Coastal Brown Bears Sow & Cub in last light (Ursus arctos or Grizzly Bear) Hallo Bay, Katmai National Park, AK. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DMKIV, 500mm F4 L IS, 2X Teleconverter II, Tripod & Wimberley Head II. ISO 800, F10 @1/640s Manual mode. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION

There's been some exciting news for Canon wildlife photographers. I'm still on the road, but wanted to share the exciting news with you. The new 200-400mm f/4 with built-in 1.4X extender has the potential to become the ultimate wildlife photography lens for African safari, photographing mammals in Yellowstone, Bears in Katmai and many other venues. I can't wait to get my hands on this new lens and give it a try. Here's an excerpt from Canon's press release:

Canon Will Exhibit The Prototype Of A New Super-Telephoto Zoom Lens At The CP+ Event: The EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM EXTENDER 1.4x Lens

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., February 7, 2011 – Canon Inc. today announced the development of a new super-telephoto lens, the EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM EXTENDER l.4x, for use with all EOS SLR cameras. A prototype of the new lens will be exhibited at the CP+ trade show, held in Pacifico Yokohama, from February 9 - 12, 2011.
The EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM EXTENDER l.4x is being developed as an L-series super-telephoto lens with an integrated 1.4x extender and high-performance Image Stabilizer technology. The new lens will offer exceptional flexibility by incorporating a built-in 1.4x extender that increases the maximum focal length to 560mm for sports and wildlife photography. High-quality images with high levels of resolution and contrast will be possible through the use of advanced optical materials such as fluorite crystal. The new lens will also include dust- and water-resistant construction designed for extended usage under harsh conditions.