Review Coming Soon…

This is a place holder for my Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG APO HSM Macro lens review. I’m posting this now mailing to provide information about how Canon’s 2012 cameras’ (EOS 1D X and EOS 5D Mark 3, as of this writing) auto focus system recognize this lens.

Lens Data

2012 Camera AF Data (5D Mark 3, 1D X)
AF Group	G
AF Points	33 AF points are available 15 central cross type points are available
Group Diagram
Optical Specifications
Focal Length	150mm
Angle of View (Full Frame)	Diagonal: 16.4° Vertical: 9.1° Horizontal: 13.7°
Min Focusing Distance	0.38m / 15 in.
Max Magnification	1.0x
Max Aperture	f/2.8
Min Aperture	f/22
Max Aperture by Focal Length	f/2.8 @ 150mm
T-Stop by Focal Length
Aperture Design	9 blades
Optical Formula	16 elements in 12 groups
Special Elements/Coatings	2 SLD
Stabilized	No
Stabilizer Performance	N/A
Stabilizer Modes	N/A
Breathes when Focusing	Yes, considerably
Parfocal	N/A
Focus
Focus Type	Internal
AF Type	HSM (Ring Ultrasonic motor)
Full Time Manual	Yes
Focus Ring Rotation	~90°
E-TTL 2 Distance Info Provided
Distance Scale/Type	Window
Focus Limiter / Positions	Yes / 0.38m→0.52m, 0.5mm→∞, 0.38m→∞ (Full)
Zoom
Type	N/A
Zoom Lock	N/A
Build
Length	5.39″ / 137mm
Diameter	3.13″ / 79.62mm
Weight	31.6 oz / 895g
Material	plastic barrel (?), metal mount
Finish	Dark gray
Filter Threads	72mm
Weather Sealed	no
Misc
Lens Hood / Included	LH780_03 / Yes
Tripod Ring Include / Removable	Yes / Yes
Extender Compatible	Yes, Sigma’s
Case / Included	Yes / Yes

Where do I even start with Canon’s EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM (the 100-400)?

Mine was the 2nd EF lens I bought, and has faithfully served me for as long as I’ve been shooting on Canon’s EOS platform. It’s been my go to lens for just about anything that requires reach and not needing a Sherpa to help you with your gear. Suffice to say, I find the lens very handy, even if that means compromising.

Though Canon’s 100-400 is somewhat long in the tooth, the design dating back to the mid-90s and finally released in 1998, the lens has held up quite well considering.

So why consider the 100-400?

Simply put, the 100-400 puts an incredible combination of flexibility, reach, and functionality in a relatively compact package.

Build

Relatively speaking the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM is one of Canon’s older EF lenses. It originally entered production in November of 1998, which means it was probably on the drawing board back in ’95 or ’96. Age, hasn’t been entirely unkind to the 100-400, and in many ways, it has aged far better than some of its contemporaries; at the same time, its age does show in places.

The EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM is well built and big, at least by normal lens standards. It’s about the same size as Canon’s 70-200mm f/2.8L, though it eschews 1/1-3 to 2 stops of aperture (and a fixed aperture) for twice as much reach, it’s a fair trade if reach is what you need.

The 100-400 is mostly metal in construction, including the lens barrels, lens mount, and as far as I can tell, the filter threads. It’s also finished in Canon’s “big L” off-white color. While there may be some debate over whether the off-white color is purely a marketing ploy, an engineering necessity, or a bit of both, it does a commendable job keeping the lens cool to the touch, even on a hot sunny day. In fact, that becomes painfully obvious if you have to have the lens and a camera out in the sun for any length of time.

Functionally, the 100-400 is a bit of an oddball in Canon’s current line up; it’s one of only 2 push-pull zooms Canon still makes—the other is Canon’s EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM. The push pull design is one of those things that photographers either love or hate.

When it comes to weather sealing, I consider the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM a fair weather lens. There’s no gasket around the lens mount, but more importantly, there zoom mechanism isn’t really weather sealed and this can lead to a big problem if you’re not careful. Specifically there’s the potential for debris to degrade the zoom-clutch mechanism, which can lead to catastrophic clutch failure. I say can, and I would underline can, as far more 100-400 owners will never have a problem with their lens than will.

The metal lens mount on the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lacks the black rubber gasket for weather sealing. Also note, the 3 extra contacts for teleconverter operation.

Unfortunately, I was one of those 100-400 owners that had suffered through this. The first sign I saw of the trouble ahead was when I started getting black/dark gray material stuck to the lens barrel between the 100mm and 135mm focal length marks; though this could have been entirely coincidental as well. However, the ultimate failure was sudden and simply resulted in the lens being jammed in the 400mm position unable to move—at no time prior to failure did I notice anything wrong or becoming progressively worse with respect to the zooming the lens.

In retrospect, I think there are at least two things you can do to mitigate the potential for this problem in the first place, and I’ve made them standard practice since having my lens repaired.

First, is keeping the inner lens barrel (the one with the focal length markings) clean and free of sand, mud, water, and debris. Take extra care, if you wipe your lens down with a damp towel after use, to insure that the lens barrel is dry before collapsing the zoom. This also means taking extra care if you’re going to use the lens in an environment like say beach where it might be prudent to tape some plastic around the lens so it can zoom without exposing the inner barrel.

The second point is not over tightening the zoom clutch/lock. This may or may not help, but I had previously been in the habit of tightening down the clutch past the point where the focus ring spins when you turn the zoom lock. While I didn’t think it was excessive, it may have been. I don’t really know. However, I now tighten the clutch only to the point where the focus ring turns when turning the clutch ring. In my experience that’s enough to stop the lens from sliding. If that’s not the case for your particular lens, I would be very careful how much further past that point I tightened down the zoom lock.

Handling

In the hand

The push-pull zoom design is something photographers either love or hate. Personally, I find the push-pull design makes it easy to adjust the zoom accurately while tracking something that’s in motion.

The other nice thing about the way Canon build this lens, is that the push-pull zoom and zoom clutch can locked at any specific focal. I’ve used this for example, to keep the lens’s focal length fixed as I track the moon as it progresses overhead. As it stands, I’m unaware of a rotating-ring style 80/100-400mm zoom that can be locked at any focal length like the Canon push-pull 100-400 can.

