skywatcher
Well-known member
Oh Frank, I've obviously stirred up a hornet's nest! Resist! Resist!!
Rosie
Rosie
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Canon EF 400mm f4 DO IS USM Lens (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Neil Morris
- Start date
Sorry about that as they do mail order for sales I assumed that they did it for the hire stock too... The 400 DO is a good deal lighter than the 300 f2.8 (~600g) I know a couple of people who use it and they really rate it.
John In Ireland
Well-known member
Hey come on ... this lens is well out of my reach also. If I spent that money I would want minimal post processing. We can do anything with post processing! (Having a little joke!) I'm sure the lens is fabulous. I would swap it for mine anyday!
Attachments
skywatcher
Well-known member
Well, thank you for this info because I've just booked a photography tuition course very close to the NCC and I will be able to hire it from them then.This is something of a relief! I really didn't want to buy it blind...not at that price.I can give it a thorough check out now.
skywatcher
Well-known member
Hey come on ... this lens is well out of my reach also. If I spent that money I would want minimal post processing. We can do anything with post processing! (Having a little joke!) I'm sure the lens is fabulous. I would swap it for mine anyday!
Made me smile, John. I wonder which eye you put your focus on when you took the shot...lol.
Neil Morris
Well-known member
Sorry to be so slow coming back to you Skywatcher. I've used the lens quite a bit now and my experience is that I have some cracking pics as well as some fairly flat ones. Shooting in RAW is definitely the best bet, though rather more time-consuming in post-processing. In sunlight, the results are excellent and well worth the money. In flat light, I'm just a little bit disappointed. The very same birds shot alongside me at the same time by Steve Arlow with his 500mm Canon prime always look that little bit richer.
One other observation is that the 7D struggles with noise at higher ISOs (which are of course often required when photographing birds with 400mm + 1.4 converter in the winter in the UK).
Honestly, I think the jury is still out on this one. There's no doubt that in good light the lens is sharp, fast and incredibly versatile thanks to it small size and light weight. On that basis alone, it’s possibly the best option for a travelling or walkabout lens. I am slowly growing to love it ... but I still double-check every picture taken in flat light to ensure I've got a saturated, contrasty shot.
I couldn’t resist attaching a picture taken last weekend: adult Caspian, 400mm + 1.4x converter at f5.6, 1/800 sec and ISO 3200. See what you think. I’ve reduced chromatic and luminescent noise a few stops in DPP and cropped by about 50%.
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Neil Morris
Well-known member
Hi Mike,
Liked your website - packed with lots of goodies. You appear to have the benefit of lots of sunshine, of which I'm very envious. Nonetheless, if your site is a demonstration of what the lens can achieve, then maybe my concerns might be better be described as "user error" as opposed to blaming the technology! Anyway, cracking stuff and thanks for pointing me (us) to your site. Regards,
Jaff
Registered Member
Maybe have a go with the 300mm as well if they've got one. Figures are meaningless until you can actually feel the differences in your hand. May not be as bad as you think, or might turn out be a ton weight.
Peter Truelove
Well-known member
Coming in on this one a bit late but I have never been less than delighted with my 400DO. I use it with a 50D, sometimes with the 1.4x converter and sometimes without. It has proved to be the ideal walkabout lens and can be used hand-held which is really useful. Peter.
skywatcher
Well-known member
skywatcher
Well-known member
Peter.Thanks for you comment.This is encouraging.i think there are lots of people who are pretty happy with this lens.I guess it's like all lenses. You get to know and have to accept and work around their issues. If i can fix the contrast issue in photoshop, that's fine.I know the 500f4 is better but i can't carry it so that's that. As long as I feel I'm not buying a complete turkey (especially at that price) I will give it a go.
Rosie
Rosie
michha62
Mike
Here's my opinion for what its worth. I'm an experienced birder who has only taken up bird photography a couple of years ago, but do have experience with most of the lenses under discussion.
I have 400 DO which is my walkabout lens and i am delighted with it. I have no problem hand holding it and it produces good/contrasty images. Wide open it is not as sharp as my 500 f4, but at F5.6, I can see no difference. Minimum focus distance is less with the DO and when used close-up at feeders etc, its greater depth of field can be an advantage, although the bokeh is not so smooth. It takes a 1.4 tc very well if used to bring close subjects closer and not so well if attempting to bring distant birds closer.
