Customers are delighted by the EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens's exceptional image quality, impressive zoom range, and fast focusing capabilities, resulting in sharp and clear photos. Many appreciate its reach, particularly for wildlife photography. While some find the lens heavy and expensive, the overall positive feedback highlights its superior performance.
This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.
The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 278 reviews
Pros mentioned:
Focus speed, Image quality, Reach
Cons mentioned:
Price
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Awesome Lens!
|
|
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I have the 70-300L and needed more reach, this lens is great! I looked at the previous 100-400L, the Tamron 150-600 and then tried this out, it focuses way faster than the old one and is lighter and handled better than the Tamron and is built better. the close up capability of this over the others is way better too. I knew as soon as I picked it up and started shooting it was a fine lens. A little pricier than the others but if you can swing it just go for it, no buyers remorse wondering if I made the right choice here. I went for 18 month no interest on my Best Buy card to soften the blow a little. :-)
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Image quality, Reach
Cons mentioned:
Weight
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Fantastic lens!
|
|
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
After doing much research, I finally decided to upgrade from my Canon EF 70-300 4-5.6 IS USM lens. I primarily shoot wildlife and enjoy going to airshows and was looking for a little extra reach. I took this lens out for a test spin at my local animal sanctuary and I was not disappointed! A few impressions -- First, this lens is HEAVY - much heavier than my 70-300, but not heavy enough to make a tripod necessary. Secondly, this lens is crisp. I took some of my cleanest, sharpest photos ever with this lens after my first day out with it. Though, I will say that it also produced a higher percent of soft images, that I would, at this point, attribute to user error. I also noticed a considerable gain in reach from going from 300 to 400mm. I was also impressed with the level of bokeh achieved at 400mm and 5.6. Overall, I couldn't be happier with my purchase. I feel like I have entered a new level of my amateur photography, and I am looking forward to learning more and growing with this lens for years to come.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Focus speed, Image quality, Reach
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great new lens from Canon
|
|
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This is by far one of the best lenses that I've ever used. I currently have a Canon 24-70L 2.8 and the 70- 200L 2.8. At this point, I am going to sell my 70–200 because this new lens is far superior to that. Even though it's a 4.0–5.6, it focuses very fast, the picture quality is fantastic and the reach is clean and beautiful up to 400 mm
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Focus speed
Cons mentioned:
Weight
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Awesome lens that performs
|
|
Posted . Owned for 1.5 years when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
What an amazing lens this is! Mounted on a Canon 5D Mark IV. It focuses very fast. I primarily shoot wildlife and boating images with occasional sports photography. In any situation, this lens always performs. For larger distances I added the X2 extender which doubles the range. Howver, autozoom is disabled with the extender. It is pretty heavy and works best with a tripod. Overall this is an incredible lens that not only looks beautiful but performs each and every time. It made me excited to get back into photography.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Image quality, Reach, Zoom
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
A must have...
|
|
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Purchased this for the reach and optimum quality images needed for a recent 30-day trip to sub-saharan Africa and man does it deliver. Ended up being my walking around lens for the most part - superb reach for everything from ant trail macros to village life-in-motion captures to water fowl to sunsets over the zambezi and even a blood moon, nicely rounded out w/ the 1.4X extender to bump me up to 560mm. Found mine at a nearby store for a competitive price - well worth the money spent!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Focus speed
Cons mentioned:
Weight
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
My favorite lens
|
|
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This lens is everything and more than I anticipated. It performs as advertised. The shots are easy to capture and satisfying. Great for beginning shooters or experienced. You don't want to use this without a tripod for very long as it does weigh more than your lesser lenses. Caution: Never hold this connection by the camera body. The weight will break your connection to the body in time.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Image quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great quality lens
|
|
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This is a typical L quality lens. I never owned the original 100-400 with the push/pull zoom, but have been interested in this focal range for a while. While not cheap and not lightweight, the lens is well constructed and weather sealed.
The Image Stabilization is super nice with 3 modes. I have been able to hand hold this lens at ridiculously low shutter speeds. The quality of the glass is exceptional, rendering very sharp images throughout the range.
