How's this for 400mm? (1 Viewer)

Ok warning really boring dull shots approaching! Sadly since getting the new lens I've not had a chance to get out in good light. However even though these are less than ideal I'd like to hear what people think on the optical quality:

All taken with Canon 400D, Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS L M2 + Canon 2*teleconverter.

f5.6, ISO 100, 1/320sec

Large: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4758357936_e76b432e72_b.jpg
Fullsize: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4758357936_d4cb5eb40c_o.jpg

f8, ISO 100, 1/160sec

Large: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4757724355_4f8f4e01b8_b.jpg
Fullsize: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4757724355_e86814fef2_o.jpg

f10, ISO 100, 1/125sec

Large: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/4758368320_b07ef1c31f_b.jpg
Original: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/4758368320_165e3f6263_o.jpg


Abusing the IS at the slower speeds, though with a static subject and IS I hoped that I was able to counter enough of the motion to let me keep the ISO low. In practice I suspect ISO 200 will be my more normal working ISO to allow a bit more speed without too much quality loss.
Also for users of the 100-400mm I'd be interested to hear how these results stand up to it.

A few more dull test shots can be seen here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24534478@N04/sets/72157624289088007/
note the vignetting in the top right as seen on some shots is not a lens nor camera property, but the fact that the window was small and part of the frame crept into the shots.

We are talking here a lens over £2000 + x2 TC I think it would be better if we had some dragonfly's butterfly's or birds to look at the quality its produces, Chimneys type's don't do it for me, but I bet its a nice lens down at the 200 end. Are you just testing it or have you bought one ?

Bought one - or rather upgraded to one having sold the original that I had and shifted up to the new version. Originally I wasn't going to do this at all since between 70-200mm and even with a 1.4TC the original was (and still is) a fantastic performer - however it was the improved 2*TC performance that I wanted - and having seen comparison shots that show it as being not far behind the 100-400mm at 400mm I thought it was well worth shifting to (esp as selling the old made up a lot of the cost for the new - if buying without selling I would not have spent £2k on this for 400mm but £1k on a 400mm f5.6, 100-400mm or 300mm f4 + 1.4TC.

Also I've now got a few more shots on my flickr that do have some nice birdies in them! Sadly I had to put the ISO up on the longer shots which didn't help things; sadly I think I need to look at getting a better beamer for my flash at at 400mm ranges its just not got the power to really work well enough.

70-200mm without TC at 200mm:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24534478@N04/4777757310/
A 100% crop for those that don't want to view the shot fullsize on flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24534478@N04/4777757572/

70-200mm + 2*TC at 365mm:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24534478@N04/4777129591/
A 100% crop for those that don't want to view the shot fullsize on flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24534478@N04/4777771752/

70-200mm + 2*TC at 400mm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24534478@N04/4777771288/
A 100% crop for those that don't want to view the shot fullsize on flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24534478@N04/4777136815/

This is a massive step up from the original lens and this teleconverter!

Its looking Good overread, nice images, I suppose they could do with a bit a sharpening, but thats just me, like me sharpening bit. Well more than a bit :eek!:

EDIT: BTW I went back out with Sigma 150mm after having been out several times with the New Canon 100mm HIS, I had thoughts about the selling the Sigma 150mm but they soon went away, will keep both lens.

Aye the shots would benefit from some sharpening and contrast adjustments - the above were out of camera and just through white balance and some minor exposure adjustments in RAW so I didn't in any way start to really pull the best out of them.


Also I'm glad and interested to read that both the 100mm and 150mm can find a place in your macro setup! Certainly I did wonder if the 150mm could stand up to the 100mm and its versatile IS - not a bad lens by any means but it was the wonder of if the IS would simply make the 100mm the more reached for lens than the 150mm.