Hi

Been away for a bit due to work.

Had some fun in NSR but got drawn back to the best forum on this BBS.

Anyway - cards on the table - got some "spare" cash coming my way soon from my grateful employer :) and I've thought, sod it, life is too short and I'm going to throw some if it in the camera/lens direction.

So the 1dmk11n is a definite :luxhello: and will be mine :norty: :D

But while I was brousing in Jessops this lunchtime and having another play with the 1d (Jessops price is £2,299 including a free 580ex flash :thumb:) I also had a look at the 100-400.

I know some of you guys have one - is the aperture a handicap at all and is it a good lens?

The other option is a 70-200 and a teleconverter but thats £500 more and I've already got a 70-200 f4 which i love.

I know its a bucket load of cash :o , but I don't have any other vices so what the heck...

Any input would be great

Cheers

Beginning to sound as though I am on commission here. Get some prices from Ian Kerr on Canon gear before you part with your cash. You will find his mail address if you do a search on his name in this forum.

I considered the 100-400 against the 70-200F2.8 IS USM and took both of them out on a trial from LCE in Manchester. The 100-400 is a cracking lens, I was amazed at how quickly and accurately it focussed at the long end. It was quite a dull day (what would you expect in Manchester) and the 2.8 aperture on the 70-200 aced it for me.

So bought the 70-200 F2.8IS from Kerso.

I sold my 100-400 because I was never truly satisfied with the results - have a look at some other opinions at Fred Miranda (http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=19&sort=7&cat=27&page=1) and Photozone (http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/lenses/canon_100400_4556_is/index.htm).

I wouldn't say that mine was a bad copy, it's just that I probably expected too much when compared to some of my other lenses. It must be very hard to produce a lens with such a huge zoom range without some compromises, so as long as you realise that you probably won't be disappointed. Oh, and I never got on with the push/pull zoom either.

An advantage of using it with the 1DmkIIN is that it will focus better than it did with my 20D and you also retain autofocus if you want to use the 1.4 convertor. :)

As a matter of fact, I would be more inclined to buy a 300 f4 IS and a 1.4 convertor. You've already got the 70-200 range covered and these two would give you 300 and 420mm - not quite the flexibility of an infinitely variable zoom, but probably better image quality.

Jessops price is £2,299 including a free 580ex flash :thumb:

1DmkIIN £1825
580EX £215

Here (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=259069), but you might need to register. This guy is well known as a reliable seller on Photography-on-the-net :)

I took one for a spin on a drifting day, coupled to a 1DmkIIN. It's focus was very rapid, but I just couldn't live with the push/pull zoom. Perhaps it's just me, but I much preffer a twisting zoom ring:wonder:

I use my 100-400L all the time. I have absolutely no problem at all with the handling, including the push-pull zoom, and TBH although it seems to attract a lot of comment I really don't know what the fuss is about. (Sorry guys!!)

My only complaint is a lack of ultimate sharpness, though given that I tend to use it handheld for sports and wildlife, it's hard to know whether the limitation is my technique or the lens itself. Just occasionally it pulls out a spectacular image, but often images are rather soft especially at long distance. Atmospheric haze or poor AF calibration? I don't know.

I did once send it away to Canon along with my 1D for calibration and it came back delivering much sharper results than before. Maybe if I did the same with my 1DmkII I'd get the same improvement? Either way, tack sharp results out of the box are by no means guaranteed.

The f/5.6 aperture at the long end is unfortunate in moderate or poor light, but the high ISO capability of the 1DmkII makes it easy to work around - just select ISO 800 and shoot away. Most of my recent safari shots (here (http://www.cawte.nildram.co.uk/SouthAfrica06/Safari/)) were shot with the 1DmkII, 100-400L and ISO 800, and noise is almost a non-issue.

