Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM review

Canon by name and big gun by nature, it's a super-telephoto beast

Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM
Built with professional sport and wildlife photographers in mind

TechRadar Verdict

Pros

  • +

    4-stop image stabiliser is excellent

  • +

    Super-fast autofocus

  • +

    Stunning image quality

Cons

  • -

    Big

  • -

    Heavy

  • -

    Fiendishly expensive to buy

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Combine a 400mm full-frame prime lens with a fast maximum aperture of f/2.8 and there are two things you can be assured of – size and weight. The mighty Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM
measures a whopping 163 x 343mm (484mm long with the lens hood fitted) and tips the scales at 3.85kg.

It's supplied in its own custom-made hard case that, in itself, exceeds the maximum carry-on size for most airlines. Indeed, you don't fit this lens to your camera, you fit the camera to the lens. But sometimes, big really is beautiful.

A scaled up version of the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM super-telephoto lens, the 400mm offers the same wealth of features.

Designed for full-frame DSLR camera bodies such as the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III or Canon EOS 5D Mark II, it's also equally compatible with APS-C-sized cameras such as the Canon EOS 7D, where it has a mighty effective focal length of 640mm.

In either case, the fast f/2.8 maximum aperture is a real bonus for freezing the action in dull lighting conditions, making the lens ideal for wildlife and sports photographers.

Headline attractions include super-fast, ring-type USM (Ultrasonic Motor) autofocus, complete with full-time manual override.

Better still, you get an additional Focus Preset mode where you can store a focus distance in memory and call it up at the touch of a button, with or without confirmation beep.

There's also a neat Power Focus mode with its own 'Playback ring'. Turning the ring by varying amounts enables dual-speed motorised focus adjustments, ideal for use in video shooting.

There's also a three-position focus limit switch with Full, 2.7-7m and 7m to infinity options.

To guard against camera shake, Canon's latest 4-stop Image Stabiliser (IS) has three separate modes to choose from.

Mode 1 stabilises the image full-time, so you can view the effect through the viewfinder when composing shots. Mode 2 is for panning with the camera in either portrait or landscape orientation. Mode 3 only applies stabilisation when the shot is actually taken, and works really well when you're tracking erratically moving objects.

Rounding out the feature set on this high-end camera lens, currently selling for around £8,880, are four AF stop buttons placed at 90-degree increments around the circumference of the lens, towards its front.

If you're not happy with their placement, you can pay to have the ring that houses them rotated by a Canon service centre.

There's also a Kensington lock attachment for securing the lens, a beefy tripod mount and somewhat enormous lens hood.

TOPICS
Latest in Camera Lenses
Canon RF 20mm F1.4L VCM lens on a wooden table, alongside three other Canon hybrid prime lenses
Canon’s new 20mm f/1.4 lens could be the ultimate wide-angle prime for astro photography and video work, but its pricey
Viltrox 135mm F1.8 Lab lens for Nikon Z-mount, in the hand, attached to a Nikon Z6 II
I tested the stunning Viltrox 135mm f/1.8 LAB lens for Nikon and it’s my new favorite portrait lens, except for this one drawback
Sony FE 16mm F1.8 G lens indoors
Sony’s super wide-angle 16mm F1.8 prime shoots fast and travels light, but relies on distortion correction
Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 lens
I tested Sony’s longest telephoto zoom lens, and it’s a winner for wildlife photographers
Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS indoors
Sony unveils its first lens with a massive 800mm reach – and it could be a dream optic for wildlife photography
Sigma
I’ve tested all 4 of Sigma’s bargain f/1.4 primes for Canon cameras – here’s how to decide which one to buy
Latest in Reviews
Product shots for the Xiaomi Poco X7 Ultra review
I spent a month testing the Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra, a top-end mid-ranger that masquerades as a flagship
The Kiwi design K4 Boost Battery strap being worn by Hamish
I test VR headsets for a living, and this affordable headstrap is the first Meta Quest 3 accessory you should buy
Both Kiwi design G4 Pro Performance Controller Grips
I thought VR controller grips were pointless until this Meta Quest 3 accessory proved me wrong
The Kiwi design H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap
Want to upgrade your VR headset? Look no further than my new favorite Meta Quest 3 headstrap
WithSecure Elements EPP and EDR main image
I tested the WithSecure Elements EPP and EDR - read how I rated this Endpoint Protection for small business
The RIG M2 Streamstar.
I wanted to love the new RIG M2 Streamstar, but this pricey gaming microphone fails to deliver