MountĢ00-400mm without 1.4x extender 280-560mm with extenderĦ.2-12 degrees without extender 4.4-8.8 degrees with extenderĢ5 without extender, including fluorite and ultra-low dispersion glass 33 with extenderįluorine on front and back elements for dirt resistance SWC (subwavelength structure coating) to cut flare and ghostingįarther out on the barrel is the switch for choosing stabilization modes: 1 for full image stabilization, 2 for vertical-only stabilization for panning shots, and 3 for engaging stabilization only after you've pushed the shutter release button. Next to that switch is the autofocus setting: autofocus, manual focus, or the newer power focus, a movie-oriented feature that uses a motor to smoothly change the focus. Closest to the camera is a switch to set the lens focus range - either the full range, 2 to 6 meters, or 6 meters to infinity. On the lens barrel are a lot of switches for a lens. The operation of all the controls is easy, with comfortable ribbed rubber grips for zoom and focus. The lens, a member of Canon's high-end L-series family, is admirably sturdy, with seals to protect against water and dust. ![]() There's a lock to keep it at one setting or the other, but I never had any trouble with the mechanism. It takes almost no time to learn how to move your hand from the shutter release button to the 1.4x lever to change the range. Walking in the Bois de Boulogne forest, I'd quickly shift from 560mm for small birds to 300mm or 400mm for comparatively fearless mallards. At the Paris Air Show, I'd have the lens all the way out at 560mm for a small stunt plane's acrobatics, then flip the lever and take the zoom to 200mm for a hulking Airbus A380 taxiing nearby. Using the built-in 1.4x extender quickly becomes routine. My only complaint about the optics was significant vignetting when shooting wide open. Distortion was minimal, and bokeh was creamy. ![]() Its autofocus operation is snappy, its magnesium-alloy build is rugged, the image stabilization is effective, and its 2-meter close-focus distance is good for nearby subjects like hummingbirds at a feeder. There's no need to stop down, either the maximum aperture of f4 at 200-400mm or f5.6 at 280-560mm performs admirably. ![]() In my testing on a Canon EOS 5D Mark III, I found the lens sharp either with or without the 1.4x extender engaged.
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