surf tele recommendations

i would like to get into surf photography, and sometime this summer when i have a job (because i am a poor highschooler) i need to decide which telephoto lens to take on. the choices so far seem to be, the 300mm f4L IS, 400mm f5.6L, or the 70-200mm f2.8L. they are all in the same price range. and i would be shooting most likely at a beach break or at a place like Lowers Trestles for those of you who are familiar with certain waves like that...

which one, others for recommendation? thanks

Scott

I'm not far from the Trestles, but I've never been. I used to shoot surf at the HB pier with a 70-200 and sometimes a 100-400. The advantage to shooting at the pier is you can walk right up to the surfline and get some great shots without really long lenses. I like the 70-200 f2.8 because you can use a teleconverter and reach up to 400mm but you still get the advantage of the fast f/2.8.

400mm f5.6L is your best choice.

Bubble wrote in post #7443084
400mm f5.6L is your best choice.

care to share why?

socalfreebordin wrote in post #7445475
care to share why?

In my best assessment from what Bubble is saying, is that you need reach. The 400/5.6 is fast, and gives you the reach. IQ wise, the 70-200 with a 2x TC, will not be near as sharp or as fast as the 400. Most of the surf photos I have seen are shot with the 500/4 or 600/4. So the analogy, of the more reach the better, is used best used here

Hope that helps.

socalfreebordin wrote in post #7445475
care to share why?

more reach is better. you will need AT LEAST 400mm for surfing. Ideal is 500mm, best is 600mm. But since budget is your limited, 400mm f/5.6 is the best choice. 100-400 is also good due to the zoom ability but if you don't have a bright sunny day then you're done.

here is my surfing gallery:

http://www.aphanphoto.​com/album/

check unders sport. 90% of picture there taken with 600IS lens.

thanks

Great surfing pix, Alex! It looks as if a couple were shot using an underwater housing. Is that accurate?

Bubble wrote in post #7445976
more reach is better. you will need AT LEAST 400mm for surfing. Ideal is 500mm, best is 600mm. But since budget is your limited, 400mm f/5.6 is the best choice. 100-400 is also good due to the zoom ability but if you don't have a bright sunny day then you're done.

here is my surfing gallery:

http://www.aphanphoto.​com/album/

check unders sport. 90% of picture there taken with 600IS lens.

if there's enough light to surf there's enough light to use the 100-400L and as i recall the 400mm which you recommended is also f5.6 .

ed rader

Bubble wrote in post #7445976
more reach is better. you will need AT LEAST 400mm for surfing. Ideal is 500mm, best is 600mm. But since budget is your limited, 400mm f/5.6 is the best choice. 100-400 is also good due to the zoom ability but if you don't have a bright sunny day then you're done.

here is my surfing gallery:

http://www.aphanphoto.​com/album/

check unders sport. 90% of picture there taken with 600IS lens.

Don't get this - aren't the 100-400 and 400IS both f5.6 at 400mm?

paddycook wrote in post #7448483
Don't get this - aren't the 100-400 and 400IS both f5.6 at 400mm?

yeah and the zoom is image stabilized .

are they night surfing these days ?

ed rader

ed rader wrote in post #7448446
if there's enough light to surf there's enough light to use the 100-400L and as i recall the 400mm which you recommended is also f5.6 .

ed rader

lolz.. cloudy and raining day? 100-400 just like bigma = light hog.

Seeing as you are shooting from a beach then the 400/5.6 is the best bet here. It has fast AF and is a prime, so it is a little bit sharper than the 100-400. It is also quiet light.

If you look at my flickr, those were all shot with the 400/5.6 and i was more than 50metres away and i still wanted to get further back(there was a huge cliff and we were at the bottom of it).

The best lens for you would be a 500/4 or 600/4 but your budget will not stretch that far, so my recommendation is the 400/5.6

Post up the photos, trestles is awesome!

Bigma maybe worth considering as well though slow at 6.3 at 500mm. Sigma 100-300 f/4 used is a good deal and decent when used with a 1.4x TC to give 420mm. Monopod and/or tripod suggested.

thanks for all the information. gotta work hard, and remember to turn my application in for my jobs!