400mm needed for the zoo???

Last minute question here. Never been to a zoo, will my 70-200 be enough on the long end or should I pack the 400mm. Trying to stay as light as possible. Thanks

P.S. It's the San Diego Zoo if that matters...

My experience has been that for most of the animals, my 70-300 has been fine. You'd probably be okay with the 70-200. The hitch is the bigger cats and other elusive animals. Anything with a big enclosure often stays pretty far out of range. They're the ones you wish you brought the big guns for.

"Packing light" is tough! On a rectent zoo visit with my son, he was shooting with the 100-400 and the 400 came in very handy. There will be plenty of times when if you didn't have a 400 reach you will wish you did.

I was shooting with the 70-200, but occasionally would swipe the 100-400 from my son!

The 70-200 would, though, be needed for low-light indoor shooting. It got me shots that the 100-400 wouldn't.

In other words, if I'm going to the zoo to photograph (rather than just a casual visit), I wouldn't pack light: I'd have a wide-normal zoom, the 70-200 or a fast prime, and my 100-400 to cover my bases, along with a monopod and probably a flash. If I had your 400 f/5.6 prime, I'd pack that rather than the 100-400, of course...

Thanks guys...this will be a casual trip for those going with me, but it's a photographic trip for me! Might as well just back the long ones and keep other stuff light as possible. Thanks!

It depends on the zoo. At the Detroit zoo, the animals are the main attraction and they are front and center so the 70-200 is basically all that is needed. At the Toronto zoo, more concern is given to the animals and they have larger enclosures, so they are most often times farther back from the crowds, so the 400mm is needed.

I've never been to the San Diego zoo, but from what I have heard, it is more concerned about the animals. Since this is not a family outing, take both. As tonylong stated, take other accessories as well, you will use them.

How about a extender for the 70-200, I have one and it comes in handy when you need the reach. pos

At the woodland park zoo I found that my 70-200 was enough for 95% of the zoo. There were a few instances where 300mm would have been great, and 400mm would have been helpful. 70-200 + a 1.4TC would be perfect for the zoo, I know I wish I had one sometimes.

Tho at the same time there were a few that the 17-55IS would have been great for If I had one.

70-200 is ok. However, at some area, 400 will benefit for you. I've used 500IS at SD zoo and it is not too long either.

http://www.aphanphoto.​com …ry/thumbnails.p​hp?album=7

all the picture in there shooting with canon 500IS.

I love the San Diego zoo. Had some good times there lol. But I would go for more zoom.

When I went to the Jacksonville Zoo a few months ago I used a 200mm and 2x TC. Only took the TC off for a couple of shots. I'd personally take the 400mm before the 70-200.

I would bring the 400mm along with the 70-200mm for the San Diego Zoo. You will need the reach for some of the exhibits.

Just visited the SD Zoo last weekend. IMHO, 70-200 will be fine. If you plan to go to the SD wild animal park, then bring the 400.

I took my 70-200 to the zoo for the first time and found that it was pretty decent for many shots, but there were time when I wish I had more reach. I would take both, ha but thats just me. Best of luck!

i shot this at the zoo with a 70-200. depends on the size of the habitat mostly. unfortunately this guy didn't have much room to roam:

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these were shot with my 70-300 as was said it depends how far away the animals are.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=539987

Something i did see was a person with monopd and cord shutter release, the woman held the camera up close to the wire cages from the bottom end of the monopod and used the shutter release to take the pictue. There is probably a lot of luck or experience in this but at least she has no distortion from wires that are in the way.