LensTip.com

Cons: Zoom only locks at 100mm position Tripod foot is not optimal Lens extends when zooming

Pros: Stabilization makes hand holding possible even out to 400mm Weather sealing Excellent image quality

Summary: The XF100-400mm is a pleasure to use in just about any situation. For outdoor sports in reasonable daylight it gives fantastic results even wide open. DOF at 400mm is shallow enough to provide nice background separation. I\'ve handheld this lens for full day baseball tournaments and yes, by the end of the day I\'m sore. But it is doable. A monopod makes life a lot easier over a long day but it is not necessary. 400mm f/5.6 on the APS-C Fuji size sensor is not the same as 400mm f/5.6 on the larger 35mm Canon sensor. But all issues of crop and \"effective focal length\" aside, I prefer the Fuji system for the greater \"reach\" it provides using essentially the same size glass. I frequently found myself running the Canon or Tamron at the max 400mm end to get the shots I wanted. I often shoot the Fuji in the 300mm area which gives me the FOV I want plus a slightly faster exposure as the Fuji is still at ~f/5.0 at 300mm. There really is nothing in the Fuji X mount to compare this with. Compared to the EF mount Canon and Tamron 100-400mm lenses, the Fuji easily performs on par with the Canon and slightly ahead of the Tamron. I prefer the zoom lock on the Canon which allows the zoom tension to be adjusted and locked at any position. I really wish Fuji had that. I\'d say the Tamron is actually slightly better built and feels better in the hand, but it is slower both in terms of absolute light gathering and functional autofocusing. At one point I owned all three lenses: Fuji Xf100-400mm, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM and Tamron 100-400mm 4/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD. I sold my Canon and Tamron in favor of the Fuji. The Fuji is now my main system and my only system covering this focal length.