Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM AutoFocus Image Stabilized Telephoto Zoom Lens with Hood & Tripod Mount - USA

SKU: CA100400ISU

This item is no longer available.

Recommended Alternatives

Overview
Compare
Q&A

Questions & Answers

Bob H : Is this a new USA lense?PAUL J : The lens I purchased through Adorama was a brand new US market lens.RUSSELL B : No, it was a Canon refurbished lens; but it was a USA lens, not a 'gray' lens. Hope this helps...JOHN M : yesANDREW R : I'm not sure I understand your question. The item in this product listing is new (not used or refurbished). Items we sell are NEW unless otherwise indicated.
Chris T : When was this lens first made?JOHN M : All I can say is that I have mine almost 5 years.NEIL S : First announced in September 1998. Updated re-engineered version without the telescoping push/pull zoom was announced November 2014. Wikipedia is a good source for questions like this, and there's an entry for this lens there that goes into great detail.
R C : Will this lens fit my Canon EOS Revel T3I?RICK H : It works on my older 50D.LARRY P : Yes.

Reviews about this item

Review Summary

2019-12-31T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Great Wildlife lens

Very sharp especially at 400mm. Good color and contrast. Push pull zoom give you the fasted way of getting on target. Odd looking bokeh in certain circumstances. Well worth the money

Gsl

2019-12-31T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Great Wildlife lens

Very sharp especially at 400mm. Good color and contrast. Push pull zoom give you the fasted way of getting on target. Odd looking bokeh in certain circumstances. Well worth the money

GSL007

2018-01-13T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Its a nice lens....

The build quality is amazing, and I have had no problems with it over my years of using the lens. It doesn't have a zoom ring, but instead had a push/pull zoom feature. Some may like it, some don't. The lens has IS and a tripod L-Mount. Also, if you are wondering if you should get the Mark II version, it's not a huge step up, so this lens is cheaper and almost the same. It's a great lens.

Triple A.

2017-12-03T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Excellent

My wife Had bought me this lens for our wedding anniversary and it’s the best thing ever love it we all go camping , hiking Love my Lense it is one of the best lenses out there and yes it’s not the steadiest Will you do close up but it’s very nice go to airshows as well

Jack c.

2017-11-07T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

My "G0-To lens for long distance

I take long distance shots of pointing breed dog field trials on horseback and while riding in ATV/UTVs and am well known nationally for my dog shots. I shoot with both a full frame 6D and crop frame 4i Canons. I use a BushHawk gun pod mount and as they say...if there is a better lens set up for this job...I haven't found it as I can afford anything. Buy it because it works fine. If it didn't I wouldn't own it.

Carbide

2016-11-28T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

good investment

this lens is a must for amateur and pro, sharp and fast lens. well engineered and easy to use.

ootooteenaakoo01

2016-11-16T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Great Lens

I purchased this lens 2014 after my 70-200 L IS disappointed me at an airshow, the second airshow less than two months I shot with the 100-40mm on my Canon 5d Mark II. The photos were absolutely gorgeous,I've shot additional airshows, motorcycle events and just this weekend in Key West, Florida the World Series Speedboat Racing. The photos produced with this camera & lens are absolutely astonishing. I love the feel of the lens when shooting, I have several other lens including the 70-200L IS but this is the one I grab due to the comfort and astonishing photos. Purchasing this lens, you can't go wrong. Shooting with this "baby" you can shoot for hours without wearing yourself out. Weight is not an issue. Put one under a loved ones Christmas tree or an excellent birthday gift.

Skywalker 1.

2016-07-19T20:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Great Lens

From day 1 I really loved this lens. I love the quality of photos it takes, how far I can zoom and the ease of the zoom. I shoot a lot of airshows and this is a great lens for that as well as wildlife. I highly recommend this lens for any photographer.

WRE P.

2016-01-28T05:29:54

Rated 4 out of 5

Good Next Step Up..!!

I've always wanted a better long lens than EF-70-300-usm-IS, and this was IT.! Used on my 5Ds, I see detail like I've not seen before. This lens and the 24-105L cover the majority of my needs, excepting macro work. If one wants more reach, one will have to dig much deeper into the wallet, due to this lens doesn't auto focus with newer Canon extenders, and the fixed length 500L will cost 6X or more than this lens. I have done some birding using higher ISO settings with impressive results, considering the 400mm limit.

RICK H.

2015-10-24T20:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Still a winner!

I bought this to replace my 400 f/5.6L for high school field sports (soccer, lacrosse, baseball, etc. I loved the image quality from the 400 prime but needed a zoom. At first I was hesitant about the old design 100-400 but man, oh man, does it perform. I always shoot wide open. My copy is sharp at 100mm and really sharp at 400. Yes, I know various on-line sites show that this lens is a bit soft here & there by the actual results I'm getting under actual field use shows this lens to be a great performer. AF is spot-on under all conditions with my 5D III body. I gave it 4 stars only because it has obvious limits compared to the newer mark II version. Still, those "limitations" are only because the new version has improved, not because this lens is really lacking.

