Canon ef 400mm f/4.0 DO mk2

[Stuart Philpott]

Stu thats not bad at all considering the conditions you had and that it was a quick grab shot, seems close too with no crop on it, the fox has some nice detail too mate so keep up with your trial with the new lens.

I'm guessing around 15/20 yards Martin very roughly. I could barely see the fox on approach as I was already down on a knee ,the veggies kept it hidden to that last second when the squeak just gave me that split second to grab focus and press. Me getting close is part of this I actually would have been better off without the ext here, but with the rain no way to change it. Frankly I wouldn't have as I hoped to approach and make some images without spooking foxy with the shutter.

Martin my skillset isn't really with a camera it's a skill set of bumbling into beasties. The one thing I didn't think about at all which really messes with me is the racket a camera makes ! Camera shutter noise is one of my biggest issues,for the type of images and subjects I seem to lean towards. Shutter noise makes me want reach more than the subject being too small in frame. So part of my hope with the 400 is that it will keep me just a bit further back from my subjects and the racket might hopefully not interfere with their comfort zone quite so much i'm also desparately interested in the IQ once I get my bit right............. if................ I get my bit right................. at those slightly longer distances


I would not be want to crop much anyway at these high isos. Martin the guys have steered me towards as near full frame an image as possible,ideally no crop ,if there is it has to be small . these are expensive tools and I want to push myself to try and do them justice,so essentially I don't crop that much in the big scheme . Being close also really pushes me to frame and move focal points as fast as possible,a skill I need to be much better at.. But skills are hard won and worth winning so I persist and curse a bit ...ya know

This fox shot on center ,but there was never going to be enough time for much else and I knew it. the lens performed faultlessly for me all failings in the above I own ,FP not on eye or nose, it's low,I should have anticipated size inxlude tail ...doh !! Needed for foxy moved FP to the right a couple of points before contact. My failing not lens, mfa not yet done !! rain, All

If one is further away these issues are not so troublesome,but in close, it's hard core:I have probably binned hares images that others would be thrilled with ,not cause i'm a good tog,just because in close one need to be exact. I'm no where near where I want to be skill wise as an image maker,but I want to be the best I can be, try for the best results, I can get. That will never include much cropping as when we loose pixels we have to damage IQ in some way shape or form Remember also buddy, I really only know one camera and I would hand on heart say I could know more about her.. I'm learning though,she doesn't want to be cropped at iso 6400 my exp is probably low by a third ,that hasn't helped and of course nowt selective as of yet so percieved sharpenss can be enhanced (on all my images)


Mate this might seem like a ramble but again i'm trying to get over to you some of the reasons that have influenced me towards this particular tool rather than say a more conventional 500 f/4 that other wildlife guys use so much. I've come from a 300 prime where at times I'm still too close,but realistically i'll never be able to deal with those situations without a zoom,the new 100 to 400 is hard to get away from. But the reach of the DO(and exts) I felt might be a bigger asset than the odd mad hare coming to work out what the hell I am and having to make an more portrait head study type of image. It's difficult buying one tool when really five would be nice and it's a lot of dosh for that one tool. So it needs to be spent as wisely as one can given one's ability and knowledge to make such choices. I always come back to what will work for me,I can't really go to many others for this as they don't always make their images like I do . I guess that is what I'm trying to say bro make sure this tool works for you as best you humanly can.


Again only a 300F2.8is to compare too,but no aches anywhere after lugging the DO for a couple or three hours . I am also musing which lens actually focuses faster,which is damn unfair on the DO ,one trip in horrible light and rain didn't really give her a chance,but I do wonder,gut feelings mate nowt more. The weakest link here is me mate ,I'm at pains to emphsise this,but the tool is fine. i'll suffer for my art kiddo am probably to dumb to recon on the consequences. of going after that hare 150yards out in a field with no cover .I just go ,there is a chance there!! This lens will take ten yards plus off that and be easier to scrubble with My next real big chalenge will be what is the IQ like in close and further back compared to what was reputedly one of the sharpest lenses canon ever made. Watching my flickr ,with time might just help you make hat choice for your self ,providing nowt else changes gear wise in the next few months as I'll probably chase the same subjects with the same camera and the same ability. So there are some controls there.

