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Canon 200-400 f/4 finally announced!

cerett

Member
I'm surprised that there has been no discussion about this new pricey piece of glass that was finally announced on May 14th. I am really, really tempted to buy this lens for an upcoming African safari. The MTF charts look impressive and the limited reviews thus far have been very favorable. Most of the discussion on other forums boils down to bitching about the price. However, it is the built-in 1.4 teleconverter that keeps pushing me over the edge. Your thoughts?
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Simple reason: There aren't many Canon shooters with bottomless pockets who do sports or wildlife on this forum. I'm sure it's nice though. Do they make them in black...? :ROTFL:
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
An excellent lens! If I were currently a C shooter looking for a perfect wildlife lens I would aim for it, although for that high price. This is a design I would love Nikon would finally come up with!

As I am not in Canon and for sure will not join the C crowd anytime soon (if at all) I only have to watch and wait what Nikon will do. On the other hand also the new Nikon 80-400 is a marvelous lens just for the fraction of the cost of this Canon 200-400 and fits natively on my Nikon D800E.

So guess what my next wildlife lens will be ....
 

MCTuomey

New member
I'm a Canon shooter and wouldn't trade my 400 f/2.8 IS for it. I use f/2.8 frequently, would miss it more than the benefit of zoom flexibility.

Doesn't Nikon already have a 200-400 f/4, Ptomsu?
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
I'm a Canon shooter and wouldn't trade my 400 f/2.8 IS for it. I use f/2.8 frequently, would miss it more than the benefit of zoom flexibility.

Doesn't Nikon already have a 200-400 f/4, Ptomsu?
Yes they do, actually already the 2nd iteration, but it does not come with built in TC.
 

cerett

Member
Takes about 30 seconds to slip my 1.4 onto my 200-400 zoom. How much is that 30 seconds worth?
Stanley
Good point. I guess it depends on what type of action you're photographing. In some situations a half a minute can make a big difference. I might add that Nikon's 200-400 has not had raving reviews using a 1.4 teleconverter. Canon's built in 1.4 is supposed to be optically matched. I look forward to some additional reviews in this regard.
 

cerett

Member
I'm a Canon shooter and wouldn't trade my 400 f/2.8 IS for it. I use f/2.8 frequently, would miss it more than the benefit of zoom flexibility.

If I had a 400 f/2.8 I wouldn't trade it either. I had strongly considered this lens, but given my proposed use, I don't want to be handicapped by a fixed focal length.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Takes about 30 seconds to slip my 1.4 onto my 200-400 zoom. How much is that 30 seconds worth?
Stanley
For sports photography, it may mean a lot. This is one reason why I often carry 3 bodies with individual lenses attached; there's no time to change lenses when things start to happen.
 

stngoldberg

Well-known member
One of my photography buddies has the Canon 400mm lens. When we shoot together his images with that lens blows away anything I take with my Nikon 200-400mm zoom. I hear that the Nikon 300mm lens is as sharp, but haven't used it
Stanley
 

cerett

Member
I also just received my copy. Quite surprised at how quickly it arrived from B&H after preordering. Obviously, price is the issue. The lens is drop-dead gorgeous and sharp. I have tried it at f/4 through its entire zoom range, including 1.4x and have not been disappointed thus far. Will soon try it with an additional 1.4 extender. Is it worth the exorbitant price? It is all relative to your intended use and the size of your wallet.

Will post pics soon.
 

dseelig

Member
I shoot pro football for part of my living. I wish I could afford this bit would have to sacrifice my 400 2.8 to get it and that would not work for me. When I am shooting in a dome the extender just would not cut it in terms of shutter speed or preseason football, which takes place at night.
 

mazor

New member
wow onesixeight, lovely samples!!! What an impressive lens, makes me want to trade in my 100-400L, but it is quite pricey and alot bigger too I suspect..
 

mazor

New member
I shoot pro football for part of my living. I wish I could afford this bit would have to sacrifice my 400 2.8 to get it and that would not work for me. When I am shooting in a dome the extender just would not cut it in terms of shutter speed or preseason football, which takes place at night.
Depends if you do not mind noisy images, but if you already have a 400mm f2.8, I think that lens is already a winner :)
 

roomycoffee

New member
I'm surprised that there has been no discussion about this new pricey piece of glass that was finally announced on May 14th. I am really, really tempted to buy this lens for an upcoming African safari. The MTF charts look impressive and the limited reviews thus far have been very favorable. Most of the discussion on other forums boils down to bitching about the price. However, it is the built-in 1.4 teleconverter that keeps pushing me over the edge. Your thoughts?
You definitely right! This is really pricey. But surely with great features having a high-performance super-telephoto zoom lens with a built-in 1.4x extender that converts the focal range and maximum aperture to 280-560mm f/5.6.
 
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