My gripe with the zoom was possibly compounded by the fact that I was using it on a tight track at a drifting event. I was constantly having to zoom in and out whilst tracking the cars, and a zoom ring just feels a lot more fluid to me. Moving just 2 fingers (Well, a thumb and my middle finger on the ring) rather than my whole arm means that I can constantly have at least my index finger resting on a stationary part of the lens in front of the zoom ring for support.
That said, I didn't try it with my monopod, so perhaps that would have helped matters. But then I wouldn't fancy a lens that I couldn't use handheld as well as supported.
Ahhh well, I'm a Nikon man, so I'll never have one anyway:lol1:

I'm still getting to grips with mine, but the same can be said for my ability with the 350D attached to it! I considered the prime 400mm L 5.6 as well, but the flexibility of a zoom won me over, and the Bigma was just too heavy for lugging around (I don't often take a tripod out with me).

The IS is a bonus though and also helps remove the need for support. I've no problem with the push-pull either - seems a lot faster to use than the normal twist method.

Bought mine from Kerso too - saved about £200 on Jessops' price.

I'm happy with mine... would like a 500mm F4 L too, but I'd have to sell the Scooby and then some, to afford one of those!

One thing to bear in mind - check the compatibility of teleconverters with the lenses, if you're thinking of future extension - the AF doesn't work with some - needs to be taped or perhaps a non-Canon used (e.g. Kenko) and from what I've read, the images are very much hit and miss with one on.

I actually like the push-pull zoom and prefer it to the twisty one. I have both the 100-400 and the 28-300 and like them both.

Sure, they're both compromises, but I know they'll never be as sharp as primes or the 70-200 2.8, but then again they do have a lot of flexibility.

I like the results i get with my 100-400, sometimes they come out a teeny bit soft, but its easily fixed in PP anyway

http://www.cookster.co.uk/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/seal1.jpg

Camera Make: Canon
Camera Model: Canon EOS 20D
Image Date: 2006:12:17 08:51:14
Flash Used: No
Focal Length: 400.0mm
CCD Width: 4.49mm
Exposure Time: 0.0050 s (1/200)
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO equiv: 100
White Balance: Auto
Metering Mode: Matrix
Exposure: shutter priority (semi-auto)

http://www.cookster.co.uk/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/0919-160241-01-01.jpg

Camera Make: Canon
Camera Model: Canon EOS 20D
Image Date: 2006:09:19 16:02:41
Flash Used: No
Focal Length: 400.0mm
CCD Width: 4.49mm
Exposure Time: 0.0063 s (1/160)
Aperture: f/14.0
ISO equiv: 100
Exposure Bias: -1.00
White Balance: Auto
Metering Mode: Matrix
Exposure: shutter priority (semi-auto)

I love my 100-400L, wouldn;t be without it. I've not noticed it being soft. It focuses very quickly, the push pull zoom action is superb for quickly zooming in and out (essential for motorsport stuff), and the IS helps a lot :)

Some examples (you wouldn't believe how far away from the track I was for the F1 stuff)...

http://www.iainbyoung.co.uk/gallery/f1gp2006/photos/f1/jenson2.jpg

http://www.iainbyoung.co.uk/gallery/f1gp2006/photos/f1/jenson4.jpg

http://www.iainbyoung.co.uk/gallery/f1gp2006/photos/f1/schumi2.jpg

http://www.iainbyoung.co.uk/gallery/f1gp2006/photos/porsche6.jpg

http://www.iainbyoung.co.uk/gallery/cc25mar2006/photos/gt54.jpg

Cheers guys.

Is the guy on the Forum selling the kit Kerso from EBAY? Or is Kerso Ian Kerr?

If so - I'll speak to him. Kerso dispaches from Scotland and is only about an hour and a half from me :thumb:



Ian, that seal shot is beautiful - and just the sort of subject matter I'm looking at.

Daryl, having a 20D, most of my images are slightly soft anyway (the joy of Canon's filters) but easily fixed in PP.

Andy, Iain, nice shots :thumb:

I'm a great monopod fan anyway, so not worried about the weight (seems a bit of an issue on some of the reviews)

Kerso is Ian Kerr, i think the guy pointed to in the thread above is Stuv, who has a contact in Canon, so all the stuff he sells is genuine UK stuff with full UK warranty,

Thanks for the comment about the seal :)

All my pics in my gallery are handheld by the way ! ;)

I'm a great monopod fan anyway, so not worried about the weight (seems a bit of an issue on some of the reviews)

It is heavier than a normal lens but it's not too bad. I've carried it around Silvertone all day on several occaisions. I've even carried it up a couple of mountain walks with no problems.

