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Have 7d, but so confused over lens...help? (1 Viewer)

Thanks very much for these tips as they had me playing with my 7d in about 30 secs to turn these features on and particularly to move the AF focus point control as suggested.

Hope you have a really good Christmas, you've certainly improved mine!

John
Spot focus can be very useful at times especially when trying to nail a birds eye but beware if you try to us it all the time - because the AF spot is much smaller than the normal size AF area you can get problems when the AF area does not contain adequate contrast. I most certainly would not use it for all situations.
 
Even though it may be a little softer I would still opt for a stabilised lens with the UKs weather. It's all very well getting a sharp shot on a sunny day but how many shots will you miss, assuming you don't want to lug a tripod/monopod around.
If you can convince yourself that you ONLY want to photograph BIF on a sunny day
Then the fixed 400 is the way to go.
Russ
 
Even though it may be a little softer I would still opt for a stabilised lens with the UKs weather. It's all very well getting a sharp shot on a sunny day but how many shots will you miss, assuming you don't want to lug a tripod/monopod around.
If you can convince yourself that you ONLY want to photograph BIF on a sunny day
Then the fixed 400 is the way to go.
Russ
With the non IS 400/5.6 it is just a matter of getting the right shutter speed to get sharp shots handheld, with the 7D it is a piece of cake, just use auto ISO and TV mode - dial-in the shutter speed you want and fire away (what shutter speed you want is depended on the individuals hand holding technique but I would suggest trying 1/800 sec to start with, of course for flyers you need a faster shutter speed to freeze the action but that applies to any lens regardless of I.S.).

HERE is a link to just a few of the handheld shots I have got with the 400/5.6 in all kinds of weather. I never used a tripod with this lens.
 
Spot focus can be very useful at times especially when trying to nail a birds eye but beware if you try to us it all the time - because the AF spot is much smaller than the normal size AF area you can get problems when the AF area does not contain adequate contrast. I most certainly would not use it for all situations.

Also noted. Thank you very much.

John
 
For someone like me, who focuses on butterflies and insects as well as birds, the 100-400 is more versatile. Even then, there are times where I have to back up because 100 is too close! But for just birds, with the exception of the birds that come really close (it does happen), 400 sounds better ultimately.
 
My kit is the 7D with the 400/F5.6 and I love it.

Most of the time hand-holding is fine, but to save the bother of lugging and setting up an unwieldy tripod (that by the time it's set up the bird has hopped to the other side of the bush anyway) I got myself a Manfrotto monopod with a tilting head attachment and for the money it's probably the most useful piece of kit I have at times.

If I think I'm going to need it I fix the camera to it and carry it in one hand with the camera strap taking the weight round my neck. Then if I have to stop to use my bins, it all hangs from the strap with the tip of the leg on the ground, leaving both hands free while standing still.

If a bird in flight comes along it's easily detached using the quick-release plate.

It comes into its own in dull light, allowing slower shutter speeds than purely hand-held, but it's also great in good light for tricky subjects such as a bird in a bush, allowing the fine focus point to be held on the bird easier and reducing the chance of focussing on a twig instead of the bird.

I don't need it most of the time, but when I do need it, it's a godsend.
 
Hi Suzanne:
I've been using a 100-400 since 2008. Have you changed the default settings to include the fine focus point? For some reason the 7D comes with the 2 most useful focus screens unavailable by default and must be enabled to use. The first is the fine or spot focus which is perfect for focusing through grass or branches and the other is the AF point expansion: use this for birds in flight.. See C.Fn 111-6. to activate these.
Another suggestion is to set your Multi-controller to control the AF focus point CFn1V -1. Moving the focus point to enable better framing of an image helps a lot.
Stephen Powell

Thank you for that info, I shall have a play around to see how that works for me.

I had a look at your site, and then your youtube step-by-step. Great stuff!

