{"id":12,"date":"2012-09-03T11:46:35","date_gmt":"2012-09-03T18:46:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.arihazeghiphotography.com\/blog\/?p=12"},"modified":"2014-10-28T22:35:04","modified_gmt":"2014-10-29T05:35:04","slug":"ef600ii_review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arihazeghiphotography.com\/blog\/ef600ii_review\/","title":{"rendered":"EF 600mm f\/4 IS II"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Introduction<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

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Introduced in 1999, the original EF 600mm f\/4L USM IS has been a popular lens among nature and wildlife photographers in the past decade. The long focal length and superior optics makes this lens ideal for avian photography. The original EF 600mm f\/4 IS was a very sharp lens and it performed very well with the Canon EF extenders, including the latest EF 1.4X and 2X extender III. Despite great optics and the versatility to cover focal lengths from 600mm to 1200mm, the original EF 600mm f\/4 IS had one significant disadvantage, its weight. At 11.8lbs the lens is difficult to carry around and handhold day in and day out for most photographers. Many experienced avian photographers prefer to handhold their rig for in-flight shots where the old lens\u2019s weight could become prohibitive. For this reason, the smaller, lighter sibling, the EF 500mm f\/4L IS USM became more popular among many avian photographers, in particular flight shooters.<\/p>\n

In Feb 2011, Canon introduced the 2nd<\/sup> generation of their super-telephoto lenses after more than a decade. The most striking figure in the spec sheet of the new lenses is the weight. The new lenses are 20-30% lighter than their predecessors. In particular the EF 600mm f\/4L IS II weighs 8.65lbs which is ~27% lighter than the older model and almost as light as the original EF 500mm f\/4 IS USM (8.54lbs). Many people found the original EF 500mm handholdable. They can now increase their focal length to 600mm with no penalty in weight.<\/p>\n

In this short article, I will provide a summary of field performance for the EF 600mm f\/4L IS II with respect to handheld avian photography. <\/p>\n

Sept 2012 update: Soon after I received the lens, Canon USA issued a firmware update<\/a> for the series II super-telephoto lenses. The firmware 1.1.1 changes the control algorithm of the focus drive, and enhances the drive\u2019s responsiveness for more precise focus and adjustments. It enhances the AI servo AF capability of the lenses to track objects that move irregularly in sports events, such as soccer or rugby according to Canon. <\/em>My lens received the firmware update from CPS in south California. I did not observe a noticeable difference in AI-servo tracking performance before and after the firmware update. However, given the erratic nature of my subject, birds in flight, it is not possible to perform a relevant controlled test and it is difficult to notice small differences. Perhaps this update would be more relevant if you shoot the particular sports mentioned above. The images in this review are taken with the older as well as the new firmware. <\/p>\n

\"EF<\/a><\/p>\n

Build and handholding<\/strong><\/p>\n

The new EF 600mm f\/4L IS II features a high-quality rugged construction. The barrel is made entirely from magnesium\/titanium. Rubber is only used on the focus ring and the ring housing the four AF-stop buttons for a better grip. O-rings seal the lens mount as well as the focus ring to protect the internal elements against water\/dust. The focus ring is very smooth. The AF operation is rapid, smooth and completely silent as expected. One major improvement over the original super-telephoto lenses is the tripod collar. The tripod collar now features a a very smooth and almost “fluid” rotation mechanism with just the right amount of dampening. It locks into portrait\/landscape positions very easily. Kudos to Canon for improving the collar.<\/p>\n

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EF 600mm f\/4L IS II USM with Realtrea Max4HD pattern LensCoatTM<\/span><\/sup><\/p><\/div>\n

The front of the lens as well as the ring grove for mounting the lens hood is covered with rubber and painted black. Unlike the old lenses, tightening the locking knob on the hood will no longer cause paint chips in this area. The supplied strap is now padded and much more comfortable when wearing around the neck or shouldering the lens for extended periods in the field. Note that it was difficult to obtain padded aftermarket straps for the old super-telephoto lenses as the strap mounts were too narrow. The provided front lens cap however feels somewhat cheap compared to the old leather caps. it is supported at its base but it is not deep enough. It becomes almost unusable if you cover the hood with a lens coat. The suitcase that Canon provides for carrying the lens now includes straps as well and it is slightly thinner making it carry-on size compatible, although most people prefer to use a roller bag. <\/p>\n

