You guys didn't tell me!! WOW its heavy!

I got it today. The UPS man had to help me carry it inside.

Wow, that 100-400 (L) IS,, is the heaviest 3 lb I have ever lifted. Am I really that old? I guess I need to take up bar bells. The camera, BG-Ed, 2 batteries and lens must weigh about 75 lbs It is heavy and well built, kinda like a tank.Nothing like any other camera I have ever had. This is the first (L) lens I have ever had my hands on and I am impressed with its build. Too late to try it out as the sun is now gone for the day. I may try a moon shot later though.. Gotta take a pic of something. Cat is hiding I mounted it on my HD tripod and I am trying to find help to move it outside! YOu guys really hand hold this guy for shots You know I will be posting pic's with this guy. Its so big and heavy I think I will name it, I guess RAMBO will do.

Post later

The Old man

JZaun

Jerry,
Now you know why I got me Gitzo

If you take the tripod ring off, you can roll it on the ground. If you don't take the tripod ring off, you can still roll it, but it goes kachunk every on every revolution.

JZaun wrote:
I got it today. The UPS man had to help me carry it inside.

Wow, that 100-400 (L) IS,, is the heaviest 3 lb I have ever lifted. Am I really that old? I guess I need to take up bar bells. The camera, BG-Ed, 2 batteries and lens must weigh about 75 lbs It is heavy and well built, kinda like a tank.Nothing like any other camera I have ever had. This is the first (L) lens I have ever had my hands on and I am impressed with its build. Too late to try it out as the sun is now gone for the day. I may try a moon shot later though.. Gotta take a pic of something. Cat is hiding I mounted it on my HD tripod and I am trying to find help to move it outside! YOu guys really hand hold this guy for shots You know I will be posting pic's with this guy. Its so big and heavy I think I will name it, I guess RAMBO will do.

Post later

The Old man

JZaun

Try the Sigma 120-300 F2.8EX it weighs almost double...I have one! I will be like Arnold at this rate! It makes for a hell of a workout though

The 100-400 L has consistently been easier to lift once I started drinking true pints instead of these wimpy 12 oz American beers. No wonder America is going soft! We don't get any exercise! I blame Budweiser for the softening of America. 12 oz curls are for wimps.

Seriously though, it's a heavy mother. I've found that a modifed rifle shooting pose helps. I press my left elbow into my ample gut, palm up, and lay the beauty on top, and curl my fingers delicately around the focus ring. If you can't reach the focus ring, rest the tripod ring on your palm and use AF.

If you're short and skinny this might not work for you. If so, drink more beer. Building the stomach into a respectable beer belly gives you a fully functional Gutzopod.

After a while it's not so bad though. The thrill of the hunt makes the weight go away. But try spending 2 hours chasing butterflies with it - the Gutzopod is useless when chasing butterflies, so you have to truly handhold it. Oh, and throw a 500D on the front - yep, add another 8 oz placed as far from the balance point as possible. Now that's fun. The thrill of the chase again, and it's totally weightless. 2 hours later you're out of CF, and then you realize than your arms are rubber.

Fun stuff.

Oh, since we now know that Jerry has his 100-400, I will make a prediction:

We will see at least one perfectly focused bird picture from Jerry's yard, posted here by noon Tuesday, and a exclamatory "wow" from Jerry himself.

Scottes,
Wow, someone outside the UK/Europe that drinks proper pints...I am impressed! I need to get this pint glass that is actually 5 pints and stick it next to the regular pint glass for giggles and of course take a pic of it. Only down side is it costs £20 vs £1.50 for a normal pint glass.

It is interesting you mention putting the tripod mount on your palm and wrapping fingers around focusing ring. This is the way I manhandle the Sigma 120-300 F2.8EX, except the zoom is twist vs push/pull. I haven't found a more effective way to do it handheld. It is definitely a 2 hand camera with that lens on.

belmondo wrote:
If you take the tripod ring off, you can roll it on the ground. If you don't take the tripod ring off, you can still roll it, but it goes kachunk every on every revolution.

LOL. Tom, you're so funny! I guess you've gather all this wealth of useful information from your own personal experience? hahaha

BTW (switching to being serious for a slit second), did you finally get your lens back and in good working order?

LOL

Sclottes, if I used this technique myself, I'd be taking pictures of earthworms on the ground instead of the birds in the bushes.

However, I do use a modified version of your technique. Since I am kind of skinny and short, I have to hold the lens in my palm close to the lens mount.

Jerry, after a couple of sessions with the 100-400 you'll get used to the weight and find your own technique that's going to work for you.

BTW, congrats on your new acquisition. But this ain't the end, yet. It's only the beginning!

Do you carry a camera bag? Swing it around so that it's partially in front of you on your left side. Adjust the straps so it rides high enough so you can rest your elbow on the bag. Viola! Instant improvised Gutzopod!

Still doesn't work? Get a 1" dowel about 5" long. Put in a hanger bolt with a 1/4-20 end sticking out about 1/4". Thread that into the tripod ring. Now tuck your upper arm to your chest and reach forward and grab the "handle" you made. Pull it towards your chest, thus pressing the camera into your face. Don't pull too hard.

The more you can get your hand towards the front of the lens the better, since you're reducing the length of the lens that will possibly swing/wobble/shake. That 100-400 can get pretty long at 400mm.

PacAce wrote:

belmondo wrote:
If you take the tripod ring off, you can roll it on the ground. If you don't take the tripod ring off, you can still roll it, but it goes kachunk every on every revolution.

LOL. Tom, you're so funny! I guess you've gather all this wealth of useful information from your own personal experience? hahaha

BTW (switching to being serious for a slit second), did you finally get your lens back and in good working order?

No, I still haven't taken it down; something always keeps coming up. We were supposed to go today, but ran into a last-minute delay on closing escrow on a house yesterday, so we have to stay close to home to make sure nothing else goes wrong.

Normally, I could plan on driving down to Irvine and back in half a day, but as luck (bad luck) would have it, there's a huge upscale mall nearby, so wifey has plans on comandeering the expidition for a little visit to the Louis Vuitton store. We'll just have to wait until we have a full day to devote to the project.

In the meantime, I bought another 100-400. When I finally do get the other lens fixed, I'll just sell one or the other. I just couldn't stand the thoughts of being without one for an extended period of time. It's not my favorite lens (the 24-70 get's that title), but it's the most important one for my train pictures.

Take care.

Tom

Now, come on. How can a man who can take a 400mm pictures half a dozen different ways using different lens and TC combinations say that he can't be without a 100-400 lens?

Leo:
Dammit. I wish you wouldn't ask me questions like that. Now I'm going to be up all night trying to think of an answer. Between you, IanD, and a few others, I'm getting very little sleep these days.