Every Canon EF Lens: Read the Reviews, See the Specification & Check the Price
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Overview

After several years delay, Canon decide to have another go at using diffractive optics (DO) and update the 400mm. The design has been developed considerably and Canon insist that some of the previous issues with glare are greatly diminished.

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Lens specifications

Focal Length & Maximum Aperture 400mm 1:4
Lens Construction 18 elements in 12 groups
Diagonal Angle of View 6° 10'
Focus Adjustment Inner focusing system with USM
Closest Focusing Distance 3.3m / 10.83 ft.
Filter Size 53mm drop-in
dMax. Diameter x Length, Weight 5.04" x 9.16", 74.1 oz. / 128 x 232.7mm, 2100g

Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM super telephoto lens mtf chart EF 2xiii Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM super telephoto lens mtf chart EF 4xiii Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM super telephoto lens mtf chart

A quick guide to MTF charts (which only measure contrast and resolution. Canon's guide to their MTF charts)

Black lines reflect lens performance at widest aperture.
Blue lines show the performance at f/8

Thick lines indicate lens contrast
Thin lines indicate lens resolution

Dashed lines: Lens performance with meridional lines.
Solid lines: Lens performance with sagittal lines

Closer sagittal and meridional chart lines indicate more 'natural' out of focus areas.

Remember that MTF charts are good for comparing similar lenses, so comparing ones from the 14mm f2.8L and 300mm 2.8L won't tell you much at all, whilst comparing the EF14 2.8L with the EF14 2.8L II will show meaningful differences. Note that other manufacturers may have different ways of displaying such information that may or may not match up with the Canon figures.

Canon EF 400mm
Attribute f/2.8 USM f/2.8 II USM f/2.8 IS USM f/2.8 IS II USM f/2.8 IS III USM f/4 DO IS USM f/5.6 USM f/4 DO IS II USM
Key features
Full-frame compatible Yes
Image stabilizer No Yes No Yes
Ultrasonic Motor Yes
L-series Yes
Diffractive Optics No Yes No Yes
Technical data
Aperture (max-min) f/2.8-f/32 f/4-f/32 f/5.6-f/32 f/4-f/32
Construction 9 groups / 11 elements 13 groups / 17 elements 6 groups / 7 elements 12 groups /18 elements
Aperture blades 8 9 8 9
Closest focusing distance 4m 3m 2.7m 2.5m 3.5m 3.3m
Max. magnification 0.11x 0.15x 0.17x 0.12x 0.11x 0.13x
Diagonal viewing angle 6 °
Physical data
Weight 13.44 lb / 6.1 kg 13.03 lb / 5.91 kg 11.83 lb / 5.37 kg 8.48 lb / 3.85 kg 6.26 lb / 2.84 kg 4.27 lb / 1.94 kg 2.8 lb / 1.25 kg 2.1 kg
Maximum diameter 6.57" / 167mm 6.41" / 163mm 5.03" / 128mm 3.54" / 90mm/ 5.04" /128mm
Length 13.70" / 348mm 13.74" / 349mm 13.50" / 343mm 9.16" / 232.7mm 10.09" / 256.5mm 9.16" / 232.7mm
Filter diameter 48mm 52mm drop-in filter 77mm 52mm drop-in
Accessories
Lens hood ET-161B II   ET-155 ET-155 (WII) ET-155 (WIII) ET-120 Built-in ET120 (WII)
Case     400 400C 400E 400B   400D
Retail information
Release date April 1991 March 1996 Sept. 1999 Aug. 2011 Sept. 2018 Dec. 2001 May 1993 Sept. 2014

EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM reviews and articles

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Sample images

None available at present

Product launch

MELVILLE, N.Y., September 15, 2014 – Following on the heels of its milestone of 100 million EF lenses produced worldwide*, Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is excited to announce three new lenses adding to it’s rich history of developing and delivering outstanding optics to all types of photographers, cinematographers, online content creators and image makers from budding amateurs to the most seasoned professionals. The three new lenses include two EF series lenses the EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM super telephoto lens and the EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM standard zoom lens, as well as one EF-S series lens ─ the EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM wide-angle pancake lens. These new lenses will also be the latest addition to Canon’s GlassFirst.com online resource, helping image makers explore the Company’s vast EF lens portfolio.

“Canon’s heritage is rich with over 75 years of optical innovation. Our engineers are dedicated to delivering high-quality optics for everyone from the amateur photographer to directors of photography on Hollywood movie sets,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, President and COO, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “And having reached a milestone of 100 million lenses produced earlier this year, Canon launched in celebration its ‘Glass First’ campaign to assist image makers in realizing the artistic potential offered by our various lenses. These new lenses will fit in well with the ever growing family of Canon optics.”

Super telephoto lenses are essential whether on a safari or the sidelines to bring the image in tight on a subject, but they often are not the lightest lenses to carry around. Canon’s new compact and lightweight EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM super telephoto lens will help lighten the load of professional and advanced amateur photographers. At only 4.6 lbs., it is roughly half the weight of the EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. The new EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens features newly developed gapless dual-layered diffractive optical (DO) elements that help improve optical performance while maintaining virtually the same size and weight as its predecessor. The DO element in the new lens is optimally positioned deeper within the optical formula than in the original EF 400mm DO lens to help reduce flare around backlit subjects. Other optical improvements include the use of a large-diameter ground and polished aspherical element and a UD glass element that work together with the DO elements for thorough correction of spherical, chromatic and other optical aberrations. Canon’s original SWC (Sub Wavelength Structure) lens coating is also used internally to help improve resistance to flare. Fluorine coating is applied to the front and rear lens elements to repel dust and make lens cleaning easy. A nine blade curved diaphragm is also incorporated to help produce smooth, natural-looking bokeh in areas outside the depth of field surrounding the main subject.

The new EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens features Canon’s Optical Image Stabilization with up to four shutter speed steps of correction**. In addition there are three IS modes ─ standard, panning and during exposure only ─ that help to provide superb results in a variety of shooting situations. For greater convenience, the Image Stabilizer does not have to be disabled when shooting with a tripod. Four programmable buttons on the front of the lens allow photographers to customize lens and camera operation to fit their unique shooting style, or simply pause autofocus (AF) adjustment at any point to hold focus on a subject in a busy scene. Even in AF mode, full-time manual focus can be employed at any time. The lens also features a Power Focus mode for smooth focus “pulls” ideal for filmmaking. For those mobile shooters and documentarians truly “on-the-go”, the lens is also highly resistant to dust and water for durability and reliability when shooting in even the harshest conditions.

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Every Canon EF Lens: Read the Reviews, See the Specification & Check the Price
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