Canon 7D --300 f2.8 or 400 f2.8

<p>I'll be covering the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in October '10 as a freelance photographer and want to be ready well in advance. Will be covering almost the entire gamut of events.</p>

<p>Need help in deciding between the 300 and 400mm f2.8 IS lenses. I already have the 70-200 f2.8 IS.</p>

<p>With a 1.6x crop on the 7D and a 1.4 extender, which of the 300 or 400 will be more useful?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance,</p>

<p>J.</p>

 

<p>Jiti,</p>

 

<p>Rent both and try them out.</p>

 

<p>Just as you wouldn’t think of buying a car without taking it for a test drive first, you’d be

nuts to not try a $5000 lens before buying it. Only then can you tell if the extra weight of the 400 is really

that much of a burden, or if you find your teleconverter permanently affixed to the 300, or whatever.</p>

 

<p>Cheers,</p>

 

<p>b&</p>

<p>400/2.8</p>

<p>400 f2.8's and ff cameras worked for years, now many use 400 f2.8's and 1.3 crops. A 300 f2.8 and a 1.6 crop and occasionally with the 1.4 TC will give you the best of all worlds. If you are in the press enclosures then the effective 672mm will be too long a lot of the time, to take that up to an 896mm lens is pointless, to freeze subject movement you will need shutter speeds you just won't be able to get very often. The 300 and the 1.6 factor will be all you need most of the time, spend the extra money on another 7D for your zoom, don't think of doing this work with one body.</p>

<p>Thanks for the quick response guys.</p>

<p>A couple of points:</p>

<p>Renting is not an option in this part of the world.</p>

<p>Scott's suggestion is great. But now its opened a Pandoras Box. If I have to get another body, why not the new 1D mark IV ( I know its more expensive). With its 1.3x crop, maybe a 400 f2.8 becomes a little more practical than with the 7D's 1.6x crop.</p>

<p>Is there any difference in the performance of these two lens - say one is sharper than the other etc.</p>

<p>Generally speaking, is the loss of an f-stop due to the 1.4x TC a big deal ?</p>

<p>Anyone experienced with covering cricket matches - which of the two lenses is more practical for cricket.</p>

<p>I've never covered an event of this magnitude before.</p>

<p>Thanks once again.</p>

<p>J.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>There is no difference between the 400 and 300 f2.8's, they are both so sharp it is technique that is wanting with regards image quality. They both work superbly with the 1.4 TC's. With a 2.8 lens the loss of 1 stop is not generally a big deal, often it is no deal at all, the focus will slow down a touch but these lenses focus so fast you won't think it.</p>

<p>I don't know your budget and you obviously have many choices. For comparisons I would expect most serious Canon shooters out there on general duties to have 3 or 4 1D MkIV's, a 400 f2.8, a 200 f2 (interior shooting), 70-200 f2.8 , 24-70 f2.8, 16-35 f2.8 and a 15mm fisheye, plus a 1.4 TC and remotes. This gives great coverage.</p>

<p>Now in your situation, if you have the money, I'd go for a 1D MkIV and the 300 f2.8 and a 1.4TC. The 7D will get you an effective 480mm f2.8, and with a TC you get 672mm f4. With the MkIV you get a 390mm f2.8 and a 546mm f4. This gives you a huge amount of options and very high quality effective focal lengths.</p>

<p>I have covered cricket with a ff and a 300 2.8 and 2xTC, so an effective 600mm f5.6. Your 7D and 300mm + 1.4 TC gives you an effective 672mm f4. It won't give you frame filling batsmen, it will give you batsman, stumps and wicket keeper, or maybe a first slip and batsman and that is without cropping.</p>

<p>For a big decision like this it would pay to go to the venues now and see where you are going to shoot from, or get a press information pack or speak to a press liaison official, they should be able to give you proposed press positions and you can work out angles and distances etc from that to some extent. </p>

<p>Wow. Scott, that was a pretty comprehensive answer and you've made me decide for the 300 f2.8. and a second camera body.</p>