The EF 100-400's unique zoom lock holding the lens at an arbitrary focal length.

The manual focus ring is on the forward, moving, lens barrel. Meaning at longer focal lengths it will be further from your body and the rest of the controls on the lens. Of course, if you’re not relying on manual focus, it’s not that big of a deal.

The lens uses a Ring-USM autofocus system, and the feel and behavior is pretty standard for Canon’s L lenses. Focus throw is about 135° and the focus ring turns about as smooth as any other L lens. Like other ring-USM setups, the focus ring will continue to rotate past the actual focus stops. Finally, like other Canon internal focus lenses, it’s possible to focus past infinity.

I don’t find that I use manual focus on this lens other than when using it to photograph the moon or some other astronomical body or there simply isn’t enough light or contrast for AF to function. As a result, I don’t find the position of the focus ring to be a problem at all. That said, as with most other Canon lenses, I find the in ability to easily get infinity focus easily and accurately when I need it, usually in the dark, frustrating more often than not.

The Controls on the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM.

There are 4 controls switches, organized into two bulbous groups on the exterior of the lens. Just in front of the lens mount and adjacent to the nearly useless distance scale are the two focus control switches; a manual/auto switch and the focus limiter. Focus can be limited from the full range of 1.8m to infinity to 6.5m to infinity.

The second two switches, grouped in a bulge ahead of the tripod ring, control the optical image stabilizer. The smaller top switch selects the stabilizer mode—1 for static subjects and 2 for panning subjects—while the larger bottom switch turns the IS system on and off.

While it works, this arrangement is considerably less usable than either the EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM or EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, where all the lens’s controls are grouped together. This applies more so, if you’ve got your hand on the moving part and at longer focal lengths.

The tripod ring is similar to the tripod ring on Canon’s 70-200/2.8s—that is it doesn’t hinge open, instead it is a solid piece that clamps down on the lens when you tighten the screw near the foot. The ring is keyed to allow removal, which is done by aligning the red dot on the ring with the lens’s red alignment indicator. When the tripod ring is removed, 4 small rollers protrude from the surface of the lens under where the ring would normally be.

• Tripod Ring front
• Tripod Ring back

Rotating the lens in the tripod ring is smooth, however, at several points the rotation will have a noticeable “bump” when the rollers pass from one side of the track to the other.

The only gotcha is that it’s certainly possible for the ring to disengage from the lens when the camera is rotated into some awkward angle (with the view finder at a 45° angle down and to the left). However, when in use, I’ve never found this to be an actual issue.

In the Bag

I know it probably seems funny to talk about how a lens handles when it’s in the camera bag, but with increasingly tight airline carry on restrictions, and when carrying a bag of gear all day, I think it bears some consideration when talking about bigger lenses.

The EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM when collapsed to 100mm packs in the same approximate dimensions as a 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom. This means quite simply that any bag that says it will accommodate a 70-200mm zoom will accommodate the 100-400. In fact, the 100-400 collapsed is considerably shorter than even the EF 400mm f/5.6L USM.

Performance

There’s no point in reviewing a lens without at least spending some time talking about how it fares optically. As I’ve pointed out in previous reviews, I don’t have the money to do full on objective optical tests, so I tend to focus on what I do have the ability to test and discuss somewhat objectively. If you’re looking for hardcore numbers, I’d normally suggest DXOMark, but they haven’t actually tested this lens yet. A close second choice would be SLRgear’s tests. Though having been done on a 5D or 20D, they are a bit dated when talking about modern high-resolution cameras.

In not so objective terms, the lens is OK but not great by my standards. Which I guess doesn’t really mean anything to anybody else, so let me see if I can be a little clearer.

• Marsh Rabbit
• Marsh Rabbit 100% crop
• Marsh Rabbit 100% no sharpening

Sample image crops at 350mm f/7.1, with and without sharpening. (click images to enlarge)

The EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM isn’t the sharpest lens in Canon’s arsenal, or mine. That said, it’s considerably sharper than the $500 consumer 70-300s Canon makes. It’s certainly sharp enough to render feather details on birds, which I guess is about the most demanding field I’ve put to the lens.

Could it be sharper? Certainly. In fact, an improved version of the 100-400 has been an oft dreamed about lens by the Canon community simply because the flexibility of the 100-400 paired with a modern lens design has the potential to make an even more attractive lens.

On a crop camera, vignetting never seemed like much of a problem, but there is some none the less; go to a bigger frame, either full or APS-H and the vignetting gets noticeably worse. Even on a 1.3x crop Canon 1D, there is noticeable darkening in the corners.

Being an older lens without the aid of the new sub-wavelength nano coatings flare is pretty severe and annoying, at least when you point the lens towards incredibly bright sources, like the sun. Fortunately, there’s little reason to point one of these lenses towards the sun in general use, and at f/4.5-5.6 little reason to use one at night where streetlights may be of concern.

The image stabilizer is rated by Canon for 2 stops, actual performance, is somewhere on par with or maybe a little worse than that, at least in my experience in the field. Of course, IS performance is also to a large degree dependent on how steady you are when hand-holding.

The EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM supports Canon’s 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. Originally released with the originally EF 1.4x and EF 2x, performance is slightly improved with the EF 1.4x II and EF 2x II, and should be slightly improved again with the EF 1.4x III and EF 2x III.

Auto focus is possible with this lens and a 1.4x teleconverter, when paired with EOS-1D and EOS-1Ds bodies that support f/8 lens+teleconverter combinations—basically the Mark 2, 3 and 4 bodies (as of this writing). Contrast detect AF in live view is possible with EOS 50D, 60D, 7D, 5D mark 2, and newer Rebel bodies with either the 1.4x or 2x teleconverter. For all other bodies, it is possible to use a “tape trick” to mask the teleconverter from reporting, however, AF performance in that configuration is for all practical intents and purposes non existent.

In any case when paired with a teleconverter, even the newest Extender EF 1.4x III, image quality is only passable but not that great.

Where it fits and who it’s for

The EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM, isn’t necessarily the lens for every photographer; though I think it fills a very useful niche in Canon’s lineup. It is one of the most popular entry-level bird and wildlife lenses, and it does a good job at that.

For photographers seeking a 400mm lens, it’s one of 4 possibilities from Canon, with the closest comparable option in price being the EF 400mm f/5.6L USM. Though the 400mm prime is slightly lighter, and sharper, it lacks Image Stabilization and obviously isn’t a zoom.

