6.69	7.34
5	4.97	5.03	4.96	5.04	4.94	5.06	4.92	5.08	4.89	5.12	4.85	5.17
4	3.98	4.02	3.98	4.02	3.97	4.04	3.95	4.05	3.93	4.07	3.90	4.10
3.5	3.49	3.51	3.48	3.52	3.47	3.53	3.46	3.54	3.45	3.55	3.43	3.58

* D = Focusing Distance ND = Near Distance FD = Far Distance Inf. = Infinity

Lens Specifications

Generic Lens Specifications

Lens Type	Prime
IS / VR / OS	None
Canon L Class	Yes
Min Focal Length (mm)	400
Max Focal Length (mm)	400
Number of Elements	7
Element Groups	6
Max Aperture	5.6
Minimum Aperture	32
Diaphragm Blades	8
Closest Focus Distance (m)	3.5
Maximum Magnification	0.11
Filter Type	Screw In
Filter Diameter (mm)	77
Diameter at widest (mm)	90
Lens Length (mm)	256
Weight (g)	1250
Release Date	May 1993

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Editor review

Canon EF 400mm f5.6 L USM

Overall rating:		1.0
Sharpness:		1.0
Build Quality:		1.0
AF Speed:		1.0
Value for Money:		1.0

Reviewed by lee
December 19, 2007

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Editor lens review will be updated shortly.

Conclusions at a glance

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Undecided

User reviews

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Average user rating from: 53 user(s)

Overall rating:		4.4
Sharpness:		4.4 (53)
Build Quality:		4.4 (53)
AF Speed:		4.4 (53)
Value for Money:		4.3 (53)

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Fantastic product and great value.

Overall rating:		5.0
Sharpness:		5.0
Build Quality:		5.0
AF Speed:		5.0
Value for Money:		5.0

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Reviewed on: March 03, 2012

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

I am into bird photograpy in South Africa,I have used the lens for a week now and am very impressed.It balances perfectly with my EOS 600D and therefore is great for handheld shots.It autofocuses almost instantly and is insanely sharp.I dont miss image stabilisation at all!!.For its price it must be the best prime telephoto around for birds.I did a lot of research before ordering it from Amazon and get happier with it every day.

Canon EF 400mm f5.6L USM

Overall rating:		4.5
Sharpness:		4.0
Build Quality:		4.0
AF Speed:		5.0
Value for Money:		5.0

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Reviewed on: February 02, 2012

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

I recently purchased the 70-200 mm Mark II and it doesn't give me the clarity that the 400 mm does I am thinking it needs to be calibrated which for a brand new lens irritates me to no end.. I realize that it has not stabilization but the sweet spot is incredibly large and it takes a tack sharp pic. Not as fast as the 70-200 but the photos are clean. For the money I am in love with this lens. And it weighs less that is great when you are in the field waiting and holding a large heavy lend for hours.

Love love love this lens

Overall rating:		4.5
Sharpness:		5.0
Build Quality:		5.0
AF Speed:		4.0
Value for Money:		4.0

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Reviewed on: December 04, 2011

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

I use this lens for astrophotography, which puts the highest possible demand on raw optical performance. I have been getting great results from the 400L wide open. I have no other lens that is usable for astro work wide open. Additionally, its construction is solid - another must for what I do. Highly recommended!

This Lens is phenomenal!

Overall rating:		4.8
Sharpness:		5.0
Build Quality:		5.0
AF Speed:		5.0
Value for Money:		4.0

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Reviewed on: November 29, 2011

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

I'm new to bird photography and have tried a canon 100-400mm and a sigma 120-400 but I was not happy of the image quality, finally I decided to buy a slightly used canon 400mm f/5.6 and was very happy of the results this lens shoots, this lens is a keeper. I'm using it with a tamron 1.4x SP extender in my 1D body which autofocus even at F/8.

Superb Performer

Overall rating:		4.5
Sharpness:		5.0
Build Quality:		4.0
AF Speed:		5.0
Value for Money:		4.0

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Reviewed on: November 28, 2011

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

One of my favorite lenses, I've had one for 2 years and some of my favorite wildlife and bird photos were made using it. Very highly recommended!

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