EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L vs EF 100-400mm f/4-5.6L IS

[binary0110]

Hi,

I have a few lenses that I love for my 40D (50mm f1.4 being my favourite). Want to try some birding with my daughter, and need a decent but not too expensive longer lens.

I have a friend with to 100-400 mk ii on a 5D which takes beautiful shots, but at $2500, is out of my range..

the mk I, looks fine.. but I'm wondering now if I should consider the 70-300 given it's newer, a little cheaper at about $1400 and at 300mm I'll be getting an effective 480mm anyway .. right?

Any thoughts/advice will be appreciated.

Cheers,
Clinton

[paulheath]

hi there, the 100-400 is a good lens optically but those push/pull lenses have a tendency to collect dust etc ( nature of the lens im afraid ) so have you looked at the 300L f4 ? or have you looked at the Sigma 150-600 "c" lens, gives you extra reach with your crop factor and a dam fine lens too also slightly cheaper.

[Mary Anne]

I know 300mm is not long enough for shooting the Birds unless they are in the backyard as I do a lot of that.
I have the Cannon 300mm f/4 lens its a beautiful lens though when I go to the Wetlands and want to shoot the tiny Wrens or any Bird a fair distance away it's not long enough.
Look for something longer like Paul above mentioned.

[ameerat42]

Hi,...
the mk I, looks fine.. but I'm wondering now if I should consider the 70-300 given...and at 300mm I'll be getting an effective 480mm anyway .. right?

Any thoughts/advice will be appreciated.

Cheers,
Clinton

Hi Clinton. Shortly, "no". You only get the angle-of-view of a 480mm lens, certainly NOT the image size.

Serious birding would require more than f=300mm. (Having said that, I do not claim serious birding to be a forte`)
but even with f=500mm I have found myself hankering for more betimes. Look in the 400-600mm range.

That's not to say that the lens you mentioned would not be useful in itself.

[binary0110]

Great advice Paul! I've spend the last hour looking at the Sigma - I would never have even considered it prior. Could be the way to go. Thanks

- - - Updated - - -

Look unanimous Mary Anne and ammerat42.. I couldn't imagine getting such a long lens beforehand.. glad I came here.

[Cage]

I also concur with the 150-600mm suggestion.

Either the Sigma or the Tamron 150-600mm would be a great acquisition for birding.

PS: I'm not a Canon shooter so just check compatibility with your 40D.

[Mark L]

That Canon 100-400 was the lens of chose for birders for a long time (and still is for many).
As a first foray into birding it should do. Check the 2nd hand price these days, you may be pleasantly surprised.

[Brian500au]

The 70-300 is a beautiful lens but it is not ideal for birding. As others have said the minimum you need is 400 and preferably longer than that.

The 100-400 is a fantastic lens for wild life but you may find it wanting at times when birding. The simple answer is to add a 1.4x extender but this will only work on later model bodies (1 series, 5D3 / 5Ds, 7DII, 80D). It also has the disadvantage of slowing down the focus speed (no so much on V2).

The next best alternative is the 150-600. These are made by Sigma and Tamron. I myself prefer the Sigma because the software can be updated and therefore more chance of staying compatible with later release bodies. Sigma have two versions - the Contemporary and the Sports version. Very similar in IQ (maybe give it to the Sports) with the biggest difference in the actual construction of the lenses. The Sports is around twice the price of the Contemporary.

I have seen a lot of 100-400 on ebay recently for under 1K and for a little more I have seen the 150-600 in either the Tamron or the "C" version of the Sigma.

There a plenty of members here that use both model Sigma 150-600's and both versions of the 100-400. Hang around in the birding forum - and look for the smaller birds being photographed.

[binary0110]

Thanks again everyone for your generous advice.. Bought the Sigma 150-600 on the weekend... now, some sunshine would be handy :-)

[Mary Anne]

Congrats on that new lens a good choice, though I would not be waiting for the Sun to shine to try out a new lens especially for Birding.

[Mark L]

Thanks again everyone for your generous advice.. Bought the Sigma 150-600 on the weekend... now, some sunshine would be handy :-)

Good on you for making a decision.
Did you get the contemporary or sports version of that lens?
I've recently got the sports and with the weight I very quickly got a monopod to use with it.

[binary0110]

I got the contemporary Mark, as with the 100-400 mk ii, the sports was out of my price-range

Good on you for making a decision.
Did you get the contemporary or sports version of that lens?
I've recently got the sports and with the weight I very quickly got a monopod to use with it.