For photographers seeking a long zoom, there are a number of alternative options. To start with there’s the very good EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM, though it doesn’t make it out to 400mm. If you’re shooting on a crop camera, or don’t really need 400mm it’s a smaller, lighter, sharper, and actually weather sealed; making it a good alternative.

With the introduction of the Extender EF 1.4x III and EF 2x III, the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM paired with the Extender EF 2x II will deliver image quality every bit as good as the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM on the long end (140-400mm), at approximately the same apertures with only slightly worse contrast. However, remove the TC and you have a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens for low light. Of course speaking of light, the 70-200/2.8L IS II and a TC will make your wallet considerably lighter than the 100-400 will.

The truth is, the EF 100-400 is a bit long in the tooth, and that makes it somewhat harder to recommend over newer, sharper, lighter lenses like the 70-300L or the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM and a Canon teleconverter.

Conclusions

Though it’s not without its problems or potential for problems, the 100-400 is still quite possibly my most used lens, if not it is a very close second or third. Optically, and mechanically it’s getting a little long in the tooth, and there have been rumors that Canon may be replacing it this year (2012) with an updated and more expensive version. I don’t like speculating on rumors, but if they pan out and a new 100-400 rivals the new 70-200 and 24-70 in terms of image quality, that would be very desirable.

The problem with the 100-400 right now is the combination of its old design, with the niche, it starts being something you seriously have to think about, and not just a must have. If you’re in that niche, and need a 400mm lens, the 100-400 is still cheaper than a 70-200/2.8 + a 2x teleconverter, and can do ever so slightly better when it comes to image quality. Then again, the 70-200 will have a 2-stop advantage with the IS system. However, if you were just looking for a long lens for general stuff and travel photography, I’d probably look at the new EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM before I seriously looked at the 100-400.

Lens Data

2012 Camera AF Data (5D Mark 3, 1D X)
AF Group:	E
AF Points:	All 61 active 21 central cross active
Group Diagram
Optical Specifications
Focal Length	100mm – 400mm
Angle of View (Full Frame)	Diagonal: 24° – 6°10′ Vertical: 14° – 3°30′ Horizontal: 20° – 5°10′
Min Focusing Distance	1.8m / 5.9 ft.
Max Magnification	0.2x @ 400mm
Max Aperture	f/4.5 – 5.6
Min Aperture	f/32 – 40
Max Aperture by Focal Length	f/4.5 – 100-129mm f/5.0 – 130-259mm f/5.6 – 260-400mm
T-Stop by Focal Length
Aperture Design	8 blade
Optical Formula	17 elements in 14 groups
Elements/Coatings	1 Fluorite, 1 Super UD
Stabilized	Yes
Stabilizer Performance	2 stops
Stabilizer Modes	Mode 1 – Stabilize Both Axis Mode 2 – Stabilize axis perpendicular to pan
Breathes when Focusing	Very minimally
Parfocal	No
Focus
Focus Type	Rear
AF Type	Ring USM
Full Time Manual	Yes
Focus Ring Rotation	~135°
E-TTL 2 Distance Info Provided	Yes
Distance Scale/Type	Yes, Window
Focus Limiter? / Positions	Yes / 1.8M→∞, and 6.3m→∞
Zoom
Type	Push Pull
Zoom Lock	Yes, at any focal length
Build
Length	7.44″ / 189mm
Diameter	3.62″ / 92mm
Weight	3.04 lb / 1380g
Material	Metal barrel, metal mount
Finish	Off White
Filter Threads	77mm
Weather Sealed	Not really
Misc
Lens Hood / Included	ET-83C / Yes
Tripod Ring Include / Removable	Yes / Yes
Extender Compatible	Yes
Case / Included	LZ1324 / Yes

I’ve been using this lens for a little less than a year now, which is just long enough that I’m comfortable writing about it.

Like my other lens reviews, I intend to focus more on the ergonomics of day-to-day use than on optical performance. This is a conceit I must make for lack of money or equipment—optical benches are just so stupidly expensive. I’m also uncomfortable just making it up, or at least pretending that what I say has any objective meaning. What’s tack sharp to someone else may be a mushy mess to me, and vice versa. If you want hard numbers, I suggest you do what I do and head over to DXO Mark’s page for this lens.

The 70-200mm focal range has been the “pro” grade mid- to short-telephoto lens space for as long as I can remember camera companies making pro-grade zoom lenses. These lenses sacrifice 100mm on the long telephoto end that their consumer grade 70-300mm cousins have to insure the image quality is pro level. In fact, it’s only been recently that advancements in optical design have allowed for comparative quality 70-300 lenses; even then, there are still compromises.

Which 70-200 is right for me?

Canon’s 70-200mm range is a venerable smorgasbord of choice. Canon has elected to produce 4 variations on the theme, varying in max aperture (either f/2.8 or f/4) and inclusion of image stabilization. Quite honestly, I think this was a brilliant move, as it’s placed high quality lenses from $700 to $2600 and leaving the photographer to choose the features they want based on their needs and budget.

The advantage here is that you can avoid paying premiums for features that may be unnecessary. Don’t need to shoot in low light? The f/4 models will save considerable weight and money. Is all your work in a studio with strobes? The f/2.8 version without IS will save big money over the IS version and still get you the fast aperture for smooth buttery backgrounds.

The Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM

Size, Build, and Handling

This brings us to the EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM, unlike its f/2.8 brethren the f/4L IS tips the scales at only 1.7lbs. (760g) and is a mere 3 inches in diameter and 6.8 inches long. By comparison, the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM weighs 3.2 lbs. (1490g) and is 3.5 inches in diameter and 7.8 inches long.

Standing next to Canon's EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM, very similar in size to their 70-200mm f/2.8Ls.

The smaller size and weight means two things. First, the lens can bTe hand held longer and easier than the larger f/2.8s. Second, and more importantly, the lens will fit in the secondary lens compartments of more bags than the f/2.8 versions will.

When I was writing about Think Tank’s StreetWalker Pro backpack, I noted that 7 inches is about the ideal depth for a bag, as most primes under 200mm and small zooms will fit in that space. In my StreetWalker Pro, I can carry this lens in one of the side lens slots instead of having to give up the main compartment. As a result, I can pack 2 bodies and a 70-200/2.8 or 100-400 in the main compartment and this lens in the side compartment with room to spare.