Not in anyway scientific,but real world stuff helps..... i've looked at the charts in part understand what they mean,what it does in my grubby mitts is what i'm trying to convey as best I can for you

It's a lovely start foxy fox I was hoping for a roe I nearly got then too,I was so soaked by that time I simply could only see a blurr in the viewfinder funny as they might have been in focus,but to me they looked not so much ,so no shutter press.I ware glasses...that helps . This lens locks focus Martin blind i'd know she had locked, so no SP beyond me joking about the rain in the brief time one can feel it It's hard to describe but one knows without seeing she has found what she wanted and locked on to it ,it's positive mate you can feel it ,which helps pressing at the right time ,not too fast ( i'm on BBF)

Yee gads all that money, tis a huge sum. This stunningly crafted bit of glass created by guys with intelligence one might think of as capable of alcamey or even witch craft ,something beyond pure science to create something this light .....well balanced maybe better,giving effortless 800mm of handholdaility is pretty magical


Stu gets his and goes out in the bloody rain, wrings hands shakes head So don't worry about this in the weather here in blighty Martin ,she's good there,it's a tool it's too early but so far so good and a bit of luck too. It's fine in pretty horrible wet conditions which is very important with our climate,locks focus positvely with my iv and I know already I can maul this all day

roll on chimbo

mate do you have a flickr,I'd love to see

stu

 

[GyRob]

Camera shutter noise is one of my biggest issues,for the type of images and subjects I seem to lean towards. Shutter noise makes me want reach more than the subject being too small in frame. So part of my hope with the 400 is that it will keep me just a bit further back from my subjects and the racket might hopefully not interfere with their comfort zone quite so much i'm also desparately interested in the IQ once I get my bit right............. if................ I get my bit right................. at those slightly longer distances

Yes shutter noise is horrendous and it's time Canon brought out a pro/semi pro mirror less with a Silent shutter I wont buy another Canon camera until they do, in fact I bought a OMD 1 MKII and 300f4 pro lens because it has a Silent shutter it doesn't bother anything be it birds or 4 leg things it is a great camera of cause there is down side, Its just behind the 7dmkII in AF for BIF and the IQ soon goes if you have to crop much or go above 400 iso .
Rob.

 

[admirable]

The 1D IV has silent shutter mode, in fact I'm sure the 1D III had silent shutter too

 

[GyRob]

The 1D IV has silent shutter mode, in fact I'm sure the 1D III had silent shutter too

Indeed they do but there not silent they just separate the mirror from the shutter and useless for wild life .
Rob.

 

[FromTarn]

stu[/QUOTE]

I'm guessing around 15/20 yards Martin very roughly. I could barely see the fox on approach as I was already down on a knee ,the veggies kept it hidden to that last second when the squeak just gave me that split second to grab focus and press. Me getting close is part of this I actually would have been better off without the ext here, but with the rain no way to change it. Frankly I wouldn't have as I hoped to approach and make some images without spooking foxy with the shutter.

Martin my skillset isn't really with a camera it's a skill set of bumbling into beasties. The one thing I didn't think about at all which really messes with me is the racket a camera makes ! Camera shutter noise is one of my biggest issues,for the type of images and subjects I seem to lean towards. Shutter noise makes me want reach more than the subject being too small in frame. So part of my hope with the 400 is that it will keep me just a bit further back from my subjects and the racket might hopefully not interfere with their comfort zone quite so much i'm also desparately interested in the IQ once I get my bit right............. if................ I get my bit right................. at those slightly longer distances


I would not be want to crop much anyway at these high isos. Martin the guys have steered me towards as near full frame an image as possible,ideally no crop ,if there is it has to be small . these are expensive tools and I want to push myself to try and do them justice,so essentially I don't crop that much in the big scheme . Being close also really pushes me to frame and move focal points as fast as possible,a skill I need to be much better at.. But skills are hard won and worth winning so I persist and curse a bit ...ya know

This fox shot on center ,but there was never going to be enough time for much else and I knew it. the lens performed faultlessly for me all failings in the above I own ,FP not on eye or nose, it's low,I should have anticipated size inxlude tail ...doh !! Needed for foxy moved FP to the right a couple of points before contact. My failing not lens, mfa not yet done !! rain, All

If one is further away these issues are not so troublesome,but in close, it's hard core:I have probably binned hares images that others would be thrilled with ,not cause i'm a good tog,just because in close one need to be exact. I'm no where near where I want to be skill wise as an image maker,but I want to be the best I can be, try for the best results, I can get. That will never include much cropping as when we loose pixels we have to damage IQ in some way shape or form Remember also buddy, I really only know one camera and I would hand on heart say I could know more about her.. I'm learning though,she doesn't want to be cropped at iso 6400 my exp is probably low by a third ,that hasn't helped and of course nowt selective as of yet so percieved sharpenss can be enhanced (on all my images)


