100-400L, Sigma 50-500 or similar lense, help me choose

[Wrench]

Time for another lense. Sports and wildlife photography, mostly outdoors but I suppose there will eventually be a time when for some reason I'll want to use it indoors. What other lenses could I look for besides the 100-400L and the 50-500 Sigma?

[Wrench]

I've also come across the 170-500 Sigma and the Tamron 200-500. Any info or experience with these?

[CyberDyneSystems]

Take a look at the -=Top ten=- lens recomendations sticky thread.. there is a poll of the -=Top Ten=- Wildlife zooms.. among others.

[ScottE]

It depends on how you will use the lens.

If you need a 500 mm lens and shoot from a tripod, the 50-500 is better because it has 500 mm and the 100-400 does not.

If you shoot hand held, the 100-400 is better because it has image stablilzation.

I tested the two and shooting from a tripod using mirror lock up and a cable release the image quality is so close that it doesn't make a difference which you choose for that purpose.

I ended up with the 50-500 for wildlife because I use a tripod and often need as long a lens as I can get.

Scott

[Mitcon]

I went down the Bigma (50-500) path a few days ago, for me it was alot cheaper than the 100-400L and the extra 100mm reach is nice for wildlife. I have no problem shooting it handheld @ 500mm as long as I keep the shutter speeds high. I do prefer to use a tripod if I can. Not sure if it's fast enough for sports and indoor photography. I find it needs alot of light, but for the price and the photos I love it:D

[condyk]

Good advice that backs up my own experience. The 170-500mm is Ok from samples I've looked at. I wouldn't go that route myself. I dunno the Tamron.

I might add the 80-400mm OS (Sigma version of IS) to the list as it seems very well liked by owners, less expensive than the Canon, and handles well with excellent build and results. Bigma is a superb lens with great reach. I've had both the Sigma's and liked them but actually prefer my current 100-300mm f4 Sigma with 1.4x TCon in pure results quality terms: might be worth looking at too as you get 420mm.

For wildlife, I would opt for the Canon 100-400mm L IS if I didn't have to pay UK prices and could afford it, because IS gives a useful edge even though the Bigma image quality is at least as good. Because I do have to pay UK prices, and if I knew handheld shooting was going to be common place, I would go for the Sigma OS ... and probably will at the end of 2005 when I next go overseas.

Not sure how good any of these would be indoors honestly. Maybe the 100-300mm f4 might do it well mounted. Not a lens to swing about trying to take fast action shots, even though the AF speed is awesome! Not confident about the Bigma handling that side because it loves light and decent mounting. The IS/OS might be Ok, but no doubt current owners will chip in. I've never shot indoors with big lenses. Dunno about sports side either. Check out user comments at www.fredmiranda.com ... very useful insights!

[GyRob]

i just bought a sigma 170/500 kept it a day and sent it back, the colour's were really good but it was only sharp at f11/ f16 so for action shots it was a no no .
Rob

[Medic1]

I have the 100-400 and love it....I just shot an airshow yesterday (handheld) and the pictures turned out great. I don't think I could have done this with the Bigma without a monopod or tripod. You may be able to, but after awhile with this combo I just can't hold it perfectly steady anymore.

Heres a couple pictures:

[gasrocks]

What lenses do you already have? Makes a difference in what I'd get next.

[Wrench]

thanks for all the replies. Right now I've got the following

Sigma 70-300 APO Macro II
Canon 50 1.8
Tamron 28-80
and (unfortunately) Quantaray 28-210

The new lense will be primarily for motorsports, local minor league baseball and some wildlife. Most of the time I'll be close enough to the subject to not need the reach of the Bigma's 500 and I believe the IS on the 100-400 would be a better benefit than the extra 100mm.

Do any of you have exp. with the Tamron 170-500? A guy at my LCS was telling me about them. They've got the SP glass that's supposed to comparable to the "L" glass.

