canon 4oomm f2.8 or canon 500mm f4

[lammypaul]

hello all,after searching every site for a ef 400mm f2.8,and finding one,i have also found a ef 500mm f4,my main photographic topics are motorsport and rugby.now heres the question..........which one of the 2 lenses would you buy for what i do.taking into consideration the weight of both,aperture size and finally the most usable lens of the 2. i would like to hear your comments or experiences with either.cheers paul

[StewartR]

500mm f/4 is hand-holdable. 400mm f/2.8 isn't. Does that matter to you?

[lammypaul]

cheers StewartR,for your comments,torn between the two,but cannot find enough money in the pot to buy both,unless i sell my sigma 300mm f2.8 ex hsm dg lens.i keep thinking keep the 300,and buy the 500,this will give me a better focal range,including using the 1.4x and 2x.and save a bit of money.cheers paul

[grumpybadger]

I think I'd buy the 500 and keep the 300 too. I have a Canon 500 and have just ordered a 300 f/2.8 to go with it and think it should make a great pairing...

[lammypaul]

hi grumpybadger,how do you rate the 500,i don't want to get the 500 4,then regret not having that extra stop if the light changes,which you benefit with the 400 2.8.cheers paul

[sportysnaps]

i would think for motor racing and rugby that the 500mm may be a bit long, and the 400mm 2.8 a bit heavy to be mobile (6-7Kg). If it were me i would go for the 400mm as you can use an extender if you need the length, but remove it if the light is poor.

in any case with both of the above a second body with a 70-200 would be useful unless you went for a single body with the 120-300 f2.8...

[grumpybadger]

hi grumpybadger,how do you rate the 500,i don't want to get the 500 4,then regret not having that extra stop if the light changes,which you benefit with the 400 2.8.cheers paul

500 is stunning. Razor sharp. I rarely wish for a wider aperture (although I usually shoot from a tripod). I use it mostly on a full frame body so it is equivalent to a 400 on a 1.3 crop body and a 300 on a 1.6 crop...

[lammypaul]

hi sportysnaps,i have 3 bodies,2x eos1d mk2,and wait for it a d30,yes i said a d30.i have a 300mmf2.8 on one 1d body,a 70-200 f2.8 on the d30,but think the 500mm on the other 1d body covers most of what i need,and when i go to either donington or silverstone i could use the 1.4x or 2x to get in really close.had a 120-300 quite a few years ago,but sold it to get the 300f2.8.cheers paul

[grumpybadger]

where are you Paul. Happy to let you look at/play with 500 if convenient

[lammypaul]

hi,i am up in sunny east yorkshire,thanks very much for the offer of trying your 500mm,i have been all night trying to make my mind up,400f2.8 or 500 f4,and have decided to go for the 500,and also save the extra 1k of money on the price of the 400.cheers paul

[grumpybadger]

I think with the 300/2.8 it is probably the right choice...