Mate this might seem like a ramble but again i'm trying to get over to you some of the reasons that have influenced me towards this particular tool rather than say a more conventional 500 f/4 that other wildlife guys use so much. I've come from a 300 prime where at times I'm still too close,but realistically i'll never be able to deal with those situations without a zoom,the new 100 to 400 is hard to get away from. But the reach of the DO(and exts) I felt might be a bigger asset than the odd mad hare coming to work out what the hell I am and having to make an more portrait head study type of image. It's difficult buying one tool when really five would be nice and it's a lot of dosh for that one tool. So it needs to be spent as wisely as one can given one's ability and knowledge to make such choices. I always come back to what will work for me,I can't really go to many others for this as they don't always make their images like I do . I guess that is what I'm trying to say bro make sure this tool works for you as best you humanly can.


Again only a 300F2.8is to compare too,but no aches anywhere after lugging the DO for a couple or three hours . I am also musing which lens actually focuses faster,which is damn unfair on the DO ,one trip in horrible light and rain didn't really give her a chance,but I do wonder,gut feelings mate nowt more. The weakest link here is me mate ,I'm at pains to emphsise this,but the tool is fine. i'll suffer for my art kiddo am probably to dumb to recon on the consequences. of going after that hare 150yards out in a field with no cover .I just go ,there is a chance there!! This lens will take ten yards plus off that and be easier to scrubble with My next real big chalenge will be what is the IQ like in close and further back compared to what was reputedly one of the sharpest lenses canon ever made. Watching my flickr ,with time might just help you make hat choice for your self ,providing nowt else changes gear wise in the next few months as I'll probably chase the same subjects with the same camera and the same ability. So there are some controls there.

Not in anyway scientific,but real world stuff helps..... i've looked at the charts in part understand what they mean,what it does in my grubby mitts is what i'm trying to convey as best I can for you

It's a lovely start foxy fox I was hoping for a roe I nearly got then too,I was so soaked by that time I simply could only see a blurr in the viewfinder funny as they might have been in focus,but to me they looked not so much ,so no shutter press.I ware glasses...that helps . This lens locks focus Martin blind i'd know she had locked, so no SP beyond me joking about the rain in the brief time one can feel it It's hard to describe but one knows without seeing she has found what she wanted and locked on to it ,it's positive mate you can feel it ,which helps pressing at the right time ,not too fast ( i'm on BBF)

Yee gads all that money, tis a huge sum. This stunningly crafted bit of glass created by guys with intelligence one might think of as capable of alcamey or even witch craft ,something beyond pure science to create something this light .....well balanced maybe better,giving effortless 800mm of handholdaility is pretty magical


Stu gets his and goes out in the bloody rain, wrings hands shakes head So don't worry about this in the weather here in blighty Martin ,she's good there,it's a tool it's too early but so far so good and a bit of luck too. It's fine in pretty horrible wet conditions which is very important with our climate,locks focus positvely with my iv and I know already I can maul this all day

roll on chimbo

mate do you have a flickr,I'd love to see

stu

Stu I agree about the getting closer to the subject for two reasons, 2 is it lessens having to crop so improving the chance of getting a great photo, 2 we can pit our wits/skills against the subjects we are trying to get closer too and this makes the day out looking, more memorable I think. I have the 7dmk2 on a sigma 150-600mm C lens and don't let my iso go above 3200 (which it is set to ) and prefer to get shots at 1600iso or even lower if I can help it, one the reasons for getting the 400 DO was the f/4.0 aperture which would allow me more time out in our british weather as which I like to get out early or stop out that little bit later. P.S I am on flickr as Fromtarn or just search Martin Dodd

 

[Stuart Philpott]

The 1D IV has silent shutter mode, in fact I'm sure the 1D III had silent shutter too

Yup it does jim but I concur with rob I know an in range fallow at 420 can hear it clear as a bell ,what she is really hearing I dread to think. To me shutter noise is an achelies heel in design of a prograde wildlife camera. Sure 1series fits the action camera prefix better,but it is the body alot of pros turn too for wildlife image making .Having a shutter that compromises one's efforts to get in postion,whether that be hours waiting or stalking is something so base I as a beginner am shocked by it.

