100-400 II To rent, or not to rent

Hey,
I'm going to the Rolex 24 next weekend and want to know from those who have used both versions if I will really see a big difference in the version II vs. I in this lens.
I have always used my original when I've gone in the past, and have gotten good shots but after reading about the hoopla surrounding the new and improved model, I got to thinking that maybe
I should try it out. Will I be blown away?
What to you guys think, yes? no?
Thanks

I used a original version, rented, twice. I got good but not outstanding results.

I purchased a v2 lens. It is OUTSTANDING. So sharp and the colors are great. Not important for you but you can focus on subjects that are very close too you, so it works well for bugs and such.

YMMV

I rented a MK II when I was going to an airshow in the UK in 2019 (rather than lug my MK I across the globe) and to be fair the light was very grey but I didn't notice much difference when used with my 1DX
The rental came with a filter (that I couldn't get off) so that may also have hindered it's performance a little.

I think the twist-zoom would be useful if you were taking video.

Used the MkI for close to a decade, upgraded to the MkII…no comparison, rent the MkII. Better optics, better IS, much faster AF.

Thanks guys!
I think I'll give that bad boy a go next weekend!

As others, I had the 100-400 Version 1 “Dust Pump”. Nice images. Treated myself four years ago already to the 100-400 Version II. Night and Day. Faster focus, improved color and contrast, and sharper through out. A Great upgrade. The real issue you may have is how do you purchase one?……..

Ok, I put an order in to Lensrentals last night. It will be here on Wednesday and I'll have it for a week.
Looking forward to giving it a good workout at the Rolex next weekend, and I'll have a few days to take it out in nature around here as well.
Thanks for your insights. If it's as good as you all say, I'll probably end up with a bad case of GAS, unfortunately.

And if you need a bit more reach the 100-400ii plays very very well with the 1.4iii. That gets you out to 560mm.

I will say, there is image quality debate on whether it is better to shoot at 400mm and crop vs adapting to 560mm to get the framing you want.

I've got a 1.4 II. Does it work well with the 2nd gen tele?
I would imagine it should.

wyntastr wrote in post #19335472
I've got a 1.4 II. Does it work well with the 2nd gen tele?
I would imagine it should.

what body are you shooting this with? It *should* handle the v2 TCs ok; the v3s were released with some extra communication between the lenses and is what a number of us are using with that lens; if your body supports MFA, I would strongly suggest setting that for both the bare lens and the lens+TC combo for best results.

I'll be shooting with a 1DX. So I hope that body will work well. It should be modern enough.
I was wondering about having to MFA the lens with my body, so I'll be sure to do that before Daytona. I hadn't thought about doing it for the combo as well. Thanks for that tip.

wyntastr wrote in post #19335563
I'll be shooting with a 1DX. So I hope that body will work well. It should be modern enough.
I was wondering about having to MFA the lens with my body, so I'll be sure to do that before Daytona. I hadn't thought about doing it for the combo as well. Thanks for that tip.

Yeah; the default for MFA was usually to adjust globally, but I always found better results adjusting per lens, which you need to enable manually, if you haven’t already.

wyntastr wrote in post #19335563
I'll be shooting with a 1DX. So I hope that body will work well. It should be modern enough.
I was wondering about having to MFA the lens with my body, so I'll be sure to do that before Daytona. I hadn't thought about doing it for the combo as well. Thanks for that tip.

I shoot a lot of wildlife and the 1.4II pretty much stays stuck on my 100-400II whether on my 1Dx or my 7D2 depending on what I'm shooting.

Been thinking about an Extender for a little while to use with my 100 - 400 Mk II and current 80D. With regards to the 1.4 and 2.0 is one preferable over the other apart from the extra reach?

Thanks, Chris

Chris L F wrote in post #19335951
Been thinking about an Extender for a little while to use with my 100 - 400 Mk II and current 80D. With regards to the 1.4 and 2.0 is one preferable over the other apart from the extra reach?

Thanks, Chris

I would avoid the 2x, baseline. I have not found the 2x to work acceptably with anything but a long prime. I hesitate on the 1.4 for use on the 80D a bit, only because it was barely acceptable most of the time on the 7DII, which has essentially the same sensor. The lens will only allow you to AF using the center AF point, and the loss of contrast may/may not be troublesome for you. It was more of a purchase of opportunity and curiosity than a useful tool in my bag for the EF bodies and this lens. Given the limitations it imposed on AF and whatnot, I would only recommend adding a 1.4 to that lens if you're doing so out of curiosity and not out of expecting a reliable and frequently used tool.

My comments relating to this combo for the OP were based on them already having the TC in their bag.