Switch from 70-200 to 100-400

Pigpen101 wrote in post #18748032
How would the 100-400 handle the 1.4x on a FF (6D)? I'm looking to sell my 400mm F/5.6 & replace it w/ the 100-400mm by next football season.

That may work a bit better, being a less dense sensor, as long as the TC is a good quality one. I wouldn't necessarily use my Kenko 1.4x on that, but a Canon 1.4x II perhaps.

However, I might suggest looking at the Tamron 100-400. It gets great reviews with sharpness nearly that of the Canon MKII, and if you can get better IQ at the point the image goes through the TC, the better the results.

I am not even sure that Canon services the old 100-400 any longer, and with Tamron, I believe you get a 6 year warranty and it is about the same cost as a 100-400. Something to consider anyways?

A couple of articles to read:
http://greenham-birding.blogspot.com/p​/canon-100-400.html

https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=eytCPLwpDTA
https://www.bhphotovid​eo.com …new-tamron-100-400mm-lens
https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=nPEmfMmvQMM

Thanks for the info. I would definitely go with the Canon TC. If I were to get the 100-400mm it would be the newer version. The Tammy is quite a bit cheaper, however. IS/VC means nothing to me because I'd only be shooting sports. I was impressed with the Tammy 70-300mm when I had it, sold it when I got the Canon 70-200mm. With the VC turned on, you could actually see the image freeze in the viewfinder. Sold it to my brother & he loves it. I know there isn't much difference between F/5.6 of the Canon & the F/6.3 of the Tammy, but every lit bit helps with sports. Not just for night games but you really need to pay attention the backgrounds at anything over F4.

Another lens I'm looking at is the Sigma 120-300mm F/2.8, I know a few guys that use it for football with great results. It's an additional $1,500 over the Canon.

I would love a sigma 120-300

shane_c wrote in post #18719482
I read somewhere that it didn't work on the Tamron.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #18719490
What version do you have, perhaps I missed that somewhere? If that is true, and one of your goals was to use the 1.4x on your 100-400 lens, then I guess your only option is to trade out your one L for the other.

EDIT: Never mind I see it now, the 1.4x MKII.... Not sure what the deal is with that, I will research the web to see what the issues are with that.

BigAl007 wrote in post #18719745
I know with the Sigma 150-600's and I think the 100-400 that the lens firmware is supposed to be set up so that the lens will only work with the new TC-1401. That may be for just Sigma converters, because from what people have posted in various threads it seems the Sigma lenses still work fine with non Sigma TC's, including the Canon. It may be this that is confusing the OP.

Alan

I don't own the Tamron, but right now at my desk I tested the 7DII, SIGMA 100-400mm and Canon 1.4X II
I was surprised to find that it not only fit just fine, but the AF is very good inside at night in very low light.

shane_c wrote in post #18719791
If my Canon 1.4 worked on the Tamron 100-400 I will certainly consider it as long as it could track BIF. I may visit my local camera store someday to try..

Ah, and there it is.

IF you want to chase birds in flight with a 100-400mm and a 1.4x, then you are correct to be thinking only about the Canon. You'll get the best set up there. Better with a fully modern Canon SLR and a MkIII 1.4x.

Pigpen101 wrote in post #18748032
How would the 100-400 handle the 1.4x on a FF (6D)? I'm looking to sell my 400mm F/5.6 & replace it w/ the 100-400mm by next football season.

Pigpen101 wrote in post #18748337
Thanks for the info. I would definitely go with the Canon TC. If I were to get the 100-400mm it would be the newer version. The Tammy is quite a bit cheaper, however. IS/VC means nothing to me because I'd only be shooting sports. I was impressed with the Tammy 70-300mm when I had it, sold it when I got the Canon 70-200mm. With the VC turned on, you could actually see the image freeze in the viewfinder. Sold it to my brother & he loves it. I know there isn't much difference between F/5.6 of the Canon & the F/6.3 of the Tammy, but every lit bit helps with sports. Not just for night games but you really need to pay attention the backgrounds at anything over F4.

Another lens I'm looking at is the Sigma 120-300mm F/2.8, I know a few guys that use it for football with great results. It's an additional $1,500 over the Canon.

