Ah, a 400mm lens. Let's be honest, who wouldn't want one? You don't have to be a professional photojournalist or wildlife photographer to fully enjoy the capabilities of a long lens, so why not consider one?
The Canon 400mm F4 DO IS II USM is the successor of a popular lens with sports shooters and nature photographers. This new lens is designed to meet the needs of serious photographers looking for top notch quality, speed and ease of operation.
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It is half the weight of a 400mm f/2.8 lens which clearly makes it intended for hand held use. In fact, this is one of the biggest selling points of this prime lens.
Inside it you will find DO, Diffractive Optics, specifically gapless dual-layered diffractive elements. The previous version had them too, but there was one major issue: low contrast. Some photographers found this to be a real issue and instead went for a 300mm with a 1.4x extender. Fortunately the Canon 400mm F4 DO IS II USM has taken care of the low contrast issue, which brings us to image quality. See full specs and photos of this lens HERE.
You would expect a lens like this to perform well, but the image quality is actually very impressive. The Canon 400mm F4 DO IS II USM is actually very close to Canon best-ever optical marvels, including the amazing 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM. Even wide open at f/4 is still incredibly sharp from corner to corner.
No, it's not an f/2.8, but it's not a world away either. The IS II system with its 3 modes will more than compensate for the lack of a brighter aperture. As mentioned above, this lens is designed to be operated both mounted on a tripod/monopod and manually and that's where the IS truly shines.
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The focusing is as fast as you would expect from any big, white lens. With the latest CPU and AF algorithms, the Canon 400mm F4 DO IS II USM is a true speed performer that will quickly and accurately bring even the fastest subjects into focus.
As a final thought, this might not be a cheap lens by any means, yet you do get a lot for what you pay. It's the kind of lens you buy if you're an avid bird watcher or if you love photographing athletes. But again, its uses can be extended because of its light weight. It can be taken to weddings and you can use to create amazing portraits. It's the kind of lens that can serve you for many years to come, despite switching several generations of camera bodies.
We highly recommend it for anyone looking for premium optical quality and keeping a distance from the subject.
Check out the full specs of the Canon 400mm F4 DO IS II USM here.