Canon Lens EF 400mm 1:5.6 L USM

Aperture Range [f] 5.6 to 32 Closest Focus 3.5m / 11.5 ft.
Dimensions 256mm x 90mm / 10.1 in. x 3.5 in. Magnification Ratio 0.12x / 1:8.3
Weight 1.25kg / 2.8 lb Filter Size 77mm

Analysis of this lens resolution chart revealed that it is the sharpest at f/5.6, and it is almost as good at f/8. The image quality on a camera's chip depends on the distance from the center, as shown below, with the average resolution in hundreds of line widths per picture height (LW/PH) given below each chart.

lens quality test

The sharpness is relatively uniform throughout the entire frame, but never reaches the theoretical maximum (resolution of "37" is the max. theoretical number in this test).

As expected from a modest brightness lens vignetting is not a factor to consider, as it's almost none. Chromatic aberration is minimal. The size of the circles remain constant trhoughout the frame. The circles have also perfect proportion (no ellipses). The lens has virtually no distortions.

This is a high quality lens, that could be too slow for some photographers, especially when there is no image stabilization. Avoid using higher f stops than 16 as the sharpness is drastically reduced. It is slightly sharper on the sides (but not in the image center) than the 400mm DO IS lens.

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