SportsPics

2015-07-24T20:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Great versatility

We bought this lens originally to photograph our sons football but we have used it for so much more. I take great shots of my sons lacrosse team, the 400 has great reach to get up close action shots of the kids playing, good details. I have also taken this on my trip to Africa,Belieze for fly fishing and various trips, the photos we took were amazing and the ability to get close ups from safe distances was great and I did not sacrifice details. I love the versatility and durability of this lens in different environments

nathan

2015-07-06T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

All I expected and more...

The lens was in excellent condition and also came with a very nice carrying case. I'm not sure if I missed that in the description, but I was not expecting the case. A very welcomed addition.

3rd S.

2015-06-04T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Excellent Lens

I had held off on spending quite so much for one lens, but after trying cheaper long lenses and being disappointed, I found this one in the used department and decided to go for it. Wow! What a difference. I will use it mainly for wildlife, although all I have had a chance so far is on our hummingbirds and mockingbirds in the yard, it sure is proving to be quite the lens. Quick focus, allowing me to capture those fast moving hummers even! Very sharp images.

SHIRLEY F.

2015-03-24T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Fabulous lens

Great for close ups as well as zooming in on wildlife. Gorgeous optics and easy to use. Push pull zoom is a little cumbersome.

IRENE R.

2014-12-09T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

EF 100-400mm is Versatile

I bought the lens for wild bird photography. I considered the EF 400 5.6, but I thought I better go with IS. I am a pure amateur hobbyist. I like the portability of the lens. The great close focus (5.9' has been useful in getting images of flowers and insects. Most of my use is at the 400mm, but I like the ability to shorten-up if the subject comes closer. I use it mostly from a monopod, and I am still working to get consistently sharp images of moving birds. I have seen the work of professionals who use the same lens, so I know what is possible with my Canon equipment.The EF 100-400mm is heavy! For me, the push-pull zoom feature is an interesting challenge - keep it too loose, and it creeps longer; too tight, and you miss a shot trying to shorten it. I'll keep working with it to see if I can give it 5 Stars.

Birdman

2014-09-22T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Good Lens

the lens is a little heavier than I expected, but the auto focus is good. I use it with a T1i. While I would prefer a twist zoom, the slide zoom works OK. I have not tried it yet with a tele converter.

BRIAN D.

2014-07-28T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Awesome lens

Used this lens at a Canon live learning seminar and it was great, so ordered one from Adorama and they delivered promptly and in great condition. The sharpness of this lens while hand holding it is fantastic. I had a 170-500mm of another brand, but never could get perfectly sharp photos. Very pleased with this lens.

TIM H.

2014-07-14T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Excellent lens

Very nice lens, great images. It's disappointing that it's not weather sealed. It's also disappointing that it won't autofocus on any but 1D-level bodies when using the 1.4x (or 2x) teleconverter. Zoom creep is customer controlled; you can tighten it up if you want, but that makes zooming tighter and harder too. The image stabilization works well but leads to a false sense of security. I got many blurry images when not paying attention to shutter speed. IS is great but it won't eliminate all blur, esp. with very short shutter speeds. But the lens itself is darn nice. Images are sharp with very nice color. I bought mine used and am glad I did. For <$1200 I got a peach of a lens. A real keeper.

Pat S.

2014-07-11T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

My GoTo lens for Sports

I shoot youth Football and Baseball and this lens lives on my camera about 6 months of the year. It's big and heavy but the breadth of range allows for flexibility that I'd otherwise need two bodies for. I actually like the push-pull zoom because it seems faster but it is a disadvantage when shooting through the fence on baseball.

Michael C.

2014-06-23T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Big "gun" lens

First the lens is big and heavy, but it was expected. My first dislike is the fact that this is a push/pull type lens, does not make for quick focusing. Used it first time in Yosemite National Park, getting used to it. Great optics so far. The next big test is my trip to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Ultimate test is trip to Kenya and Tanzania for a safari, the primary purpose of why I purchased the lens.

MICHAEL J.

2014-05-21T20:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

A great value

This is my second purchase of this lens (the first got stolen) so that right there should tell you how much I like this lens. My favorite subject for this lens is Airshows but is a great Nature lens except in the darkest of conditions.

sabre95521

2014-05-19T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

One of the best lens

Wildlife, sports and landscraping

CARL C.

