anyone move from the 100-400 to the 400L?

I really like the 100-400 but honestly 90% of the time I am using it at 400 anyway I very rarely use the rest of the range and dont think I need it.

some questions

- is the 400 that much better IQ wise?
- with the 1.4 tc does the 400 produce noticably better images than the 100-400 with the same tc
- did you miss IS?

I really would like to have something bigger than 400mm but as you know the price for the 500 and above is nuts which is why I use the tc to begin with

I am not interested in the bigma, a little to large size wise I think

Go with the 400, just beware that you won't be able to focus as close as the 1-4.

Definitely missed IS and though the 400 was sharper, it's pretty hard to hold that lens without some camera shake. Just remember, if you do go with the 400, you'll need lots of light for good shutter speed, or you'll need some support for lower light situations.

I think I am going to rent one and try it out before I switch

I tried the 100-400 before deciding on the 400 prime and came to the same conclusion - each time I used it I was always shooting 400 and wanting even more. The 100-400 seemed much heavier and harder to hand hold. The AF speed of the prime wins hands down and it is tack sharp. As far as IS, I have it on my 70-200 and honestly can't tell the difference when it's on or off. The more pictures I take, the more I appreciate primes.

tekkie wrote in post #3217690
I think I am going to rent one and try it out before I switch

That's the best course of action to take in your situation.
I certainly would not replace the 100-400 with the 400 f/5.6, unless I have a very specific mission to accomplish which the prime would do much better... like BIF shooting.
Yes, the prime has a more nimble AF drive, perhaps it's a bit sharper...if you have it on a pod, that is.....if not, then the 100-400 would tend to be sharper .

Yea I sold the 100-400 for the same reason. I use the 70-200 2.8 with a 1.4 if I want zoom flexibility and just crop or use the 400 L when I know I want to shoot birds in flight, etc. The 400L makes the 100-400 af speed seem slow and that matters to me as well as it is noticeably sharper..

I have both, the 100-400L for travel and general wildlife use, the 400L is a birding lens, thats about it

Which 400L is everyone talking about? There are three of them...

???

I went from the 100-400 to the 300 f2.8 IS and love the quality of the 300.

HTH,
Carl.

Chandler. wrote in post #3219391
Which 400L is everyone talking about? There are three of them...

???

There's 2. The 400 f/4 is DO, not L.

And people are quite clearly talking about the 5.6

correct its the 400 5.6 I should have specified that, I would love to have the 2.8 IS but yeah 6k is waaaaaaaaay out of my reach lol

I've owned two copies of each and my experience is this:
1)the prime is noticably sharper than the zoom.
2)the prime takes a TC much better than the zoom.
3)the prime is nice and light and if you use a monopod, you will never miss the IS
4)the prime focusses faster than the zoom
5)the zoom is shorter, easier to carry and handier for hiking

Right now, I have the 300mm f2.8 that I frequently use with TCs, so I sold my 400 and bought a 100-400 for hiking. But I am thinking after I get back from Yosemite I will sell it and buy a 70-200 f2.8L IS.

RikWriter wrote in post #3220277
I've owned two copies of each and my experience is this:
1)the prime is noticably sharper than the zoom.
2)the prime takes a TC much better than the zoom.
3)the prime is nice and light and if you use a monopod, you will never miss the IS
4)the prime focusses faster than the zoom
5)the zoom is shorter, easier to carry and handier for hiking

Right now, I have the 300mm f2.8 that I frequently use with TCs, so I sold my 400 and bought a 100-400 for hiking. But I am thinking after I get back from Yosemite I will sell it and buy a 70-200 f2.8L IS.

....quietly buys more ebay stock..............

morehtml wrote in post #3220352
....quietly buys more ebay stock..............

Hell, why would I buy anything THERE? You wind up paying full retail on used kit on ebay. Huge waste of time trying to buy a good lens on ebay.