Experience-Review of Canon 4,0 / 400 DO IS USM (1 Viewer)

[bubo_bubo]

Hello Telefans:

for those who want to read something from the daily practice, some information material of a really great (underrated) lens.

First I must say, that I am a bird photographer who has specialized in photographing as many species of birds for scientific purposes. First I checked my needs exactly and then me 2 years ago, the Canon 400mm f4 DO purchased new. The quick and dirty summary in the reviews normally goes like is:
• Sharpness is very good, but falls off dramatically with TCs
• Contrast very low (but might be adjusted if shooting RAW via Photoshop)
• Very light and portable for a large aperture lens (not only for a 400mm)
• High price
• Old-fashioned IS
As a dissatisfied Nikon-Photographer I was looking for a completely new photographic system.

I am bird photographer who has specialized in photographing as many species of birds for scientific purposes as possible. First I checked my needs exactly. I hike a lot in different areas to find birds - in the mountains at 2500m asl or in the rain forest. Weight plays a major role. The lens should fit into a (not-too-big) backpack preferably with the hood attached. Weight and handling should enable fire-ready very fast. An Image Stabelizer should eliminate the need to carry a tripod. Aperture is important because I am often outdoor in twilight or in closed forests.

Eventually I decided for the Canon 400mm f4,0 in combination with a Canon 1D Mark IV. I also bought a Canon 580EX II Flash and a Canon Extender EF 1.4x II

Here is the field report http://www.bird-lens.com/2012/07/12/canon-400mm-f4-do-an-experience-review/ ; (also available in German: http://www.bird-lens.com/2012/07/12/canon-400mm-f40-do-is-usm-ein-erfahrungsbericht/ )

Images that were shot with the 400, there are here: http://www.bird-lens.com/photos-2/birds-in-macin-mountains-romania/ or http://www.bird-lens.com/photos-2/breeding-birds-of-the-seychelles/
Have fun!

Greetings

Johannes

www.bird-lens.com

 

[Sandpiper]

Many thanks, Johannes. Your report makes a very interesting read concerning a lens that has had mixed reviews in the past. It is one that I have considered to go with my 1DMkIV.

Mike

 

[bubo_bubo]

Many thanks, Johannes. Your report makes a very interesting read concerning a lens that has had mixed reviews in the past. It is one that I have considered to go with my 1DMkIV.

Mike

If you know the limits of the lens, it works perfect..... Especially I like it for flights shots from a boat.
For this, I do not know something better - and I tried it with several alternatives.
Cheers
Johannes

 

[johnf3f]

I have tried 2 used examples of the 400 DO and the only significant fault I could find was the price! I am using a Canon 300mm F2.8 L IS Mk1 but would swop it for one of those 400 DO lenses in a heartbeat!

 

[postcardcv]

I have tried 2 used examples of the 400 DO and the only significant fault I could find was the price! I am using a Canon 300mm F2.8 L IS Mk1 but would swop it for one of those 400 DO lenses in a heartbeat!

I am curious as to why you would prefer the 400 DO to the 300 f2.8. From what I can see the 300 f2.8 is only a couple of hundred grams heavier, has f2.8 for low light situations and with a 1.4x tc delivers image quality that is at least equal to the DO. I have shot with a 300 f2.8 but not with a 400 DO so a, only going by wha I have was about the DO so woud be interested to hear it from someone who has used both in the field.

 

[johnf3f]

I am curious as to why you would prefer the 400 DO to the 300 f2.8. From what I can see the 300 f2.8 is only a couple of hundred grams heavier, has f2.8 for low light situations and with a 1.4x tc delivers image quality that is at least equal to the DO. I have shot with a 300 f2.8 but not with a 400 DO so a, only going by wha I have was about the DO so woud be interested to hear it from someone who has used both in the field.

I bought my Canon 300 F2.8 L IS Mk1 last October and, frankly, cannot fault it. It gives me a very fast/sharp 300mm, a fast/sharp 420mm and a high quality (but a little slow in the AF dept) 600 F5.6 with 1.4 Mk2 and 2 x Mk3 extenders. All in all excellent for a 2.5 kilo lens that I paid 2101 quid for. I am VERY happy with it!
As to the 400 DO. I have read many posts and reviews that slag off this lens, so when my local camera shop had a used one in I tried it. I compared it directly against my Canon 600 F4 L IS Mk1 photographing the back bumper of a BMW 320 (both at the same range). As expected the 600 gave crisp, sharp images with excellent colour and contrast. However the 400 DO, whilst lacking a bit in contrast and having more muted colours showed me that the lacquer on the BMW's paint had crazed slightly - the 600 did not show this despite the extra 200mm of reach. I was rather surprised at this - though I still reckon the 600 is a "Better" lens. A few months later the same camera shop had another (used) 400 DO in so I repeated this simple test and got the same results.
Given the optical formula of the DO lenses I was not expecting high resolution , let alone out resolving a much longer lens at the same range (approx 25 meters)!
The 400 DO is not perfect, but for a walkabout, high resolution telephoto I have seen nothing (yet) to compare with the 2 examples I tried - if one can live with/correct the reduced contrast and muted colours. However there is a catch (there always is) - in this case there are two. Firstly there is a lot of bad press from people who have obviously never used it and, more importantly, there is the price. Regardless of how much I like it it is simply NOT worth the asking price! The 2 used examples I tried were priced at 4K (UK), the 300 F2.6 L IS I bought was 2101 (UK) - bit of a no brainer really! I love the 400 DO but it is simply overpriced, halve the cost and then we are talking! This is why I went for the excellent 300 F2.8!