[CyberDyneSystems]

... eh.. go for the 100-400mm.. for starters, the Tamron won't focus fast enough for sports or wildlife...

[ghocking]

Cannot comment on the Bima but the 100-400 is a fantastic lens, best in my collection, I just love it.

Always said I would stick to Canon lens but after buying Sigma 180 Macro I was very impressed, and would have no problems in buying Sigma high end lenses.

[RikWriter]

I have the Bigma and it's done fine by me, but a tripod is a MUST for it.

[Hellashot]

I have the Bigma and it's done fine by me, but a tripod is a MUST for it.

I've used it just fine with a monopod. As long as the lens isn't twitching your shots should come out fine. I took some that were around 1/160 and came out good.

[ukjesters]

I was fortunate enough to have my good wife buy me the canon 100-400 is lens last week. I was in the same predicament as you were, choosing between the bigma the 80-400 os sigma lens and the canon, i too wanted a lens for motorsports and wildlife-primarily birding. I can say that i absolutely love the canon lense. Its extremely fast on focusing-and quiet and even with my limited knowledge of photography i have still managed to get some really good photos.

I can definately recommend the canon lens but i am unable to compare it with the other lenses as i have not used them.

Hope that may help in some way
Rick

[ukjesters]

sorry about above photo but in adobe photoshop it reckons it is 4inches x 6 inches...this is clearly not the case!!!
Sorry again as it also detracts a lot of the picture quality as well...oh well at least i did say i was only a beginner...

with lots of puzzling times ahead
Rick

[cc10d]

I have the 100-400L IS, Its awesum!! Effective 640mm with IS is unbelievable. Can handhold at full extension. Its fast, Its good. Do not have to pack around the tripod all the time, now. I have used it for 2 years now and would not part with it. The zoom is great, less missed shots, I used to use a big 2.8 prime. Still own it and it has its place, but the zoom wins the spot on the camera most of the time. (the ability to up the ISO on these cameras helps a lot.) Especially when I am hiking or needing to move around, much quicker than dealing with a tripod.

[lensmen]

100 - 400L , recommend I will.
Sharp image at low shutter speed, produced it will.
Love it , I am....

[cfcRebel]

100 - 400L , recommend I will.
Sharp image at low shutter speed, produced it will.
Love it , I am....LOL! :lol: Sharp like a light saber, it is.

[lensmen]

Just to share this... taken hand held with the 100-400L IS

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/Snoopy88/Birds/8IMG_6137.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/Snoopy88/Birds/0SBG-Sunbird12a.jpg

Due to my frequent travels , the lens and I had not chatted for a while. Soooonnn. we will be meeting our birdy friends again...

[formula4speed]

Well sure it can take pictures of birds, but how about test pics of a more popular subject like a ruler :lol:

[lensmen]

Well sure it can take pictures of birds, but how about test pics of a more popular subject like a ruler :lol:

A ruler ?

Well, it is a joke than I am not catching it. Maybe my english is not very good.

For close up on this 100-400L, I had a 500D close up filter by Canon. Works wonders and does not effect the IS or AF function. Just that after a while shooting butterflies, I have a headace as my visual perception is disoriented.

[condyk]

A ruler ? Well, it is a joke than I am not catching it. Maybe my english is not very good.

Quite a funny joke ... he is saying that some people spend more time testing their lenses by taking test pictures of rulers and newsprint than actually doing what they bought the lenses to do: taking photo's of real things :lol: :lol:

Hope life is fine in Singapore ... my second favourite city :)

[EOSAddict]

Does anyone actually own the Sigma 80-400 OS who could comment? If it's as good as the Bigma seems to be then it has gotta be worth looking at for the price.

[condyk]

I had one to replace an absolutely A1 spot on top quality Bigma, because looking ahead to my next big trip I knew I needed something to make hand held shooting more reliable. Unfortunately, having agreed to sell the Bigma to Muzz already, at a give-away price frankly, the OS arrived with a front focus issue. So, I was left with no long zoom. I really liked it other than that. I would consider trying another one.