\"EF<\/a>

EF 600mm f\/4L IS II hood mounting grove is protected by rubber<\/p><\/div>
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\"EF<\/a>

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The EF 600mm f\/4L IS II controls are arranged into two groups: the IS settings and the focus settings (shown left). The supplied front lens cap is not large enough to provide a good fit if the hood is covered with a LensCoatTM<\/span><\/sup> (shown right).<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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\nOptics<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

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Perhaps the most critical characteristics of a super-telephoto lens is its optics. The new EF 600mm f\/4L IS II sits at the pinnacle of Canon’s EOS system and is promised to showcase the company’s competence in electro-optical technology. The series II super-telephoto lenses take advantage of the new materials and improved thin-film deposition methods used for coating the optics. The new sub-wavelength coatings (SWC) result in reduced dispersion therefore lowering aberrations. The front element has a hydrophobic coating that is also scratch resistance. This coating protects against dust, rain and moisture eliminating the need for a conventional glass protective element. This has reduced the number of elements to 16 in 12 groups compared to 17 in 13 groups for the original EF 600mm f\/4L IS USM. To keep the weight lower Canon have replaced one of the UD (ultra-low dispersion) glass elements with a fluorite element. Calcium fluorite (CaF2<\/sub>) crystal is lighter than UD and has superior optical characteristics, but it is more expensive. More use of magnesium instead of aluminum in the barrel has also contributed to the weight savings. Chuck Westfall, Canon USA technical adviser, explains these difference in detail in his Canon DLC<\/a> article.<\/p>\n

In terms of perceived RAW sharpness for field photography, the older Canon super-telephoto lenses have long been considered the gold standard of image quality, delivering sharp and crisp images across the frame. Even today, the optics in the original super-telephoto lenses easily deliver a resolution that exceeds the resolving limits of the CMOS sensors used in EOS cameras. As a result, it is difficult to observe a significant difference in terms of sharpness in a controlled comparison between the series II and the original super-telephoto lenses. Here I focus on the results from the new lens. The images below are 100% crops from RAW with EF 600mm f\/4L IS II with and without the EF 1.4X extender III taken at wide-open and stopped down apertures. The bare lens shows excellent sharpness. There is no visible difference between f\/4 and f\/8 for the bare lens. Identical results were obtained with the EF 1.4X extender III. i.e. virtually no difference between wide open aperture (f\/5.6) and stopped down (f\/8). This indicates almost perfect optics. Overall the lens shows excellent optical performance at wide open aperture with or without extender, which is exactly what is expected from a fast super-telephoto lens at this price point. <\/p>\n

\"100%<\/a>

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100% Crop from RAW EF 600mm f\/4L IS II USM, left f\/4 and right f\/8 at 1\/300sec on tripod. EOS 1D MKIV ISO 400. RAW converted with Canon DPP 3.11. The level of perceived sharpness is identical.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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\"EF<\/a>

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100% Crop from RAW EF 600mm f\/4L IS II USM with the EF 1.4X Extender III left f\/5.6 and right f\/8 at 1\/250sec on tripod. EOS 1D MKIV ISO 400. RAW converted with Canon DPP 3.11. Sharpness is identical in this case as well.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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My friend and renowned avian photographer, Douglas Brown<\/a> has performed a careful comparison between the EF 600mm f\/4L IS II and the original EF 600mm f\/4L IS. His conclusion which reflects that of mine as well, indicates that the two lenses deliver comparable results in most cases with the exception of the EF 2X extender III. In this case the new lens delivers a better image making it possible to obtain high quality output at 1200mm and f\/8. With the old lens it was necessary to stop down at least one full stop to f\/11 in order to obtain critical sharpness. A more significant advantage of the new lens is the reduction of minimum focus distance from 5.5m to 4.5m. This is equivalent to about 1.22X magnification, i.e the subject becomes 50% larger in the frame. It is a noticeable advantage for close distance shots or photographers who work with setups. Click here<\/a> to read Doug Brown’s review. <\/p>\n

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Image Stabilizer<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

