So I just bought a 400 DO and to put it bluntly I'm really wowed by the size and image quality of that little guy. It's made me put up my beloved 300 f/2.8 for sale and I'm even considering selling my 500 f/4.
Here is the situation. I'd like to have a "portable" wildlife lens as well as a bigger one that I can use on a tripod or take with me on car trips. I thought I had the perfect setup with the 300 and 500, but now that I've got the 400 DO and 500, I'm not sure when I would take the 500 over the 400. I almost think a 600 f/4 would make a good replacement, but I'm not sure the extra 100mm is worth it. This lead me to think about the 800, but jeez.... that thing is expensive!
foxfire235 wrote:
...now that I've got the 400 DO and 500, I'm not sure when I would take the 500 over the 400. I almost think a 600 f/4 would make a good replacement, but I'm not sure the extra 100mm is worth it. This lead me to think about the 800!
What a terrible problem to have! Seriously, I wish I had your dilema...however, a friend of mine has a 400DO and I think it's a fantastic setup. If you also have the 300 & the 500, it might be worth it to sell those two and get the 800. At least that's what I would do if I had the mis-fortune of having to choose among three super tele's.(..sigh!)
foxfire235 wrote:
bean do you have the 800? How do you like it and what other super teles have you used?
Yep I do have the 800. The more I use the lens the more I love it. Its light enough to handhold at times (especially with the 4 stop IS). Sharpness is great wide open, though I wouldn't say its far better than the 500 or 600. Where it really shines is the lack of CA even with a 1.4x TC. The 600 in particular tends to have more CA, especially with a 1.4x TC added.
Overall, for me it made sense, I was shooting with a 1.4x TC attached to the 600 99% of the time and now I shoot with the 800 mostly bare. The $$$ were hard to swallow at first, but now 6 months later the hurt has passed
omarlyn wrote:
What a terrible problem to have! Seriously, I wish I had your dilema...however, a friend of mine has a 400DO and I think it's a fantastic setup. If you also have the 300 & the 500, it might be worth it to sell those two and get the 800. At least that's what I would do if I had the mis-fortune of having to choose among three super tele's.(..sigh!)
HTH,
Omar
Yeah, it's not exactly a "problem" is it?
The Nunavut Government treats us well up here, let's just say that!
Apr 25, 2009 at 01:37 PM
Lars Johnsson Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
I have a 400DO and I love the ease of use in a car and the lightness for a limited amount of hiking I do. I also have a 500 and 600, I have not used the 500 since I got the 600, should sell it.
I thought long and hard between the 600 and 800 and ended up with the 600. I am an old guy and the weight was a big negative factor for the 600 and the cost of the 800, however, I don't carry my 600 very far from the car. The main reason for the 600 was ability to use a 50D and 5DII with a 1.4 extender an the ability to have f4 for background when needed. I tend to use the XXD cameras more than my 1DIII. I use my 1DIII primarily for birds in flight.
Vern
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