Canon 400mm 5.6L

Hi Folks,

I'm looking for a new lens on my 7D. I've seen the 400mm 5.6 L, which looks like a great lens.

I'll mainly (95 percent of the time) use it for airshows. Anyone who has experience with this lens for airshows? Another option I'm considering is the 300mm F4 IS, for the IS.

Cheers,

Mike

I'm debating the same thing, although I think it's going to be the 400. I have the 70-300L and I wouldn't be gaining much with the 300mm f4 IS. The 70-300L IS is amazing. I can handhold 300mm shots at 1/30s easily. If the 300mm f4's IS is anywhere close, you'll be amazed at how good it is. It's the reach I'm going for. The 400mm f5.6 looks to be tack sharp all the way into the corners, so cropping shouldn't be an issue.

Hopefully some 400mm f5.6 owner's will comment here. I'd really like to hear pros and cons.

EDIT: Just ordered one. My lack of patience won out again. Now I guess I'll get to post pros and cons of my own.

The 400 5.6 is a nice lens. I would like to pick one up to compliment my 100-400. But I think I would find a prime to restrictive at an airshow. I have done two shows (both Wings over Waves down in Daytona). I find that about 40% of my shots were between 100-300.

Last airshow I was at I was outside the fence at the end of the runway. I really could have used more reach. But now that I have the 6D and 7D and a 70-300L and my 400 5.6 on the way, I can use a two camera setup and be covered for almost anything. The 7D with the 400mm will give me significant reach and fast AF and the 6D with the 70-300L will give me a good range. I'll be stuck standing in one spot, of course, but that's the trade-off with a multi-camera setup.

7D and 70-300L

i'd rather have a zoom for an airshow

M_Six wrote in post #15671841
I'm debating the same thing, although I think it's going to be the 400. I have the 70-300L and I wouldn't be gaining much with the 300mm f4 IS. The 70-300L IS is amazing. I can handhold 300mm shots at 1/30s easily. If the 300mm f4's IS is anywhere close, you'll be amazed at how good it is. It's the reach I'm going for. The 400mm f5.6 looks to be tack sharp all the way into the corners, so cropping shouldn't be an issue.

Hopefully some 400mm f5.6 owner's will comment here. I'd really like to hear pros and cons.

EDIT: Just ordered one. My lack of patience won out again. Now I guess I'll get to post pros and cons of my own.

I have the 70-300L/400 5.6L combo for my 7D. Love it for racetracks. Small, lightweight combo with incredible IQ that I can carry all day with no hassle.

gocolts wrote in post #15672346
I have the 70-300L/400 5.6L combo for my 7D. Love it for racetracks. Small, lightweight combo with incredible IQ that I can carry all day with no hassle.

That was another motivation. I'm going to the F1 race in Austin this November. I might try to get to some ALMS races this summer as well.

mikek1357 wrote in post #15671812
Hi Folks,

I'm looking for a new lens on my 7D. I've seen the 400mm 5.6 L, which looks like a great lens.

I'll mainly (95 percent of the time) use it for airshows. Anyone who has experience with this lens for airshows? Another option I'm considering is the 300mm F4 IS, for the IS.

Cheers,

Mike

Sigma EX 100-300mm f4 HSM (non-OS) is a great lens. You can get it for about $500-$650.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/palenquero/8522​142849/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/palenquero/8523​613914/

I was at an air show a few months ago, and of the photographers with pro type equipment three had Canon 100-400 and one had the Sigma 50-500. I had my Canon 40D w/70-300 non-L. I learned that 300mm wasn't reaching far enough to satisfy me. I have since rented the 100-400 and while I am going to get one, I now know that it is definately no light weight. That's my .02 worth. -rick

I have a 7d and 400/5.6. While the 400's a fantastic lens for what I mainly shoot, birds, the one drawback I see for airshows is the lack of IS. I've shot prop planes on only a few occasions, but I've found it best to try to use a slower shutter speed so a to not "freeze" the props, something not easy for me without IS.

Received wisdom on these boards (as you'll already be gathering) is that 400L is best for birds and 100-400L is best for airshows. As tomj says, for propeller planes you need to be at 1/250 or slower, which really benefits from IS. Also, if the planes are large and come quite close, or to get a wider shot of a formation, a zoom is very useful.

I am looking to buy the 400 soon again.... Had it with the 7D and it was really nice. Never used it on FF yet, but with the 5D3 f/8 AF coming in April I think I will go for it. Will be used a bit in summer for sure! Be nice to get reach again.

I would strongly recommend a lens equipped with IS for shooting airshows. It will be really difficult to shoot propellor driven aircraft with a 400mm lens, no IS and and decent kind of prop blur. You really need to get the shutter speed slower than 1/200, and it is hard to handhold a 400mm lens at that kind of speed.

My #1 choice would be a 100-400L. My #2 choice would be the 300/4L IS with a 1.4X TC. These both assume a budget in the kind of range of the 400/5.6L or a little more.

mikek1357 wrote in post #15671812
Hi Folks,

I'm looking for a new lens on my 7D. I've seen the 400mm 5.6 L, which looks like a great lens.

I'll mainly (95 percent of the time) use it for airshows. Anyone who has experience with this lens for airshows? Another option I'm considering is the 300mm F4 IS, for the IS.

Cheers,

Mike

As everyone says:

1. IS

2. Versatility

3. Shutter speed handholdability (if it is a word)

These 3 points are needed to think of.

I agree with most of the other posters, the 100-400 is going to be better for air shows.
"sequestration" has cancelled all the air shows in my area .... grrrr