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One of the areas the new EF 600mm f\/4L IS II promises to improve on, is the image stabilizer (IS) technology. The new lens features the latest 4th<\/sup> generation IS as opposed to the 2nd<\/sup> generation IS in the original super-telephoto lenses. I used Canon’s guideline for 4-stop improvement handholding the lens plus the 1.4X extender III (840mm) at 1\/50sec and the bare lens at 1\/40sec with EOS 5D Mark III. The 100% crops from RAW are shown below. The pixel-level sharpness while handholding with such slow shutter speeds is remarkable. I could never achieve similar results even with my EF 500mm f\/4L IS despite its shorter focal length. The new IS system virtually eliminates the need for a tripod even in lower light (slow shutter speed) conditions for photographers who can handhold it. The new IS system also operates more quietly compared to the old one. I can only hear a “click” when it initially engages and when it turns off. I also observed that the new IS system consumes noticeably less power in continuous operation (mode 2). During the latest shoot the EOS 1D Mark IV was able to click more than 2600 times draining only 63% of its full battery charge. I used to get about 2400-2600 frames on a single charge before I had to replace the battery when using the older super telephoto lenses with IS.
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\"EF<\/a>

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100% crops from RAW with EF 600mm f\/4L IS II left with the EF 1.4X extender III (840mm) and right bare lens (600mm). Handheld with IS set to mode 1, left 1\/50sec<\/strong> f\/5.6, and right 1\/40sec<\/strong> f\/4. ISO 1250 EOS 5D Mark III. RAW conversion with Canon DPP 3.11<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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New Features<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

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The series II super-telephoto lenses offer two new features not found in the previous super-telephoto lenses, power focus and IS mode 3.<\/p>\n

Power Focus<\/strong> : With this function the ultra-sonic servo motor (USM) in the lens can be manually controlled with the playback ring. To use this feature the focus-preset\/focus mode select buttons need be set to OFF\/PF positions respectively. Rotating the playback ring will command the servo to shift the focus elements. The servo can be operated in fast or slow modes depending on how far the playback ring is rotated. This feature is useful when recording movies so the focus can be shifted very smoothly. It is not of primary use for wildlife still photography.<\/p>\n

IS mode 3<\/strong> : In this mode image stabilizer engages only when the shutter is released. As soon as the shutter is half-pressed the lens CPU starts processing the data stream from the gyro-sensors, calculating the necessary correction but the floating element is not actuated until the shutter is fully pressed. As a result, IS operation has no effect on the image in the viewfinder. This mode is most useful for people who shoot off a tripod or a mono-pod and want to eliminate the image “float” effect in the finder. It can also save power. For handheld flight photography it is desired to have the finder image stabilized to help the photographer center and track the bird more accurately, so the best mode for IS is still mode 2 which compensates for any movement perpendicular to panning direction.
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Field Test<\/h2>\n

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In order to test the new lens to its limits I chose a challenging subject, White-tailed kite. This elegant raptor usually measures about 15″ and is extremely skittish and difficult to approach in the wild. Lack of a pattern in the chest and under wing areas, especially in adults which are covered by white and soft feathers makes it challenging to produce a sharp-looking image from this specie. Even the slightly soft images cannot be sharpened very effectively while the low contrast white feathers expose any chromatic aberrations. So overall you need all the sharpness the lens can deliver to produce a high quality kite image. The kites were photographed in the wild along the cost of California, without using a blind or bait to attract the birds. The field in which they hunt is several miles across and is covered with all kinds of tall needle grass, bushes etc. making it very difficult to navigate. Kites usually fly across the field and pick random perches so being mobile is vital for capturing action where it happens. A light-weight rig that can be pointed instantaneously at an arbitrary direction makes a significant difference, using a tripod is impractical. All the photographs in this review were made handheld.<\/p>\n

The first thing I noticed in the field with the EF 600mm f\/4L IS II, is how well-balanced it feels in my hands. Due to a better weight distribution, it actually “feels” lighter than the EF 500mm f\/4L IS despite the latter being about 3 oz. lighter. I usually carry the lens by either wearing the strap around my neck or shouldering it for several hours in the field and the new lens feels more comfortable in that respect too. Swinging the lens to track erratic flight pattern is also easier given the better weight distribution. First example is a juvenile kite taking off with prey.
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\"Juvenile<\/a>

