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Canon 100-400 MkII Teardown
Posted: Fri 13 Feb 2015, 12:38
by Mike Farley
Roger Cicala and his colleague Aaron are at it again, this time disassembling one of Canon's newest lenses. Looking at this and the reports of other Canon gear they have taken apart recently, including the 7DII, it really does seem that the company is upping its game in terms of design and build quality.
http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2015/02 ... -lens-ever
Re: Canon 100-400 MkII Teardown
Posted: Fri 13 Feb 2015, 14:47
by Rose
Fascinating ! Having just invested in one it's good to know how well made it is
A couple of features I've noticed...
It's a bit heavier than the MK I but better balanced at full zoom because less weight moves forward than with the old push/pull action.
The smooth / tighten ring is much easier because it's a shorter action - on the MK I you had to rotate it a lot further.
Re: Canon 100-400 MkII Teardown
Posted: Fri 13 Feb 2015, 15:20
by Mike Farley
A few years ago I did think about buying the old lens and Ashley brought his to the club so that I could try it. I was put off both by the weight as well as the push-pull action, but it is possible that part of the reason behind the former was a lack of balance, especially as I was shooting a 400D at the time. A small body and large lens is seldom an entirely satisfactory combination when handholding. If I were still buying Canon DSLR kit, I would give the new lens serious consideration as it looks like a real cracker and probably would have made a purchase if Canon had introduced it sooner.
Re: Canon 100-400 MkII Teardown
Posted: Fri 13 Feb 2015, 15:32
by Rose
It would definitely have been out of balance on a 400D ! I can bring the new lens to a future meeting and let you handle it ? I will be keeping my eyes on it though ! LOL
Re: Canon 100-400 MkII Teardown
Posted: Fri 13 Feb 2015, 16:02
by Mike Farley
Rose wrote:I can bring the new lens to a future meeting and let you handle it ? I will be keeping my eyes on it though ! LOL
You know how to test a chap's willpower, don't you? As Oscar Wilde should have said: "I can resist everything except temptation. And camera gear."
I would be very interested to see the lens once the clocks go forward and there is a bit more light in the evenings for a test shot or two. You never know, it might cause me to rethink my embargo on Canon gear, even if my wallet will hate me for it.
Rose wrote:It would definitely have been out of balance on a 400D !
Given that the bodies are very similar in size, I would imagine that the lens handles well on the original 7D as well as the 5DIII?
Re: Canon 100-400 MkII Teardown
Posted: Fri 13 Feb 2015, 16:27
by Rose
Mike Farley wrote:Rose wrote:I can bring the new lens to a future meeting and let you handle it ? I will be keeping my eyes on it though ! LOL
You know how to test a chap's willpower, don't you? As Oscar Wilde should have said: "I can resist everything except temptation. And camera gear."
I would be very interested to see the lens once the clocks go forward and there is a bit more light in the evenings for a test shot or two. You never know, it might cause me to rethink my embargo on Canon gear, even if my wallet will hate me for it.
Rose wrote:It would definitely have been out of balance on a 400D !
Given that the bodies are very similar in size, I would imagine that the lens handles well on the original 7D as well as the 5DIII?
LOL... you should know resistance is futile Mike !!
I actually just sold my 7D as I'm confident the 5D MK III will now meet all my needs. But yes, the new lens will be just fine on a 7D.
Re: Canon 100-400 MkII Teardown
Posted: Fri 13 Feb 2015, 16:56
by Mike Farley
Rose wrote:LOL... you should know resistance is futile Mike !!
Well, I still need to recover from the splurge at the beginning of the year when any resistance was definitely in vain. At least I will not have paid for the camera which should be coming next week.
By the middle of the year, I could well be up for something new.
Re: Canon 100-400 MkII Teardown
Posted: Fri 13 Feb 2015, 17:04
by Rose
Re: Canon 100-400 MkII Teardown
Posted: Fri 13 Feb 2015, 18:08
by Mike Farley
Oh do stop it. Please.
Re: Canon 100-400 MkII Teardown
Posted: Mon 16 Feb 2015, 02:37
by davidc
Methinks you doth protest too much.
Once Canon, always Canon. We'll forgive the silly adolescent dalliance with Olympus if you start being serious again