Announcement Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X

NEW Canon EF 200-400 f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x lens. Photo Courtesy of ©Canon USA.

Canon has officially introduced the EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x – a top-end telephoto zoom with a built-in switchable teleconverter. Simply flicking a lever at the rear of the barrel converts it to a 280-560mm f/5.6 lens. Designed for professional sports and wildlife photographers, it includes an array of top-end features such as Power Focus for movie shooting, and IS ‘mode 3’ that only applies stabilisation at the point of exposure, aiding panning. It also offers weathersealed construction, 4-stop image stabilisation, and a minimum focus distance of 2m. It will go on sale on May 29th at an Estimated Retail Price: $11,799.00.

Overview

Designed to satisfy the discriminating needs of sports and wildlife photographers, the EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X is a high-performance super telephoto zoom lens with an optically matched built-in 1.4x extender for maximum versatility. With a simple flick of a switch, the zoom range can be quickly increased to 280-560mm (f/5.6). This capability is extremely useful in applications where it is not possible to change lenses quickly, while also protecting delicate equipment such as a digital SLR camera’s image sensor in environments with dust and high humidity. The EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X incorporates one fluorite and four UD lens elements, which provide excellent correction of chromatic aberration throughout the entire zoom range for professional quality images with high resolution, contrast and color fidelity, while a 9-blade circular aperture helps deliver beautiful, soft backgrounds. It utilizes inner focusing, ring USM, a high-speed CPU and optimized AF algorithms for fast and accurate autofocusing. And, with Power Focus mode, focus shifts are quiet and smooth, which is essential for filmmaking. Image stabilization is effective up to four shutter speed steps, with three image stabilization modes (standard, panning, and during exposure only) providing excellent results for a wide range of subjects. Optimized lens placement and coatings deliver outstanding color balance, while helping to minimize ghosting and flare. The lens is highly resistant to dust and water, enabling shooting even in harsh conditions. A fluorine coating on front and rear lens surfaces repels dust particles and makes the lens easier to clean.

Specifications

Main Unit Spec

Focal Length & Maximum Aperture	Built-in extender at 1x: 200-400mm, 1:4.0 Built-in extender at 1.4x: 280-560mm, 1:5.6
Lens Construction	Built-in extender at 1x: 25 elements in 20 groups (incl. 1 rear filter) Built-in extender at 1.4x: 33 elements in 24 groups (incl. 1 rear filter)
Diagonal Angle of View	Built-in extender at 1x: 12°-6°10′ Built-in extender at 1.4x: 8°50′-4°25′
Focus Adjustment	Inner focusing system
Closest Focusing Distance	6.6 ft. / 2m
Filter Size	52mm drop-In
Max. Diameter x Length, Weight	5.0 x 14.4 inches, 127.7 oz. / 128 x 366mm, 3620g

MTF Charts

Canon USA Press Release:

Canon U.S.A. Announces The Availability Of The Versatile EF 200-400mm F/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X Super-Telephoto Zoom Lens.

Award-Winning Photographer Shares First-Hand Experiences with the EF 200-400mm F/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x lens

MELVILLE, N.Y., May 14, 2013 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced a dynamic new super-telephoto zoom lens, the EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x. Designed for use with all Canon EOS Digital SLR cameras, the new L-series lens has an integrated 1.4x focal length extender and high-performance Image Stabilization technology, offering exceptional shooting flexibility and range, ideal for sports or wildlife photography.

The new EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x zoom lens features an optically matched built-in 1.4x extender that increases the maximum focal length to 560mm, simultaneously preserving image quality and enabling the seamless capture of distant, moving subjects. With a simple switch, photographers can easily increase zoom range, which is extremely useful when it’s difficult to change lenses quickly, and helps protect delicate equipment like a DSLR camera’s image sensor in environments with dust, high humidity or other extreme environmental factors.

Peter Read Miller, an award-winning sports photographer and Canon Explorer of Light, recently used the new lens while shooting various worldwide sporting competitions.

“I had the opportunity recently to use Canon’s new 200-400 lens at a number of sporting events,” said Miller. “I found it to be incredibly versatile, replacing several different prime lenses that I would usually carry. The zoom allows me to control my framing; the autofocus has speed equal to or faster than most fixed focal length telephoto lenses and the ability to engage the 1.4 extender without taking my eye away from the camera is a unique feature not found in any other telephoto lens available today.”

To help deliver beautiful, soft, image backgrounds, the lens features a 9-blade circular aperture. The lens also utilizes inner focusing, ring USM, a high-speed CPU and optimized AF algorithms for fast and accurate autofocusing. Quiet and smooth focus shifts – essential for filmmaking – are made possible with Canon’s Power Focus mode.

Using advanced optical materials such as fluorite crystal and UD glass, the new lens provides excellent correction of chromatic aberration throughout the entire zoom range, and delivers high-quality images with high levels of resolution, color fidelity and contrast. With three image stabilization modes, (standard, panning, and during exposure only) and stabilization effective up to four shutter speed steps, the new EF 200-400mm lens provides excellent results for a wide range of subjects and shooting scenarios. The new lens also includes dust- and water-resistant construction designed for extended usage under harsh conditions.

“The EF 200-400 along with the Canon EOS-1D X camera body is my new ‘go-to’ combination for shooting sports,” concluded Miller.

The EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x zoom lens is expected to be available at the end of May for an estimated retail price of $11,799.00.

For more information about Canon’s new EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x lens, and a full list of product specifications, visit www.usa.canon.com.

Here’s an additional article and some of the prospective benefits from two other pro photographers who photograph different styles and subjects. https://kymry.wordpress.com/2011/03/21/canon-ef200-400mm-f4l-is-usm-extender-1-4x-zoom/