100-400 IS vs 400 f/5.6

[HKFEVER]

Can anyone post pictures or point the link for these 2 lens?

Since the price of these 2 is not that bad, I have a tough time to choose.

[drisley]

http://www.pbase.com/cameras/canon

The 400F5.6 is supposed to be sharper and have faster auto-focus.

[lomond]

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/lenses/400v400.shtml

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/lenses/forgotten-400.shtml

Excellent review of above lenses.

[foxbat]

I agonised for weeks over which of these two to buy. In the end these factors made me buy the 400mm prime:

1. I want to shoot birds so odds-on I'd hardly ever zoom out from 400mm.
2. Rumour has it Canon is about to replace the 100-400.

It's stuck in customs at the moment, I can't wait for it to arrive!

[mdr]

The 400mm prime is about £200 cheaper in the UK...

[Scottes]

I wrote a long review comparing the two lenses. I own both, and they have very different uses in many ways.

EF 400mm f/5.6L Vs EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6LIS USM (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=43436)

[prsast]

I use both the 400mm f5.6 and the 100-400mm IS.

I will probably be shot down in flames but I find both to be excellent in certain circumstances. The 400mm is very sharp and very fast focusing, however, I find it too long to hand hold on a 1.6x camera body (better on a 1.3x or FF/35mm) and being a fixed focal length its sometimes a bit restrictive (you also tend to change lenses more with primes - and get more dust problems!!).

The 100-400mm is exceptionally flexible but is soft at 350-400mm, however, it is fantastic at 100-300mm (350-400mm is not so bad if you can stop it down to f8/f11). As a result I primarily use it as a 100-350mm zoom avoiding the 350-400mm range unless I have too.

The 400mm give nice results with the 1.4x multiplier (with a sturdy tripod) the 100-400mm seems to give more erratic results again often looking a touch soft. I do not rate the 2x multiplier and have never had any luck with it!!

If you need a lens in the 100-300mm range as well as a 400mm the 100-400mm has to be the one to go for. If you intend to shoot a lot at 400mm or with multipliers then go for the 400mm prime.

Andy

[Scottes]

prsast, I found all those points to be true, though I never really "pixel-peep-compared" the sharpness. Good points.