L-series super telephoto zoom lens equipped with an Image Stabilizer. The fluorite and Super UD-glass elements largely eliminate secondary spectrum. The floating system also ensures high picture quality at all focal lengths. The Image Stabilizer has two modes and it is compatible with Extenders 1.4x II and 2x II.
50L-series super telephoto zoom lens with Image Stabilizer
Fluorite and Super UD-glass elements largely eliminate secondary spectrum
Image Stabilizer has two modes and it is compatible with the Extender EF 1.4x II
17 elements in 14 groups
I use primarily for wildlife photography, I love it's speed and zoom. The push-pull is a little different to get used to but easy to get the hang of. The 1.4x III extender works amazing with this lens, however the 2x II extender does not work in auto focus. But I rarely pair them together any way. 400 mm really gets you close to the action. I have used this lens from the deserts of Arizona to the islands of Alaska and it has never disappointed me! It's an incredible lens!!
Nature photographer. At first seemed to work fine. Began to shoot all out with distance and started to see much ghosting. Sent it back to canon. Everything checked out. Suggested a more quality uv filter. Shot without filter, same problem. Sent back again with camera. Facility was irvine, ca. They suggested sending it to New York corporate. After full review they told me there was an issue with the glass and sent me a brand new lens. Nothing but happy with lens now. Tack sharp is what I expect now and get it enough for me to be totally satisfied. Great bokeh and colors are always rendered to pop. Good experience with warranty facilities.
Pros: great image quality over the whole range, silent image stabilization, really nice bokeh, goes out to 400mm
Cons: large and heavy, push/pull zoom takes some getting used to
I've been using this lens for wildlife photography and birdwatching for several years now, and has been an extremely valuable addition to my kit. Image quality is extremely sharp at 100mm and only a tiny bit softer at 400mm - I still get excellent shots over the entire range of the lens, but if you're planning on only using this all the way out to 400mm, you might see a marginal gain from the similarly priced 400mm prime lens. The bokeh is nice and smooth. For those who need the versatility of a zoom, this is, in my opinion, one of the best lenses which Canon has ever made. I consider it a particularly excellent choice for birdwatching.
Only two cons: the lens is large and heavy, and the push/pull zoom is unwieldy.
Cons: push pull is annoying, potential for getting dust
Where else can you get 400mm for such a low price, with the build quality of an "L" series lens? My main bread and butter income is from Wedding Photography. But for fun I like to shoot aircraft. With this lens and the crop factor of the APC sensor in the 7D I can get so close to the action if feels like I am flying in formation with the air show aircraft. The autofocus works great with this lens, its fast and accurate. When I really want to reach I attach the 2x teleconverter. It works great during the day, but I would not recommend it for night or dark situations unless on a tripod. With the APC sensor crop of 1.6x and 400mm with the 2x converter I now have equivalent 1280mm reach! Amazing! Just amazing. I've heard that the T3i has digital zoom as well, just imagine the effective focal length with this!
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