Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM Lens

2023-10-27T20:00:00

This lens is spectacular! I used Canon cameras/lenses for 40+ years, and couldn't be more please. Using this mostly for wildlife, and airplane photos, and it works fantastic mounted on my 5Ds body. Also, it works great with the III's series teleconverters too! Highly recommended!

PJC P.

Originally posted at

2022-09-25T12:53:21

Purchased with Adorama, through Amazon, and couldn't be more pleased with the service. I got my lens the next day with UPS delivery. Now to the review... this is one fantastic piece of equipment! I had the original EF 500mm lens for years, and thought since the series II lens was still available, I would get one while they're around. I can't believe I waited this long to get it! So good! Better than the old lens, and a bit lighter too. Also, this lens is much sharper with teleconverters. Especially the 1.4X III, which shows no image loss to my eyes. I also use the EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II, and as my reference lens, and find this 500mm to be on par to it. A perfect pair of telephotos! Please see a few of my examples to see what to expect using this lens. Thank you!

Paul C.

2020-09-23T15:40:23

Excellent lense, everything is spot on.

Carl R.

2020-07-11T20:00:00

I am the First Buyer of this lens In India ( July 2012 Its one of the best lens of Canon Super Telephoto Lens light Weighted and Super Sharp Performance.

Manish P.

Originally posted at

2019-12-18T08:01:54

The best lens I have ever seen send.

JOAN R.

2019-01-09T19:00:00

I have had this lens now for two years and wouldn't do without it. Hand holdng this lens for very long is very tiring. I use mine with a Gitzo tripod and a Wimberly Gimbal Tripod head. The combination of the three is astonishing. Using the series III extenders is good as long as you have enough light for the AF to work.

Navy

Originally posted at

2018-08-16T15:33:20

I used 400 mm f5.6L and 60D combo to shoot birds and it is really a good combo in the mid budget range for bird photography. However, I wanted more reach to my subject not losing any optical and autofocus performance of the lens so opted for 500 mm f4 IS II. The lens is very pricey when you compared to 400 mm f5.6 but it worth every penny. It is a different class and if you have the money just go for it. It will not disappoint you. The only thing that is an issue for me with this lens is its weight. So be prepare to carry a sturdy tripod with you always when you plan on using this lens. I am not saying that it cannot hand hold able but I cannot do it for longer. But other than that this lens is awesome! I strongly recommend to all bird photographers to buy this lens and I am sure you will produce excellent images with this lens if you know what you are doing. I have attached few images that I took with this lens as a sample.

Victor B.

2018-07-18T12:11:25

This is my first fixed long range lens. I am currently still getting accumulated to the size and range of this lens. With my 100-400 canon lens I still had handheld ability, you lose that with the 500. On the positive side, a good tripod and monopod net you some beautiful photographs. The clearity and range are outstanding on this one. I would recommend this lens.

Roxanne I.

2018-05-10T20:00:00

The EF 500mm f/4L IS II is the sweet spot of Canon’s L series supertelephoto line up. It offers great reach, fast AF and the same quality build and features as its heavier, more expensive stablemates. At a little over 7 lbs, it’s quite a bit lighter than the 400 f2.8, 200-400 f4, 600 f4 or the 800 f5.6. That’s good for your back. It’s also cheaper - $2,500 less than the 600, $4,000 less than the 800 and $1,000 less than the 400. That’s good for your wallet. Pair the EF 500 mm with a 2X extender and you have a 1000mm f/8 lens that autofocuses on 1-series or 5-series bodies. Granted, the 2X extender will degrade image quality some but for me the results are fantastic. For even more fun, stack two 2X extenders with an EF-12 extension tube and you have a 2000mm lens!!

DifferentSkyPhoto

Originally posted at

2018-03-29T20:00:00

I have a 100to 400 which I really like but this lens is even better

L H.

Originally posted at

2018-03-19T06:50:58

A number of years ago, I had a Canon F4.5 non-IS 500. I eventually unloaded it and had been using an aftermarket big zoom. Finally, I sprang for this new F4 IS. It's a fantastic piece of glass, so well balanced and surprisingly light. I use it all the time now for wildlife, especially birds, and quite often with the 1.4 extender all on a 7DII. I wish I had gotten it years ago.

Janis M.

2017-08-22T17:07:54

I do wildlife photography as a hobby. I reviewed articles about the 500mm vs the 600mm and chose this lens. The quality of photos is incredible with this lens, whether alone or with the 1.4 TC. It is heavy but very usable handheld for shorter times. Quality of output is best I've ever had. I use both the Canon 7D Mark II & 1Dx Mark ii with this lens

WILLIAM W.

2017-06-22T20:00:00

I bought this lens to replace an older 400DO which I thought was Ok. After the first image I knew this lens was in another league. My only nitpick about the lens is based on the IS sound. The IS has an abrupt engagement/disengagement sound, but works great otherwise. The IQ and AF are both excellent and I can't imagine anyone feeling let down there.

Mike J.

Originally posted at

2017-03-17T20:00:00

Improved IQ, AF speed, and T-Con compatibility are gravy for this new version of the 500mm f/4L IS. If your coming from the old version, however, the reduced weight is the best improvement IMHO. Combine with MkIII T-Cons and a modern AF system as found on 5D4 and 1Dx2, and you get the most amazing full featured full speed AF, as if the T-Con is not there!