Loaded up in a StreetWalker Pro, it's may not look like it, but the bag closes just fine and the 70-200 isn't crushed in the slightest.

The control’s follows Canon’s pro style design traits; the focus ring is at the front and the zoom ring to the rear. The both the zoom and focus rings are wide and rotate smoothly. Like most Canon lenses, focus can be set past infinity, which is something to watch out for when focusing manually. Additionally, like other full-time manual capable USM lenses, the focus ring will rotate indefinitely, without a little more resistance indicating that the lens elements have reached the ends of their movement.

The EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM is an internal focus and internal zoom lens; its length never changes regardless of focus or zoom position. Moreover, because of that the filter-rings are essentially part of the outer lens barrel and don’t rotate, which is good for creative filters like polarizers and split ND filters.

Unfortunately, there is one negative to the front filter rings. At 67mm, they are 10mm smaller than the filter rings on Canon’s other pro lenses. If you’re like me, that means a 67mm to 77mm step-up ring is in order. I’d also consider ordering a rubber lens hood, like this one, since you won’t be able to use the Canon one while using a CPL either.

A side effect of this is that it’s easy for Canon to weather seal the lens, and in fact this is a dust and weather sealed lens. It’s not waterproof, only water resistant. Submersion is flat out, but rain isn’t a problem. Also, like most Canon lenses, a front filter is needed to complete the weather sealing.

There is a groove for an optional tripod mount. The most appropriate part is the Canon Tripod Mount A II (W); the W indicates that it’s white, as there’s a black version as well. Strictly speaking, the lens is small and light enough that it’s not necessary to use a tripod ring with it. Unfortunately, clearance between the tripod ring and a gripped body is minimal.

With the tripod ring attached in the normal position, there's not a lot of room for fingers on a vertical grip.

Like other L lenses, it comes with a Canon ET 74 lens hood in the box. The ET 74 hood is a simple circular hood not a petal hood like the f/2.8 versions use. The hood attaches via a plastic bayonet system. Though tight out of the box, my experience with other Canon lenses leads me to it to loosen up as the “nibs” wear down through use.

Additional external controls include an AF/MF, focus limiter, and stabilizer activation and mode switches. They are located between the focus and zoom rings for easy access. The switches are Canon’s flat design and are relatively stiff, so they shouldn’t change accidentally.

Canon claims the image stabilizer is good for 4-stops. In my experience, it does a very good job of reaching the advertised rating. Like Canon’s other non-super-telephoto stabilized lenses, the IS system isn’t smart enough to detect whether it’s on a tripod or not. For maximum image quality when shooting from a tripod, the IS system should be turned off manually. Finally the IS system has 2 modes, mode 1 and 2, which must be manually selected depending on need.

Mode 1 is best for static subjects, it compensates for shake in all directions. Mode 2 is the “panning mode”, where the system only compensates for movement in the axis perpendicular to the direction of the pan. Like all optical stabilization systems, there are hard limits to what it can actually deal with. For example, it won’t make tack sharp images from a moving vehicle on a bumpy road.

Optical Performance

The lens consists of 20 elements in 15 groups, including 1 Fluorite element and 2 Ultra-low dispersion elements. The combination of UD and Fluorite elements mean that CA is well controlled; I don’t see any worth talking about in my images. DXO Mark has measured the lens’s CA at 6 microns; you won’t see it if you’re not using a very high-density crop sensor (7D, 60D, T3i) even then it will be minimal.

The exotic elements also help keep distortion under control. I use the built in profiled distortion correction in Lightroom 3 and with some lenses you can really see a difference turning it on and off, not so much here. DXO Labs backs that experience up, measuring the distortion on average at less than 0.5%.

Resolution is superb too, the lens easily out resolves my workhorse 1D mark 3, as well as my 40D backup. This is easily one of the sharpest lenses I’ve owned or used. Though like any other subjective qualification of lens performance, you should take this with a grain of salt.

Mobile resolution chart, also test AF tracking performance, sometimes. (click for 1:1 crop)

The low distortion and chromatic aberration coupled with the lens’s resolving power, allows this lens to be effectively paired with Canon’s teleconverters. With a 1.4x teleconverter the lens becomes a 98-280mm f/5.6, with the 2x it becomes a 140-400mm f/8 lens.

Normally I’d avoid using a teleconverter with a zoom lens. They magnify the optical flaws in any given lens, and image quality decreases rapidly. A better teleconverter helps, but only to a point; on some lenses, especially zooms, the loss of image quality always outweighs any gain in reach. This lens is one of the exceptions. In my experience, it’s virtually impossible to tell that there was a teleconverter involved by looking at the images alone.

Though a 1.4x teleconverter reduces the aperture by a stop, to f/5.6, the EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM will continue to focus on all Canon bodies. Moreover, AF performance doesn’t appear to be appreciably slower when paired with a TC. Even in low contrast environments, like the one show below, I was able to snap the bird into focus more than fast enough to get the shot.

Even with a Canon 1.4x II teleconverter, there's no noticeable degradation in image quality. (click or 1:1 crop)

Speaking of autofocus, the lens has a 2-position focus limiter. The options are the full range of 1.2m to infinity and the reduced range of 3.8m to infinity. Using the 3.8m setting cuts focus travel, and this acquisition time, dramatically. Additionally, in the 3.8m mode, most cameras shouldn’t need to hunt due to defocus anyway.

The minimum focus distance is 3.94 feet (1.2M) resulting in a maximum magnification of 0.21x. With the 1.4x TC magnification is increased to .31x; with the 2x TC, 0.5x. The table below shows the magnifications and working distances with various extension tubes.

This isn’t a macro lens by any stretch of the imagination, though it is possible to get close to 0.5x magnification a number of ways making it at least usable in that fashion in a pinch.

TL;DR Conclusions

In short, what I’m saying is this is a very good lens. It’s as sharp or sharper than the EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM, and on par with the superb EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM (the new one), all the while being considerably lighter and smaller than any other f/2.8 70-200. Compared to the consumer 70-300s, it’s far better lens optically, and it has the advantage of being weather sealed.

