Canon EF 600mm f4L IS USM review

Well constructed, but a little on the heavy side. Sharp images, fairly fast for a super tele. Like the full time manual focus capability along with the autofocus. Has improved my wildlife photo chances.

Have had this lens for almost 6 months now! FANTASTIC is an understatement. Its a big heavy lens , cant expect it any other way without compromising build quality! I have used it mainly for Wildlife and the results have made me go on safari's more over the last 6 months than I have for 3 years! Its just begs to be used and each picture come out wow! I know what i have been missing!

Its costs almost the price of a small car ( a used one at least!) But I can tell you its worth it.

The focusing is fast and accurate on my 5dII and have also tried it on a 7D body with almost similar result. Actually I like the combination 7D + 600 which is ideal for wildlife given the crop factor , faster shutter speed and 18MP.

Only down side is carrying it around , but once you get used to it that's not a big issue. Need a good tripod for sure with a strong head to mount on, but the IS works fine and I have used it many times hand held or supported by a bean bag while on safari! I have built my accessories and carrying gear around this lens now so its no big issue and I usually get who ever I travel with to help! Still not figured how to avoid the attention I get from other though (Maybe a cloth over it will help!! Will try next time im out!!!)

Have had this lens for almost 6 months now! FANTASTIC is an understatement. Its a big heavy lens , cant expect it any other way without compromising build quality! I have used it mainly for Wildlife and the results have made me go on safari's more over the last 6 months than I have for 3 years! Its just begs to be used and each picture come out wow! I know what i have been missing!

Its costs almost the price of a small car ( a used one at least!) But I can tell you its worth it.

The focusing is fast and accurate on my 5dII and have also tried it on a 7D body with almost similar result. Actually I like the combination 7D + 600 which is ideal for wildlife given the crop factor , faster shutter speed and 18MP.

Only down side is carrying it around , but once you get used to it that's not a big issue. Need a good tripod for sure with a strong head to mount on, but the IS works fine and I have used it many times hand held or supported by a bean bag while on safari! I have built my accessories and carrying gear around this lens now so its no big issue and I usually get who ever I travel with to help! Still not figured how to avoid the attention I get from other though (Maybe a cloth over it will help!! Will try next time im out!!!)

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!

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!