I'm fortunate that I have my health and am strong, so can easily carry a 500/4 when necessary, but would not feel disadvantaged greatly if the DO was my only birding lens. The 300 f2.8 has been mentioned, and it is indeed the sharpest lens around. It is however heavy and when used with a converter, probably needs a tripod most of the time. If you feel you cannot manage a 500mm, I would suspect you will struggle with the physical size and weight of the 300 and certainly with the quality tripod required to get the best from it.
Regards
Mike
Anyone having doubts about the quality achievable with the DO, should check out the wonderful images displayed on Marises gallery (many exceptional pics with a converter)
http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=9714
Also many excellent DO shots in jtwoods galley here...
http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=35827
Regards
Mike
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skywatcher
Well-known member
Thanks ,Mike, for posting such a detailed response.It's very encouraging and the pics in both galleries are terrific (obviously both skilled photographers).I was interested in what you said about the use of a converter, too.
I feel reasonably re-assured now that this lens could be the one for me.I've handled the other two but the weight issue makes them out of my league. I'm out photographing all day most days so I need more of a walkabout lens not one that gets used rarely.
Really appreciate your opinion.
Rosie
I feel reasonably re-assured now that this lens could be the one for me.I've handled the other two but the weight issue makes them out of my league. I'm out photographing all day most days so I need more of a walkabout lens not one that gets used rarely.
Really appreciate your opinion.
Rosie
hollis_f
Well-known member
Really have to disagree with this. The 300 is 2.55 kg and the 500 is 3.87 kg. That 1.32 kg makes a huge difference to the ease with which one can use it handheld. The 300 is easily usable without a tripod, the 500 is near impossible to use without one. So that's another 2.5 to 3 kg added to the weight.
My friend used to own a 500. As soon as I got my 300 2.8 and she realised it was light enough for her to carry around all day she sold the 500.
skywatcher
Well-known member
I think it depends on the individual what they feel comfortable carrying.Me?Having been a teacher in my other life, I've had this notion that what I really need is a mute Year 10 male student to sherpa everything around for me!!! I'd pay him a fortune to just keep quiet and hand me my 500m lens and tripod!!! Seriously though, I've tried the 300 2.8 and it's fairly hefty.I'm out most days, often for 8-10 hours so it wears you down!I don't drive so all this gear has to be lugged around on buses and trains as well.
I bet in ten years or so the technology will have moved on and all these heavy lenses will be a thing of the past.
Rosie.
I bet in ten years or so the technology will have moved on and all these heavy lenses will be a thing of the past.
Rosie.
Roy C
Occasional bird snapper
I am a weakling OAP and tried carrying a 500/4 a few times but for my style it was just too heavy (I like to go walkabouts and rarely shoot from one spot). I can carry the 300/2.8 for several miles, mounted on a tripod and slung over the shoulder, if I want a breather then I just plonk the whole lot down for a few minutes. I sometimes just carry the camera and lens via the lens strap over the shoulder and shoot hand-held - this is something I would really have struggled with with 500.
Horses for courses I guess. Now if I were ten years younger then maybe I would have gone for the 500.
BTW I shoot the 300 with a 2x tc most of the time and it makes a great 600/5.6 IMO.
There is no doubt in my mind that if you want a good quality 400/560 lens at a light weight then the 400 DO is the only real choice but you are paying a heck of a lot for the DO technology.
Horses for courses I guess. Now if I were ten years younger then maybe I would have gone for the 500.
BTW I shoot the 300 with a 2x tc most of the time and it makes a great 600/5.6 IMO.
There is no doubt in my mind that if you want a good quality 400/560 lens at a light weight then the 400 DO is the only real choice but you are paying a heck of a lot for the DO technology.
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skywatcher
Well-known member
I'm a weakling OAP too! I want to enjoy being out all day with the camera set-up and avoid the inevitable osteopath bills!!!
Have you considered one of these?
http://www.feisoluk.com/Hand-Carts/c30/p97/PC-C2240--Carbon-Fibre-Hand-Cart/product_info.html
spock
Well-known member
good idea, but not for me,it don't look that stable,and when walking over rough ground things might get shaken to bits.
skywatcher
Well-known member
I did say I'd get back to everybody! You were all so helpful in my deliberations. i am now looking across my living room at a 400DO! Some nice person tipped me off about a second hand one .Went to inspect today and brought it home.No excuses now..nowhere to hide!
Thanks again, everybody. What a supportive forum this is!
Rosie
Thanks again, everybody. What a supportive forum this is!
Rosie