Jim to a certain extent with enough time and a bloody big dose of luck ,one can workaround this by letting an animals know you are there and building a tolerance,but it's a fine line hard won doing that with something that regards man as a predator. thing is unless i'm wrong slient is one shot,so i'm loosing out on frame rate,part of a basic make up of a wildlife camera is that option of frame rate bot just one shot.


My reality with the fallow I make images of, silent is pretty much my only option,they are stalked Jim seriously wary, It's damn hard having a shutter that is so noisy I simply fear using the mutiframe option. Jim,i'm not talking stupidity spray and prey with the shutter bro !! Just sensible use to try and gather the images I want ,while showing due respect for my subject last thing I want is to scare it

Rob I'm actually surprised in one way by the strength of your words. I see so little mention of this,yet it bugs me so much personally. I sort of felt in many ways no one else suffered and i'm half mad.


In some situation the image maker is going to be choosing when to press the shutter by pondering his subject's reaction to shutter noise. Whereas one should be firing as one's heart dictates not waiting for something better. That frankly. might never happen for fear of pressing a multi frame sequence when an animal sticks it's tongue out or does something else one wants to catch. One frame might not catch that split second one desires depending on togs skill naturally.

this is nuts it is so base no amount of pixels or frames or astounding iso get one a cool image if ones subject has run off cause ya took a piccy there might be one cool piccy but that's all

surely a means of near silent multi frame mechanical shutter is plausible. Rob I know nowt about camera design,I guess i'm a practical guy that erm makes stuff.
It seems somewhat ironic to be talking about something like shutternoise ,on a thread about a lens made like the DO with it's refractive optics that level of incredible technology

sorry slow in reply guys grafting sick lady tis christams

have a wonderful time all hope you have some dream chances

stu

.

 

[johnf3f]

I could only suggest that you move to the Canon 1DX. Yes it makes even more noise than the 1D4 (or any other camera that I have tried) but wildlife doesn't seem to care.

I have had the odd occasion where a Red Deer gives me a sideways look and one occasion where a Vixen did give me a very dirty look! Having said that within 20 minutes the same vixen was so close that I couldn't frame the shots properly - I was using a long lens. I gave up at about 12 meters and just watched from then on wishing I had brought a shorter lens as she worked even closer! This was in "Machine Gun" mode.

Perhaps I am doing something wrong as others report problems with camera noise - whatever!? I am going to carry on doing it!

 

[GyRob]

As you know Stu I do use a 1dxmkII and 400do mkII but also a 600f4 mkII also with a 1.4tc but even the extra distance that gives still does not help with noise as we need the subject close, and it's why I also use a Olympus OMD -1 MKII and 300 F4 PRO this camera has a totally silent electronic shutter CAF at I think its 18 fps but I have it set for 10 fps .

this walked right passed me full frame here, I took 50 shots and it still did not know I was there Iv even had a barn owl try to land on a post next to my tripod and all the time I was taking shots of it .
The down side is ISO noise its such a small sensor it needs good light I don't like going above iso400 and the AF is not quite as good in CAF that said it does give you lots of time to get some sharp shots simply because it is Silent .

I wont buy another Canon camera unless it has an electronic shutter and Pro level performance .
Rob.

 

[admirable]

Here one I made earlier, 1DX 135mm f/2.8 using silent shutter.

[/USER]

 

[Stuart Philpott]

Jim tell me about the image please buddy how did you make it here to learn bro its really cool , it's lovely fella makes me smile,

Martin this.look it;s me it has imperfections,it's barely edited,it is made on an older camera,but this is why I bought this lens this image says it. it's the weight and balance being able to all but throw it

I've got half a second, I've just sneaked a section of underwing through a gap in a hedge meters away. Last time I saw that I thought crow and didn't move. I learnt !!

Here in a spilt of a second I was throwing a lens at a spar waiting for focus and press. Fair old crop bro because I didn't measure up not the lens !1

I can only think that one other lens could have got this and that is the 400 5.6 does it take an ext,?? But fair cop not in my hands I'm not that good IS is a player I feel maybe not we can debate all that

. This image to me says why I spent all that dosh. It won't give you reach Martin ,not with my camera body anyway,but that glimpse of an image that I know I couldn't achieve with my old 300. Frankly I wish I hadn't of had to sell her to fund this but she my 300, was too heavy for me to move this quick.