The only real alternative worth considering from Canon is their new 70-300mm f/4-5.6L. Image quality is near enough between the two that you’re not taking a major hit, though the 70-200 is a constant f/4 lens and doesn’t extend when zoomed.

Lens Data

2012 Camera AF Data (5D Mark 3, 1D X)
AF Group:	C
AF Points:	All 61 points active All 41 cross points active
Group Diagram
Optical Specifications
Focal Length	70mm – 200mm
Angle of View (Full Frame)	Diagonal: 34° – 12° Vertical: 29° – 10° Horizontal: 19°30′ – 7°
Min Focusing Distance	1.2m / 3.9 ft.
Max Magnification	0.21x @ 200mm
Max Aperture	f/4
Min Aperture	f/22
Max Aperture by Focal Length	f/4 – 70-200mm
T-Stop by Focal Length	t/4.6 – 70-200mm
Aperture Design	8 blades, rounded
Optical Formula	20 elements in 15 groups
Elements/Coatings	1 Fluorite, 2 UD
Stabilized	Yes
Stabilizer Performance	4 stops
Stabilizer Modes	Mode 1 – Stabilize both axis Mode 2 – Stabilize axis perpendicular to pan
Breathes when Focusing	yes
Parfocal
Focus
Focus Type	Internal
AF Type	Ring USM
Full Time Manual	Yes
Focus Ring Rotation	~135°
E-TTL 2 Distance Info Provided	Yes
Distance Scale/Type	Yes, Window
Focus Limiter? / Positions	Yes, 1.2M→∞, and 3m→∞
Zoom
Type	Ring
Zoom Lock	No
Build
Length	6.77″ / 172mm
Diameter	3″ / 76mm
Weight	26.8 oz / 760g
Material	metal barrel, metal mount
Finish	Off white
Filter Threads	67mm
Weather Sealed	yes
Misc
Lens Hood / Included	ET-74 / Yes
Tripod Ring Include / Removable	No (Tripod Mount Ring A-2) / Yes
Extender Compatible	Yes
Case / Included	LP1224 / Yes

The EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM is a mid-range general purpose zoom lens designed for Canon’s full frame cameras, but is equally at home on Canon’s crop bodies. The EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM trades speed, some image quality, and a fixed aperture for a greater zoom range than it’s L or lower end kit counterparts, but compensates for that to some degree with an in lens image stabilization system.

Build and Construction

Fit and finish is quite good for a mid-tier lens. The EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens is mostly plastic, but doesn’t feel cheap or plastic-y. In fact, the lens has quite a bit of heft, even with the  plastic body, enough to warrant a metal lens mount. Unfortunately, that mount, like the rest of the lens, isn’t weather sealed.

The finish is a smooth un-textured matte black, not the “powered coated” textured finish found on many Canon lenses. That said, the finish doesn’t mar or scratch easily.

In fact, in my experience the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM is quite robust for its size and price. It’s most fragile component is the image stabilizer system, and even that can take quite a bit of punishment.

Like most low- and mid-range lenses, the zoom-ring is given “priority”; it’s wider and located at the front of the lens with the focus ring behind it. This is typically reversed on high-end lenses, where the zoom and focus rings are typically equal in size and focus ring tends to be the front most.

The EF 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS USM fully extended at 135mm. (click to enlarge)

The zoom-ring on the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM is wide (the rubber grip is 7/8^th inch, the whole part that turns is 1-3/8^th inch) and textured rubber. The zoom-ring turns smoothly, though there is slightly more resistance starting from the shortest focal length. The complete zoom range is covered by turning the ring 90°. There is no zoom lock and the zoom can, and usually does, creep. Creep however, seems dependent on the specific lens; some lenses have a very pronounced creep others won’t creep at all.

Like most lenses in the wide to telephoto (walk around) range, the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM extends when zooming. Likewise, it follows the standard zoom design where the lens increases in length as the focal length increases and the hood is mounted on the end of the inner most lens barrel. As a result, the lens hood is most effective at the shortest focal length setting and increasingly less effective as the focal length is increased.

The extending lens barrel is composed of 2 parts. Because of this, there is a slight “wobble” or give in the front element that’s not there in single barrel lenses. However, the wobble seems to tighten up longer focal lengths. Moreover, I’ve never seen image quality issues due to this.

Autofocus on the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM is powered by a ring-USM motor. As a result, autofocus is fast and silent and full time manual focus is available. Additionally, the lens is of an internal focus design, so the front element doesn’t rotate or extend when focusing.

Manual focusing is done with a ½-inch wide hard plastic ring located near the middle of the lens. The complete focus range from close-focus to infinity is covered in 135°, which isn’t bad for an autofocus lens. While the ring is hard and plastic-y, it turns smoothly and feels good for a focus ring on a lens in this price range.

The only switches on the lens are for the autofocus and image stabilization system. (click to enlarge)

A distance scale is provided, though like most modern distance scales, its utility is limited. The internal focus design means that the infinity focus point can vary over a range with temperature and focal length. Because of that, it’s possible to focus past infinity. Finally, the distance scale lacks the hyperfocal/depth of field marks typically found on manual focus lenses. On the up side, the distance scale does have IR focus marks for all listed focal lengths.

The lens’s controls are rounded out with the autofocus/manual focus switch and image stabilizer switch. Both are located on the left side of the lens just behind the focus ring and use Canon’s older non-flat switch design.

The front of the lens features 72mm filter threads for protective and creative effect filters. 72mm has become something of a rarity in Canon’s line up these days, with the vast majority of lenses being either 77mm or 58mm.

Rounding out the features, the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM has a bayonet mount for a lens hood. Canon’s recommended lens hood is the EW-78BII, and this provider proper shading on a 5D, 1Ds or film EOS body. Unfortunately, the petals on the EW-78BII aren’t cut flat at the ends, so the lens won’t stand upright when set on the lens hood.

Performance

Optically the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM consists of 16 elements in 12 groups. It also has an aspheric element to help combat field curvature and spherical aberrations.

Let’s be honest here, though, this isn’t an L lens and it doesn’t have L lens image quality. Quantitatively, objective tests show this lens has less resolution, more distortion, and higher CA than its L cousins do, though sometimes not by a whole lot. That said I’ve never had much of a complaint with this lens optically.

