Deciding on a decent longish range lens

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meduk1

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Hi, I'd like to add a bit of range to my 5d3 mainly for motorsports and a bit of nature. Have tired third party cheaper lenses in the past for this and have not had a lot of luck. When I borrowed a friends 70-200 f4 is for a the F1 last year it was a huge step up and I had significantly more keepers.

I'm currently debating between the following lenses and really can't make my mind up, would appreciate any suggestions or alternatives people have:

Canon 70-200 L f4 (non is): £450
The cheapest of my selection. No IS but I don't really need it for what I intend to use it for. May limit my future usage though.

Canon 200 f2.8 L : £600
Most of my shooting with long zooms has always been at the 200 mark so considering a prime. This would be nice and fast which I've never really had before but would image I could make good use out of it. One downside is that this seems to be a more obscure lens so not sure if it would hold its value as well as the others

Canon 70-300 f4-5.6 L : £900
The most expensive option in my range, longer range and IS but significantly slower than the others. This would be me really pushing the boat out with price but this lens might find other usages given it's longer range and IS.

Any thoughts? Size and weight have all been factors in my thinking, I'd also be handholding.
 
Have you looked at a 70-200 2.8. I have the Canon mk1 and its a fantastic lens. Plus you can get a 2x converter for it and then have a 140-400 5.6. Good for future use perhaps?
 
have you considered factoring in a TC + prime into the price comparison
 
Are you only looking at new? You could probably get a 70-200mm f2.8 IS mark I for your budget if you go second hand. That would be my choice unless you want the longer reach of the 70-300
 
twhite87 said:
Have you looked at a 70-200 2.8. I have the Canon mk1 and its a fantastic lens. Plus you can get a 2x converter for it and then have a 140-400 5.6. Good for future use perhaps?
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A 2x convertor on that lens is horrible. Never do it.
 
Thanks. I haven't really factored in the 70-200 as I think this is going to be too big and heavy. The same reason I'm not considering some of the longer primes as they're even bigger.

A benefit of both the 70-200 f4 or the 200 prime is that I could upgrade with the TC in the future to get better reach.

I'm not only considering new, however when looking at second hand prices for all the above on various sites the used price is pretty close to what I can get new on places like HDew. I'm not sure what the classified prices are like here (as I'm a new member), but I've not seen any decent bargains on the used market yet.
 
If you're looking at a TC in future then get a prime lens, I've heard numerous accounts of TC's on telephoto lenses adversely affecting IQ (may not be an issue for all but personally speaking I've been told by enough people who know what they're talking about & my own experience to go along with it).

I've never done motor sports, although I want to and from what I've seen you won't really be using f2.8 or even f4 so the 70-300 might be your best bet, I'm sure you'll appreciate the extra zoom at some circuits.
 
I'd wait till you have enough posts then look at the classifieds on here
 
I would recommend the 70-300L
Its super sharp, and reasonably light. I've used it for wildlife and nature. I used to have the 70-200L IS F4 which is also great but sometimes the extra reach is required.
I'm on my second copy of the 70-300L, as I sold one and then regretted it. I'd never part with mine now, even though I mainly shoot landscape.
Some examples with this lens:

1801254_798887556803045_9033400367437373003_o.jpg


7500102626_ea616485a4_b.jpg
 
meduk1 said:
I'd looked into those lenses but had dismissed mainly due to size and weight. There both bigger than the 70-200 f2 which is already a monster!
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Sheesh monsters try handholding the 500mm f4 (3.9kgs) or 400mm f2.8 (5.6kgs) they're heavy lenses......:)

It depends what Motorsport you're into and what access you have to capturing the images. 70-200mm for motor circuits unless you inside with media accreditation too short especially with all the safety fences. Rallying the probably one of the best lenses as you can get close to the action, perhaps in certain situation you need something shorter.

My first track lens was the canon 300mm f4 IS with/without the 1.4xTC
The new 70-200mm f2.8 IS is the one to go for if you want to used TCs but only the MKIII versions, but I assume you have a budget.

You could look at the sigma 100-300mm f4 if you can find one or its bigger bother the sigma 120-300mm f2.8

Is there any reason why weight is a problem for you, unfortunately with focal length comes weight and shorter lenses with TCs most of the time don't work very well unless the light conditions are perfect.
 
