With the arrival of the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens, I had to get that bad mutha out and about for a test drive.  Ya know, gear-lust needs to be satisfied and all.

canon-100-400-lens-on-canon-rebel
Gear-lust is real!  After I got this gigantic lens I just had to give it a test drive.

If you need a technical review of the lens then google one.  I’m basically an ape with a camera pretending to be a photographer.  I can only give a review for how it functions in very basic laymen’s terms.  Sorry!

The Carnegie Museum Of Natural History

With the weather in Pittsburgh being exceptionally crappy I went to the Carnegie Museum Of Natural History as a wildlife proxy test run.  The wildlife at the museum might be long dead, but I could test out the lens for the two main things that I needed from it:  covering long distances and capturing the exquisite detail of nature.  The lens delivered on both!  

Distance

Before the arrival Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens, the best lens that I had for wildlife was the Canon EF 75-300mm f lens.  The Canon EF 75-300mm f lens is a fine lens and I have used it to take some great wildlife photos.  However, it is limited in range and detail.  

With the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens, I was able to double the distance for a quality image over the Canon EF 75-300mm f lens.  Twice the range is a massive step forward for my wildlife photography!  That will keep skittish animals from bolting as I try to sneak up on them and it will keep me from getting too close to dangerous animals.    

water-moccasin
That is a water moccasin I stumbled upon sunning itself in the Everglades.  Why do you think its mouth is open?  Because it was pissed at me!  I was about 7 feet away from it when I took this picture.  Obviously, it is a quality image, but I would have preferred a little more distance from it to me.

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Shooting Video At A Distance

The only negative at shooting from distance with the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens is shooting video free-hand.  The lens plus the Canon Rebel T5i is a little heavy.  I found it tough to shoot video at a distance while balancing the camera and focusing on the subject.  Maybe this just me being a crappy photographer, but I think a tripod is necessary for quality video.  

Shooting For Detail

The detail that the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens captures is absolutely gorgeous!

bison-fur-up-close
Close range bison fur.
crocodile-bone
The gnarls on a crocodile’s skull at close range.
feathered-dinosaur-close-up
The artists that made this feathered dinosaur model did an absolutely incredible job with the details. That eye!!

Getting that level of exquisite detail is incredibly exciting!  I really wish that it was summer time so I could take some insect pictures to see how those turn out.

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Heft

The Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens is heavy.  I’m not someone who typically shoots wildlife from a vehicle or with a tripod.  I’m out there humping through the Everglades or the Amazon or the Andes on foot.  Heavy equipment can be a problem.

I was initially concerned that carrying around the camera and lens via a strap for an extended period of time would be a problem.  After 90 minutes of walking around the museum with the gear I found that I really didn’t notice the heft anymore.  Although, I’m thinking for extended periods of adventuring, I might need to bring a backpack to store the camera in if I need a break from its weight.  We’ll see as I test it out a bit more.

Overall

Wow, the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens is a great edition to my adventure gear!  I cannot wait to get out in the wild and really test it out.  I think that I’ll do some local hikes with it and then really test that bad boy out in the Everglades.  If it can survive the Everglades then it can survive anywhere.

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