Canon EF 400mm lens

The moon as seen through the EF 400mm f/5.6L USM with a teleconverter

The Canon EF 400mm are seven super-telephoto lenses made by Canon. These lenses have an EF mount that work with the EOS line of cameras. These lenses are widely used by sports and wildlife photographers.^[1]

Canon has manufactured four 400mm prime lenses:

• EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM
• EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM^[2]
• EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM
• EF 400mm f/5.6L USM

The 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM, which replaced an earlier version of the same lens in 2014,^[3] is one of only two Canon lenses that make use of diffractive optics (the other is the EF 70–300mm f/4.5–5.6 DO IS USM). The use of diffractive optics allows the lens to be significantly lighter than it might otherwise be.^[4][5]

These lenses are compatible with the Canon Extender EF teleconverters.

Specifications of the EF 400mm lenses

Attribute	f/2.8L USM	f/2.8L II USM	f/2.8L IS USM	f/2.8L IS II USM	f/2.8L IS III USM	f/4 DO IS USM	f/4 DO IS II USM	f/5.6L USM
Image
Key features
Full-frame compatible	Yes
Image stabilizer	No		Yes					No
Ultrasonic Motor	Yes
L-series	Yes					No		Yes
Diffractive Optics	No					Yes		No
Macro	No
Technical data
Aperture (max-min)	f/2.8-f/32					f/4-f/32		f/5.6-f/32
Construction	9 groups / 11 elements		13 groups / 17 elements				12 groups / 18 elements	6 groups / 7 elements
# of diaphragm blades	8			9		8	9	8
Closest focusing distance	4 meters (13.1 ft)		3 m (9.8 ft)	2.7 m (8.9 ft)	2.5 m (8.2 ft)	3.5 m (11.5 ft)	3.3 m (10.8 ft)	3.5 m (11.5 ft)
Max. magnification	0.11×		0.15×	0.17×		0.12×	0.13×	0.11×
Horizontal viewing angle	5°10'
Vertical viewing angle	3°30'
Diagonal viewing angle	6°10'
Physical data
Weight	13.44 lb / 6.1 kg	13.03 lb / 5.91 kg	11.83 lb / 5.37 kg	8.48 lb / 3.85 kg	2.840 kilograms (6.26 lb)	4.27 lb / 1.94 kg	4.63 lb / 2.10 kg	2.8 lb / 1.25 kg
Maximum diameter	6.57" / 167mm		6.41" / 163mm			5.03" / 128mm	5.04" / 128mm	3.54" / 90mm
Length	13.70" / 348mm		13.74" / 349mm	13.50" / 343mm		9.16" / 232.7mm	9.18" / 232.7mm	10.09" / 256.5mm
Filter diameter	48mm		52mm drop-in filter					77mm
Accessories
Lens hood	ET-161B II		ET-155	ET-155 (WII)		ET-120	ET-120 (WII)	Built-in
Case			400	400C	400E	400B	400D	LH-D29
Retail information
Release date	April 1991	March 1996	September 1999	August 2011	December 2018	December 2001	September 2014	May 1993
Currently in production?	No			Yes	Yes	No	No[6]	Yes
MSRP $	870,000 yen	980,000 yen	$7,999	$9,999	$11,999	$6,469	$6,899	$1,249

Use in astronomy

Canon 400 mm f/2.8 L IS II USM lenses are used in the Dragonfly Telephoto Array.^[7] The array is designed to image astronomical objects with low surface brightness such as some satellite galaxies.^[8][7] The array started with three lenses but this has since increased to 24 with plans for 50.^[7][8]

References

1. the-digital-picture.com
2. usa.canon.com
3. "Canon U.S.A. Celebrates 75 Years Of Optics Heritage With The Addition Of Three New Lenses" (Press release). Canon U.S.A. September 15, 2014. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
4. the-digital-picture.com
5. the-digital-picture.com
6. Rumors, Canon (2021-04-08). "Canon officially discontinues a lot more EF lenses". Canon Rumors - Your best source for Canon rumors, leaks and gossip. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
7. Abraham, Roberto G; van Dokkum, Pieter G (2014). "Ultra–Low Surface Brightness Imaging with the Dragonfly Telephoto Array". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 126 (55): 55–69. arXiv:1401.5473. Bibcode:2014PASP..126...55A. doi:10.1086/674875. S2CID 119197160.
8. Barss, Patchen (28 January 2016). "How to Discover a Galaxy with a Telephoto Lens". Nautilus. NautilusThink Inc. Retrieved 4 May 2017.