As I mentioned in my previous comparison and initial thoughts on the Canon 400mm F/5.6L, I also have the Canon 400mm F/2.8L IS II in for review and today I wanted to share some of my initial thoughts on this monster of a lens.
Before I get started though, you can find my initial look at both of these lenses here, and you can read my initial thoughts on the 400mm F/5.6L lens here.
Canon 400mm F/2.8L IS II Initial Thoughts
Well, my initial impression of this lens had nothing to do with the lens itself, but with how it was shipped. Let me tell you, they do not mess around when they are sending a $11,000 lens in the mail. They packaged up this lens like Inception, a box within a box, within a box, within a hard pelican case. They could have airdropped this lens and it would have been fine – no joke.
Ok, now on to what you are all really here to hear about, the lens itself. For a lens that costs more than both of my family’s vehicles combined, it delivers on almost every level with regards to image and build quality that one could ask for.
The lens really only has two downsides to it, and that is its incredible weight (which is luckily much less that the original 400mm F/2.8), and its incredible price.
One of the key problems with the Canon 400mm F/5.6L is that since it does not have any image stabilization, it can be difficult to hand hold and get the results you would like. The 2.8L IS II has three different settings for its stabilizer, but due to its massive size and weight, hand holding for more than just a few shots is not possible for most people.
The Canon 400mm F/2.8L also comes with a slew of other top of the line telephoto lens features, like focus presets, x3 focus limiter settings, and a drop in 52mm filter. I will go more in depth on these various features in my full review, but safe to say I am very impressed with this lens.
Canon 400mm F/2.8L IS II Sample Shots
Before I let you go, I am sure you may be interested in some sample images from this guy and I am happy to oblige. Below you will find some sample images from a recent trip to the local wildlife refuge, as well as practice for the Portland Thorns.
Canon 6D, F/2.8, ISO 2500, 1/5th
Canon 6D, F/2.8, ISO 400, 1/1250th 
Canon 6D, F/2.8, ISO 500, 1/1000th 
Canon EOS M, F/2.8, ISO 320, 1/1000th
Canon EOS M, F/2.8, ISO 250, 1/1000th
Canon 6D, F/3.2, ISO 400, 1/1000th 
If you are considering this lens and/or have any questions about it, leave a comment below and I will make sure to try and answer your questions in my full review.
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