CyberDyneSystems

Originally posted at

2016-06-05T20:00:00

Incredibly sharp lens, quick, precise autofocus, and wonderfully balanced when on my camera. Saved for a year and luckily found a used one in perfect shape. Not a versatile lens, but what a gem when circumstances warrant its use. As with the earlier IS version, the silly sub-standard tightening system for the expensive lens hood could be improved. As is, when in the field it's still a clunky, slow, relatively fragile, aggravating mechanism (I had to order the replacement parts from Canon -- great service though that leaves marks on the lens barrel grooves. . Heck, for field use, I'd even prefer a cheap, ugly black plastic lens hood that twists on. But, otherwise, I am thrilled by the wonderful optics of this lens.

osprey

Originally posted at

2016-05-20T20:00:00

Used this lens on a 1DX for an air show and was required to be 625 yards away from the runway. To give you an idea of how the frame was filled: when a 737 aircraft was landing or taking off, I could not see the entire aircraft in the frame when it was a-beam. It brings you that close. But will have to agree, this is not a hand hold lens if you are a single focus point shooter. Got tired within 45 minutes of panning across the field. Would definitely use a mono-pod and will be laying it on bean-bags at the next shoot in Africa.

Carefree P.

Originally posted at

2015-12-31T14:37:34

Bought this for birding and absolutely love it. I generally use this with the 1.4 extender and it is tack sharp with very fast focus. Definately a lens worth considering if you are doing bird or nature photography.

GARY R.

2015-12-29T18:25:52

What can be said that hasn’t already been said about this lens? The Canon 500mm F/4L IS USM lens is without a doubt one of the sharpest, fastest prime lenses of this size in market. With very fast auto focus, and tack sharp at all f-stops, this is the perfect wildlife and birding lens. This very large, but surprisingly lightish lens is only 2 lbs more than my 300mm mk 2.8L mk I lens. For such a large lens it’s not too hard to handhold. The Super Spectra Coating pretty much eliminates ghosting and chromatic aberration with this lens. So far I’ve had a hard time spotting any at all in my shots. When I first shot with this lens I was amazed at the amount of light it could gather, even in low light. So it wasn’t a surprise after using the Canon EF 1.4 and 2.0 tele-extender, that the pictures are still sharp, and the auto focus is still very fast, more so with the 1.4 TC which it’s hard to tell the difference from not using it. I don’t use the IS (Image stabilization) as much as some would, just because 90% of my photographs are done on a tripod and gimbal head, but what I do like about it is how it can detect when your lens is on a tripod. Not sure how it’s done, but it’s nice to know, if you forget to turn off the IS, your image won’t suffer for it. As with all the Canon “White L” lenses, the 500mm mk II comes with a very nice carrying case, which doesn’t work very well out in the field, but protects the lens on trips. It also comes with a leather like hood cover, that’s designed to fit over the front of the hood to protect the now lightweight hood. I wish Canon would come out with a lens cap for these big lenses. I purchased a lens cap from Aquatech Imaging Solutions that fits perfectly. So now I have protection for that large front element from dust and dings. If anyone is interested in the cap, write to me and I can send you the link. One thing that is driving me nuts, and it’s not really the fault of the lens, but because the lens is so relatively light weight, when I add my 7D mk II to the lens, and add both of them to my Wimberley gimbal, it tends to be a bit back heavy. I’m using a long quick release plate, but I still haven’t been able to solve this issue. For birding it’s a dream to use, the very fast autofocus, and tack sharp images, I just don’t have many cons for this lens. The price is really the only con that I have for it, and it’s a huge issue. Canon just has to find a way to lower the prices for their lenses, or they will lose a ton of customers that are now shooting with the cheaper, albeit lower quality lens like the Sigma and Tamron 150-500mm lenses. Now I know that those lenses can’t even come close to the sharpness and auto focus of the Canon L lenses, but at 1/10th the cost they may not have to. PROs: Fast auto focus, very sharp, lighter weight, advanced optics CONs: Very expensive

Ricky J.

2015-12-19T19:00:00

I don't think there is a lens out there to replace this, already won an Audubon award and truly know its because of this lens...it GETS YOU THERE!! The "definition and crispness" is beyond anything I have worked with.

Brenda

Originally posted at

2014-02-04T19:00:00

I had wanted the original 500 for a long time. Finally was able to buy the new model. Not cheap, but it has already has allowed me to take pictures that were not feasible before. Very pleased.

wd

Originally posted at

2012-09-23T21:00:00

Not a real full test report. Only had it for a short time. It replaces my 500mm f4 L IS which I purchased in November of 2001. That lens has been my most used lens ever. The new 500 is noticeably sharper. The IS is quiet unlike its predecessor and it focuses closer. The only downside I can see is the balance of the lens mounting foot. I think Canon has screwed up here. The majority of the weight is to the rear especially with a heavy camera like the 1D X. When mounted on a Wimberly style gimbal mount or a video head like I use it is near impossible to get the camera/lens to balance. The remedy is to use the supplied monopod foot. I have mounted mine in the reverse direction. With it, it is almost perfectly balanced. Also it feels more ridged than the long tripod foot. All in all I'd still give this lens a five star rating.

KENNETH B.

2012-06-10T20:00:00

The canon 500mm II is a masterpiece. Version I was as well, but somehow, some way canon managed to shave 1.5 lbs off of this lens. For travel and hiking this lens cannot be beat. The lens seems to AF slower with the series III tele converters vs the series ii. So keep that in mind. The 4 stops of IS also helps with hand holding this lens, but so does the aforementioned weight savings. I am happy I have purchased the 500mm ii and it will be a nice companion to my 800mm L.

holzphoto

Originally posted at