DesertBighorn wrote:
It doesn't look like they are taking pre-orders, at least not through their website. Tempted.
Doug, you are right, although a couple of Canadian stores accept orders.
This is a big and long awaited lens introduction for the community of wildlife photographers......too bad the lenses are so expensive.
I've never quite embraced my 400/5,6 for shooting birds. I've long felt I need that extra reach. I can't wait for these to start hitting the market - hopefully some second-hand STPs will be available
Not sure if I can afford a new one just yet... Just as excited, though
I'm seriously considering an order of the 600 but I'll get it from TheCameraStore in Calgary and save $2000. I don't understand how these guys have such good prices on Canon supertelephotos but they do.
Do you know PetKal? Do you buy your big whites in Canada and have you seen other stores with the prices that TheCameraStore has?
squareeyez wrote:
I've never quite embraced my 400/5,6 for shooting birds. I've long felt I need that extra reach. I can't wait for these to start hitting the market - hopefully some second-hand STPs will be available
Not sure if I can afford a new one just yet... Just as excited, though
Serenity-Tranquility-Peace ?
Heck, don't worry, just order one.......join the exclusive/elite FM Preordering Club.
arbitrage wrote:
I'm seriously considering an order of the 600 but I'll get it from TheCameraStore in Calgary and save $2000. I don't understand how these guys have such good prices on Canon supertelephotos but they do.
Do you know PetKal? Do you buy your big whites in Canada and have you seen other stores with the prices that TheCameraStore has?
$11,395CDN vs $12,999USD at B&H.
The Camera Store is a strange one.....they always seem to post some of the lowest prices in Canada, but never have any stock of long lenses.
A couple of years ago I tried to order 400 f/2.8 IS from them. Spoke to their sales manager.
He kept rambling about some dealer lens allocation and not knowing when he might get one , etc. Never seen a salesman so shy to make a sale.
In the end I went to Henry's who matched the Camera Store price.
Today, I'd go to Eden, who usually has some stock on hand, or to Henry's who will do price matching if need be. In my experience, both Henry's and Eden are very good at getting the best possible delivery of special order items from Canon Canada. As of late, even Canon Canada seems to have improved with the speed of such special order deliveries.
Hi PetKal,
I will look into both Henry's and Eden. Did you meen Aden as I googled and found Aden camera stores in Ontario but no Eden stores. I wish you had had better luck with the Camerastore as it will be easy for me to fly to Calgary and pick up the lens instead of paying shipping. Most of my relatives are in Calgary so not too out of the way. I recently ordered a 5DmkII from them and they offered free shipping (which is rare to the Yukon) and it got here in 3 days so I was impressed. They do have 400 2.8 IS II's in stock right now at $10.435. Thats $1000 off the US price. However they don't offer free shipping on the large telephotos.
EDIT: Sorry one more question...is it your understanding that the version one lenses are now officially gone. Like the camera store etc will never get new ones in. If I don't get a new 600 then I would consider the version one 500 (I know you're selling one but only locally so no go for me). The camerastore lists the version I at a great price $6293 but I'm assuming they will never again have one in stock.
Yes, my understanding is that all MkIs (i.e., 300/400 f/2.8 and 500/600 f/4) have been discontinued and not obtainable any longer new.
If someone tells you that they can order a new MkI lens for you, you may wish to say OK to that, but I'd suggest that you do not give them any deposit, nor plan an African safari trip around their promised delivery date.
That is an interesting question, however, you may wish to contact Scott Elowitz directly for that.
The Lenscoat folks might have also taken very quickly all neccessary dimensions off a lens prototype which Canon USA possibly had.
PetKal wrote:
That is an interesting question, however, you may wish to contact Scott Elowitz directly for that.
The Lenscoat folks might have also taken very quickly all neccessary dimensions off a lens prototype which Canon USA possibly had.
I currently have a 500 f4L and am torn on which to get. I can't really handhold the current 500 so I end up taking a tripod with me. If I could handhold the new 500, then that's a huge bonus as I could save 1.5 lbs + 6-7 lbs of the tripod if I'm just walking around. On the other hand, if I'm not going to handhold it, the 600L II would be the best choice - same weight but more reach. Hmmmmmmmmm
April 25 would be a good day too.. a day after my bday.
Schlotkins wrote:
I currently have a 500 f4L and am torn on which to get. I can't really handhold the current 500 so I end up taking a tripod with me. If I could handhold the new 500, then that's a huge bonus as I could save 1.5 lbs + 6-7 lbs of the tripod if I'm just walking around. On the other hand, if I'm not going to handhold it, the 600L II would be the best choice - same weight but more reach. Hmmmmmmmmm
April 25 would be a good day too.. a day after my bday.
Hi
I had the 500mm f/4 IS on a tripod and Wimberley and on the shoulder I had the 400mm f/4 DO for fast action. And that was with 2 MarkII houses at 1.6 kg each, my mark IV is not that heavy. I got stucked at one point because it was little bit heavy and I wanted to be more mobile so I went more mobile with only the Canon 400mm 5.6 handheld.
Its a great lens but it lacks IS and it is only 5.6 and may not have the same AF that the 500mm have and not really the same sharpnes and contrast
So when I heard about the 500mm II I ordered it in august 2010 and I am still waiting to try If I can use it like the the 400mm 5.6, totally handheld and mobile.
It is much easier to capture fast action with a handheld combo than a combo on a tripod.
But sometimes with the 400mm 5.6 handheld You need fast shuttertime and then the noise increase a lot wich affects the picture quality a lot.
But it is so nice to use the light 400mm 5.6 in the field.
So I hope I can use the 500mm Handheld and get faster AF, less noise, sharper picture than I could with the my 400mm 5.6. It will not be so nice in the field with that weight, but I want to try.
. which you can see here