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Juvenile white-tailed kite, EF 600mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4X extender III f\/8 1\/3200sec ISO800. You can view a full HD version by clicking here<\/a>. \u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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The kite take off was rapid, but the servo was able to keep up with the bird despite using a 1.4X extender. I used the far focus limit (16m-∞) to eliminate focus hunting. Overall the AF drive speed (focus acquisition) in AI-servo mode is very quick with EOS 1D MKIV and despite the increased magnification it feels faster than the EF 500mm f\/4L IS with the 1.4X extender. Below is an example of another juvenile kite with prey, the AF locked quickly on the bird. Excellent performance rendering the white feather at wide open aperture with the EF 1.4X extender III. I don’t recall having seen a flight image from a white-tailed kite with this level of detail before in my files. <\/p>\n

\"juvenile<\/a>

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Juvenile white-tailed kite with vole. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4X extender III. EOS 1D MKIV, f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 1000. Click here<\/a> for an HD size image. \u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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The AF tracking was equally great when background was farther away. The series II super-telephoto lenses have a wider focus ring. I handhold my lenses by grabbing the front of the barrel by the playback ring, I can now use my left thumb to rotate the focus ring while handholding. This is very handy if the focus accidentally locks on the background. There were a few instances where I was able to quickly rotate the focus ring to bring the focus plane towards the camera so the AF could re-lock on the bird before the action was over. I also observed solid AF tracking against dark backgrounds and in lower light, lower contrast situations.<\/p>\n

\"Juvenile<\/a>

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Juvenile white-tailed kite against distant hills in the background. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4X extender III. EOS 1D MKIV, f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 640. Click here<\/a> for an HD size image. \u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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\"Juvenile<\/a>

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Juvenile white-tailed kite with vole in last light. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4X extender III. EOS 1D MKIV, f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 1600. Click here<\/a> for an HD size image. \u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n

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Another challenging condition is when the raptor flies towards the camera against a varied background, since the motion is perpendicular to the AF sensor. The EF 600mm f\/4L IS II performed well for this type of flight as well. Below are examples with the kite flying towards me. The juvenile had just captured a vole and was gliding quickly to get out of the danger zone. A large percentage of frames from this sequence were tack sharp. Although a quantitative comparison in these conditions is not possible, I feel the focus precision has improved at times. According to Canon, the series III EF extenders feature a micro-controller that can communicate with the CPU fitted inside the series II super-telephoto lenses. The micro-controller stores some correction factor that can improve AF precision in AI-servo tracking mode when used with the new lenses. According to Canon, the series II super-telephoto lenses also feature a faster CPU and improved AF algorithms to achieve a faster focus speed. Overall in my experience both the servo drive speed (AF acquisition) and precision seem to have improved, in particular the AF drive speed with the EF 1.4X Extender III feels extremely quick and perfectly usable for the most challenging conditions. The focus limiter switch has now been placed at the back of the lens, by the camera mount making it inconvenient to set the switch when handholding. It would have been better to place this switch with the rest of controls. <\/p>\n

\"incoming<\/a>

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Incoming juvenile white-tailed kite. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III, EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 800. click here<\/a> for an HD size image. \u00a9 Arash Hazeghi. <\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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\"incoming<\/a>

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Juvenile white-tailed kite with vole. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III, EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 800. click here<\/a> for an HD size image. \u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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\"juvenile<\/a>

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Juvenile white-tailed kite with vole. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III, EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 800. click here<\/a> for an HD size image. \u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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\"juvenile<\/a>

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Juvenile white-tailed kite with vole. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III, EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 800. click here<\/a> for an HD size image. \u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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\"incoming<\/a>

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Juvenile white-tailed kite with vole. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III, EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 500. click here<\/a> for an HD size image. \u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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\"incming<\/a>

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Incoming juvenile white-tailed kite with vole. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III, EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 640. click here<\/a> for an HD size image. \u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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\"Diving<\/a>

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Juvenile white-tailed kite diving after take off. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III, EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 400. click here <\/a>for an HD size image. \u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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Overall the performance was stellar in holding focus on incoming kites against different varied backgrounds. <\/p>\n

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I also had several opportunities where I was able to approach perched kites for close-up shots. Needless to say, the AF is accurate and stable for static subjects (note that because action can happen at any time I never switch AF to single shot). The perched frames came out very sharp and I am impressed with the level of field sharpness I can obtain with the EF 1.4X extender III at wide open aperture (f\/5.6). In the past, I have had great results with the original EF 500mm f\/4L IS and 1.4X extender, but at times I would stop down to f\/8 just to squeeze out a tad more sharpness and contrast. With the new lens I would only stop down for depth of field. Click here for a 100% crop<\/a> from RAW of the image below taken at f\/5.6 for a close inspection of details. Given the very good performance of the new lens with the EF 2X TC III at f\/8 I can see this combo being useful for static frames. Unfortunately recent Canon pro cameras have dropped support for AF at f\/8, but on the 1D MKIV, 1200mm f\/8 is now a valid proposition.<\/p>\n

