Lens help plz...

[dem74]

I own a 50D with a variety of lenses... My zoom lens is the basic EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM & want to upgrade to a prime lens... Of course like most people the $5000+ price for most primes is outta my range so I'm looking at the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM... I've read many reviews as far as nature photography but my question is, can I get away with shooting sports (i.e. Nascar, Football, Baseball, Extreme) with this lens?

Thanks

[Bob Atkins]

It depends on what you mean by "get away with". The EF 75-300 doesn't have any image stabilization and it's not the sharpest lens in world at 300mm. Added together these factors probably mean that if you're zoomed out, your images won't be as sharp as they might be, especially if you handhold the lens.

The two lenses I'd look at would be the EF 70-300/4-5.6IS  if you want to keep the cost down to around $550 and the  EF 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS USM if you have $1700 or so to spend. The 100-400IS is an excellent lens with good reach at 400mm. It's larger and heavier than the 70-300 but it covers those extra 100mm at the long end and I think the focus may be a little faster. The EF 70-300IS is very good for a consumer zoom, much better than the 75-300 at the long end (it uses a special glass element). It's small, light and the IS is very effective.

The EF 400/5.6L is a very good, very sharp, fast focusing lens and it's $400 - $500 cheaper than the 100-400 zoom. However the fact that it doesn't have IS and it's not a zoom might limit it's utility for sports where you quickly want to catch both far and near action. When it's the right lens (i.e. you need 400mm) and you have it on a tripod, the images should be very good indeed of course.

[dem74]

thanx 4 the 400mm input... my worry with the 100-400mm is the push pull zoom... heard it likes to dust up the camera w/ the air flow... also, what are your thoughts on the Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM & Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM? I had actually ordered the 150-500mm but got cold feet not being the Canon name... What about the Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM with 1.4x extender? I'm just wanting the best bang for the money without hitting the $5000 mark...

thanks

[marcfs]

I own the 100-400 and the 400 f/5.6.  Both lenses are excellent depending on their use.

I use the 100-400 across a variety of subjects:  flowers (water lilies and lotus that are beyond macro range), landscapes, birding when walking around a location and limited action shots.  Push/pull design is really not an issue.  I had the same concern and deferred purchase of this lens.  I now consider the lens a favorite.  The 400 f/5.6 is very fast and sharp in “good lighting.”  It would be unbelievable with IS, however it would be a lot more expensive too.

I suggest you try a 100-400 and determine if it can capture the required action shots in focus.  My experience with this lens and birds in flight is pretty inconsistent.

When shooting the 100-400 wide open the images are not tack sharp.  For flowers I will manually focus an image, so there are no issues.  For bird images I shoot at f/6.3.  For really great images I find that the lens is terrific at f/8.  Nevertheless this is frequently used lens that I am very satisfied with.

Good luck!!

Marc

[whizkid]

Just a comment on Canon's 100-400 mm lens. The accusations are it is a dust pump. From what I read, it is dust sucked into the lens that is the complaint and not dust being expelled. As I see it dust can get into any lens and unless I was shooting in a dusty or potentially dusty area would I think twice about a push-pull design.