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Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM

400iiii
Review Date: Jan 5, 2016 Recommend? yes | Price paid: Not Indicated | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Light, compact, insanely sharp and fast focusing when bare and with a 1.4x TC III, still sharp with a 2x TC III.
Cons:
None, other than the price.

Coming from a Sigmonster, 400 2.8 IS and 500 f4 IS, the 400 DO II is joy to use in birding. Finally, I can have mobility without sacrificing reach too much.

The 400 DO II on a 7D MII focuses very fast with or without a 1.4x TC III. IQ is second to none at 400 and 560 mm.

With a 2x TC III, AF slows down noticeably on the 7D MII, but IQ is still very decent.

Here are some images of wild birds captured in my first few weeks of using the lens:
http://www.pbase.com/liquidstone/400_do_ii

Seems to me that Canon has perfected the DO design, can't wait for the release of the 600 f4 DO.

Romy
 
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV

canon1dmarkiv
Review Date: Oct 7, 2010 Recommend? yes | Price paid: Not Indicated | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Very fast and accurate AF, 10 fps, image quality, low noise, deep buffer
Cons:
I prefer the video UI of my 7D

I primarily shoot birds and the 1D4 is my BIF specialist.... amazing camera for action photography.

Here are some bird photos taken with the 1D4:
http://www.pbase.com/liquidstone/1d4_test

Romy Ocon
 
Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM

ef400mmf_28l_1_
Review Date: Jul 31, 2009 Recommend? yes | Price paid: Not Indicated | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Amazing AF speed, glorious contrast and bokeh, and sharp wide open even with a 2x TC.
Cons:
None. Weight and cost were known variables prior to my purchase.

Just got the 400 2.8 IS for low light work, and I've started exploring its strengths and weaknesses. So far I like its performance - amazing AF speed and bokeh, sharp wide open even with a 2x TC. Here are a few test shots with the lens on the 5D2 - http://www.pbase.com/liquidstone/400_28lis
 
Sigma 24mm f1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro

24_f1_8_1_
Review Date: Apr 14, 2009 Recommend? yes | Price paid: Not Indicated | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Close focusing, bokeh, optics
Cons:
Two step processed to MF, noisy AF motor

I got this lens because I like the close-focusing ability and the bokeh, in an affordable WA with decent optics. I use it mostly wide open, and sharpness is decent at that Av (though it improves further when stopped down a bit).
 
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

ef100_400l_1_
Review Date: Apr 8, 2008 Recommend? yes | Price paid: Not Indicated | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Sharpness even at 400 mm wide open, framing flexibility, IS, relatively affordable price.
Cons:
Flimsy hood design, and I prefer twist-type, rather than push-pull zooming.

I'm very lucky to have a prime-like copy of this popular telephoto zoom. Mine is as sharp at 400 mm wide open as my 400 5.6L.

Here's my user-review posted in our local bird photography forum:

http://birdphotoph.proboards107.com/index.cgi?board=review&action=display&thread=352&page=1



And here's how my 100-400 measures up to my 500 f4 IS:

http://birdphotoph.proboards107.com/index.cgi?board=review&action=display&thread=353


Romy Ocon
 
Sigma 300-800mm f5.6 EX IF APO HSM

300_800_1_
Review Date: May 8, 2005 Recommend? yes | Price paid: Not Indicated | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Super sharp from 300 to 700 mm, even wide open. The thin DOF allows me to separate the subject from the background. Decent at 800 mm wide open, sharp at f/8 and back to super sharp at f/11. It can take a 1.4x or 2x TC very well.
Cons:
Heavy , and the HSM though fast is still not as fast as the USM of my canon 400 5.6L and 100-400 L IS.

I got one of the first DG copies of this monster zoom about a month ago and I was pleasantly surprised with its optical performance.

It's much sharper and contrastier than my beloved Canon 400 5.6L, the sharpest of my bird lenses that include the Bigma and the Canon 100-400 L IS.

Here's a shootout between this lens and the 400 5.6L:

http://www.pbase.com/liquidstone/image/41927758/original

Sure it's heavy and cumbersome, but what 800 mm super telephoto isn't? I knew that before I bought it and I just consider the weight and size as a price to pay for extreme reach.

I support mine with the Manfrotto 3421 gimbal head and a 475B tripod, and the combo is joy to work with in the field. When I snap on a 2x TC, I've gotten sharp bird pics at shutter speeds as low as 1/100 sec.

Here's a couple of bird pics using TCs - first is with a Tamron 1.4x TC (1120 mm) and second is with a Sigma 2x TC (1600 mm), both shot at distances in excess of 60 meters.

http://www.pbase.com/liquidstone/image/43005278/original

http://www.pbase.com/liquidstone/image/42498680/original

Here's a moonshot at 1600 mm:

http://www.pbase.com/liquidstone/image/42058598/original

The Sigmonster (my nickname for this lens) has allowed me to extend my "kill zone" to as far a radius as 100 meters on larger birds.

It's definitely not a hand holding lens (I use my 400 5.6L and 100-400 L IS for that), rather I consider it as a fixed big gun for those extremely long shots of shy and difficult to approach birds.

After several thousands of bird pics, I can say that I'm very happy with the Sigmonster, and would buy another one again in case (heaven forbid!) I somehow lose my present one.

Here's a link to galleries with pics of the Sigmonster and the birds it took:

http://www.pbase.com/liquidstone/sigma300800

Cheers,

Romy Ocon
www.pbase.com/liquidstone