Another lens question

[asta_tobiassen]

I am new to this hobby, and absolutely love it. I understand these lens

questions get a bit old, however I really need some guidance. I purchased a

Canon 40d w/ 17-85mm 4-5.6 and 70-300mm 4-5.6 lenses about 8 months ago. I got

into the hobby because I love wildlife and travel and wanted to capture those

moments. My goal is to have something worthy of printing into a 8x10 or

larger. My first trip with my camera was to Belize and I failed at my goal. We

spent quite a lot of time in the jungle. I became very frustrated with my lack

of reach and the difficulty in shooting up at an animal in the shadows with

bright sky behind them. My pictures came out very grainy and I appreciate I did

a lot of things wrong (too high ISO, taking shots too far away, not using my

monopod, not controlling exposure correctly etc.) I am on a very steep learning

curve right now. I was primarily shooting monkeys and birds. I have another

trip coming up in a few months and need some help with choosing a lens to

complement what I have or to replace what I have. Budget is concern (ideally

not much over $2000 - I need money to travel). The lenses I have been

considering are the 70-200 f2.8 w/ a 1.4x or 2.0x TC, the 300 f4 or the 100-400

f4-5.6 either with 1.4x TC. Thanks for your consideration!

Asta

[ShunCheung]

For what you want to do, most likely you'll eventually need a 500mm/f4 and flash. There is an older 500mm/f4.5 EF that may be more affordable in the used market. It seems expensive, but a lot of us have gone through that process.

 

I wouldn't put a TC onto a zoom lens, especially a slow 400mm/f5.6 one. My experience with Nikon is that a 2x TC does not match up well with a 70-200mm/f2.8.

[bruce_margolis]

The biggest issue with shooting wildlife is focal length. It always seems that critters are never close enough. To make it worse, moving animals require a real fast shutter speed. That means a real fast lens. Unfortunately, good wildlife lenses are pricy so this is really about tradeoffs.

 

When I was in Belize, I had an 80-400 zoom. The shots were decent at f/8 but a little hard to manage even with a monopod. Had to use f/5.6 for moving animals in the jungles or along the river so quality was compromised.

 

I have since moved up to a 300 f/2.8 and the image quality skyrocketed, even with a 1.4 t/c. That extra stop makes a world of difference in wildlife. Biggest downside is size. Even on a tripod, this honker is a monster.

 

Consider trying to find one used. It might be near or a bit over your budget.

[chinmaya]

I have Canon 70-200, I can only shoot big animals. With my experience of hiking and photography, I can easily suggest 100-400 (among your list). Zoom is a must, unless you go hiking just for photography and you have time and patience to choose right Prime lens, and add/remove converters.

 

Alternative to 100-400, in my wish list is, Tamron 200-500 F5-6.3. Based on reviews, this is a decent lens, but it definitely not good for low light photography.

 

 

 

Good Luck.

[joseph_martines]

May I highly recommend the Tamron 28 - 300 MM with IS/VC. It is light weight and a

wonderful lens. You will be very happy with the results. It is light, it is fast, it is

versatile. It has a quasi-macro function which is excellent.

 

Your other option is the Canon 100 - 400. I would prefer the Canon 300 - 2.8 and a

converter.

[SteveH]

I just did some sharpness tests with my 1.4 and 2x Canon teleconvertors. They both

compromise sharpness, and, to my eye, the 1.4 is acceptable and the 2x is marginal

at best. I'd echo the suggestions for the 100-400 - it's very sharp and quite popular with

the pro set. Some folks , including me, don't like the push-pull zoom action. Just to

add confusion, for travel I like my 400 mm DO,IS - it's relatively light weight, sharp

enough and is OK with the 1.4 extender. You definitely need a sturdy tripod at these

focal lengths.