Auto focus is quite and fast, thanks to the USM motor and internal focusing design. Focusing from infinity to a closer subject takes about 1s. Most focus moves, especially in good light, are considerably faster.

While the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM is not as fast as the 24-70 f/2.8L, the image stabilizer gives some breathing room as long as your subject isn’t moving. However, this lens uses one of Canon’s earliest image stabilizers so performance doesn’t stack up that well against lenses that are more modern. My testing and experience puts the IS system at about a stop and a half, give or take. On a full frame body that would mean handheld shutter speeds in the 1/15^ths (w) to 1/80^ths (t) range. On a crop body, speeds are about a stop faster 1/50^ths (w) to 1/160^ths (t).

The image stabilizer on the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM has a bit of an odd behavior. When shooting in portrait/vertical orientation, the stabilizer makes a noticeable diagonal shift when it engages or disengages. I’ve seen this on every copy of this lens I’ve handed, which leads me to believe this is normal behavior.

In the Box

Like all of Canon’s non-L lenses, the box contains very little beyond the lens. In the case of the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM the box contains the lens, as Lens Dust Cap E (rear cap), a 72mm snap on lens cap, instruction sheet, and warranty card. No hood ($30 extra) or pouch is included.

Alternatives

Canon produces 2 other full frame lenses in this range the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM and the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, though either of these lenses cost about twice as much as the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM.

Compared to either of the L lenses, the 28-135 IS trades aperture, image quality, and wide angle for more reach. Whether that makes a difference is far more subjective. Compared to the EF 24-70 f/2.8L USM the 28-135 IS has almost twice as much reach. Though compared to the EF 24-105 f/4L IS USM, it’s not that much. Below is a comparison of 70mm, 105mm and 135mm with the same subject distance.

On a crop body, the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM has roughly the same field of view as a 50 to 200mm lens would have on a full frame camera. This put’s in a rather interesting, if a bit anachronistic, position. If you don’t shoot wide angle a lot, it’s a rather nice normal to telephoto zoom, with the widest setting being equal to the normal field of view produced by a 50mm lens on a film camera.

There’s not a lot of reason to go for the 28-135 IS USM on a crop body at this point. The EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS covers the same range but goes wide enough to be a wide angle lens on a crop camera. It’s also lighter, though it doesn’t have the Ring-USM motor.

Verdict

Unfortunately the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM is a bit of an anachronism now. On a full frame, body the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM provides a constant aperture, better image quality, and weather sealing though at the cost of some of the telephoto reach and twice the cost.

On a crop body, the 28-135 is a normal to telephoto zoom, with an effective field of view equal to a 50-200mm lens. Here too the 28-135 has become an anachronism as well. The EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS provides more reach and better pairing with the 18-55mm kit lens or EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM. Alternatively, the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 USM covers all of the range of the 28-135 and adds wide-angle capabilities.

About the only setup that that makes sense is pairing the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM with the EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM. This pairing provides the equivalent coverage from 16 to 200mm (in full frame terms) with a gap from 35 to 50mm in 2 lenses. Though neither is super-fast, they don’t take up a lot of bag space and provide a lot of flexibility.

One other thing that hurts the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM is that it’s a very popular starter/kit lens and that popularity coupled with its mid-tier build and optical quality, ultimately reduce the lens’s resale value. Used 28-135’s fetch maybe half of their new price.

One other thing to consider, if you’re using this lens on a crop body, the recommended hood doesn’t provide optimal shading (since it’s designed for a full frame sensor’s angle of view). Since the hood isn’t included by default, this means you can opt to buy an alternative if you wish. The alternative is the Canon EW-78C. This is the hood from the EF 35mm f/1.4L USM, and while it doesn’t provide ideal shading either, but it does provide better shading and is slightly better built as well.

In short: There are better choices out there now, but this is still a good lens if it fits your budget and needs.

Lens Data

2012 Camera AF Data (5D Mark 3, 1D X)
AF Group:	E
AF Points:	All 61 active 21 central cross active
Group Diagram
Optical Specifications
Focal Length	28mm – 135mm
Angle of View (Full Frame)	Diagonal: 75° – 18° Vertical: 65° – 15° Horizontal: 46° – 10°
Min Focusing Distance	0.5m / 1.6 ft.
Max Magnification	0.19x @ 135mm
Max Aperture	f/3.5 – 5.6
Min Aperture	f/22 – 36
Max Aperture by Focal Length	f/3.5 – 28-37mm f/4.0 – 38-49mm f/4.5 – 50-64mm f/5.0 – 65-84mm f/5.6 – 85-135mm
Max T-Stop by Focal Length	t/4.2 @ 28mm t/4.7 @ 38mm t/5.2 @ 50mm t/5.8 @ 60mm t/6.4 @ 100mm t/6.6 @ 135mm
Aperture Design	6 blades
Optical Formula	16 elements in 12 groups
Special Elements/Coatings	1 Aspherical
Stabilized	Yes
Stabilizer Performance	2 stops
Stabilizer Modes	On/Off only
Breathes when Focusing	Yes
Parfocal	No
Focus
Focus Type	Internal
AF Type	Ring USM
Full Time Manual	Yes
Focus Ring Rotation	~135°
E-TTL 2 Distance Info Provided
Distance Scale/Type	Yes, Window
Focus Limiter? / Positions	No
Zoom
Type	Ring
Zoom Lock	No
Build
Length	3.82″ / 97mm
Diameter	3.09″ / 78mm
Weight	19.1 oz / 549g
Material	plastic barrel, metal mount
Finish	Black
Filter Threads	72mm
Weather Sealed	no
Misc
Lens Hood / Included	EW-78BII/ No
Tripod Ring Include / Removable	N/A
Extender Compatible	No
Case / Included	LP1116 / No

Overview

Before digital, the 50mm lens was the standard. Moreover, it’s generally said the image produced is similar to what’s seen by the human eye. This made it a starting point from almost all photographers since it was easy to visualize the photograph before wasting film.

Digital has changed all of this; the introduction of crop sensors changes the lens’s field of view and increases the apparent focal length. Even then, the lens’s low cost still makes it a popular choice among many photographers especially those looking for a fast lens.

Canon’s EF 50mm f/1.8 II is the second generation of Canon’s EF-mount 50mm f/1.8 lenses, though its design inherits a legacy that dates to the late 1800s. Its f/1.8 aperture makes for good low light performance and shallow depth of field as well. Did I mention it’s also the cheapest lens in Canon’s catalog?

