Canon 1DX & 100 400 Mk 11 (1 Viewer)

Just a query to ask if the above combination works well or not. I have the original 100 400, a lens I've always enjoyed using, in good light it's a joy to carry round and use. How much better is the new version of this lens, is it worth it's price? and how well does it match the 1DX? .

Many thanks John.

I hope so! Awaiting delivery of the 100-400isii. All the research I have done show them to be an excellent combination and that the 100-400 isii is a significant improvement on the original lens. Some might say the 1Dx body is quite heavy if you want a lightweight mobile system where one of the smaller bodies (5DSR? 7DII?) might offer more balance. Personally I have never found it a problem.

Michael

Took mine out to play today - works just fine!
I bought my 100-400 Mk2 to pair up with my 7D2 as a lightweight walk around setup for wildlife and it has worked out very well. I haven't used it much (yet) with my 1DX but initial impressions are very positive. IQ is great for the price (and they are not cheap!) and the AF is very fast and locks/tracks well. The AF performance with my 300 F2.8 L IS is better, but you would expect that, though there is not a huge difference. The 100-400 Mk2 is a great improvement over the Mk1 in all respects except that it is a bit heavier and I miss the "Trombone" zoom.
Please note that I have not yet tried the 1DX + 100-400 Mk2 with a 1.4 extender, but on the 7D2 this combination is rather better than I expected!

If you like the Mk1 then you will be delighted with the Mk2 + it works well with the Canon 1.4 extender (certainly on the 7D2).

Thanks for the replies, it looks like I may have to invest in one, going up to Mull at the end of next month it will be a great opportunity to test it. I always liked the push/pull with the original lens, does it need the 1.4 EX Mk 111 or will the Mk 11 work o.k. with it ?

The 1.4 II will work well (if you have one), but the 1.4 III would be a future proofed buy (if you are buying a new extender). The long super telephoto isII lenses are "tuned" to the is III extenders - more electronics, different lens coatings to prevent ghosting, more robust mount that should improve IQ and AF. I don't think the 100-400isII falls into the super telephoto bracket though. Most extenders slow down AF a bit (or a lot). On balance (IMO) not worth upgrading if you have the 1.4 II as the improvements with the 1.4 III under most situations may not be that significant.

Michael.

Thanks for that Michael, I have the Mk 11 extender so it looks like I will stick with that.

ternaround said:

Thanks for that Michael, I have the Mk 11 extender so it looks like I will stick with that.

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See how you get on with the Mk2 before you go spending pennies. I would be surprised if it doesn't work reasonably/very well.

Sorry for the late reply, no internet for a while, I'll try the Mk 11 extender first and see how well or not it works, I've not got the lens yet but hopefully in the next week I shall have one. Thanks for all the replies much appreciated.

My MkII arrived yesterday. I bought the MkI eight weeks before Canon announced the MkII and felt I just had to accept being wrong-footed by history, so to speak. But while the MkI was reasonably good, I've long been feeling something was missing. So I decided to take the plunge with the new version and think about diposing of the first one later.

Well, the new one is a beauty and I'm glad I went a bit crazy with the £££. The crucial thing was sharpness, and the new one is certainly sharper - not to the extent of showing each barb in exquisite detail, which is probably partly down to the fact that I'm using an entry level camera, the 700D, but I'm happy enough with the results with this lens. A couple of things are strikingly better. The IS makes a huge difference, when it's activated, in many situations the image goes from waving about to virtually tripod-steady. The AF is very fast, and I've got a couple of shots just in time, when the MKI wouldn't have acquired focus. I'd been a little concerned about the extra weight, but in practice it seems no heavier because it's nicely balanced. And in processing, while I used to routinely add a couple of increments of colour saturation in DPP4 for the old lens, there's less need now - the new one gives better saturation.

The only thing I need to get right is how best to hold the new one for manual focus, since the MF ring is nearer the camera body and feels awkward at the moment. But obviously you quickly get used to it and it'll become second nature.

So while I don't know how MkII will perform with a 1DX, the lens itself is considerably better than the original. And for lens of this sort of spec, I doubt there's anything better on the market.