Advice needed - telephoto lens purchase

OK, I have been reading reviews and struggling for almost a week trying to decide on a telephoto zoom lens to replace my banged up Canon 100-300mm.

I have read countless posts on the subject but I am no closer to making a decision.

I am looking for a telephoto zoom to pair with my 5d2.

I have been looking primarily at the Canon 70-300mm IS(non-L) and the Tamron 70-300mm VC USD

My concerns are that I have read the Tamron has trouble focusing in low light and the Canon focuses slow and is soft at 300mm.

Then I started looking at the Canon 70-200 f/4L but I really feel like I should have IS on a tele zoom. I was also worried about the reach on my full frame.

Then I was thinking about trying to stretch up to the 70-200 f4L IS. I am still afraid of the reach though. I am curious if people think that a crop from the 70-200L would be better than the consumer grade 70-300's above.

I was briefly looking at the 70-300mm 4-5.6L but it was heavy, more than I should spend and only received mediocre reviews for the most part.

In the long run, I plan to get a 100-400L if they ever replace that lens. I am sure I will still want something a bit more portable to go along with it though.

If it matters the other lenses I use are a 50mm 1.4 and a 24-105L

In the end, I have no idea what so ever to do.

Advice?

I should probably add that I don't have any specific plans for it except that my current zoom is often far too short.

Places I could see myself using it are trips to the zoo, longer shots in the city, shots of the kids at indoor/outdoor events, etc...

how bout 100-400L? im sure you can find at almost same price range on your current budget

thrash_273 wrote in post #12432895
how bout 100-400L? im sure you can find at almost same price range on your current budget

I do want one eventually but it seems so heavy that I probably would not be willing to take it out very often. I was sort of hoping they would replace it sometime in the next couple of years.

this are big glasses for a reason though, the reward is its reach capability is uncompromise for your needs. but if they do replace it maybe a couple of years or so your gonna miss alot of opportunities on those days.

Tamron 70 - 300mm.

I sold my 100-400mm because it was too big and bulky and I needed some cash for a graphics tablet.

With the change I bought the 70-300mm.

Which is a good budget zoom.

mtimber wrote in post #12433546
Tamron 70 - 300mm.

I sold my 100-400mm because it was too big and bulky and I needed some cash for a graphics tablet.

With the change I bought the 70-300mm.

Which is a good budget zoom.

Have you used it on your full frame camera? How is it at the edges?

I second the Tamron 70-300 vc!

I'm really enjoying mine and the saturation/sharpness is just excellent. My copy is sharp throughout the range, even wide open. The VC is very good as well, though not the silky smooth action of Canon. It somewhat jerks into place but is amazing.

I haven't experienced any low light focus issues, however it has hunted a couple of times. I'm trying to narrow down, having only owned it for a month, but it seems to be in very high contrast situations. Otherwise, it is spot on and that has been a non issue for me!

The weight and feel is nice as well on my 40d. All my research showed it to be quite superior to the rest of the field which others seem to concur.

Good luck.

dalto wrote in post #12433961
Have you used it on your full frame camera? How is it at the edges?

My 5d is in some postal service somewhere, so have not had a chance to try it yet...

Hoping it will be here tomorrow.

Although, I will probably only use it on the 7d crop because of the cropping reach it gives me with the 1.6 dense sensor.

Once you get above the 70-300IS/VC, you're already in the price range of a used 100-400; and if what you need is the reach, that's really "it" for long zooms (Sigma 50-500 is also a popular option there).

Given the options you outlined above, if you're set on waiting until they 'rev' the 100-400, I'd just pick up the Tamron 70-300 VC and start saving for when the new lens comes out. Plan on it being a $2500 lens at release and the near future thereafter.

dalto wrote in post #12433961
Have you used it on your full frame camera? How is it at the edges?

Although I use mine on a crop sensor, everything I have heard and read is that it does great on full frame. One of the strong points of the lens is edge performance. By the way I am extremely pleased with the tammi! I use it alot when I don't want to lug around my Bigmos.