Letsgodiving
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Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USMI've been looking for a good quality versatile wildlife lens and I seem to leaning toward to this lens. It's not a prime but I prefer the fact that I can use this lens for a wide variety of applications and the quality seems to quite good. I was originally thinking about the 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM and a 1.4x TC but after reading numerous reviews I'm seriously thinking about getting the 100-400mm.
Anyone have any experience with either or have any reviews I may have missed? I'm also open to any other recommendations. Thanks for your input.
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uncle aj
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I sometimes use a Tamron 200-500mm zoom. The results from that are quite good and the beauty of it is it's a lot lighter than my Nikon lenses. This makes it my lens of choice when I travel.
Can't help with the Canon lens as I'm a Nikon man. If you want to take pictures of birds, then something in the range of 500mm is the standard. Below that and the subject tends to be a bit small in the viewfinder, unless it's an ostrich etc. 
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Tools
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It seems to be a good lens and has great reviews. It is a sliding zoom, so works a bit different from the twist ring zooms. I used to hate those because when you let it hang on your neck, the weight would pull the end of the lens all the way out.. I understand that there is a friction adjustment here though..
Depending on what camera you use, you either get it full frame (1d and 5d) or you have the 1.6 increase in focal length using the 20/30/40/50d, so it can be a pretty long lens if necessary.
I plan on getting this lens next, and with a 1.4 converter, it should make a nice long lens, although it's manual focus at that point.
The 100-400 lens will weigh more than your camera so it takes three hands to operate.
However...the 70-200 L IS USM lens is probably the professionals choice for a lens to have and use every day, so if you don't already have that range covered, the 100-400 might be a nuisance to carry around. It's faster at 2.8, and if you have the 1.6 sensor body, it can be a very desireable lens to have..
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Letsgodiving
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Thanks guys. I'll check out that Tamron. I haven't really looked at 3rd party lenses. I have a 40d so it is the 1.6x. Still looking for that perfect lense.  
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uncle aj
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| Letsgodiving wrote: | | Thanks guys. I'll check out that Tamron. I haven't really looked at 3rd party lenses. I have a 40d so it is the 1.6x. Still looking for that perfect lense. |
Sigma also do some very good lenses but I don't have any experience with them. They do get good reviews though.
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Letsgodiving
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I looked around and I really appreciate the feedback I received but after much research and second guessing I ordered the Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS earlier today and I can't wait to get my hands on it. I have always been interested in photography, wildlife and outdoor pursuits and I think this will be a very rewarding way to bring them together. I'm excited to get out there and put it to use and I have the added benefit of extremely mediocre photography skills so I have nowhere to go but up.
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uncle aj
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Good luck with the new lens. If you need any tips, just ask.
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Letsgodiving
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It is a little daunting and I have a lot to learn. The more I learn the more I realize I don't know. This is a relatively slow lens with limited reach compared to some of the primes so it will be an added challenge for wildlife and birds especially. I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions when I get out there and put it to work. 
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Tools
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Good for you..
The lens has some decent reviews, and L glass from Canon is considered some of the best in the world..
Looking forward to seeing some great shots with it........
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Letsgodiving
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The UPS man just dropped if off and of course I open it up and removed all the packing and have it in my hands and then realize it's freeing cold because it's been sitting in the back of his unheated truck all day. I have a flashback of all the recent reading I've been doing lately that you are supposed to wrap your camera/lens in plastic if you go from cold to warm to avoid condensation build up so I immediately wrapped it back up in the plastic and now it sits on my desk warming up. I'm not sure if I'm being overly cautious but I didn't want to take any chances. 
On another note which will further display my noob status on the photography front I'm surprised how tan/gray the lens is because I keep hearing about the Canon white lenses. In all the pics I've seen they look pretty white. Has Canon darkened them recently or is this the colour they've always been? Anyway, I'm pretty excited and hopefully I'll be giving it a go this weekend.
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uncle aj
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I'm not a Canon owner but most of the lenses I've seen have been more grey than white.
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Tools
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| uncle aj wrote: | | I'm not a Canon owner but most of the lenses I've seen have been more grey than white. |
A couple of decades ago, they did have almost white models (if I remember correctly).
Today, they are really a grey color...
I think you will love the lens.. I need to get one. The 70-200 is a great lens, but on a 5d full frame body, its seems short, compared to the 30d, which gives me an extra 60% reach.. With the 100-400, I could have a 5d with the 70-200, and then the 30d with a 100-400, giving me an effective 640 reach.... Wow.. that's like this much..
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