Cheetah Picture Using Canon L-Series Lens

This picture of a young cheetah was taken in Botswana, using a Canon EOS 400D (Digital Rebel XTi)) camera plus Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM telephoto zoom lens at 320mm focal length. The shutter speed was 1/50 and aperture f/5.6, using aperture priority mode.

The Canon EF 100-400mm tele zoom is a useful lens for wildlife and sports photography because of its wide zoom range and image stabilizer. The main drawback of the lens is the fairly slow f/5.6 maximum aperture when used at the longer focal lengths. There has also been some criticism of the pull-push zoom mechanism, but most photographers who use the lens quickly adapt to this and don’t find it a hindrance.

This is one of Canon’s L-series lenses, easily identified by the red ring around the lens barrel. The “L” designation is generally taken to mean “luxury”, as these lenses are aimed at professional photographers who demand superior image and build quality and are prepared to pay premium prices.

To satisfy these demands, L lenses are made with special optical materials, including fluorite elements and UD (ultra-low dispersion) glass. They are also more ruggedly built than normal lenses, with extra weather sealing to keep out dust and moisture. To read a more in-depth article, see Canon L Lenses.