joel_rosenthal

<p>Send it in to Canon AND make the claim. If the insurance co asks to see it or where it is, tell them you sent it to Canon for an autopsy or repair. Either way, depending if your policy pays for repairs, you'll get compensated for the loss or the repair cost. And I am sure Canon can give you a quick diagnosis that won't impede your claim process with the insurance co. Meanwhile, pray for a resurrection.</p>

Zafar--I am in the printer market presently--which Epson printers do you like?

There's a better strap that solves this problem and the slip off problem quite nicely from Blackrapid.The RS-1. See the video demo on their website Blackrapid.com. I use it with my 40D with 100-400 and better beamer attached, and it prevents accidental button pushing, the camera is vastly more secure, doesn't hang off my neck or shoulder and is instantly accessible. I tried one, with the caveat from the seller that it might not work with such a big lens, and was so pleased that I immeditely bought one for my wife who will be carrying a 30D with a short tele.

I started out with a 24-70 for my 30D. Love it. But just before our second trip to Ecuador, I managed to get a 40D, and my wife started using the 30D(which I didn't have time to sell before we left--he he) with the 24-70 onboard. I was shooting mostly wildlife with a 100-400.She loved the images she got, but the weight of that package, especially after a few hours hiking, caused her difficulty in keeping her hands steady. So, for our forthcoming trips to Peru, I picked up the 17-55, which is lighter, and more importantly has IS, and will give us the wider angle I want at Machu Picchu and elsewhere. So far, she's happy with her results. Of course the plan was to sell the 24-70 to offset the 17-55 cost.Wrong--I like that lens too much and can't part with it.As to build quality and optics, I agree with Colin--you can feel and see the difference in build, but frankly, if you take reasonable care of the 17-55(ie don't drop it or use it to fend off muggers)I don't see why it won't last as long as any L lens .I think the weather sealing is irrelevant if you're shooting with non weather sealed cameras(like the 40 or 30D). So the answer is easy. Buy both--or better yet, rent them both and see what works best for you.

I have the F4, and opted for it because of the lesser weight and cost than the 2.8--but I go hiking/birdwatching for the better part of 4-5 hours at a time with a 40D and a canon 100-400L attached. That combo weighs a ton, and if I had a pack on my back it might be too much(I'm 61 now). However, I recently discovered the Blackrapid strap, which doesn't hang the camera off your shoulder,but across your chest, leaving the camera at your hip- even though it isn't made for a camera/lens combo this size-- it works tremedously. You might find that this strap will help you make the decision about the 2.8--at least vis a vis the weight.Go to Blackrapid's website and watch the video.(No, I don't have stock or work for them or know anyone there--I just think it's an innovative and ,for me ,useful item.)

I use vodka--ingested, not applied, a pair of soccer goalie gloves for a sensitive feel(use the graphite impregnated ones from Adidas), and a blowtorch for the hard to remove crud.Failing that, or total immersion of the camera in hydrochloric acid, I use a rocket blower, and the usual commercial wet cleaner when necessary(copper hill). It's really not that hard...

I can't speak for the other lenses but the 100-400 has proven to be a wonderfully versatile lens for me--2 trips to Ecuador, in the rain, miserable light and fog, hiking all over the place, chasing whatever wildlife would oblige(birds, mostly). Without the IS, I'd have been lost, as I do all my shooting handheld, and any big lens is heavy and at 60 I don't have terribly steady hands, nor great technique.A tripod mounted lens would have been unwieldy in many of the places I went.

Here's one from the Everglades this past weekend..

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2207/2253395537_8fa1ef00e3.jpg

Take a look at some more examples here

click on the Ecuador set, enlarge or view any ones you want--all the exif data can be seen under "other properties" for each shot.

As to individual copies being soft--recent iterations of this lens are alleged to have the best QC--check the forums for the manufacturing codes-so you can check the vintage of any lens you buy..

mine's less than a year old-and went back for a week to Canon after the lens mount loosened--it's just fine now...

my 100-400 lens mount was coming loose(unacceptable play, beyond the normal small amount)--upon my return from Ecuador--where it functioned fine,( but eventually the contacts were going to be a problem) I called Canon customer service, was given instructions on where to send it(NJ) and did so--shortly thereafter, I received a repair order authorization requesting 165$ or so for the repair, but the lens was wel l within warranty--I called the customer service rep I'd spoken to(the NJ repair facility was closed at the hour I read the email) and he promised to look into it.Next day I received an email from NJ saying the camera was being fixed(new lens mount)at no charge. It came via overnight delivery within 3 days--total turnaround time perhaps 8 days--and everytthing was fine. You can look at my 100-400 shots pre and post repair at flickr --

---

the Ecuador photos are pre repair- the other sets(okeeheelee and fakahatchee are post repair) judge the sharpness for yourself..I have no complaints about the service or the fix

Here's one with the 70-200F4 non IS and 1.4 tc shot w 30D. I am selling the lens though because at 60 yrs old, shooting small birds at max telephoto I need the IS for steadiness.Great lens though..

gee, my 40D has a little round dial thingy on top that I spin past the numbers til I get to "B"...then I switch things a bit so I get those lttle cascading boxes on the lcd display on top, push my finger down on the round(shutter release, I think) button up there on the right, close my eyes, and release my finger after about 30 seconds...always gets me a great "burst"...images tend to be a bit overexposed in bright sunlight tho...