\"Juvenile<\/a>

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Juvenile White-tailed kite. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 800. Click here<\/a> to see an HD image.\u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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\"Juvenile<\/a>

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Juvenile White-tailed kite with vole. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 800. Click here<\/a> to see an HD image.\u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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\"juvenile<\/a>

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Juvenile white-tailed kite. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4X extender III f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO800. You can view an HD image here<\/a>. Image \u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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\"Perched<\/a>

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Juvenile White-tailed kite. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 800. Click here<\/a> to see an HD image.\u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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It is worth noting that the new AF module used in the EOS 1DX and the EOS 5D Mark III cameras, all AF points remain active with the EF 600mm II plus EF 1.4X extender combo. This is in contrast with the EF 800mm f\/5.6L IS where the outer peripheral AF sensors are disabled. The peripheral sensors are useful when shooting off-centered perched birds. Note that given the narrow DOF, focus-and-recompose technique will result in out-of-focus images at such focal lengths. <\/p>\n

\"adult<\/a>

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Adult white-tailed kite. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 500. Click here<\/a> to see an HD image.\u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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\"Juvneile<\/a>

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Juvenile white tailed kite in last light. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4X extender III f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO1000. You can view an HD image here<\/a>. Image \u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n

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During the course of the shoot, I had some unique opportunities to photograph interaction between adult and juvenile kites. The interaction frames are always more difficult compared to shooting a single bird and require rapid response from both the photographer as well as the gear to capture the peak of action and of course with all subjects in sharp focus. The EF 600mm f\/4L IS II performed very well here holding the focus where the sensor was placed despite erratic and sudden maneuvers by the raptors. Here are a few examples: <\/p>\n

\"adult<\/a>

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Adult white tailed kite (landing) and juvenile kite (perched). EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III, EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 640. click here<\/a> for an HD size image. \u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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At times three juvenile kites shared the same perch, which of course lead to quick confrontation. <\/p>\n

\"three<\/a>

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Juvenile white-tailed kites. The middle bird asserts his authority by making repeated calls preventing the left bird from perching on the pint tree. The left kite observes the skirmish while holding his ground. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III, EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 400. click here<\/a> for an HD size image. \u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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\"juvenile<\/a>

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Juvenile white tailed kite watching his sibling land. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 400. Click here<\/a> to see an HD image.\u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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I also had a few opportunities for some close-up flight shots. Given the limited DOF at 840mm focal length and when the bird is large in the frame, it is essential to have the focus plane exactly on the head, which in turn requires rapid servo response or the critical focus will fall on the belly\/talon area leaving the head soft. The EF 600mm f\/4L IS II performed well with the EF 1.4X Extender III holding focus on the head as the bird flew towards the camera. Of course in these conditions photographer needs to handhold and track the bird with great control and precision, and in this respect the new lens helps with its great weight distribution. <\/p>\n

\"diving<\/a>

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Diving juvenile white-tailed kite. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 800. Click here<\/a> to see an HD image.\u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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\"diving<\/a>

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Diving juvenile kite. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 800. Click here<\/a> to see an HD image.\u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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\"incoming<\/a>

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Immature adult (morphing) white-tailed kite. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 640. Click here<\/a> to see an HD image.\u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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Juvenile kites are in particular attractive because of the golden speckles in the chest area as well as the rust patterns in the forehead, therefore I mostly concentrated on the younger birds. I had some opportunities with adult birds as well which I was able to take advantage of, thanks to the EF 600mm f\/4L IS II. <\/p>\n

\"Adult<\/a>

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Adult white-tailed kite calling. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 500. Click here<\/a> to see an HD image.\u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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\"Adult<\/a>

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Adult white-tailed kite landing. The adult birds lack the golden speckles in the chest area as well as the rust pattern on their foreheads. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 640. Click here<\/a> to see an HD image.\u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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The pixel level sharpness at 840mm f\/5.6 is excellent and if not better, certainly in par with the EF 800mm f\/5.6L IS. Click here for a 100% crop from RAW<\/a> from the image above to examine the fine details. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