I don't even always use a monopod with it any more. The IS helps a lot, especially once you've had a bit of practice (all my car pics above were handheld).

It's light compared to the Bigma!! A mate has just bought that (he suffered lens jealousy when I bought mine) and it's significantly heavier than the Canon. :D

Right - have given this some thought and emailed Kerso for some prices.

Currently leaning towards Daryl's suggestion of 300 f4 + tele to complement the 70-200 f4.

Not as flexible as the zoom, but the last time I checked my legs were working :lol1:

However - the other consideration is that my other half has twigged to the fact that she could use the 70-200, in which case having an effective 105/300/420 (all requiring lens/tele changes) might be too much of a compromise, whereas the 100-400 would be much more flexible in those circumstances.

Bugger - its just getting confusing :wonder: :D

Not as flexible as the zoom, but the last time I checked my legs were working :lol1:

That's not much use for motorsport where often you can't get any closer because of the fencing / marshals. Even in nature this can be a problem because if you get too close the subject it runs / flies / swims away.

Even with my 100-400 I find sometimes I can't get close enough. I'm thinking of getting a 1.4x converter to get a little more reach :)

Ditto, but at the moment, 1 in 20 shots I take of wildlife subjects is usable, and the converters seem to make this ratio considerably worse! If I do get one, I might need to buy a bigger CF card too :D

Which one are you considering? The genuine Canon one?

Yep. I've read some dodgy things about the 3rd party convertors, (soft image, hunting during autofocus etc). The Canon one is expensive, but I know the image quality is top notch and it will work fine with the 100-400.

Be aware unless you have a 1 series body you will lose Autofocus with any of the converters and a 100-400 !

That's not much use for motorsport where often you can't get any closer because of the fencing / marshals. Even in nature this can be a problem because if you get too close the subject it runs / flies / swims away.

Even with my 100-400 I find sometimes I can't get close enough. I'm thinking of getting a 1.4x converter to get a little more reach :)

Good point Iain.

You forgot scenario 4 for nature "it eats you" :D

Leaning back to the zoom atm.

Be aware unless you have a 1 series body you will lose Autofocus with any of the converters and a 100-400 !

Indeed (at the long end anyway)

Might be less of a problem on a 5D with a better focusing screen though?

Indeed (at the long end anyway)

Might be less of a problem on a 5D with a better focusing screen though?

I've tried the Canon 1.4 converter on my old 10D and my current 5D, and autofocus was fine with the 100-400L on both bodies. Didn't work with the 2.0 converter, but then I wasn't expecting it to :)

Ah - that's me out then - the 350D won't work. :(

Just to make things even more confusing :D

I've just sold my 1.4TC on EBay , Bought brand new from Kerso last year , I used it on my 70-200mm f/4 and found that nearly every image was soft , it made a big difference to the IQ of the pics , plus you lose a stop , So I thought I would rather lose 80mm and get back to the stunning quality the F/4 gives .

Could be that I had a bad copy I dont know .:)

I've tried the Canon 1.4 converter on my old 10D and my current 5D, and autofocus was fine with the 100-400L on both bodies. Didn't work with the 2.0 converter, but then I wasn't expecting it to :)

Strange, on my 20D with a 1.4 i lose AF across the whole range ?

Strange, on my 20D with a 1.4 i lose AF across the whole range ?

I never lost AF with the 1.4 on a 350D and you shouldn't on a 20D

You won't lose AF with a maximum aperture of f4, but you do if it's f5.6, as on the 100-400L. You can tape over some of the contacts on the convertor so it still has AF, but to be honest it's a bit hit and miss.

I never lost AF with the 1.4 on a 350D and you shouldn't on a 20D

Was that with a 100-400L and Canon 1.4 Extender though ?