[joseph_smith3]

Asta, I am a Nikon shooter, so I am not that familiar with available Canon lenses. However, I know your problem. As Shun and others have mentioned, you need more focal length. You need a 300mm f 4.0 or a 400mm f 5.6 or a 500mm f 4.0 lens. I believe Canon makes a great 400mm f 5.6 lens. A 300mm f 4.0 with a 1.4x teleconverter becomes a 420mm f 5.6. assuming no loss in image quality.

 

As you increase focal length and/or light gathereing ability (f stop range, like f 4 or f 2.8) you add weight and cost and the need for a tripod or a monopod. For any of the lenses I mentioned your images will improve with the use of a tripodor monopod and long lens shooting technique. Do an internet search on the latter and see what you come up with.

 

Joe Smith

[asta_tobiassen]

Thank you everyone for your input. You have all given me some good things to think about, but I have to admit I am still scratching my head a bit. I found a website that compared the 100-400mm f4-5.6w/ the 70-200mm f2.8 w/ 2.0x TC and the 100-400 was sharper up to f11. My next trip in rainforest and the Galapagos. It seems I won't need a long focal length on the Galapagos, but the rainforest is another issue all together. I want to build by "arsenal" well. I did not start off all that smart and it just seems the 70-200 is such a great lens (maybe not with the 2.0 TC however). The 300mm f4 looks like a great option too, but I don't think I need that range for at least half my trip. Hmmm....Thanks again! Asta

[dan_hall4]

I got the 100-400 for my 40D. I am VERY happy with it. Just got back from Alaska. Below are some of my images. All the wildlife was shot with the 100-400. When the link opens, click "slideshow". Or from the page that opens, you can click on individual images and select "all sizes" (listed above the image) and open the original/large file to view in full screen.

 

[dan_hall4]

Forgot to mention that the Canon 100-400 is on sale now at B&H with a $100 instant rebate.

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/162616-USA/Canon_2577A002_100_400mm_f_4_5_5_6L_IS_USM.html

[asta_tobiassen]

Those were beautiful pictures Dan. I am really leaning towards that lens. I am planning on renting it next week and heading off to the zoo. Were using a tripod or monopod? How hard is it to hand hold? Off the main topic, but I have noticed quite a few people on this website post their pictures on Flickr. Why is that?

Asta

[dan_hall4]

Thanks for the kind words. The versatility of the 100-400 was of great use for wildlife on this trip. If I had a 300mm or 400mm prime, I would have missed 80% of the shots. Being able to quickly zoom in and out was a lifesaver. The push/pull zoom of the 100-400 and 6.5 fps of the 40D allowed me to get these shots. I would never have got them without those features. I hand held all the wildlife images. The IS of the lens helped a ton and a sunny day allowed pretty fast shutter speeds. In cloudy weather, it would have been difficult/impossible to get many of these shots. Renting a lens is a great idea.

 

Below is a shot of the moon I took with the 100-400. When you open the link, click on the small pic of the moon and select "all sizes" above the image. Then you can open a full size/original size image that is full screen. It was my first moon shot and I was pretty impressed with the sharpness of the 100-400. This is a big crop too. Still pretty sharp.

 

 

Flickr is a great and easy to use site for sharing photos. Just downsize them first, download to Flickr, and then you can send the link to the set (album) to anyone via email. As easy as it gets. I downsize to 72 dpi and that works good for me. It only takes a few seconds per image to put on Flickr. It is free but for for $24/year you can get a "pro" account that has unlimited downloads and some other features.

[asta_tobiassen]

Wow, very impressive. Thanks again for all of your help. Asta

[james_sigle]

Asta,

 

A tripod is always best, but riding in a car, bus, or boat it is not always practical to use. I have a bean bag (Omnipod brand name) that works well draped over the window sill of a car or bus or the rail of a boat. It is rectangular and folds over the sill or rail (as well as a fence, tree limb or post) and has a strap to secure it when needed. It has a 1/4 x 20 screw to which I attach a small ball head with a quick disconnect plate on my Canon 40D.

 

Jim