To explain. I just realized that I'm most excited by real photography, meaning, real-life non-faked, unscripted, unset snaps of real reality that you would be able to see if you were at that same spot. So, no studio, no saying cheeeeze to someone in front of the cam, no asking anyone to pose, nothing, just snap.
Now, I've been doing candid shots in the park and I've put some of them in critique corner here, and they were done with the 100-400L@400mm. I've tried shooting with it downtown, but it's sort of, not too good, since the surroundings/background is pretty big compared to the subject - think of using a 17mm lense instead - see my point?
Now the trouble is, if using a 17mm lense it would be helluva difficult to compose the scene right. Since my aim is shooting people - young people, old people, odd people, interesting people, couples, kids etc. a 17mm lense means I would have to be very close which sort of kills the stealth mode and besides it's pretty awkward I'd say, imagine going around the town with your new girlfriend and just when you kiss her someone nearly sticks a lense in your face. Allright, I'm exaggerating a bit, but just a bit. At 50mm it doesn't get much better either.. I feel safe beyond 200mm, preferably beyond 300 (with 1.6 factor!).
There is another solution, however.. detaching the 10D grip, putting on a short lense, say 50mm (if I should decide to go this way I'd buy the 35mm L), set ISO to 800, aperture to around f8, manual focus to a few meters and when there's something interesting just raise the camera and snap away.
So what do you think?
If you'd go either way and if you could only pick one lense for the purpose which would it be?
For the second option I think none other than 35mm L, for the first one... gee whizz, let's see.. first choice Sigma 120-300 (perhaps too heavy but sharp and excellent and just within my price range), then Canon 70-200 2.8 L IS, 300mm 4.0 L IS, the light and excellent though somewhat not too tele 135 2.0 L, if money was no object, the 200 1.8 L and 300 2.8 L IS...
Also, I still prefer being unspotted to having to uncomfortably grin to the person I just shot and possibly having to talk to them (-who are you shooting for? =just myself -oh.. <--- I hate this) - when I shoot photos I'm only interested in the outcome on my CF cards, and when people spot me I feel this as a disturbance. The big white L won't help the stealth mode either 
so another point to all black lenses.
I sometimes wish I could be invisible (not just ignored 
), then I'd go out with a wide angle and really let myself go...
