Requirements for Canon EF500 f4 L lens

[biswasg]

I presently have a Canon EOS10D with a Canon EF400 f5.6 L lens which I use for bird and wildlife photography. I have found three limitations with this lens- 1) 400 is still short
2) the f5.6 does not allow auto focusing when the 1.4X teleextender is attahced
3) lack of IS

I am considering going in for the EF 500 f4 L IS lens (if I can find the cash and muster the courage to spend). However, I am not sure whether my Manfrotto PROB tripod will be adequate. presently I use the 222 joystick head. If anyone of you are using a EF500 please let me know your experience and if you have used it with the Manfrotto PROB, which head is most suitable.

[christineredgate]

Cannot advise re tripod,but if you"tape" your extender,you will be able to auto focus with the 400F5.6.

[Bish]

Hello Gautam

I am not familiar with your tripod but your head will need upgrading as the max weight limit is only 2.5kg

I have recently purchased the EF 500 f4 L IS & am using it with my 30D, I am using the Kirk king cobra head & Gitzo 1325 tripod & am very pleased with it

This tripod will take 12kg & the head will take up to a 600mm lens

I hope this helps

Regards Bish. :t:

[biswasg]

Hello Gautam

I am not familiar with your tripod but your head will need upgrading as the max weight limit is only 2.5kg

I:t:
Thanks Chris and Bish with your comments. With some exchange in another forum, I realise that buying the EF 500 will entail in porbability changing my present tripod and heas setup. I maynot be prepared for all that now. My question now to all those who are using a Canon 400 f5.6 with a "taped pins" EF teleextender their experience with the setup. How responsive is this setup?
Thanks

[gmax]

My question now to all those who are using a Canon 400 f5.6 with a "taped pins" EF teleextender their experience with the setup. How responsive is this setup?
Thanks

Hello, I'm using this lens with a Canon Extender 1.4x (wouldn't recommend at all a 2x); with good light there are very few problems, with less-than-good light this kit tends to hunt a bit: AF gets slower and less precise, I find manually pre-focussing a great help
Image quality isn't much affected with the TC on, I mainly shoot at 400ISO to recover some speed lost due to the TC (1 stop)
Cheers,
Max

[hansbertil]

Hi, I just bought the Canon 500 lens and made some research as to what tripod-head combinations were used by bird professionals.
I now use a "Gitzo G1325 studex serie 3 Carbon fibre" tripod that manages 12kg and have NO center column, which means you can use it laying down. I also bought the expensive Wimberley head that is just wonderful with a heavy lens. Not cheap is the downside, tripod+head is around £1000. Manfrotto were supposed to have something similar to the Wimberley head, but I never found it...

[citrinella]

Hi,I also bought the expensive Wimberley head that is just wonderful with a heavy lens. Not cheap is the downside, tripod+head is around £1000. Manfrotto were supposed to have something similar to the Wimberley head, but I never found it...
There are instructions in the Canon forum (Photography On The Net or POTN) on how to make a gimball head for yourself. Sounds pretty simple, I will certainly be doing this.

Cheers, Mike.

[Keith Reeder]

Manfrotto were supposed to have something similar to the Wimberley head, but I never found it...Hans, Manfrotto do this (http://www.morrisphoto.co.uk/ProductDetails%7EproductID%7E5708%7Ecategoryid%7E1 49.html).

Andy Bright on this forum has reviewed it favourably here (http://www.birdforum.net/reviews/showproduct.php?product=129&sort=7&cat=19&page=1) and here (http://www.digiscoped.com/manfrotto701RC2.html#anchor_21).

The "bad" news is - it's only £99!!

[hansbertil]

I have not read the instructions on the Canon Forum for how to make your own Wimberley, but I would never put that expensive lens on something that I did not trust completely. I payed around £450 for the head, and about £30 for Wimberleys Arca-Swiss plate special made for the lens, which has stop screws that prevents it to slide off the head should you mistakingly losen the Arca-foot plate. And it is very easy to work with.

Keith, I checked the Manfrotto links, and I have seen one guy using it, but could not find it in Sweden. Seems to work fine. Saving money it is the clear choice, but from a functional view it is bulkier than the Wimberley, and has 3 knobs spread all over, instead of 2 knobs on one side accessible without taking your eye off the camera should the need arise. I have a camouflage cover for the lens and camera, and would not get it on with the Manfrotto head. I agree these are all "minor complaints". One can spend the £351 price difference on other things...

Cheers

[ukjesters]

Having just purchased the 500 F4 myself....WOW to the images....i too went along the route of the gitzo 1325V (apparently tis a tad taller than the 1325 which helps when ya 6'3 tall yourself ) and the wimberley head. The outfit is not cheap but as i read elsewhere why spend so much on a lens and then scrimp elsewhere at the possible expense of picture quality which was the reason for buying the expensive lens in the first place.

I did read the review of the manfrotto head that keith kindly linked too but although it has received good reviews, to me, it just didn't look right if that makes sense and the wimberley looked an easier set up to use....which is right down my street!

Just my little input
regards
Rick

[Keith Reeder]

Aye, I must admit that if/when I go down the big lens and tripod route, a Wimberley or Kirk would be on my shopping list too.

That said, I haven't ruled these (http://www.photo-scotland.co.uk/acatalog/Jobu.html) out either.