Handholding the new long lenses

I just did some research into the newly announced Canon long lenses - weight is my only concern right now. Prices will give me a heat attack I am sure, but that will be later. I only handhold my EF 500/4 and consider the Sigmonster (300-800/5.6) as a tripod only lens. The new lenses are very much lighter and open up some new possibilities, especially when you consider better IS performance.

NEW Present version

EF 400/2.8 II 8.49 LB 11.7 LB
EF 500/4 II 7 LB 8.53 LB
EF 600/4 II 8.6 LB 11.8 LB
EF 800/5.6 9.9 LB
Sigma 300-800/5.6 12.9 LB

Nothing shorter is on my radar now. Looks like I could manage the new 600 as it is weight wise near the present 500. What is not here is the length of the lens. Makes a huge difference as well. With most of the weight at the front of the lens where the big glass is, balance becomes an issue, not just overall weight. Since the 600/4 is longer than the 500/4, might make all the difference.

For all it's worth, I work out to be in good enough shape especially with motorcycle riding. With all the push ups that I do, I still find my 200L f/2+1D3 to be too much over long time, and that's only like four kilos.

So by hand-held if we mean just a shot or two, that's be different from lugging the thing around and bringing it up and down as the photo opportunity flashes by.

Besides, I find it next to impossible to use the AF-Stop button, the playback ring and the focus ring all in a short vicinity of time and still look after weight balance (when hand-holding the lens). And that's me with a midget whale. Monopod is my friend.

That's interesting. Only a pound and a half from the 500L markI to mark2. And almost 3 pounds saved from the 600L markI to markII.

when was the last time you saw anyone hand holding a 600mm lens?

megapixelsoffun wrote in post #11798875
when was the last time you saw anyone hand holding a 600mm lens?

At every airshow I've ever attended...

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Sorry but that is just silly, basic good photography rule is if u can use a tripod or monopod do it, best, and sharpest images are taken that way.

megapixelsoffun wrote in post #11798875
when was the last time you saw anyone hand holding a 600mm lens?

Every summer at the Tour de France. Go to a time trial and you will see a dozen of them at the finish line of every race.

megapixelsoffun wrote in post #11799008
Sorry but that is just silly, basic good photography rule is if u can use a tripod or monopod do it, best, and sharpest images are taken that way.

Sorry but neither solution allows for the required freedom of movement to shoot aircraft which are often traveling in three relative planes at the same time.

Feel free to peruse my website at the link below. Every in-flight aviation shot you'll find there was shot hand held using the 100-400, the 300 f/2.8L IS or the 500 f/4L IS (and I often use teleconverters on the primes.)

Everybody knows the heavier the lens the better the handheld results... at least according to the geniuses in this thread:

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=996339

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #11799164
Feel free to peruse my website at the link below.

Amazing shots there. Is this your full time job?

Shot my first airshow (www.alainaerobaticshow​.com) last weekend (with 70-200 + 1.4x), not quite the same standard, but alot of fun.

Trying to build it into a full-time job, yes.

Thanks for the positive vibe.