Preorder: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II

[Canon1]

WOW... Canon Germany has just corrected the MSRP on their press release website ... down from € 2,499 to now € 2,199 ... still 160 Euro too high compared to US pricing and taking into account 19% VAT tax.

http://www.canon.de/About_Us/Press_Centre/Press_Releases/Consumer_News/Cameras_Accessories/The_EF_100-400mm_f4.5-5.6L_IS_II_USM.aspx

not really - considering the last time i checked canon isn't a us company - so factor it back to the yen

All currencies are all relative to each other.... So it is valid to compare $$ to €€....

 

[Canon1]

Frankly, I never understood the attraction of ordering a product before it is reviewed. Is being the "first kid on the block" one of the motivations?

As a general rule, this is a good policy. However, with this lens I think ordering is a safe bet. Does anyone doubt this lens will be anything less than stellar?

That's a good point ... Canon's recent lens releases have been great, even if expensive. It's a good sign when we can fully expect a new lens to be awesome. Still, I will wait for reviews (and possible sale prices) mostly because I'm in no great need for this.

One reason to wait is that early adopters often need to deal with manufacturing issues that have not been worked out yet. The 24-70 f2.8 II had some funny noises when zooming as an example. Canon quietly fixed this without really acknowledging a flaw, so later models (like mine) were not affected.

 

[JonAustin]

One reason to wait is that early adopters often need to deal with manufacturing issues that have not been worked out yet. The 24-70 f2.8 II had some funny noises when zooming as an example. Canon quietly fixed this without really acknowledging a flaw, so later models (like mine) were not affected.

As was the case at the launch of the 24-105L (significant flare issues under certain circumstances), so much so that they issued a recall and -- for the longest while -- flagged corrected / repaired copies with an adhesive "blue dot" on the box (I bought one of the corrected copies).

 

[lintoni]

UK sites were slow with this, WEX now have it listed at £1999 (so about $3200 US). Clearly someone at Canon UK is having a laugh!

Will of course come down but you wonder how many will pre-order at this price, maybe gives some of those with the MKi some time to offload at a reasonable price though

It's popped up on some other sites at £1999. The Eurozone price has dropped to €2199, so I expect Canon UK's RRP will drop. €2199 equals £1732, so round it up - £1749 or £1799. I bet Canon UK would prefer £1799, but with that premium, I'd be tempted to buy from the continent - we're in a single market, after all. We'll see what they do, but surely they can't leave it at £1999.

 

[jcarapet]

Throwing this out there for the sake of discussion, but is anybody worried about the performance of this lens?

My thought process is this.
- 4x on a lens does lead to some inherent difficulty in getting an ultra sharp shot throughout focal range
- extended time in between lens generations, including a delay in what was supposed to be the debut date earlier this year, suggests that there might be manufacturing QC issues, or at least difficulty in improving IQ
- lower price point than everybody expected implies that once initial orders get filled that Canon might not think this will hold up and sell at a higher price point.

I am fully expecting an improvement, and will admit that the "delay" might have been a marketing move to draw more attention to the 7d2, but there is enough in my mind to make me wait and see how this thing stacks up against latest zooms before buying. I am also a guy that thinks that nothing but the big whites should be priced above $1500, so take this with a grain of salt.

 

[meywd]

Throwing this out there for the sake of discussion, but is anybody worried about the performance of this lens?

My thought process is this.
- 4x on a lens does lead to some inherent difficulty in getting an ultra sharp shot throughout focal range
- extended time in between lens generations, including a delay in what was supposed to be the debut date earlier this year, suggests that there might be manufacturing QC issues, or at least difficulty in improving IQ
- lower price point than everybody expected implies that once initial orders get filled that Canon might not think this will hold up and sell at a higher price point.

I am fully expecting an improvement, and will admit that the "delay" might have been a marketing move to draw more attention to the 7d2, but there is enough in my mind to make me wait and see how this thing stacks up against latest zooms before buying. I am also a guy that thinks that nothing but the big whites should be priced above $1500, so take this with a grain of salt.

The big whites start at $5,999 so i guess the price of the 100-400 II is within normal range, if it delivers...

 

[JonAustin]

Throwing this out there for the sake of discussion, but is anybody worried about the performance of this lens?

My thought process is this.
- 4x on a lens does lead to some inherent difficulty in getting an ultra sharp shot throughout focal range
- extended time in between lens generations, including a delay in what was supposed to be the debut date earlier this year, suggests that there might be manufacturing QC issues, or at least difficulty in improving IQ
- lower price point than everybody expected implies that once initial orders get filled that Canon might not think this will hold up and sell at a higher price point.