Have been trying to avoid big lenses (both in length and weight) simply due to the fact that I'm handholding, going to be walking around, need to carry it in a normal size bag etc. I'm only doing this a a hobby (all be in an expensive one!) therefore don't want to go into a professional prime range - although I completely agree with your point on that's where to go if you were doing this seriously.

A lot of the tracks I tent to visit like Brands and Goodwood you can get pretty close to the action, plus the sensor on the 5d lets you crop on the image pretty well without losing quality.

The F1 is probably one place where I'd need a bit more range, but I've been impressed with shots I've been able to get from 200mm with a bit of cropping afterwards hence my current shortlist of lenses in this sort of range.

I'm leaning towards saving a bit more and looking at a 70-300 which is at the top of bracket and force myself to use it for more things to justify the cost of it.
 
pete.rush said:
You could look at the sigma 100-300mm f4 if you can find one or its bigger bother the sigma 120-300mm f2.8
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Haven't considered any other makes of lenses to be honest, don't know a lot about them but will do some reading on this one.

The main reason I discounted them is before I got the 5d setup I had an old 450d with a selection on non-canon lenses and was never that pleased with the results, which is why I'm trying to force myself down the canon L series route now, going for a couple of really good quality lenses over more cheaper versions.
 
If your mainly shooting at the 200mm range I would highly recommend the 200mm f 2.8

IQ Is up there with the 135mm, lighter than the 70-200 and a lot cheaper. You won't be disappointed, give one a go and make your own mind up. I did and love it!
 
The Canon 300F4 IS is a belter of a lens and not that heavy, easily manageable as a walkabout lens for the day and takes a 1.4TC very well.

The Canon 70-300L does get a good following and there have been a few on here that have gone from the Canon 100-400 to it and love it - certainly one I would recommend and look at in the future...
 
andyred said:
The Canon 300F4 IS is a belter of a lens and not that heavy, easily manageable as a walkabout lens for the day and takes a 1.4TC very well.

The Canon 70-300L does get a good following and there have been a few on here that have gone from the Canon 100-400 to it and love it - certainly one I would recommend and look at in the future...
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I've just been reading up on the 300 f4 and also the previously recommended sigma 100-300 and I've ruled them out due to length and weight, just too much for what I'm comfortable with.

Still leaning towards the 3 lenses in my original post. Everytime I look into price I keep on thinking I should just spend a little bit extra and go for the 70-300 :) I think if I found a decent 200mm prime at a good second hand price I might take the jump though.

Could someone do me a favour and tell me what sort of historical prices the 200 and 70-200 have gone for in the classifieds here? I've looked about several second hand places online such as MBP and London Camera Exchange and the prices aren't that much lower than what I've quoted for new above.
 
Still think the 70-200 2.8 will be your best lens for the money..
Very fast, versatile & damm sharp
 
meduk1 said:
Could someone do me a favour and tell me what sort of historical prices the 200 and 70-200 have gone for in the classifieds here? I've looked about several second hand places online such as MBP and London Camera Exchange and the prices aren't that much lower than what I've quoted for new above.
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£310-£325 for the 70-200 f4. Can't find any 200 2.8s.

I picked a 70-200 f4 up a couple of months ago on ebay for £360 with a UV filter and tripod mount.
 
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meduk1 said:
Canon 70-200 L f4 (non is): £450
The cheapest of my selection. No IS but I don't really need it for what I intend to use it for.
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IS is surprisingly useful for motorsports. Unless you're one of those who shoot cars at fast shutter speeds, so that they look as if they're parked, you'll be doing lots of panning shots. A good IS system (like that on the 70-200 f4 IS) can stabilise the lens in one dimension (up/down) while it moves in the perpendicular direction (left/right). This greatly increases the number of keepers, allowing you to pan at even slower speeds anf getting more dynamic results.
 
I can only commemt on the 70-300L and it is superb. Fast silent focus, very sharp, relatively light and also compact. Best lens I've ever owned.
 
meduk1 said:
I'd looked into those lenses but had dismissed mainly due to size and weight. There both bigger than the 70-200 f2 which is already a monster!
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You obviously have never held a 400mm f5.6, lighter than air, nearly!
 
I think I'm gonna save for a few months and go for the 70-300 :). Think I'd always be thinking 'what if' if I got anything else, and this lens should be a keeper and can have a lot of uses.
 
I thought that when I first got it, but it didn't take long to get used to it. I quite like it for motorsport, very quick to adjust zoom as the cars come towards you.
I actually own two now - bought one for my youngest to use.
 
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