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Canon 1DXII and 200-400/4-1.4x

anselwannab
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Canon 1DXII and 200-400/4-1.4x

Wow. I decided to standardize on the 1DXII when it came out as I saw it as near the pinnacle of FF DSLR tech- and I was pretty sure that Canon was going with mirrorless going forward. I was off by one generation.

I have two 1DXII and worked them with a 70-200/2.8ISv1, and a 300/2.8v1 and was really happy. Mainly shooting my kids sports. It seems that people started dumping their EF glass (got the 300 a few years ago), and the 200-400/4L just this year.

WOW.

Dang, that 200-400 is SHARP, and I needent worry about the loss of depth of field control- even with the 1.4 engaged and f5.6.

The lens lets me sit near goal lines and shoot the whole field. I keep my 70-200 on my other 1DXII body, but rarely need it as the action gets close.

I did get a 1DSR body for high MP shots as my 5DII was finally starting to hiccup- and I might use that with the 300/2.8 for 'portrait' sports shots where I want to really blow the background, and I don't need to zoom much.

THat RF 100-300/2.8 looks interesting, but that 200-400 with the built int teleconvertor- that is the gangster when it comes to sports. Pretty close to a 'whole field' lens.

'Old' tech, but still getting it done

Sep 02, 2023 at 01:56 AM

John Daniel
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Canon 1DXII and 200-400/4-1.4x

Love mine too!

Sep 02, 2023 at 05:00 AM

rscheffler
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Canon 1DXII and 200-400/4-1.4x

Those were pretty much my thoughts about the 200-400 when I got mine 10 years ago.

And I still have it.

After decades shooting sports with long primes, the 200-400's flexibility was a game changer for me. Coupled with the 1DX at the time, the combo considerably boosted my game coverage productivity. My feeling is the 200-400 was designed with the 1DX system in mind as it seems particularly well matched for ~20MP. TC use does drop image quality a touch, which I suspect is more noticeable with a 45 or 50MP sensor and is the direction everything is heading, eventually. Doesn't mean the 200-400 is bad at that resolution, but whatever eventually comes in RF mount as a replacement will be technically better.

Sep 03, 2023 at 08:58 AM

artsupreme
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Canon 1DXII and 200-400/4-1.4x

anselwannab wrote:
Wow. I decided to standardize on the 1DXII when it came out as I saw it as near the pinnacle of FF DSLR tech- and I was pretty sure that Canon was going with mirrorless going forward. I was off by one generation.

I have two 1DXII and worked them with a 70-200/2.8ISv1, and a 300/2.8v1 and was really happy. Mainly shooting my kids sports. It seems that people started dumping their EF glass (got the 300 a few years ago), and the 200-400/4L just this year.

WOW.

Dang, that 200-400 is SHARP, and I needent worry about the loss of depth of...Show more →

That's the best bang for the buck kit by far right now for sports. I would suggest buying a cheap used R6 and replace your 1DXII with it. I replaced my 1DXIII's with R6's and never looked back. You should be able to find a nice used one for close to a grand.

Sep 03, 2023 at 10:07 AM

rscheffler
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Canon 1DXII and 200-400/4-1.4x

I agree. As great as the 1DXII is/was, I prefer the AF performance/consistency of the R6II. It's simply more bang-on accurate most of the time, whereas the DSLR tech would often result in usable, but not perfectly focused images. As much as I liked the solidity and ergonomics of the 1DXII, I like the size versatility of being able to remove the vertical grip whenever I want to work with a smaller body.

Sep 04, 2023 at 01:38 AM

action99
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Canon 1DXII and 200-400/4-1.4x

Used for many years 1Dx, II, III with the 200-400 1.4x (now R5(c) and 100-300 2.8).
The lens at current used price is a really good value, is on the heavy side but bare is quite sharp, with the 1.4x engaged especially on 45Mpix camera it shows some of its age... but again for the current used price a great sports lens. Kind of one lens to rule almost any sport.

