If I could have only one long lens, that would have to be 500 f/4 IS MkII.
Not 400, 600 nor 800........they are a bit too heavy and unwieldy, especially the 800.
The new 500 II is relatively light, thus I can move around and shoot with it handheld for several hours without experiencing much physical strain and aches. That is the key virtue of 500 II. In fact, to me the lens feels somehow lighter than its declared spec of 3.2 kg.
If in need of more FL, 500 II and 1.4xTC MkIII perform very nicely together, and that 700mm f/5.6 combo is still not over 3.5 kg in weight. Lastly, for very long range shots, the 1000mm f/8 combo is OK too, although it is much less than ideal for fast action such as BIF.
However, if I couldn\'t have 500 II, what would be my 2nd choice lens for wildlife (and more) ? That\'s easy too: 300 f/2.8 IS (MkI or II) with the MkIII TCs.
Here are some dark pijuns in excellent light (for my taste of exposure), done with handheld 1DX + 500 f/4 IS MkII + 1.4xTC MkIII, at ISO 3200.
May 25, 2013 at 10:25 AM
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