Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS review/field trial

I took the delivery of my Canon 200-400 f4 L lens a while ago but didn't really get a chance to try it out. It was winter in Brisbane and I also wanted to get all the accessories for the 200-400 lens before venturing out in the field. Till date my biggest lens was Canon 300 f4 is. Most of the photos in the birds gallery have been taken with the Canon 300 f4 on a monopod and sometimes handheld. 
I ordered a bag for the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L along with a replacement foot and a monopod head for the New Canon 200-400 F4 lens. The monopod head I was using earlier with my Canon 300 f4 lens with great success was not rated for the weight of my new Canon 200-400 f4 L lens.  All the accessories I had ordered including a flash extender arrived slowly from overseas and finally I was good to go. This lens is heavy but not too much.

One spring afternoon I ventured out to a local reserve in Brisbane QLD and found this particular tree in fruit. It was a big tree and could see a lot of activity amongst the branches. Careful scrutiny revealed a number of birds feeding voraciously on the fruit.  There were a few fig birds [Australasian Figbird  - Sphecotheres vieilloti ] trying to feed on the fruit only to be chased away by the noisy miners (Manorina melanocephala).   Whenever the Fig birds got a chance they would start eating in a hurry and gobble as many fruit as they could till the noisy miners arrived on the scene.

I was using the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L for the first time. The birds were high up - not an ideal situation. A monopod with a tilt head did help. Only if the noisy miners had left the fig birds alone I would not have to take the shots in a hurry, by the time the fig birds had plucked a fruit or two the noisy miners would be attacking them. Still got a few shots. 
Well this Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS  will take some getting used to. I use it it with a 7D. I know a lot of people prefer using it with a 1DX, but I like the extra reach of a crop body [ Waiting for a 7D mk ii].

This was my first time out with the Canon 200-400F4 lens and I  not get to try it under ideal conditions and am still getting used to it. When I & the 7D did everything right the images were very sharp. Could not help  the backgrounds. Basically was just trying it out to get a hang of it.
Very happy with the IQ. The built in converter is very convenient. 
I will be adding more images / field results as and when I get a chance to go afield.
Milind.