 

but seriously, if the OP has to ask this question, don't you wonder who turned his computer on for him?

My wife picked up our 30D with 24-70 on it and took some lovely pics this September while I shot with my 40D w 100-400(for birds) in Ecuador.

Here's a link to my favorite:

I have the 30D and 40D -and am still learning how to use both--but the 40D focus seems generally quicker and more accurate--but that may well be because the viewfinder is sooo much better--bigger and brighter-and seems bigger and brighter than it is in comparison with the 30D-sort of makes it easier to get proper focus in the first place...

Can't tell you about sigma or others, but I have been using the 100-400 for afew months and am very pleased. I am new to digital and really haven't done much fotography for 30 years, but the 100-400 has given me pretty decent results. You can look at my pictures from Ecuador on my flickr site and make your own assessment. 80% were taken with the 100-400-all handheld, by a 60 year old old goat...click on the individual pictures from the Ecuador set and then click the "more properties" link to see the full exif data..evrything over 200mm was taken with the 100-400.

 

I use the 100-400 for birds and whatever other wildlife comes along. I find it tremendously versatile--I hand hold exclusively, and if I were any good at it, I'd get some really stunning shots. You can check out some samples from my two Ecuador trips this year--for better or worse, at http://www.flickr.com/photos/joelnrosenthal/. The bird pics were virtually all taken with the 100-400. My favorite is the last one of the sword billed hummingbird--taken at F5.6-it will give you some idea of how sharp--or unsharp, if that's your view--the lens can be.I've run into photographers with the 400 prime, who absolutely love it-but absent IS, it would be on a tripod all the time for me, and I wouldn't have been able to take 50% of the pictures I got. For birds in flight, the 400 is alleged to be superior-then again, while you're at it, why not spring for the 600?

I use one on my Canon 30D--I wear glasses and found the stray light(esp with transition lenses, which I've now abandoned for untinted eyeglasses) was interfering with my ability to see what's in the viewfinder. For 10 bucks it's worth trying, and likely will stay on your camera longer than the ill fitting eyepiece my 30D came with. I have a 40D now as well and because the viewfinder in the 40D is larger and vastly brighter, I no longer have the excuse that my poorly framed pictures were the result of my inability to see through the viewfinder...

give the person a gift certificate to b and h or adorama or any reputable discount camera shop and let HIM decide...

I have been married to the same woman for 38 years, and I live in south Florida-perhaps both disqualify me for a response here. Oh and my wife is a family/marital therapist(how else could she have endured me this long?). My first problem is with your itinerary-it is as ambitious for 7 days as your gear list is long-and it omits some of Florida's greatest (photographic) attractions.By way of further disclaimer please note that over my wife's objection(that I was unfamiliar with SLRs) I took a new cheapo SLR (that I had purchased for my younger brother) on our honeymoon to Guadeloupe, FWI instead of my trusty brownie-only to find that after two days shooting I had not loaded the film properly and it had not advanced.As with many other instances of my not following her advice since 1969, she spared me the "I told you so"s.Anyway to do any justice as tourists to Disney World(which I happen to despise--an allergy to theme parks), Sea World, Daytona, south Beach and Key West--you'll need to spend at least a day at each-and that's not accounting for travel between them. To do more than point and shoot photography at these places will only require more time.Also remember its mid 80s here now and the humidity is climbing daily--if you're coming from a colder climate you'll probably need to minimize your in the sun and (outdoor) exertion at least for the first few days.And , for example,you've omitted the Everglades--if you want nature photography the possibilities here are endless and wonderful--the herons and egrets are in full breeding plumage, migratory birds are passing through headed north, alligators are everywhere etc

The important thing is to not let your photography isolate you from your wife and the EXPERIENCE of your honeymoon. Whether to take just an slr and one or two lenses(the absolute max I'd consider) or just a point and shoot depends , in large part upon how long you've known her, how tolerant(as opposed to passive) she is of your photographic inclinations, whether she shares the hobby(or profession or obsession as the case may be) herself, and what her articulated expectations for this honeymoon are.

Bottom line--for my two cents --take the point and shoot, scope the place out and plan another trip when you can bring all your gear and then just hit the places you'd most like to photograph.

And from my wife--two words of advice for a long happy marriage-intended both literally and metaphorically: separate bathrooms!

Congratulations on your wedding.

Thanks, everyone--I think I have the idea--but ultimately, I imagine it's like going to the optometrist for an eyeglass fitting--they don't switch lenses til you find the perfect one-they merely come close and your eyes adjust...

I think I'll rely on how my "usual suspects" look, rather than calibrations on a chart..

I am considering buying the EF 100-400 mm IS L , however, there has been much

ballyhooing about its sharpness or lack thereof--and of course if I order one

online, I will return it if it proves "unsharp".My question is, how do I

determine sharpness? Obviously by running a test with photos at every aperture

and all focal lengths-but what do I photograph? an eyechart? graph paper? is

there a standard test object? and is there an objective standard? or do I

compare it with my non IS 70-200 shot from half the distance? And where do I

buy to avoid a restocking fee if I return it? And no, here in Miami we don't

have a cooperative local brick and mortar dealer with discount pricing.

Thanks.