For Canon lens fans, the wait finally ended when the company took the wraps off the new EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, a relatively compact super-telephoto zoom that has been hotly anticipated and frequently rumored about for years.

This eagerly awaited telephoto zoom lens replaces the old 100-400mm lens in Canon's lineup of professional lenses. Its predecessor was popular due to its relative compact size, light weight and good value for money.

Is this the best telephoto zoom on the market? Find out in our testing team's Canon EF 100-400mm Mark II review. A 100-400mm lens is a versatile option for shooting faraway sport or wildlife.

I made a series of interferometric measurements showing the lens being diffraction limited at all focal lengths, AND with Kanko 1,4x TC. I am astrophotographer and point light sources are any lenses nightmare. This lens performs up to the fullframe corner.

inredibly sharp at all focal lengths, very good color correction; The best lens I ever saw

a little heavy to carry all day

There is a good reason why Canon's 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L lens, though nearly a decade old now, is still a perennial favourite with photographers – it's a terrific all purpose and wildlife lens. The Mark II version is in many respects even better.

Sharp; Easy to handhold; Well constructed; Terrific usability thanks to wide zoom ring

Expensive; f/5.6 maximum aperture may deter some

The EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens delivers a superb combination of cutting-edge performance, compact construction and brilliant resolving power that's great for sports and wildlife photography.

If you want a quality telephoto zoom with longer reach, consider the EF 100-400mm IS USM, now available in a Mark II edition. Compatible with both cropped and full-frame bodies (and delivering equivalent coverage up to 640mm on the former), it's ideal for capturing distant action or wildlife.

As I reach for my sun visor to block the blinding sun and navigate the winding country roads towards Doddington village, it strikes me that today’s field test could be my hardest challenge to date.

It stands out to us because of the New Air Sphere Coating (ASC) that is used in its manufacturing. Basically, what it does is that it coats the lenses and makes sure that the chromatic aberrations that cause back lighting of flares or ghosting effects are minimized.

9-blade circular aperture renders beautiful and soft backgrounds, A three-mode image stabilizer allows for four-step photo correction, New Air Sphere Coating (ASC) helps minimize backlit flaring and ghosting, New inner focusing AF system ensures fast and accurate focus with up to 0.31x...

Heavier in comparison to other lenses, Locking mechanism is quite lacking in function, Tripod collar foot is hard to attach and remove

Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM is a Variable aperture Auto Focus (AF) Super Telephoto Zoom lens with Optical Image stabilization and 35mm FF max sensor coverage, and it is designed to be used with EF Mount cameras. Canon replaced the older Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM with this model.

Optical Image Stabilization, Weather-sealed, Autofocus, Distance Scale, Compatible with Canon Teleconverters, Hood supplied, Tripod Collar, Full-time Manual Focusing, Focus Distance Limiter, Zoom Lock, Covers Full-Frame Sensor, 9 Diaphragm Blades for Smooth Bokeh, 400mm reach great for Wildlife...

Optical Image Stabilization, Weather-sealed, Autofocus, Distance Scale, Compatible with Canon Teleconverters, Hood supplied, Tripod Collar, Full-time Manual Focusing, Focus Distance Limiter, Zoom Lock, Covers Full-Frame Sensor, 9 Diaphragm Blades for Smooth Bokeh, 400mm reach great for Wildlife...