400mm advice/ recommendations.

[karen]

I'm after some advice re lenses - I have a 50d and 400d, the canon kit lens 18-55, tamron 70-300 and a tamron 90mm. I tend to use the 300 and kit lens mainly as I enjoy wildlife and flora photography the most. I was thinking of getting a 400mm or 500mm lens but not sure which to go for. What are the benefits of both, would the 400 give me much improvement on the 300, I would like to go for a canon but it would have to be second hand due to budget - or would I be better to go for a new tamron or sigma? Would a fixed 400mm be better than a 100 - 400? Oh and can someone explain in simple terms what IS and USM means and which is the best to go for - or does that depend on what it will be used for and budget?

Sorry for all the thoughts and questions, but I am just going round in circles here, I have been into the camera shops down here and one didn't have the bigger lens and the other gave me some odd answers to my questions which made me think they didn't have a clue!!!

Thank you in advance

[colin C]

Re: 400mm advice/ recommendations.

Hello Karen

As you have the 70 - 300mm for the convenience of a zoom and you enjoy wildlife, the Canon 400mm f5.6 L would be the one to aim for. Very good quality, reasonably light and enough reach for wildlife.

Other options would be:

• The Canon 300mm f4 L IS plus a 1.4x extender, which combined would give you an effective 420mm (at f5.6).
  
• The Canon 100 - 400mm L IS, very convenient and good quality, but will never give the quality of a prime lens.

Answers to your other questions:

• USM - Ultra Sonic Motor - a very quiet and fast motor within the lens for focussing the lens.
  
• IS - Image Stabilisation - stabilises the lens/camera in low shutter speed conditions, eliminating "camera shake" by 2 - 4 stops. Nice to have, but it only reduces your movement, not the subject. With wildlife, you would be using a shutter speed of at least the size of the lens (and probably more), so it's not critical to have it. For the 400mm lens, you would be working with a shutter speed of at least 1/400 sec to keep the subject sharp, so the fact the the lens does not have IS doesn't matter.

Hope that helps.

Colin

[karen]

Re: 400mm advice/ recommendations.

Thanks Colin, that is a big help

[m6edm]

Re: 400mm advice/ recommendations.

Hi karen
i was in same boat as yourself but went for the canon 400mm l lens its marvellous and totally agree with colin above

cheers evan

[hughbie]

Re: 400mm advice/ recommendations.

Is the 400L f5.6 quicker to focus than a 300l f4 + 1.4 extender.

I am noticing a slight lag with AF on times with the latter - but when I do get focus, the results are v good.

Thanks

hughbie

[jhdee]

Re: 400mm advice/ recommendations.

Is the 400L f5.6 quicker to focus than a 300l f4 + 1.4 extender.

I am noticing a slight lag with AF on times with the latter - but when I do get focus, the results are v good.

The 1.4 extender is supposed to reduce the focus speed by 1/2 by means of an electronic signal so I would assume it would be a bit slower than the 400L f5.6. Can't give a definite answer because I use the 300L f4 with the x1.4 too.

My reason for selecting the 300L f4 apart from budget, was it has IS which the 400 f5.6 does not. Have been very pleased with the 300L f4.0 and found the image quality to be very good even with x1.4.

jhdee

[hughbie]

Re: 400mm advice/ recommendations.

Thanks for the response,
Like you, I have no issue with IQ, its just the speed thing.

[Gary - Fulham]

Re: 400mm advice/ recommendations.

I think the 400 prime and a 1.4 converter would be a good choice. Many zooms are very slow but Sigma do do a 120-400 that is about half the price of the Canon 100-400L

[X-ray-spex]

Re: 400mm advice/ recommendations.

Go for the 100-400L ......... flexible range, light weight, works with the 1.4x ....... and you are not limited to a prime. IMHO

[EOS_Jim]

Re: 400mm advice/ recommendations.

Go for the 100-400L ......... flexible range, light weight, works with the 1.4x ....... and you are not limited to a prime. IMHO

Got to say I agree with this. The flexible range is the big plus and it's still a very sharp lens and the IS does come in very handy! A 400mm lens without IS is not easy to work with especially in the poor light we have in this country for most of the year. IS makes a huge difference.

[Gary - Fulham]

Re: 400mm advice/ recommendations.

Got to say I agree with this. The flexible range is the big plus and it's still a very sharp lens and the IS does come in very handy! A 400mm lens without IS is not easy to work with especially in the poor light we have in this country for most of the year. IS makes a huge difference.

I also had the 100-400L for a while and can say it was an excellent lens.