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Banking adult white-tailed kite. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 500. Click here<\/a> to see an HD image.\u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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While photographing kites, I had several encounters with the juvenile female northern harrier. Despite the somewhat challenging conditions given the distance and erratic flight pattern of the harrier, I was able to produce a frame that I liked from each flyby. In one of the encounters the servo tracked the harrier almost all the way down to the minimum focus distance (MFD) delivering surprisingly sharp results when the harrier was actually larger than the field of view at 840mm. Overall excellent servo tracking performance. <\/p>\n

\"Female<\/a>

<\/p>\n

Banking harrier, female juvenile. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4X extender III f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO3200. You can view an HD image here<\/a>. Image \u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

<\/p><\/div>\n

Light was quite low for the shot above (note ISO 3200) but the critical focus remained on the neck where the AF sensor was pointing. Needless to say, in better light tracking performance was superb despite the perfect pattern\/color match between the harrier feathers and the background habitat which gives this raptor a unique, natural camouflage for hunting. <\/p>\n

\"Northern<\/a>

<\/p>\n

Northern harrier (female juvenile) in spot light. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 1600. click here<\/a> for an HD image. \u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

<\/p><\/div>\n

\"juvenile<\/a>

<\/p>\n

Northern harrier (female juvenile) in last light. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 1600. click here<\/a> for an HD image. \u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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< < Previous Page | Next Page >><\/a><\/p>\n

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.<\/font><\/h2>\n

At last, I had an opportunity to photograph shorebirds in Redwood Shores, CA by the San Francisco bay. I only had time for two sessions, the birds were active during the first session only. I managed to get a few frames that I liked. Shorebirds are somewhat less challenging to get compared to raptors as their flight pattern is more predictable and less erratic. They are generally less skittish as well. However they usually fly very fast, especially with tail wind. The lens performed great here as well, capturing different birds against the water background.<\/p>\n

\"skimmer\"<\/a>

<\/p>\n

Black skimmer. EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 500. click here<\/a> for an HD image. \u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

<\/p><\/div>\n

\"American<\/a>

<\/p>\n

American Avocet (non-breeding plumage). EF 600mm f\/4L IS II + EF 1.4X extender III EOS 1D MKIV f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 500. click here<\/a> for an HD image. \u00a9 Arash Hazeghi.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Conclusions<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

At $13,000 the EF600mm f\/4L IS II is not a cheap date. However, once you factor in the inflation and changes in the currency exchange rate, this figure becomes more comparable to the MSRP of the original EF 600mm f\/4L IS back in 1999 which was $7500. Especially given the fact that the EF 600mm f\/4L IS II is the sharpest, fastest and lightest 600mm super-telephoto lens currently on the market that eclipses the competition. At the end of the day, value for money is a relative figure. For handhold photographers who desire to produce top notch flight images, the EF 600mm f\/4L IS II can significantly increase field productivity making it the best option on the market for this group of photographers. After spending a month with the lens in the field, I can state with confidence that the EF 600mm f\/4L IS II is the most impressive product from Canon I have used to date and I am not easy to impress, therefore, highly recommended! You can view the rest of the images from the white-tailed kite series here<\/a>.
\n
\nPros :<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2605 Light weight, excellent weight distribution for handholding.
\n\u2605 Outstanding optics, tack sharp images at any aperture with or without EF 1.4X extender III.
\n\u2605 Rapid servo drive and stable tracking in AI-servo mode.
\n\u2605 Excellent AF performance with EF 1.4X extender III.
\n\u2605 Excellent construction quality including the tripod collar.
\n\u2605 Unique features such as PF and IS mode 3 (for particular applications).<\/p>\n

Cons :<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2606 Supplied lens cap is not large enough.
\n\u2606 Not all photographers can afford the cost.<\/p>\n

Many thanks to Artie Morris<\/a> for helping me acquire the lens ahead of many folks here in the U.S., my friend Doug Brown<\/a> for his input as well as my brother for his help. Thanks for reading.<\/p>\n

Please check my website<\/a> for more images, guides and resources. All content \u00a92012 Arash Hazeghi Ph.D.<\/a>, all rights reserved. <\/p>\n

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