Photography Tip: more on the Canon 100-400MM lens and astrophotography

I just can't let it go, can I? *Wink* All morning I've been going around the internet to see reviews of tripods, ballheads and various quick release devices. One thing lead to another and I came across some reviews on the lens that one day I hope to be able to afford, the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM and that I talk about here ¹. I know my friend Adrian wants the same lens as I do so this will surely grab his attention as well (and I also have a special treat for him at the end of this article).

From what I've read and I've seen a few samples of what the lens can do, I can say I can hardly wait! Some reviewers say it's a great lens but it is a bit soft at full open aperture/fully extended zoom settings and there is a bit of vignetting. But other reviewers, and they are the majority here, are amazed at the crispness, colour and contrast this lens gives to a photograph. I wouldn't know if the ones that saw a few Cons to the Pros in using this lens have bought one of the first or earlier versions of this lens or if they had a rather sub-standard specimen in their hands.

So let's have some links here so we can all read these reviews!

• Arthur Morris / Birds as Art - Bird Photography FAQ 7 Which is a better lens, the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS zoom lens, or the 400mm f/5.6L lens?
• fredmiranda.com Reviews Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
• Matthew K. Whitley's review Canon EF 100-400L IS
• Arthur Morris / Birds as Art Bird Photography FAQ 7 What do you think of the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS zoom lens?
• Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens Review
• And last but not least, Arthur Morris / Birds as Art Bulletins and Notes Archive's Confessions & Important Miscellany:

...Confession #1: Though I still consider it the best lens in the world for photographing birds in flight (see FAQs on web site for details), I no longer carry my beloved "toy lens"--the Canon 400mm f/5.6 L--on my shoulder as my auxiliary intermediate telephoto. It has been replaced by the Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L Image Stabilizer zoom lens. I have been using the 1-4 more and more every day and--contrary to some reports from other users--have been making razor sharp images at all focal lengths with wide open to moderately stopped down apertures. In addition, I have it used it wide open, handheld with the 1.4X tele-converter with excellent results (with static subjects) at 560mm. For bird photography, the versatility of this lens is unmatched; I find myself making images that I would never even have thought of before--especially of groups of birds in their surroundings. And though it is heavier than the 400 f/5.6L, it is also a superb flight lens. At Bosque Del Apache NWR late this fall, I used the 1-4 on a tripod before sunrise for "bird-scapes" and then again almost exclusively for the spectacular blast-offs. I only wish that the zoom were a bit smoother. I am even considering selling one of my 400 f/5.6s; I never ever thought that I'd say that when the 1-4 first came out.....

Now for Adrian's treat. Adrian is pretty handy with his hands and can rustle up some homemade devices. I remember when he used his iSight webcam to take his first astrophotography pictures, so this shouldn't be too hard to do, if he can find all the pieces to this project.

Building an Eyepiece Holder for Canon EF Lenses Using a Rear Lens Cap:

For Finding and Centering Astronomical Objects for Astrophotography with Parfocal Eyepiece
Finding and centering astronomical objects in the view finder of consumer grade Digital Rebel or 20D cameras or older film cameras (e.g., EOS 650) can be challenging. A sturdy (flexure free) eyepiece holder that can hold a parfocal eyepiece is a useful aid to astrophotography and can be constructed from a Canon EF lens rear cap and threaded 1.25 inch eyepiece holder.

The example I photograph below uses a Televue 25mm Plossl eyepiece shown in position that is parfocal with the sensor/film plane of EOS cameras (A 19mm panoptic worked fine too). The eyepiece holder will not work with guiding eyepieces (e.g., 12.5mm Orion) or ST-4 as the working distance is too large. ...

Good luck Adrian! Hope you find this useful! :^)

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1. I so, so, so hope to get this baby. And this is a test for a footnote too! *Wink* ⥣  back to text