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Phil's Avatar
Phil
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15-02-10, 06:45 PM
#1

Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS USM - or not

I'm on the brink of taking the plunge and buying the Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS USM. Not over fussed about a body upgrade just now.

In terms of what I want - I'm after a lens that will do a bit of everything - in other words - landscapes at the (shorter end mainly) but also my kids & dogs playing (middle ground) yet be suitable for wildlife at the longer extremes. It will be used on a tripod as well as handheld. Not a big fan of the trombone push pull but I'd get used to it although some folk say it's a dust blower. I value the flexibility of a zoom over the IQ of a dedicated long prime.

However - these are the other lenses that are niggling away at me as they are obviously less expensive.

Sigma 120-400 f/4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM - Bigger and heavier than the Canon but by all accounts has 3 or 4 stops IS compared to Canon's 2

Sigma 150-500 f/5.0-6.3 DG OS HSM - same as above.

'Bigma' 50-500 f/4-6.3 EX DG - lack of IS concerns me for the handheld side of things ( I go to bed far too late to be shake free) although I know it performs well on a tripod.

Anyway - If anybody could express any opinions / likes / dislikes on any of the above it would be much appreciated.
Kit 1
Canon 1D Mark 3
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L USM
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II
Kit 2
1D2 & 40D


     
Goggs
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15-02-10, 07:39 PM
#2

Re: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS USM - or not

Hi Phil I bought the 100-400 and I am still trying to get use to the push pull zoom
early results are quite good on my new 7D I will post some pics shortly

Cheers Goggs
Kit 1
Canon EOS 5D MKIII
Canon 17-40L F4 USM
Canon 50mm F1.8 MK1
Canon 85mm F1.2L MKii
24-105 L IS F4 USM
Canon 70-200 L IS F2.8
Canon 600 EX-RT Flash
Canon 430 EXII Flash
B+W 10 stop ND Filter
Kit 2
Canon 7Dmkii + 7D + BG-E7 Grip
Other Kit
View my profile to see my other kit!


     
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15-02-10, 08:01 PM
#3

Re: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS USM - or not

I hired it Phil, I loved it, but the pull push does take a bit of getting used to, but I didnt find it a problem at all.

As you know I have the 1240-400mm Sigma, cant really fault it, except to say I would prefer the "grey" one if only for the name.

Examples of both lenses.

Sigma.








Canon.






Kit 1
Canon EOS 7D
Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Canon 100-400mm L IS USM.
Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 macro
Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 APO EX DG MACRO HSM II.
Giottos Pro Monopod. MML 3270B.
Canon BG-E7 grip.


     
Goggs
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15-02-10, 08:19 PM
#4

Re: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS USM - or not

Hi Phil here is a couple from Saturday with my 100-400 and my new 7D






I am still learning how to use the camera and the lens.

Cheers Goggs......
Kit 1
Canon EOS 5D MKIII
Canon 17-40L F4 USM
Canon 50mm F1.8 MK1
Canon 85mm F1.2L MKii
24-105 L IS F4 USM
Canon 70-200 L IS F2.8
Canon 600 EX-RT Flash
Canon 430 EXII Flash
B+W 10 stop ND Filter
Kit 2
Canon 7Dmkii + 7D + BG-E7 Grip
Other Kit
View my profile to see my other kit!


     
Phil's Avatar
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15-02-10, 08:34 PM
#5

Re: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS USM - or not

Thanks Goggs, thanks Dawn.

Extra interested to see yours Dawn as you have the same body as me (so to speak)
Kit 1
Canon 1D Mark 3
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L USM
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II
Kit 2
1D2 & 40D


     
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15-02-10, 11:11 PM
#6

Re: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS USM - or not

Wouldn't have thought it will serve you much for landscapes Phil - not wide enough.

Seems like a good lens for wildlife tho - judging by those sample pics from Goggs and Dawn
Kit 1
Nikon D300
Nikon 55-200mm VR
Kit 2
Nikon D40
Nikon 18-55mm
My Compact/P&S: Panasonic Lumix TZ7


     
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15-02-10, 11:44 PM
#7

Re: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS USM - or not

Phil

Quote out of context " Dawn as you have the same body as me " unquote. Now its far from me to make any comment but !!!!!!!

I also have the Sigma 120-400mm lens Nikon version and I cannot really justify spending the extra on a Nikon version (80-400mm) at double the price to produce almost the same results. I am quite happy with my Sigma as well.

Bazza


     
Phil's Avatar
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16-02-10, 01:21 AM
#8

Re: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS USM - or not

Quote:
Originally Posted by Azz View Post
Wouldn't have thought it will serve you much for landscapes Phil - not wide enough.
I used my old Canon 300mm zoom quite a bit for landscapes Azz - not wide sweeping views obviously but often for picking out certain hills or sections of a landscape.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bazza View Post
Phil

Quote out of context " Dawn as you have the same body as me " unquote. Now its far from me to make any comment but !!!!!!!

I also have the Sigma 120-400mm lens Nikon version and I cannot really justify spending the extra on a Nikon version (80-400mm) at double the price to produce almost the same results. I am quite happy with my Sigma as well.

Bazza
It's the price thing that's nagging at me Bazza. It's not really a case of whether I can afford it - more a case of my upbringing coupled with my own personal view of how much I think things 'should' cost.

And the wife
Kit 1
Canon 1D Mark 3
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L USM
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II
Kit 2
1D2 & 40D


     
Phil's Avatar
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17-02-10, 06:02 PM
#9

Re: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS USM - or not

Still a few days of pondering.

I'm going to look at the Sigma 100-300 f4

Similar price to the 120-400 and 150-500. By all accounts it's quite a bit faster for lower light and works well well with a teleconverter.
Kit 1
Canon 1D Mark 3
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L USM
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II
Kit 2
1D2 & 40D


     
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20-02-10, 08:38 PM
#10

Re: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS USM - or not

My 2 cents worth! I have the some lens and body, camera body that is!

Am very, very happy with it and won't swap it for anything else, 90% of the images on my site were taken with this body/lens combination. The trombone push pull has not given me a days trouble (touch wood), and I work in a very DUSTY environment! The IS is amazing and the lens is really easy to work and get good results from. Only problem that I know of is that you have to get the correct UV filter, know of some guys that had a problem with soft focus but soon as they changed the filter all was good. I have also used this lens with a 1.4 converter, also good results.

Also have a look at Samwise's images, also taken with the 100-400. The other choice is of course the 70-200 IS.
Kit 1
Canon 1D MK III
Canon EF 600mm f/4.0L IS
Canon 1.4x EF Extender II
Kit 2
Canon 40D
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS
Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Sigma AF 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens
Other Kit
View my profile to see my other kit!


     
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