Just checking, do you realize there will be no AF with 100-400 II and 1.4X TC on 6D? In another post you mentioned tracking BIF.
6D will AF only to f5.6 unless you trick it by using a non reporting TC or tape the pins. Usually not worth doing.

I'm going to take a few days to think about the Tamron 100-400. Someone locally is selling a used one for 1/2 the price of a new one. From the pics it appears to be in New condition. Comes with the original box and owner says it's mint condition. Apparently he bought it at a local auction for his daughter who doesn't want to use it because she prefers her 50mm.

Only downside I can see is that there's no original bill of sale should I have to send it in for warranty work, and I would have no idea if it's a gray market lens or not. That said, in all my years of shooting I've never had to send a lens in for warranty work or any type of service.

I have shot with a Canon 100-400 Mk II quite a bit (borrowed from a friend) for T&F as well as a trip to Africa. It is a great lens. I was shooting it on a 7D. I now have a 7D Mk II and after watching the Dustin Abbott review, seriously considering the Tamron version.

shane_c wrote in post #18748931
I'm going to take a few days to think about the Tamron 100-400. Someone locally is selling a used one for 1/2 the price of a new one. From the pics it appears to be in New condition. Comes with the original box and owner says it's mint condition. Apparently he bought it at a local auction for his daughter who doesn't want to use it because she prefers her 50mm.

Only downside I can see is that there's no original bill of sale should I have to send it in for warranty work, and I would have no idea if it's a gray market lens or not. That said, in all my years of shooting I've never had to send a lens in for warranty work or any type of service.

.
So .... how did this go? . Did you end up buying the lens?

When you said it was 1/2 the price of new, and that you were going to take a few days to think about it, I thought that when something is a good deal like that, you usually have to grab it quickly before someone else does. . Typically you don't have any time to think things over when it's a super-good deal.

I hope that you spend your money and get a lens quickly so that you can start shooting with it instead of sitting there thinking about what lens to buy. . Much better use of time.


.

Decided to hold off for now. He didn't have the bill of sale, said he bought it at an auction, so I was a little worried that if something happened I wouldn't be able to get warranty work done. I had a hard time getting past that. And it appeared mint but seems a little odd that it was going so cheap.

More thinking the last few days..... I'll likely wait for the after Christmas sales. Leaning towards the Tamron 150-600 G2 lately for the extra reach because 400 often isn't enough, or at least that's what I found when I had my 400 f5.6L. I also find that the 100-400 can mostly be covered by my 70-200 + 1.4x.

I know I'll hate the weight of the 150-600 because I did have a G1 of the lens a few years ago, but may bring along a monopod when heading out to rest the weight on.

Another update....

The more I think about it the less I want to carry around a heavy lens like the 150-600. I've narrowed it down to a 100-400 (either the Canon v1 or Tamron).

A local camera shop has a lightly used Canon 100-400 v1 on sale for about $300 less than a new Tamron. I'm learning towards the Canon because of the price difference, it's a slightly faster lens, and because I know my 1.4xii will work with it.

The benefits I see if I went with the Tamron are that it's newer tech, warranty and likely a bit sharper. But I don't know if my 1.4x will work on it, although on the Tamron site it says the lens will AF on an 80D with a Tamron 1.4 added.

The older design 100-400 doesnt resolve enough detail for current high density sensors like a newer third party lens might, especially with a 1.4x.

I would suggest looking at the tamron 100-400 instead of the mkI of the canon. It resolves detail much better, and should meet your other requirements too.

Found a great deal on a used lens and was very close to buying a 400mm (for the third time). Removed it from my online cart and will save a while longer in the hopes of getting deal someday on a used Canon 100-400ii.

Until then I'll use my 70-200 f4 with 1.4xii for perched birds and the occasional nearby BIF. Which despite using the 1.4x on it still yields very sharp pictures.

shane_c wrote in post #18757640
Decided to hold off for now. He didn't have the bill of sale, said he bought it at an auction, so I was a little worried that if something happened I wouldn't be able to get warranty work done. I had a hard time getting past that. And it appeared mint but seems a little odd that it was going so cheap.

Enter the serial number under the warranty section on the Tamron site and you will know if its grey market or not.