CAMERAS · FIELD TEST

I Shoot Professional Sports With a 27-Year-Old Lens

The Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM was released in 1999. I still use one in 2026.

This lens is older than every athlete I shoot with it.

When it came out, professional sports photographers were still overwhelmingly working with film cameras. Digital photography was nowhere near where it is today, autofocus technology has changed dramatically, and the idea of carrying a modern mirrorless camera with a high-resolution sensor would have sounded pretty futuristic.

Yet the basic reason I use a 400mm f/2.8 has not changed. It gives me reach, subject separation and the ability to work in difficult light. Put it on a modern Canon mirrorless body and it remains a serious sports setup.

Does newer gear perform better?

Of course. Newer 400mm lenses are lighter, their autofocus systems are more sophisticated, and their optical performance has improved. The point isn't that a 1999 lens is better than a modern one.

The point is that better gear and necessary gear are two different things.

What actually matters

• Knowing where to stand
• Anticipating the action
• Understanding light
• Consistent composition
• Knowing how to get the most from your files
• Showing up and delivering

If this lens can produce professional work more than two decades after it was released, it's worth asking whether the next upgrade is actually going to change the photographs you make.