Which L lens set up?

benj1867

benj1867

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Ben
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I am imminently in the market to upgrade my Canon 70-300 IS USM lens and looking to upgrade to some L glass. Budget is round the £700 mark with a little lay in it. My main topic of photography will be aviation. The main options i can see is either a 100-400 L IS, 400 F5.6 or the 300 F4 IS wit hthe option to get a 1.4x converter. What are peoples recommendations? Have i overlooked something?

cheers in advance
Ben
 
100-400L is probably the most popular airshow lens - I have one :)

That said, a recent review of my images and the bulk were taken between 300 and 400mm, with the ones closer to 400mm slightly softer. I'm on the lookout for a 400L f5.6 without IS as it also seems to be a popular choice.

Might hire one first before taking the plunge - if you speak to Stewart at lensesforhire I'm sure he'll hook you up with one!
 
im not sure i want to waste budget trying it out. I think ill need the 100-400 for versatility reasons but then i think the 300 F4 would be pin sharp and still be fairly quick against the 400 F5.6. plus then you have the option of a converter

Ben
 
Ben

I've been to a few air shows over the years and I wouldn't want to be without my trusty 100-400mm L IS.
 
There's the 70-300L IS too

100-400 - I hated the push/pull. I bought he 300f4L IS and the 1.4x
 
I didn't find the push pull an issue at all, in fact it's a really quick and accurate way to zoom. I liked the lens so much I have two.
Those that say its soft must have a duff copy as both of mine are pin sharp, especially at 400mm
 
Fancy selling one then Byker :lol:

seems to be quite a bit of support for the 100-400.
Ben
 
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I've had all the lenses mentioned in this thread

I still have the 70-300mm L IS

Don't get me wrong, all the lenses are good. The 400mm is very restricting as a single lens at airshows though. Pretty much rules out many flypast shots and if you want formation shots you have to hope there is not much haze or low cloud.

300mm F4 IS is good, I used this at Waddington a couple of years ago and got on OK - got some cracking shots although still had to stand back from the crowd line quite a way for some displays.

100-400mm is a great lens, it is sharp but every one I have used softens up a bit at 400mm. Not saying it is unacceptably soft, but it does loose some sharpness.

However if I crop my 70-300mm L IS to match the field of view the 100-400mm offers... I still get a sharper image. Couple this with the top quality IS and the fact the lens is lighter, I found the 70-300mm L IS the best option for my 'small' tele lens.
 
hmmm, i originally ruled you the 70-300 L s i had a 70-300 non L and if requiring a crop it wasnt the best if im honest, i suspect its much better wit h the superior L glass? cheers Rich, all you have done is muddy the waters further :lol:
 
benj1867 said:
hmmm, i originally ruled you the 70-300 L s i had a 70-300 non L and if requiring a crop it wasnt the best if im honest, i suspect its much better wit h the superior L glass? cheers Rich, all you have done is muddy the waters further :lol:
Click to expand...

The L version is phenmonally good.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scruffywhippet/sets/72157630394107856/

My waddington set with this lens, few fairly heavy crops here. Sharpness rivals the 300mm F4/70-200mm F4 IS combo I replaced when buying this lens. I can assure you I would not have kept the lens had it not been as good!
 
hmmm, i originally ruled you the 70-300 L s i had a 70-300 non L and if requiring a crop it wasnt the best if im honest, i suspect its much better wit h the superior L glass? cheers Rich, all you have done is muddy the waters further :lol:
 
The 300 f4 is very sharp and pretty good with the 1.4. I've always felt though that it's a bit slow focusing compared with other L lenses. The 70-300L IS seems to get excellent reviews and I'm toying with the idea of swapping my 300 for one. Only downside I can see is that it won't take a canon converter but apparently some of the aftermarket ones will work with it.
 
benj1867 said:
Fancy selling one then Byker :lol:

seems to be quite a bit of support for the 100-400.
Ben
Click to expand...

One's for my son to stop him borrowing it. We used to use a 70-200 f2.8 with 2x convertor, before I bought a second. Apart from cost I had no qualms at all in buying another. It's such a versatile lens.
 
Another lens to consider, albeit a bit more expensive, is the Sigma 120 -300 f2.8. Constant aperture through the zoom range and image quality to match the canons. 4 stops IS which is better than the 100-400.
 
Worth a try Byker lol. The OS version of that Sigma is quite a bit out of my price range.

cheers all, keep it coming

Ben
 
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