But, on the bright side, it meant I got my current 100-300mm f4 and TCon combo which I think is a great lens set up and 420mm of clean, sharp quality. But it will have to go for a IS/OS sometime soon.

From the many test shots I looked at, and considering user views, I would say the Bigma and 100-400mm are so close in quality that sample and user variation is more important, while the 80-400mm OS is close; very good indeed in the right hands, but perhaps not quite, quite, quite there. The very best shots I found were really very good.It is significantly cheaper in the Uk over the IS L and has a very keen fan base. The new DG version may mean it is now up there, but have no experience of that. Definately worth a serious look.

[EOSAddict]

At risk of sounding stoopid, can someone explan what a front/back focus problem is please???

[condyk]

Apologies ... if the focus is fine then it focuses on the area you intend it to focus on. If front or back focusing then you think it is focusing where you expect when you shoot but it actually focuses in front or behind that area. With the OS I took around 150 shots or so and not a single one in focus in very good outdoor shooting conditions. I tried again having read and re-read the 'manual' just in case. Same results every time. Sent it back to the guy I bought it off and he got the same results. When I studied the shots then it was clear that each time the area in front of my intended point was nice and focused but the point I wanted to be in focus wasn't. It's a pain.

[EOSAddict]

Got it! Thanks.

[lensmen]

Oh that Ruler !

:p :p :p

Frankly, I had learned to ignore that for a very very long time.

If you are ever in Singapore / Malaysia (and has some hot tropical climate wear with you), do drop me a note. Lets go for a shoot together.

Cheers




Quite a funny joke ... he is saying that some people spend more time testing their lenses by taking test pictures of rulers and newsprint than actually doing what they bought the lenses to do: taking photo's of real things :lol: :lol:

Hope life is fine in Singapore ... my second favourite city :)

[condyk]

If you are ever in Singapore / Malaysia (and has some hot tropical climate wear with you), do drop me a note. Lets go for a shoot together.


Sure ... but you'd need to buy a couple of 3rd party lenses first. I'd hate to be seen out with a guy who only had Canon L's :lol: :lol: I'd never live it down :p But then you still have a 300D, which is very cool, and also an under-water housing which is also acceptable.

[xc611]

100-400 !

take a look pictures taken by this lens.

http://forum.xitek.com/showthread.php?threadid=258100

[lensmen]

3rd party. Well, seen that been there done it , before. There are a lot of white lens / red rings here in Singapore.

So, it would be a better idea to say ....

Come to the White side, you will.
Feel the force, of the sharp and fast lenses

Sure ... but you'd need to buy a couple of 3rd party lenses first. I'd hate to be seen out with a guy who only had Canon L's :lol: :lol: I'd never live it down :p But then you still have a 300D, which is very cool, and also an under-water housing which is also acceptable.

[Jim_T]

I've attached a shot of a cattle egret that I took a couple of weeks ago with my 10D and Canon 100-400 lens.. The bird was in a ditch by the side of a road and I shot it out my car window...

I took this as a large fine JPEG.. (All the original JPEG info is attached to the file). It was taken at 400 mm and it's a straight 800x600 crop out of the original.. I've done NO editing at all to this image and I actually reduced the quality a bit when I saved it to make the file size smaller.

It's a touch soft, but that's caused by my 10D, not the lens.. (The 10D is noted for soft images).. Download it and try a touch of USM and contrast and see what happens.. Anyone with a some of understanding how Photoshop works can make this sharp as a tack..

The 100-400 is a great lens. I've had mine for a year and a half and I love it. The image stabilization is a very usefull feature as well.........

[vjack]

Here is some info on the Tamron 200-500mm:

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/reviews/tamron_200_500.html
http://www.photofocus.com/showarchive.php?aid=224&cid=1

After reading the second of these reviews (Photofocus Mag), it seems like this should be a serious consideration. Unlike the previous comment about slow AF, it really doesn't sound like that is a problem.