Suzanne
 
I'm a huge fan of the 400 5.6 prime. It is easily the best purchase I've made. It's built like tank - you could take this lens to war. It's light and the average person will have no problems carrying all day long. It's incredibly sharp. Sharper than any of my other "L" lenses. I couldn't live without this lens. Don't think that you will be limited to birds with it. I've taken plenty of other good photos with it. Insects, flowers, long distance landscapes and portraits. I find it a great tool to get candid portraits. You can shoot from so far away that your victim is unaware of you - great for catching my girlfriend being herself (versus posing).

Bill
 
Suzanne, You didn't ask for this, but as a Canon shooter I feel compelled to tell every new Canon owner to get the 50mm 1.4 prime. It's an incredible lens: fast, with some of the sweetest bokeh you could hope for. And it's affordable for most. It tops my list of must-have lenses. You will instantly begin to take beautiful natural light portraits with it. Birds withstanding, it is the lens that is most often on my camera (and I have several far more expensive L lenses).

Bill
 
I'm a huge fan of the 400 5.6 prime. It is easily the best purchase I've made. It's built like tank - you could take this lens to war. It's light and the average person will have no problems carrying all day long. It's incredibly sharp. Sharper than any of my other "L" lenses. I couldn't live without this lens. Don't think that you will be limited to birds with it. I've taken plenty of other good photos with it. Insects, flowers, long distance landscapes and portraits. I find it a great tool to get candid portraits. You can shoot from so far away that your victim is unaware of you - great for catching my girlfriend being herself (versus posing).

Bill


A great lens, but built like a rather fragile tank.

If your camera is hanging from a neck-strap, don't trip over and while saving yourself from a fall allow the camera to swing so that the end of the lens hood knocks quite gently against a boulder, or you may find this happening.

(Good job it was insured and the replacement arrived in just over a week, so no real harm done - except to next year's household premium)
 

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A great lens, but built like a rather fragile tank.

If your camera is hanging from a neck-strap, don't trip over and while saving yourself from a fall allow the camera to swing so that the end of the lens hood knocks quite gently against a boulder, or you may find this happening.

(Good job it was insured and the replacement arrived in just over a week, so no real harm done - except to next year's household premium)

Wow. Not pretty! I suppose ever tank has it's Achilles heel. I'll be more mindful with mine after seeing this. I wonder if the extended hood creates more leverage at that weak point?

I've wanted to camouflage mine, but neoprene on the section that is covered when the hood is in it's stowed position is obviously not an option. What is yours covered with?

Bill
 
It's camo tape from an outdoor sports shop bill.

I've got thin neoprene cut to size under the tape on some of the sections, including the lens hood.

The damage happened as I was walking along a path in Mallorca. I stood on a pebble that rolled and I lost my balance, falling forward. I put both hands out to save myself as I went down and that worked, but the camera swung across and the tip of the lens hood struck a boulder a glancing blow.

It looked OK at first, just a bit of limestone dust on the edge of the hood. I pulled the hood back to check the glass and everything looked fine.

I extended the hood again and 'Oops'. It just kept extending.
 
Were you able to get it repaired or was this fatal? Thanks for the camp info.

Mallorca is a great place to get into all manner of trouble. Don't ask me how I know this. ;-)

Bill
 
I have used 400mm f4 DO IS USM for several years with a high degree of success.
I have recently gone heavier with the 300 2.8. I still have my 400 f4 prime which is quite a lot lighter - works well with a 1.4X extender - those above who have indicated that this may be your lens of choice are correct - I would consider selling!
 
If you are mainly photographing birds you will be at 400mm virtually all the time so go for the prime, its sharper than the 100-400 and better for bif, wouldn't be without mine you wont regret getting one but you may regret going the other way? TC

I agree 100%, if you want it mostly for birds, don't waste your time with a zoom lens. :) I can count on one hand when I need a lens shorter than at least a 500mm lens for my bird photography. If they come too close, I just take close-up images of the subjects. :)
 
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