400mm F5.6L Help.

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Archive 2008 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

Dave In La
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p.4 #1 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

good for you Don....enjoy the lens, it's one of the best made for the $$

Aug 28, 2008 at 12:04 AM

capt don
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p.4 #2 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

Hey Dave, watch out for "Gustov", we're usually the one's ducking the storms down here. Might want to head down here to hide out.

Aug 28, 2008 at 12:07 AM

Alan Kefauver
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p.4 #3 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

How does this compare to a 300F4L+1.4TC?

Aug 28, 2008 at 01:33 AM

trenchmonkey
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p.4 #4 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

Alan Kefauver wrote:
How does this compare to a 300F4L+1.4TC?
Nice results can be had with that combo but the 400 f5.6L wins in AF speed
and IQ wide open. The 300 f2.8 and 1.4 is right there, however...but 4x the $$

Aug 28, 2008 at 11:15 AM

os2baba
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p.4 #5 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

There are some seriously glorious photos in this thread. But I wish this thread had not been started! I had all but decided to go for the 300 f/4 + 1.4TC. Back to Indecision 2008 :-)

Aug 28, 2008 at 07:37 PM

Chris Procter
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p.4 #6 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

os2baba wrote:
There are some seriously glorious photos in this thread. But I wish this thread had not been started! I had all but decided to go for the 300 f/4 + 1.4TC. Back to Indecision 2008 :-)

I had the 300F4 and I like the 400mm much more - I would not buy the 300mm again as I have other Lenses at that range.. but I never see a time when the 400mm wont be in my line up of Lenses

Aug 28, 2008 at 08:37 PM

Chris Procter
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p.4 #7 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

I live in the UK and for out door shooting a little common sense like upping the ISO when its bad weather - and you wont go far wrong with the 400mm
hope you dont mind if I post you some samples from this great Lens

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Aug 28, 2008 at 08:50 PM

carl haslam
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p.4 #8 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

Well I started this thread asking for help, and I got it.

Just to let you know I ordered one and it arrived today

No guessing what I'll be doing this weekend as long as the rain stays away. I would be keen to know what your preferred settings are?

Regards to everyone who have left coments.
Carl

Aug 28, 2008 at 08:55 PM

LCollector
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p.4 #9 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

Set the Focus switch to the longer MFD for faster AF performance (8m, I guess) and shoot away wide open in AI Servo. You might notice that the hood is a bit tight and takes some learning to get it to squeeze and come all the way back. Congrats !!

Aug 29, 2008 at 02:24 AM

GeneO
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p.4 #10 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

carl haslam wrote:
Well I started this thread asking for help, and I got it.

Just to let you know I ordered one and it arrived today

No guessing what I'll be doing this weekend as long as the rain stays away. I would be keen to know what your preferred settings are?

Regards to everyone who have left coments.
Carl

Good luck Carl. Hope you don't have any equipment issues. It is a sweet len you'll soon find out

Gene

Aug 29, 2008 at 02:40 AM

Rich Swanner
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p.4 #11 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

I have the 300 f/4L IS and a 1.4x and I am going to try shooting with it. I can't get the 400...No $$$$ these days, but with the 5D I need more reach. Thanks Trenchmonkey...Rich

Aug 29, 2008 at 05:51 AM

Venus
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p.4 #12 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

can't fault this little lens. always sharp and very fast AF. if you are thinking of a zoom, think of the teeming thousands of sports photographer who carry fixed 400, 500 and 600 or even 800. ain't you lucky?

Aug 29, 2008 at 06:06 AM

hauxon
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p.4 #13 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

I love mine but if any lens would benefit from IS it would be the 400/5.6 L. It's the only truly handholdable "super"tele and would be KILLER with IS. I'd pay $2000 for a 400/5.6 L IS.

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Aug 29, 2008 at 09:38 AM

Colin Key
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p.4 #14 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

hauxon wrote:
I love mine but if any lens would benefit from IS it would be the 400/5.6 L. It's the only truly handholdable "super"tele and would be KILLER with IS. I'd pay $2000 for a 400/5.6 L IS.