Build and Construction

Optically the EF 50mm f/1.8 II has 6 element 5 groups and appears to be a double Gauss or modified double Gauss design. The double Gauss lens design dates back to the late 1800’s and is simple, well understood, and very refined. This lens’s optical design starts from a solid foundation. Further, its slow speed, for 50mm primes at least, tends to yield better sharpness and less distortion.

It’s not only the optical design that makes the EF 50mm f/1.8 II inexpensive, Canon has cut out every possible feature from its construction.

The body and lens mount are plastic. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if the only things that were plastic in this lens were the glass elements and the electrical system. The build does make the lens incredibly light, 4.6oz (190g), though I’m not sure that makes much of a difference. That said, somewhat surprisingly the lens doesn’t feel nearly as flimsy as it sounds.

Unlike its predecessor, the mark II there is no distance scale. Though it’s nice to have distance scales, they are becoming increasingly useless on auto focus. Especially as features, like aperture depth of field marks, are omitted from designs.

The EF 50mm f/1.8 II also uses a cheaper micro-motor focus motor instead of a micro-USM or ring-USM focusing motor. The motor choice, however, doesn’t really affect autofocus speed, even with the lens’s overall linear extension design[i] there simply isn’t enough mass to be an issue. The micro-motor and gearbox is certainly louder than a ring-USM based motor but not really enough to be an issue or a distraction.

The lens lacks full-time autofocus, so when manually focusing the lens the autofocus system must be disengaging with AF/MF switch to MF. Failing to do so can damage the autofocus gearbox. Additionally the focus ring rotates when the lens focuses, so care is needed to avoid turning it or preventing it from turning when auto-focusing as well.

In an effort to further cut costs, the EF 50mm f/1.8 II doesn’t have a built in provision for a lens hood. However, the front element is recessed removing some of the need for a lens hood. That said, Canon does provide an optional snap -on lens hood in the form of the ES-62 kit. Another alternative is to mount a screw in lens hood on the filter threads.

Speaking of filter threads, the EF 50mm f/1.8 II’s has 52mm filter threads. However, because of the lens and hood design using them for anything other than a polarizer or special effect filters will increase the lens’s susceptibility to lens flare.

Performance

The EF 50mm f/1.8 II tests well in optical tests for its price. This is born out in real world use; the images tend to be acceptably sharp even when wide open though the corners are always a bit weak even stopped down. Vignetting is never completely removed on a full frame camera, even stopped down, showing about a 1/3^rd stop in the extreme corners. On a crop camera, there’s no appreciable vignetting at all, even wide open.

The biggest potential problem with this lens is the autofocus system. My experience is that it’s spotty at best, and performance is variable depending on many factors.

The copies I’ve handed have had problems repeatedly focusing on a consistent point, even in carefully controlled situations where there was nothing else to focus on and no camera motion. What will happen is the lens will front or back focus depending on the direction it’s focusing in. Even with AF micro adjustments, the problem persists, though you can typically get one direction or the other to be accurate, just not both.

What’s in the Box

What Canon ships with the lens is underwhelming at best. The retail box nets you the lens, a rear cap, a front cap, and a warranty card. As I said, there’s no lens hood shipped with the lens, that’s a $30 extra. Nor is there a pouch or case included.

Uses

On a full-frame digital or film camera the EF 50mm f/1.8 II is a normal lens, meaning it produces images that tend to have the same perspective as something view by the naked eye. It sees uses in journalism and anywhere where accurately portraying the environment is necessary. It’s also an acceptable lens for full body portraits.

On a Canon crop body the EF 50mm f/1.8 II becomes a short telephoto lens, with an angle of view similar to that of an 80mm lens on a full frame camera. This is at the short end of focal lengths commonly used for head and head and shoulder portraits. However, it also can make the lens difficult to work with for more general types of photography when in small rooms.

Additionally, the EF 50mm f/1.8 II is the cheapest fast lens Canon makes. This results in it being frequently recommended as a lowlight lens for beginner photographers to complement their 18-55mm kit lenses.

Verdict

Why the 50mm f/1.8 II remains popular is beyond me. Actually, not really, it’s cheap and fast, and most people fall over when they find out how expensive a good lens is. Even its half-stop faster better-built cousin, the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM, is more than 3 times as expensive.

The EF 50mm f/1.8 II is commonly recommended for most entry level photographers as a low light lens to pair with their Kit 18-55. This is something I don’t agree with; mostly due to the potential for autofocus issues and the tighter field of view.

When I bought my copy of this lens they were running for about $65, at that price, even with any issues, it’s hard not to pass on. At the time of this writing, the lens is retailing for $100 or more. At that price, I have a hard time recommending the lens at all.

While I’m not suggesting everybody needs $1000 L glass, there are better alternatives in the sub $500 range, unfortunately, just not in the $100 range.

One of this is Tamron’s well-regarded SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II. It offers virtually the same range as the kit 18-55 lenses with between a ½ and 2 stop fast aperture. Another alternative is Sigma’s 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM; it retains the normal field of view, adds a half stop faster aperture, and adds a ring-type ultrasonic motor for silent full time manual focusing. The final alternative is Canon’s own 50mm f/1.4 USM; virtually identical to the f/1.8 mark 2 but with a half-stop faster aperture and silent full-time manual with an Ultrasonic motor.

Personally, I don’t think skimping on lens quality is a good way to go. The inexpensive lenses don’t tend to hold up as well, more frequently have issues, and don’t retain the value in resale should you want to sell them.

Between the potential problems, and the availability of more flexible alternatives I say pass on Canon’s EF 50mm f/1.8 II.

In short: Save your pennies and get something better.