Mate I'm not saying the image is perfect ,far from it , I led her slightly and threw away pixels all ways not even sure how sharp, just trying to illustrate impressions.

In my defence she, a spar, a female sparrow hawk, hunting a hedge in full flight is damn fast How this lens handles is breathtaking

I just bunged the mother and hoped,

The fact I bunged it makes me happy

the result is this camera lens and ext combo I take no credit hell it it's not even fine tuned,

but that's ok init and that's not me that's the lens




https://flic.kr/p/21TiLyQ

stu
.

 

[FromTarn]

Well its come to that time of year folks and I have took the plunge and put an order in for the Canon ef 400mm f/4.0 mk2 with Harrisons cameras in sheffield, the staff were very helpful and after a deposit of 200 notes I was on my way to hopefully getting a copy of this lens, apparently they have some in the Netherlands but not UK yet, but they seemed fairly confident about it so fingers and toes crossed I'll have the lens in a few weeks

 

[canonbabie]

HI,

Thought I would put this up taken with the DO MkII LENS

 

[Stuart Philpott]

Well its come to that time of year folks and I have took the plunge and put an order in for the Canon ef 400mm f/4.0 mk2 with Harrisons cameras in sheffield, the staff were very helpful and after a deposit of 200 notes I was on my way to hopefully getting a copy of this lens, apparently they have some in the Netherlands but not UK yet, but they seemed fairly confident about it so fingers and toes crossed I'll have the lens in a few weeks

Martin i've left you the odd message elsewhere,but this is the DO thread so I will here aswell. first up all the luck in the world for you mate,I hope the lens is what you want and everything works out fabulously for you. Frankly I think you'll love it mate,I half thought you were maybe going to go for a 500,something I read here somewhere??? I dunno i'm so clattered at this tiime,but I want expensive tool so go get 'em.

Martin,obviously I can't help much with cameras,as I have nowt to draw on bar 550D and 1Div,frankly I still think both are stonking cameras. But I can in my own limited way,tell ya, if you put a 1.4 extiii on the back of the 400 DO ii, one can crank out stunning detail with some, light, luck and a following wind ,even on an older camera like mine. The tech on my camera is too old to make full use of the 2Xextii

my AF suffers here. I don't use the 2X very oft mate,I will with time,frankly I'm still getting caught too damn close,couldn't make it up really and at times wishing I hadn't welded the 1.4 on the front.

It's lots of money mate but we only have one life to live, I really hope you great some great chances,some only come once with wildlife . It's a cracking bit of kit mate I hope it brings you much joy,I really do


Oh kiddo afore I go........................ the covers I bought,a tiny bit slack maybe around the focus ring I think??.....................but I'm being silly nit picky,great service a brit,I'd buy again in a snapshot from him

all the luck.........................

oh ps

Mate I took this while writing the horror is living by me back door under some timber. He's been here one day and someone ,who won't be named is giving him carrots !!!!!!!! not me mate !!!!

it's shot in RAW using AV 2/3rd stop over on exp 1/400 f 6.3 iso 6400 and basically unprocessed no WB just convert to a high res jpeg,it might help in some way, I dunno ,I don't think the combo is harming IQ.it's just a grab shot mate but I've left the quality up and dpi so you maybe can asses the glass.???.........

all the luck

stu

_70F0168 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

 

[FromTarn]

Stu thanks for all the info and tips on the 400 DO mkii, much appreciated they are as are others who have posted on this thread, can't wait to get my hands on the lens and for now at least it will be on my 7d2, plus a 1.4x mkiii, I have been scouting about a bit for likely spots to try it out so watch this space, defo Roe deer, muntjac and recently fox are a possibility if luck is on my side a little........I'll post a few shots taken along the way

 

[FromTarn]

RESULT I managed to get myself a mint secondhand 400mm DO mk2, it came with a 1.4x iii too as a bonus and both look unused, I'll post some pics asap guys

 

[FromTarn]

P.S I might create a 400mm DO users thread if nobody beats me to it

 

[Stuart Philpott]

wow Fantastic !! thrilled for ya bro . Plus a good weekend by the look of it Martin looking forwards to the pics

stu

 

[George]

P.S I might create a 400mm DO users thread if nobody beats me to it

We did that for the mk1 some years ago, a bit tongue in cheek ....but for the mk 2 would be a good idea, there have been a couple of previous threads on it, but never an official one.

George.

 

[FromTarn]

Cheers Stu, off to mull next week so I'm hoping thats a good trip mate