<p>I can't decide between another 7D or the 1DMkIV just yet but thats probably because I dont know of any extra advantage in the latter as far as sports photography is concerned. In fact, with a 300 f2.8, I somehow feel 1.6x would be more useful than a 1.3x crop. Needs a little more research on my part though.</p>

<p>Any suggestions why a 1DMrkIV over a 7D for sports given that I will now have the 70-200 f2.8 IS and a 300f2.8</p>

<p>Thanks once again.</p>

<p>J.</p>

<p>I've the Nikon 400 2.8 and would note that wide open it's superb, but when used with the 1.4x TC I feel it needs stopping down to f4 (so f5.6 including the converter) to be spot on, so that I'm really losing 2 stops instead of one. Just my thoughts though.<br />Steve</p>

 

<p>Jiti,</p>

<p>For sure the 1D MkIV and 400 f2.8 are pro sports shooters standard kit, but that is a huge amount of money, $11,000 for just one body and lens. It also takes a bit of practice to get the best out of it, the AF on these cameras takes some familiarity to get close to their true potential, you are doing the right thing in thinking of getting something sooner and having the time to get used to it. The MkIV will best a 7D in virtually every area, AF, ISO, frame rate, outright IQ etc etc, but the 7D is a very capable camera, don't underestimate it or right it off.</p>

<p>To get the best effective focal lengths you are right, the 300 really needs the 1.6 crop cameras.</p>

<p>The answer to your original question, in my opinion, is still the 300 2.8 and a 1.4 TC, and put the money you save on the lens to get a second body, that will give you far more keepers than the 400 alone. You can even get a 300 f2.8 the 1.4 and a 7D for less money than the 400 f2.8!</p>

<p><a href="http://www.juzaphoto.com/eng/articles/canon_supertele_test_200-300-400-600.htm">This site has some very good comparisons</a>, the 300 and 1.4 is very usable wide open at f4.</p>

<p>Thanks for all the responses guys. This was my first posting here and I'm more than impressed with the feedback I've got (especially from Scott).</p>

<p>Have now decided for the 300 f2.8, 1.4xTC and another 7D.</p>

<p>Just another question though - since the other 7D will have the 70-200 f2.8IS attached, should I be using it with the 1.4xTC too.</p>

<p>Thanks all.</p>

<p>Hi,<br>

If you have the money :-) Mark 4 and a 400mm f2.8 is the sports photographer kit .</p>

<p>Jiti,</p>

<p>Just go by venues, if you need the reach and have the light for shutter speeds then the 1.4 works very well on the zoom, if you don't need the reach, then leave it off. Do go to some good events before hand and test all this stuff out though. And when the big days come, check out what the other photographers are doing! You can learn tons by chatting on to others between and after events, do give them space to set up before though. Also make sure you have a good monopod for the 300, handholding for days is pointless and misses shots.</p>

<p>Have you thought about joining CPS? Find out if they are supporting the Games, if they are join, even if it just for this year, they will have tons of loaners, you can borrow a 400 f2.8 (or any other superteles) for the day and if you have gear issues they will sort them out on the spot or swap your gear out until it gets fixed.</p>

<p>Best advice though is when you get your new gear go to lower level meets and practice, practice, practice.</p>

<p>Take care, Scott.</p>

<p>Thanks for great advice once again.</p>

<p>I dont think CPS is operational in India just yet but I'm going to find out.</p>

<p>I already have the heavy duty Gitzo GM 3551 so I'm well prepared for the height required (at 6'2" I dont want to be bending) and the weight of the lens - though am still looking for the right head for it (Really Right Stuff ..?)</p>

<p>My next bit of research has to be able to figure out the best business model for me for this Commonwealth Games venture. Being a freelancer, I wont be committed to anyone and can sell my photos anywhere. I'm guessing smaller newspapers in the Commonwealth countries who cant send their people over might be interested but I cant figure out how to get to them and fix prices etc. Any suggestions ? ( I know this really should be in the business section)</p>

<p>Thanks for everything so far. </p>