Adding IS to this lens would "kill" it - it is perfect as it is. The majority of bird photographers do not use IS; I have it turned off on my 100-400 (because it is a cr@p IS system) and rarely use it on my 500 f/4. If you have good light (as I am fortunate to have) then IS is of no value whatsoever.

Your shot of the Bar-tailed Godwit is nice, but the colour is way over-saturated for my taste, and totally unnatural.

Colin

Aug 29, 2008 at 12:28 PM

Colin Key
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p.4 #15 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

Chris Procter wrote:
I live in the UK and for out door shooting a little common sense like upping the ISO when its bad weather - and you wont go far wrong with the 400mm
hope you dont mind if I post you some samples from this great Lens

Chris, those are fabulous shots - I can see every single rivet on those planes (and note that the pilot had not shaved!). My favourite is the greyhound race - beautiful expression on the leading dog's face, and all the better for being "contra jour".

Colin

Aug 29, 2008 at 12:32 PM

designguy
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p.4 #16 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

Alan Kefauver wrote:
How does this compare to a 300F4L+1.4TC?

I have the 300F4L+1.4TC. I rented the 400F5.6 for a weekend. I didn't have the 400 for a long enough period of time to really completely understand all the differences. I did realize that the 400 seemed to perform better in ai servo (I'm using a 40D). Obviously I continue to use the 300F4L+1.4TC combo. Lately, whenever I'm using the 1.4TC I use one shot, believing that ai servo isn't reliable enough with this combo. When I use the 300 without the tc, ai servo performance is stellar! With the 1.4TC the outer image circle suffers from CA and image softness. For BIF the outer image circle is really a none issue.

Aug 29, 2008 at 12:33 PM

starlights
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p.4 #17 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

Thanks Carl for posting this thread and everyone else who gave their inputs.

I had been on the fence with this lens for a while now (Debating between this and the 300 f4) I ended up ordering this today via amazon

Cant wait to get it in my hands now!!

Aug 30, 2008 at 04:15 PM

Djenkins
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p.4 #18 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

Here's another outdoor shot...it's with the 400 and 1.4 on my 1DMII. This is a crop since the break was pretty far away.

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Aug 30, 2008 at 04:47 PM

Mike Condax
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p.4 #19 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

Here is one of my best shots with the 400 f/5.6L

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Aug 30, 2008 at 08:53 PM

Tom Moore
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p.4 #20 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

I must admit that I haven't read all the posts in this thread so appologies if you've already gone out and bought it!

I'm in the UK too and own a 20D and this lens for birding/wildlife. It's a cracking lens in the right light, which has been a bit of a problem recently! At /5.6 it does require a fair bit of light or high ISO. It's a great price for the IQ though and the built in hood is a great idea. I'd go for it!!

Here's a shot which I think demonstrates the lens reasonably, hope this helps!

Aug 30, 2008 at 09:14 PM

jfulton
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p.4 #21 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

Great shots everyone!!!

Aug 30, 2008 at 10:49 PM

PetKal
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p.4 #22 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

Mike Condax wrote:
Here is one of my best shots with the 400 f/5.6L

Good to see such a great shot which breaks the cliche of eagle photoghraphy.

Aug 30, 2008 at 11:19 PM

trumpet_guy
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p.4 #23 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

Mike,

First class eagle & fish shot. Most excellent. Good capture.

Aug 30, 2008 at 11:38 PM

Mike Condax
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p.4 #24 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

Thanks Guys...

This one was ISO 640, Shutter Speed 640 on a 40D Body.

Aug 31, 2008 at 02:12 AM

aladyforty
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p.4 #25 · 400mm F5.6L Help.

I had a hell of a time trying to choose between the 100-400 and the 400 5.6. In the end after much discussion I went with the 400. I think it was Jody melanson who swayed me in the end; he put my mind at rest as to whether Id be able to handhold the lens. Now it’s used mainly for wildlife but I have used it for other photography, the speed of focusing is awesome (pretty similar to my 70-200 f2.8) and I doubt id have caught some of the shots I’ve taken with the zoom. If the light is crap I just up the ISO and apply noise reduction Post processing. It’s one lens I will not be selling

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Aug 31, 2008 at 05:42 AM


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