If you have to choose: 70-200 F2.8 vs 100-400?

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Hi, if you have to choose which one would you keep?

Canon 70-200 F2.8 IS? or Canon 100-400mm IS?

BTW: I also Have a 70-300mm IS non L that can go with the first F2.8 but don't know if I will miss the 400mm


My Background:
I mostly do Video with my MKII, I don't Really Shoot Sports but Do a lot of Night Shoots of City Scapes and Cars and people Moving Day and Night
 
100-400 IS would be long range sport and wildlife..
the 70-200 is more portrait, candids etc and gigs...would love that lens for moderately lit gigs
 
I have both lenses and for me they serve quite different purposes.

The 100-400 is for outdoor shooting, in good light, used primarily for wildlife and a little motorsport. I need it for reach and I am usually at the 400mm end, sometimes with a teleconverter as well. It is an excellent lens for trips to the zoo.

100-400 @ 400mm and f/5.6 and cropped a little :
20080803_141208_6391_LR.jpg


100-400 @ 100mm, f/8 :
20080125_155353_2556_LR.jpg


The 70-200 is used for indoor work, such as weddings, when the fast aperture is essential, and when I am more interested in creative (shallow) DOF than reach - weddings again - or people in general, indoors or out. The AF is also a lot quicker, aided I'm sure by the f/2.8 aperture, so when shooting things that move and not needing more than 200mm it is the better choice than the 100-400.

70-200 @ 200mm and f/2.8 :
20080829_142650_7885_LR.jpg


70-200 @ 200mm, f/2.8 :
20070925_141657-2_LR.jpg
 
70-200 hands down, so much more flexible - not to say I don't want a 100-400 but I use my 80-200 as a walkabout some days - eventually I will modernise it ......
 
There is some software somewhere that will look at all the photos in a folder and tell you show you graphs with the focal lengths used and aperture etc..

i think tdodd has mentioned it before...

find out what range you use the most and keep the one that covers it
 
thanks t dodd:thumbs:
 
Interesting, just downloaded it and Windows tells me it's an invalid file.:thinking:
 
For video I'd say you will get more benefit from the f2.8 and constant aperture. How does IS work with video?
 
Thanks for the replies, I would love to use a 2x Teleconverter but I don't had good look with those things. the image is not near to sharp.
 
James_G said:
Interesting, just downloaded it and Windows tells me it's an invalid file.:thinking:
Click to expand...

Did the download definitely complete successfully? Sometimes the server glitches out and you only get a partial file downloaded.
 
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