On my 7D2 body this gives the effective range of 160-640 at a very useable 4.5-5.6 aperture range.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Image quality, Zoom
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Super quality lens
|
|
Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I'm a professional photographer, and this lens is the choice of sports shooters. Super sharp and fast focusing, it gives you a 400mm 5.6, and if you use a crop (1.6) camera, over a 600mm zoomed out. An important, well built and indispensable lens!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Image quality
Cons mentioned:
Weight
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
amazing lens
|
|
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
awesome lens heavy but sharp and fast. perfect for every situation.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Focus speed, Image quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Awesome lens, best buy has best pricing!
|
|
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Received a 10% off coupon plus it was on sale!! Unbeatable deal and absolutely LOVE this lens with my 80D. I originally rented a sigma 150 - 600 and that lens was terrible! This L is tack sharp and focuses extremely quick! Example pic from the recent air show in Tucson AZ.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Image quality, Reach
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Amazing Lens
|
|
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Needed the extra reach so I got this 100-400mm lens. Best purchase I ever made other then buying the 5d mark iii. Takes amazing pictures. Its very well built and I'm sure would be a great addition to anyone's collection of lenses.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Focus speed, Image quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great lens
|
|
Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Bought this for a wildlife safari in Tanzania and it worked great. Spent most of the trip on a 7D mkII with a 1.4 teleconvertor and captured great images.
Much better than the mkI version and easier to handle than my 500 f4.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Image quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Still one of the best on the market…
|
|
Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
First, wow. Yes, wow. This lens is incredible! Canon did a solid job in creating a lens that will last. It’s solidly built, balances well, and the image quality is out of this world! I have it paired with my Canon R5 and it’s a fantastic combination!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Zoom
Cons mentioned:
Weight
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Quality lens with sharp focus.
|
|
Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Had to upgrade to this lens for birding. The 100mm one that was bundled with my EOS 6D was not sufficiently long. Sharp focus over whole range. Quite heavy so needs sturdy tripod.
I would recommend this to a friend
Cons mentioned:
Weight
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Awesome Lens
|
|
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I don't usually do reviews but I love this lens.
I have captured pictures I wouldn't have before.
It has made me excited to take pictures again.
Like anything new it took me a little bit for get used to, now I don't want to put it down. It is a little heavy but I have gotten used to it.
I would recommend this lens.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Focus speed, Image quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great wildlife lens !!
|
|
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I picked up this lens for wildlife photography and the results have been excellent. Quick to focus with outstanding image quality.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Focus speed
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Amazed at the Image Quailty
|
|
Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I purchased this lens because I like capturing birds-in-flight. I was concerned about the f5.6 oppose to my 70-200 mm lens with a f2.8. It was a dense cloudy day in the park. I patiently waited for the geese to take flight, then spotted 2 in flight coming my way. Since it was cloudy, I used a high iso in burst mode. I captured them and I was amazed at the final results.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Love it!
|
|
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I purchased this lens to replace my first edition Canon 100-400. After years of heavy use the barrel seized and I could not extend or retract it. Being on vacation at the time, we hopped over to Best Buy and purchased the mark II so I could continue photographing our vacation excursions uninterrupted. The first edition was a fantastic piece of glass but the new one is even better. I like the twist barrel much better than the original "pump" and the minimum focus distance is closer. Pairing it with my 1.4 III extender it gives me plenty of reach on my Canon 7D II.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Fabulous for birding
|
|
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
While the 4.5 - 5.6 is by no means the fastest, under decent lighting, this lens focuses fast, is light enough for hand-held shots zoomed to 400, and has now become my most used, all-around lens. While a faster f/stop would certainly be nicer, I do not have the $11,000 to buy one. This lens is probably the best lens that Canon puts out for general birding photography. The clarity of the lens is astounding, allowing for significant cropping without compromising the crispness if the image.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Reach
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Worth it!!!
|
|
Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
You won’t be disappointed!!! I liked my 24-70 but after experiencing the reach and sharp action photos with this lens, I’m in LOVE!