EF 500mm f4 IS L USM

This is simply the BEST all around wildlife photography lens, as it opens up new opportunities for all kinds of wildlife photography. Period. Not just birds, but for most mammals as well. It is still excellent for smaller birds if you can get close enough and are not afraid of using a 2x converter. I've also found that if I am close to a subject and I stack the Canon EF 1.4x and 2x converters together I can get very useable images! No bull. Overall, the only mods I've got are a Kirk LP-53 replacement lens foot and a forest green lenscoat lenscap. Beats the Canon lens cap. Pain in the backside that is! I find the lens easy to handhold for hours on end and would recommend a tripod for most shooting when using a 2x. Highly recommend it!

I also own the Sigma 300mm f2.8 EX DG and 500mm F 4.5 EX DG lens. As well as the Canon 300mm F2.8 IS and 500mm IS of course. The Canon smokes the Sigma hands down. Don't wast your money. I am selling my Sigma this year. Amazing quality and optics. Pretty much what everyone else says.

I suspect there cannot be anyone with a complaint about this lens. It is just superb - pin-sharp wide open. I now check for sharpness at 100% & I sometimes see myself reflected in the eyes of wild birds!!!

The accessories are a completely different story. Don't let them put you off - simply replace them to make a brilliant lens perfect. My recommendations are in brackets.

The gorgeous case supplied does not comply with airline hand-luggage rules - (Think Tank)

The lens cap is the worst thing since unsliced bread - (AquaTech Soft Cap)

Finally, for the icing on the cake... a replacement foot from Kirk Enterprises for quick release heads, and camoflage from LensCoat

I have owned the 500mm lens for almost 3 years and in that period the lens has travelled with me around the globe and to both polar regions. It has survived harsh weather conditions and a fall of 5 feet when I inadvertantly caught the lens release button in gloved hands (much to the disgust of the other occupants of the hide I was in at the time, although fellow photographers had the opportunity to take shots of several hundred wildfowl taking to the air!). Apart from a little mud on the lens hood the lens was completely undamaged.

The lens is heavy especially mounted to a pro-spec body but can be hand held when the need arises, however, my preferred option is to mount on a monopod to give extra stability. Also the lens/camera can be slung over my shoulder and easily carried long distances. I use the lens extensively with the 1.4x extender and on occasions with extension tubes to allow for closer focus distance, both combinations giving excellent results. I also use a 2x extender when absolutely necessary since there is a slight drop-off in image quality. The lens can just about be used for flight shots although I prefer the 300mm f2.8 lens which matched with the 1D MkIV body is hard to beat.

The only negatives I have had with the lens is screw attaching the lens hood which does not always release and takes several attempts to remove the hood, minor point but can be annoying. The other problem is air travel, I have managed to carry-on as hand luggage but can compromise the kit I can take on a trip, The ABS case supplied is rubust but a perfect advertisement for the contents, I now pack the lens and case into a holdall for better secruity when checking it in as hold luggage.

I was very happy when I purchased my 400mm f/5.6 lens, but with time I realized that it was not as sharp as I had wanted; moreover, many pictures showed a minimal blurring due to camera-lens shake, which was evident also in pictures made using the tripod, unless I used a very short exposure time. For that reason I changed to the 500mm lens, that I've been using for at least 1 month, and I see a great difference. May be I can hardly make hand-held photos of flying birds as I could with the 400mm, but most of the pictures are rasor sharp and it's a real joy to watch them on my monitor. The fine details of the feathers are very clear and therefore I do not regret the high price I paid for this lens. Last but not least: I believed that it is the photographer that makes the picture and not the tools he uses, and probably this is 50% true...but if you want tack-sharp pictures with crisp details, then you need a lens like this!

Just took delivery of this lens, and it just blew me away. Paired with a 7D, the combo is fantastic. Fast, responsive...what more could you want?

If you have never seen or used one of these monsters then let me tell you. Sell your soul, wife, kidneys, whatever. The ultimate in image quality. Bought mine 2nd hand, hardly used. Absolutly mint.Opened the box and the torpedo that was within. This lens is big. Over two foot with the hood on. Built like a battleship. Weight? Its actually very light. Dont be fooled by its a heavy lens. Its a prime, has little glass inside and is built of magnesium.Yes compared to a small 50mm prime but its easily lugged around and a total joy to use. IS if you need it works great. Its such a beautifully balanced bit of kit. So what is it like optically? Perfect. If you have a 500mm zoom and get great pics then think. Just what will your pics be like with this baby. Compared to say a 500mm Sigma it whups ass in all catagories. Waterproof, very tough, optically perfect. Honestly, buy a good second hand one and when you see that first bang on pic of your fav bird you know why you bought one. You will miss some pics as its not a zoom. But work a bit harder, get it right and you see why the pros use them. Oh, and they look well cool too. Great combination is a 300mm f2.8 a 1x4 converter and a 500mmf4. Covers most bases.