2014-04-09T20:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Great Lens, Know the Limits

I purchased this lens as I needed to give myself a bit more reach than my 70-200 could offer, even with the 1.4 extender. The versatility with the lens is great. The 100-400 range is perfect for photographing airplanes, wildlife, sports, etc. The images are sharp up until about 300mm and then there is a slight drop off in sharpness as you go beyond 300. The focusing at times can be a bit slow, which can be tough if you are trying to lock in on a moving subject. Finally the lens does seem to vignette a lot when mounted to a full frame, which is to be somewhat expected but maybe not so much to the degree I get at times. The lens is push/pull which is a bit uncommon now. However, the adjustment period really isn't bad and after a day of playing around it feels normal. The tension ring is great for allowing you to determine how much or how little force will be required to zoom in or out. I have had this lens for nearly 5 months now and it does seem to be what I utilize the most. I still use my 70-200 f4L IS at times when I know I will not need that extra reach. My 70-200 copy is amazingly sharp and I find it to be a bit faster at focusing. Overall, I do recommend this lens to almost everyone. It is a great versatile lens but does have a few limitations. It will be interesting to see if Canon does come up with something to replace it in the coming years as the current version is coming up on 16 years already. My version was a 2013 build, based on both the serial number and having come with the new center pinch lens cap. The design might be old, but Canon is still actively making them!

Len90

2014-03-31T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Loose

Great lens but seems a little loose on the mount. I called Canon and was told this is normal for this lens and the one they had there was the same. Tech said it seals fine but very minor play. Will give it another couple weeks. Optically it is really good. Heavy as expected but very sharp.

Mike

2014-02-17T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Incredible lense

This lens has enabled me to shoot from distances and still have beautiful results. I am the house photographer for the Gladewater Opry. The show is housed in an old 1930's theatre. This lens works well with my Canon 5d Mark 111 in low light. Very pleased with this purchase!

CAROL E.

2014-01-20T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Heavy-But A Great Lens

Used this big boy a few times and it is as good as it is heavy. A lens like this has to be heavy to work and it DOES work. Highly recommended.

JACOB G.

2014-01-20T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Great Canon glass, poor zoom design

I bought this lens to increase my reach for wildlife shooting. This lens has the quality I've grown to expect from a Canon L lens. But the friction adjustment on the zoom requires two hands to adjust. I felt the need to loosen and tighten it every time I adjusted the zoom. That made it very clumsy and slow.

Dan H.

2014-01-09T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

My favorite lens of all

I carry two 5dMkIII camera bodies on my Cotton carrier and this lens is always chest mounted. I love this lens. It's a great portrait lens and at 400 mm will take portraits from across the square. I wish it was faster than f/4.0 but if it was bigger it would be a pain to tote around and hold. It's fast focusing, doesn't hunt much, and gives very sharp images at wide open. Just remember to use 1/400 sec or faster (I use 1/500 or 1/640 to avoid blur. I almost never use tripod. I even got great shots of Musk ox from a rubber zodiak in Greenland. Has two focal distance settings--remember to use the right one to avoid hunting.

garlec

2013-12-08T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Once you have this lens you will love it

If the 75 -300 lens just is not getting close enough than this is the lens for you. Great Magnification, good clean shots, Yes it is heavy, but the shots it takes are worth the weight. The lens is an investment at this price, but once you have it you will be thanking yourself for it year after year.

Kevin

2013-11-25T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Should not have waited so long

A couple years ago it was between the 70-300L or this 100-400L. Went for the smaller one but was never really satisfied. Might have got a lemon? Did a side by side comparison once I received the 400 and this one shines. Much sharper. Not thrilled that it does not have a zoom lock like the 300 but that is the only feature I miss. The extra weight has not been noticed. A good birding/wildlife lens.

ERIC E.

About Canon 100-400mm

FEATURED REVIEWS

Love it!

By Jdjohnson

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!!

4 years and going strong

By redjelly39

I bought this lens in early 2005 and it has been heavily used and continues to produce incredible images today. I tend to use f/7.1 a lot and this renders my subject very sharp with great detail while providing a beautiful blurred background. I am careful to get a nice colorful background to compliment my subject. The 100-400mm f/4.5L IS lens was my dream lens when I bought it and I still feel this way about it. My photographer & camping friend immediately pried open his tight wallet to buy o...

View full Review

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.

Key Features

  • 100-400mm Telephoto to Telephoto Zoom SLR Lens
  • Digital Essentials 77mm
  • Canon EF 100mm - 400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM Lens
  • Universal Lens Cap Tether
  • Pro Optic 77mm Digital Essentials Filter Kit
  • Cleaning Kit

What's in the box:

  • Tripod Mount- Front Lens Cap- Rear Lens Cap- ET-83C Lens Hood
  • LZ-1324 Protective Lens Case
  • Canon 1 Year Warranty