I am fully expecting an improvement, and will admit that the "delay" might have been a marketing move to draw more attention to the 7d2, but there is enough in my mind to make me wait and see how this thing stacks up against latest zooms before buying. I am also a guy that thinks that nothing but the big whites should be priced above $1500, so take this with a grain of salt.

Worried, no; interested, yes.

- The 4x zoom range is the same as its predecessor, so the benchmark for change (improvement) in optical performance is in place.
- One could worry about the reasons behind the delays, or could take hope that the time required to release a successor was needed to really get it right. (Besides, the delays were respect to consumer expectations, not Canon announcements.)
- The announced price is not lower than "everyone" expected; I've read forecasts both above and below it. And the lower than generally expected price of the 16-35/4L IS has already established that Canon can produce a stellar performing lens at a competitive price -- perhaps due to competitive factors or generally lackluster market conditions.

I'm eagerly awaiting the first real reviews to learn by just how much the 100-400 II bests its predecessor, but I'm already all in to buy one.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Throwing this out there for the sake of discussion, but is anybody worried about the performance of this lens?

My thought process is this.
- 4x on a lens does lead to some inherent difficulty in getting an ultra sharp shot throughout focal range
- extended time in between lens generations, including a delay in what was supposed to be the debut date earlier this year, suggests that there might be manufacturing QC issues, or at least difficulty in improving IQ

Canon publishes the MTF curves of this lens as well as the old one, and you can clearly see the curves are better on the new one.

The IS has been modernized, lens coatings are now updated to eliminate reflections off digital sensors, even if IQ wasn't a whole lot better, it has a lot more going for it.

That close MFD means I can put on a 1.4X TC and get some close ups of small creatures, flowers and birds like Hummingbirds that are not so shy.

The major US camera stores have a 30 day return policy, and often longer for Christmas items, so there is no risk except for return shipping cost.

Unlike a body that is obsolete in 2-4 years, this lens will be the current model for 10 years, probably 15.

 

[AlanF]

UK sites were slow with this, WEX now have it listed at £1999 (so about $3200 US). Clearly someone at Canon UK is having a laugh!

Will of course come down but you wonder how many will pre-order at this price, maybe gives some of those with the MKi some time to offload at a reasonable price though

It's popped up on some other sites at £1999. The Eurozone price has dropped to €2199, so I expect Canon UK's RRP will drop. €2199 equals £1732, so round it up - £1749 or £1799. I bet Canon UK would prefer £1799, but with that premium, I'd be tempted to buy from the continent - we're in a single market, after all. We'll see what they do, but surely they can't leave it at £1999.

I have pre-ordered from WEX. It will take ages to come through. WEX doesn't bill you until your order is available and is very good on returns. If the € price is cheaper than the £, then I'll cancel.

I will use this native on the 70D (or maybe a 7DII if I upgrade) rather with a 1.4xTC on the 5DIII. The extra stop on the crop and the absence of degradation by the TC will, I think, give better results.

 

[lintoni]

UK sites were slow with this, WEX now have it listed at £1999 (so about $3200 US). Clearly someone at Canon UK is having a laugh!

Will of course come down but you wonder how many will pre-order at this price, maybe gives some of those with the MKi some time to offload at a reasonable price though

It's popped up on some other sites at £1999. The Eurozone price has dropped to €2199, so I expect Canon UK's RRP will drop. €2199 equals £1732, so round it up - £1749 or £1799. I bet Canon UK would prefer £1799, but with that premium, I'd be tempted to buy from the continent - we're in a single market, after all. We'll see what they do, but surely they can't leave it at £1999.

I have pre-ordered from WEX. It will take ages to come through. WEX doesn't bill you until your order is available and is very good on returns. If the € price is cheaper than the £, then I'll cancel.

I will use this native on the 70D (or maybe a 7DII if I upgrade) rather with a 1.4xTC on the 5DIII. The extra stop on the crop and the absence of degradation by the TC will, I think, give better results.

I'm slightly envious, but it will be a little while before I upgrade my Mark I, short of pennies and I'd prioritise some primes first as I'm still happy with that lens. But, having said that, I hope the price drops for you, a £200-250 saving is not to be sniffed at!

*Edit - I used to be good at arithmetic.