On the contrary the 1Dx II is imo not really competitive anymore, the mirrorless AF has evolved so much that is not even a fair comparison. As a few have suggested, a R6 or R6II or R5 will give you much more consistent result. I'm a fan of R5 resolution so I never consider R3 or R6 but is a personal preference.

1Dx 200-400

1Dx II 200-400

Sep 05, 2023 at 04:18 AM

Bob49
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Canon 1DXII and 200-400/4-1.4x

Terrific shot of Dominik Paris running slalom. Was that with the 200-400 and was the 1.4 engaged? Which body? (If it was the 1DXII, the focus is very impressive.) For speed events (SG, DH) are you using longer lenses?

If you are shooting for an agency, are you permitted to shoot raw?

I agree the R5 AF is much better than the 1DXII. But the R3 AF works much better for me than the R5's, especially for more distant acquisitions in bad light.

Sep 05, 2023 at 09:02 AM

Dave_E
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Canon 1DXII and 200-400/4-1.4x

Action99 All your shots are beautiful, great hockey images, and the race horse shot and the lion are beautiful.

Dave

Sep 05, 2023 at 01:03 PM

action99
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Canon 1DXII and 200-400/4-1.4x

Bob49 wrote:
Terrific shot of Dominik Paris running slalom. Was that with the 200-400 and was the 1.4 engaged? Which body? (If it was the 1DXII, the focus is very impressive.) For speed events (SG, DH) are you using longer lenses?

Paris picture was 1Dx II, F5.6, 560mm (200-400 + 1.4 internal tc). Alpine Skiing I cover only Lauberhorn as I do it for a sponsor. I would say that for DH I would prefer to use a 600 + 1.4x.

R5 700mm and a big crop

R5 700mm and a big crop

R5 420mm

1Dx 200-400 at 530

1Dx 200-400 at 560

Sep 07, 2023 at 12:35 PM

arbitrage
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Canon 1DXII and 200-400/4-1.4x

It was a fantastic combo when I owned it....

February 04, 2017-5.jpg by Bird/Wildlife Photos, on Flickr

February 04, 2017-2.jpg by Bird/Wildlife Photos, on Flickr

May 22, 2017-13.jpg by Bird/Wildlife Photos, on Flickr

Sep 08, 2023 at 05:46 AM

Bob49
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Canon 1DXII and 200-400/4-1.4x

Many thanks to action99 for the information and the new photos (including, it appears D. Paris in the orange suit skiing DH in Wengen). (For non- skiers, the photo of Paris running slalom was neat since he is a downhill specialist, and probably was running the slalom as part of a Combined. For a downhiller, he skis slalom well.) I've considered the 200-400 for years, but even though it would be perfect for my needs optically, I wouldn't be able to manage it on the race hill without support, and swinging it to cover multiple gates would be a challenge.

Sep 08, 2023 at 08:54 AM

anselwannab
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Canon 1DXII and 200-400/4-1.4x

The 200-400 is a beast. My first thought was that I'd run that and then my 70-200/2.8 on another body- and then the 300/2.8 on my 1DsR for 'portraits'. I'd have to have a cart for all that. I put my 70-200 in a stool that I sit on to shoot the the 200-400, but I'm finding that I really don't need the 70-200.

Not quite ready to go EVF yet.

Sep 26, 2023 at 09:15 AM

rscheffler
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Canon 1DXII and 200-400/4-1.4x

You might find something like a 24-105 more useful on a second body for when the action is *really* close. At 105 you've still got decent reach into the FB end zone immediately in front of you, if you're shooting FB. My second camera/body preference has been the 70-200/4 simply because it's a lighter combination than the 2.8 version and is easier for me to hoist up quickly in the half-second before a play lands in front of me.

And I really love the further reduced size/weight of the RF 70-200/4 for this application.

If you're shooting from a stool in one spot, then what's stopping you from actually brining a small cart in which to keep the 300 for those portrait opportunities?

Juggling three cameras does become more complex when two of those have long lenses. I used to do it with 400 & 600 primes and a 70-200 on the third for some football games. Usually when I was more likely to park myself in the end zone. The 200-400 replaced both of those primes, mostly for the better.

Sep 26, 2023 at 02:28 PM


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