I sold my wife, dog, a kidney, some blood, and all my wordly posetions. Do i regret it? Yes. I miss the dog.

Mick

Have had the lens for about 5 months now, combined with a canon 40D. Was initially disappointed, was previously using a tamron 200-500 and still have the canon 100-400. After a few hundred shots began to realise that it's not the lens but my technique, there is a learning curve to this lens. Now only use it on a solid tripod or a beanbag, sharp enough to cut your fingers at times, still plenty of blurred images too but thats always going to happen! Just a brilliant bit of kit.

Simply an awesome lens. Certainly one of the best bits of glassware available.
I was very worried when I bought mine that the results would be no better than my Bigma+20D combo. I was so relieved when I first used it in decent light. All the softness I experienced with the Bigma had gone. I now had bitingly sharp pics with better detail and colour accuracy than I could have imagined.
I use it combined with a 20D and Sigma 1.4X converter most of the time.
The only negative is not a fault of the lens. I have had to change my birding style. No longer can I walk around with the Bigma on the tripod slung over my shoulder. The Canon lens is not too heavy for this, but it is unwieldy and impossible to balance this way when walking far. I bought a Lowepro Pro Trekker to go with it but the whole kit, including tripod and with a small number of accessories in the bag weighs around 40lb. It's no trivial task if I need to take it far.
I agree that it's a tripod lens. You'd need really good light to hand-hold it.
Overall, I have no regrets as it has taken my photography into a new dimension. Recommended to anyone.

(Spotted Flycatcher http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l72/mistyduck/Spotted-Flycatcher-2.jpg )

This is without doubt a quality piece of kit, with the finest glassware bar none. Yes it is on the heavy side for handheld photography but not unuseable. It has been my choice lense for the past two and a half years and never failed me. When used with a 1.4 converter it gets you up close and personal and wildlife aside is also a great portrait lense. I use it in conjunction with a wimberley sidekick coupled with an Arca Swiss B3 Ballhead mounted on a Gitzo GT3540LS carbon fibre tripod which makes for an excellent combination.
Overall I would definately recommend this lense if it's within your budget, so go on, live the dream!!!
Rob

I've owned mine for a little over one year and it is my lense of choice for 99% of my photoghraphic needs. Mounted on my 20D along with the canon 1.4 TC continuously and I am never disappointed with the results that this combination produces, all short comings are operator error. The combination is a bit heavy however my guess is that most adult males in good health will have minimal trouble dealing with the wieght issue. I regularly pack this combination in the high country for a day at a time with little discomfort. All I can say if you can swing the price go for it and don't look back. I waited more than twenty years for a purchase of this magnitude and I have no regrets.:t::t:

This is a great lens. The reolving power for fine detail is great and the images it produces are extremely pleasing to look at.

This tips the scale - it is a tripod lens. It can be hand-held for short periods or braced, but shines on a tripod.

It works excellently with 1.4x TC as well as extension tubes for close-up shots of small birds.

It\'s build quality is tops and it has professional features such as focus lock, 3 range AF, and pre-focus - though some of the controls are placed poorly for hand-holding (you can accidentally lock the focus for instance).

But wow, it can give you some beautiful images.

see 100% crops from this lens at http://www.pbase.com/gaocus/500f4_sampler
and make sure you view them at original size.

i have had this lens now for around 3 months
and one thing iv noticed is that it makes you want to take more photo\\\'s simply becasue it bring\\\'s those shot to you that other smaller lenses dont alow, the end result of this is that you end up with some rather nice photos and thats what it\\\'s all about.
i use it mostly hand held for birds in flight and fast single seat jets and can hold it up to my eye for around 35 seconds then the weight takes over and it has to be put down for a little while then up to the eye and start again this is not a problem and one gets use to working this way and your not tied to a tripod /monopod .
it stands up well on the lens hood so is always ready to be picked up for a shot .
if you have the money it will get you thoes shots you see in books a very nice lens.
Rob.

This is a superb lens for bird photography, especially when used with a 1.4X. Because of image stabilization, it is possible to hand hold this lens for relatively short periods of time. The downsides to the lens are its expense ($5,500) and weight (with camera approaches 10 pounds). It is large, and you should plan on using a tripod most of the time. The lens is well designed for shooting from a car. If you are willing to deal with the expense and weight, you will have a lens that can\'t be beat.