 

[Aichbus]

My thought process is this.
- 4x on a lens does lead to some inherent difficulty in getting an ultra sharp shot throughout focal range
- extended time in between lens generations, including a delay in what was supposed to be the debut date earlier this year, suggests that there might be manufacturing QC issues, or at least difficulty in improving IQ

Regarding QC issues, i have some bad experiences with Canon:
1 I had to buy 4 copies of the current 100-400 to get a sharp copy. 2 copies were very soft at 400mm, 1 was decent and 1 was super sharp. That was in 2007.
2 in 2011 I sold my sharp copy of the 100-400 to buy a 70-300 L. Because of the bad experience I bought 2 copies. Both were identical and very sharp wide open at any focal length right into the corners. I kept one of those. 2 years later, the corners got softer, so i sent the bare lens to Canon for an alignment. That was 2 months ago. I got it back much worse. They said I had to send in my bodies too. I sent in a 6D and a 5DII plus the lens. I got both back as bad as before. i phoned with them and they said that the lens was in optimal condition and: "If we try it again, it might get even worse" They also admitted that they couldn't align the lens with the same accuracy as it is possible in the manufacturing process.Tomorrow, I will send in the lens for the 4th time, because i don't see why i should pay € 250 to Canon for getting back the lens in a worse condition as before.

My conclusion:
1
Depending on the lens type there can be quality variation. Certainly more so on zoom lenses. The old 100-400 was reportedly prone to it.
2
You have to single out the lemons when you buy the lens. If the lens performs badly, send it back, because I doubt that it can be aligned to perfection afterwards.

 

[privatebydesign]

I am always deeply suspicious of people who claim to get multiple bad copies of anything, the truth is there are 'bad' examples out there, but the chances of getting more than one is very small, the chances of getting more than two is statistically inconsequential.

 

[ss396s]

on 11/12 This lens was 92 of 100 top sellers on Amazon in the Camera and Photo category. It is by far the most expensive thing out of the 100. Looks like its off to a good start.

 

[markesc]

Shocked on the comments about the 70-300 L

Mine has been astonishingly perfect!! Love it over the V1 70-200 F2.8L IS. The weight savings makes it just an awesome lens for hiking. It focuses lightning quick even in garbage light. It's honestly one of the few lenses that has exceeded my expectations. It just DOES what it's told. Granted, I'm using a 5dmkiii and a 70d on center point...

Stoked for this 100-400 II !!

Does anyone have any idea on the actual shipping date/or just guessing games for now?

 

[Hjalmarg1]

I will wait for review and comparissons againts the Tamron and Sigma lenses. If the charts are true, this will outperform both of them

 

[Omni Images]

I'll be making a "Leap of Faith" mid December the moment I see it listed as "in stock".
I have been wanting a 400mm lens for so long, and been holding out for something better than what was on offer. This blows them out of the water.
I am hoping the IQ is close to the 400F5.6 prime ... but it's MFD smashes that ... and for that, even though I would prefer a prime ... I will get this lens no questions asked ... it'll also smash the old 100-400 out of the park for IQ and usability.
No, for me it's a no brainier ... I've waited long enough ... might be bumbed if a new 400 F5.6 prime that focus's down to say 1.2m comes along soon ... but hey ... I'm going it.
About to buy a 1.4III TC any day now, ready and waiting for it next month.

 

[gotit]

Difficult choice for me:
7DII + the new 100-400mm or 5DII + 1.4TC + the new 100-400mm.
Camera for "general" use (landscape, wildlife, close ups, BIF, ...).
What's your preference/suggestion? TIA.

 

[AlanF]

Difficult choice for me:
7DII + the new 100-400mm or 5DII + 1.4TC + the new 100-400mm.
Camera for "general" use (landscape, wildlife, close ups, BIF, ...).
What's your preference/suggestion? TIA.

In my experience, the 70D + 300mm f/2.8 II is on a par with the 5D III + 300mm f/2.8 II + 1.4xTCIII optically. The 300/2.8 takes the 1.4xTCIII particularly well. So, my prediction is that the 7D II + 100-400mm II will be as least as optically good as the 5D 2 plus extender and blow it away as far as performance is concerned.

 

[privatebydesign]

Difficult choice for me:
7DII + the new 100-400mm or 5DII + 1.4TC + the new 100-400mm.
Camera for "general" use (landscape, wildlife, close ups, BIF, ...).
What's your preference/suggestion? TIA.

No that is a pretty clear cut choice, the 7D MkII is the most appropriate camera of the two, try birding with a 5D MkII and TC! But it would be my choice for wildlife and close ups too, better AF and longer working distances, so you are then looking at landscapes. Well the 7D MkII is easily going to print 20" x 30", truthfully how often are you going to need more?

 

[asposium]

pre-orders in the UK.

I wasn't going to pre-order, have been burnt too many times with new releases, the 1D mk3 and 24-105L come to mind
the 1DX and 5D3 weren't issue free.

anyway, all the main UK retailers will charge RRP for several months to come.

HOWEVER, jessops has a voucher code at the moment for 10% off canon lenses. (canonlens10)
and much to my great surprise the voucher code worked with 100-400 mk2 pre-order

saved me £200
had to phone jessops (delivery address different to billing address) and was told they expect early-Dec

hope this helps