Lens Data

2012 Camera AF Data (5D Mark 3, 1D X)
AF Group:	A
AF Points:	All 61 active All 41 cross points are cross sensitive 5 center cross points are High precision
Group Diagram
Optical Specifications
Focal Length	50mm
Angle of View (Full Frame)	Diagonal: 46° Vertical: 40° Horizontal: 27°
Min Focusing Distance	0.45m / 1.5 ft.
Max Magnification	0.15x
Max Aperture	f/1.8
Min Aperture	f/22
Max Aperture by Focal Length	f/1.8 @ 50mm
T-Stop by Focal Length	t/2 @ 50mm
Aperture Design	5 blades
Optical Formula	6 elements in 5 groups
Special Elements/Coatings
Stabilized	No
Stabilizer Performance	N/A
Stabilizer Modes	N/A
Breathes when Focusing
Parfocal	N/A
Focus
Focus Type	Overall Linear Extension
AF Type	Micro Motor
Full Time Manual	No
Focus Ring Rotation	~90°
E-TTL 2 Distance Info Provided
Distance Scale/Type	No
Focus Limiter? / Positions	No
Zoom
Type	N/A
Zoom Lock	N/A
Build
Length	1.61″ / 41mm
Diameter	2.68″ / 68.2mm
Weight	4.6 oz /130g
Material	plastic barrel, plastic mount
Finish	Black
Filter Threads	52mm
Weather Sealed	no
Misc
Lens Hood / Included	ES-62 / No
Tripod Ring Include / Removable	N/A
Extender Compatible	No
Case / Included	LP1014 / No

[i] Overall linear extension lenses shift all of lens elements to focus instead of just a few internal elements.

Canon offers two teleconverters that are compatible with their EOS series cameras, the Extender EF 1.4x II (discussed here) and the Extender EF 2x II. They have both undergone an optical redesign since their initial release, hence the II in the name.

Extender Basics

A tele-extender or teleconverter is a supplementary lens that is placed behind the main lens and acts as a magnifying glass, narrowing the captured angle of view and enlarging the subject. This is commonly described as increasing the lens’s focal length.

In the process of “extending” the focal length, the teleconverter reduces the lens’s effective aperture by a factor related to its multiplier. A 1.4x converter reduces the effective aperture by 1 stop; a 1.7x converter by 1.5 stops; and a 2x converter by 2 stops.

In addition to increasing the lens’s focal length, the converter also magnifies any aberrations that the lens may produce. This becomes more noticeable as the extender’s power is increased. The effects when using a 1.4x extender are often unnoticeable; however, a 2x extender can noticeably degrade even the sharpest lenses.

In addition to the optical affects, and the loss of a stop of effective aperture, the increase in effective focal length demands the use of good long lens technique to insure optimal results.

Canon Extender EF 1.4x II

The EF 1.4x II is a solidly built lens with an all metal body and metal lens mounts. In addition, it is fully weather sealed with a rubber gasket on the rear mount and the corresponding mating surface on the front mount.

The EF 1.4x II has a protruding front element, as seen in the photo above, this limits the number of lenses the EF 1.4x II is compatible with.

In general, the EF 1.4x II is compatible with most L and DO lenses that are 135mm or longer. This includes all four 70-200mm zooms. Lenses specifically not supported include the EF 135mm f/2.8 Softfocus and 70-300 f/4-5.6 DO. The Extender EF 1.4x II is not compatible with any EF-S lenses, or most lenses from 3rd party manufacturers.

Auto Focus

Canon’s cameras are designed to disable the auto focus system when the optical characteristics of the lens or lens and extender combination used with the camera exceed the sensor’s ability to properly focus.

For most Canon cameras, except those in the EOS-1 series, this means if the effective aperture exceeds f/5.6 auto focus will be disabled. Practically this means that for non EOS-1 bodies, the slowest lens that can be paired with the EF 1.4x II has a maximum aperture of f/4 or faster.

Canon EOS 1 series bodies will retain autofocus with the central point with lenses with an effective aperture of f/8. When using an EF 1.4x II, auto focus is operable with lenses that are f/5.6 or faster.

Workarounds for Auto Focus

It is possible to work around the aperture requirements though one of two mechanisms. There is the widely noted “tape trick” that involves taping over some contacts preventing the teleconverter from reporting itself to the lens and camera. In the name of science, I have tried this and frankly I found it to be totally useless. While it may work better with some lenses, it’s not something I would want to depend on working in a critical situation.

The second work around is for cameras that offer contrast detect AF in live view mode. These include the EOS 5D Mark 2, EOS 50D, and Rebel XSi, Rebel T1i. Contrast-detection auto focus isn’t subject to the minimum aperture requirements that phase-detection is, and therefor isn’t disabled and remains functional.

Stacking Teleconverters

The EF 1.4x II can be stacked with Canon’s EF 2x II extender as long as the 1.4x II is placed closest to the camera. In this configuration, the lens’s aperture will be reduced by 3 stops and its effective focal length increased 2.8 times. However, the Canon extenders weren’t designed with this operation in mind so only the front teleconverter reports its presence to the camera.

Performance

The performance of the Canon Extender EF 1.4x II is quite good, even when paired with lenses on the lower end of its supported range like the EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS USM and a high density sensor like that in the EOS 40D. When paired with the very high-end super-telephoto lenses like the EF 500 f/4L IS USM the difference in image quality is virtually unnoticeable.

As good as the Extender EF 1.4x II is the resulting image quality won’t match that of a longer lens. That said it’s not always desirable to have or carry a 600mm or 800mm lens or even a 400mm lens and this is where the EF 1.4x II comes into play. When packing light, and where long focal lengths aren’t going to be used the majority of the time, a 70-200 or 300 f/4 paired with the EF 1.4x II is quite capable of pulling of quite acceptable shots.

Handling

After some practice mounting and un-mounting the EF 1.4x II becomes very easy. The recommended procedure is to mount the convert to the lens then the converter-lens combination to the camera. This works especially well when the lens is mounted on a tripod and less so when everything is hand held.

There is one other consideration, due to the protruding front element the front cap for the EF 1.4x II is taller than a camera body cap, even though they are otherwise the same. This can be problematic if you drop all your caps into a single pocket in your pants or bag. If you do this, you might want to consider replacing your camera body caps with the same cap as the extender. This is part “Extender Cap E II” and they run about $7 a piece.

Conclusions

Like most photographic items, extenders fall in the “you get what you pay for” category. While the EF 1.4x II is a bit pricey, listing at about $310 at the time of this writing, the image quality over its cheaper competitors is very much worth it in my opinion.

As to whether you should get a teleconverter in the first place, that’s a more personal question. For $310 and 8 oz. you can add 50% more lens to your bag. For me, the increased flexibility is worth it for those times when I need the image more than I need a great image.