Renting lens for MLB game

I'm heading to an Oakland A's game next week and would like to rent a long lens. Its an afternoon game, so I figure I'd be shooting at f/5.6 or so. I will also be sitting on the first base side just outside the infield. I don't know what row I am sitting in, but I think its towards the rear of the bottom section.

My original thought was to rent the 100-400, but the local lens renter (http://www.borrowlense​s.com/) is out of stock when I need it. I'd rather do local pickup rather than pay to ship.

Other options are the:
-70-300
-70-300 DO
-300 f/4
-400 f/5.6

I think the 400 would be the best for where I'm sitting, but at 11" long it might be too big to have in the stands (no monopod either).

What would you rent and why?

http://oakland.athleti​cs.mlb.com …rk/oak_ballpark​_guide.jsp
Cameras & Videos:
Cameras and videos are allowed in the stadium during all regular season baseball games as long as they are not for commercial use. Both cameras and videos must be hand held; tripods cannot be set up in the seating areas or the aisles (monopods are allowed), and must not block the view of the ball game for other guests.

Any of those lenses will be fine, but if you're not used to long primes, it can be like trying to follow the game through a soda straw, so the 70-300 might be a good one to start with if you've got plenty of light to work with.

clarence wrote in post #10536670
Any of those lenses will be fine, but if you're not used to long primes, it can be like trying to follow the game through a soda straw, so the 70-300 might be a good one to start with if you've got plenty of light to work with.

My longest prime is a 50

Would you recommend the non- DO or DO? The price difference is $4. Or maybe the 70-200 with a 1.4x extender?

For example, here's one from a couple of weeks ago... sitting on the first-base side, 600/4 on a 1D3, so very similar to the view you'd get from the 400mm plus the extra 1.6x crop factor of your T1i...

Holy smokes that's a tight frame! I just threw out the 70-200 with extender because it might be sharper. I don't know. I guess I'll give the 70-300 non-DO a try.

Thanks for the advice.

Just got back from the game and will have the 70-300 IS till Tuesday. Game was fantastic. The lens was what I expected it to be. Its a decent lens as long as you stay at f/8 and don't do any cropping in pp. I think my L lens has spoiled me because I am not a fan of the feel or sharpness (at anything besides what I just said). Now I know though...


Shot with my 24-105