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Canon 500mm F4 lens - should I get one (1 Viewer)

R

Retrodaz

Well-known member
As some of you may remember I was recently looking at picking up either a canon 5Dmk3 or a Canon 7Dmk 2 with a sigma lens.
My wife is now saying I can have a loan of £4000, so I'm now wondering if I should simply take the plunge and get a second hand Canon 500mm.
It will take me 4 years to pay off, but I'm not too fussed about that, I couldn't really afford one any other way.
Alternatively, is it worth getting one of the older models like this one which do seem to crop up quite regularly.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Canon-FD-...d-Condition-/171881565063?hash=item2804f08b87
 
MF no thanks - there are a few decent 500's about bide yer time. I have a nice carbon tripod and head that would be the dogs WHEN you get that lens :)
 
I would imagine that using manual focus is just too difficult to achieve sharp pictures most of the time, Darran.
 
I would think that whilst you could get some good shots with the MF, in the longer-term you would view it as a wasted opportunity. Buying the old lens will only give you a taster for what might have been - and if you are anything like me you'll still want more. It will be a heavier lens so hand-holding will be hard work, you will struggle with flight shots without any AF and while it may well give you many trouble-free years it may stop working the day after you buy it.

Be patient and get what you really want, that would be my advice
 
Ask yourself some questions:
What birds do I photograph?
How do i want to photograph them. (Hide, walking miles over hills etc)
Is renting a lens a better financial option??
They are great lenses and you will always want more reach - so when you get teh mk i you will want the mkii for better autofocus / lighter, and the 800mm
You may want to put your arm & leg on ebay!

Good luck
 
Whilst the Canon FD 500 F4.5 is a very good lens, the EF 500 F4 is somewhat better.
If you are only shooting stationery subjects, can fit a proper Manual Focus screen to your camera, can source a suitable Ed Mika glass-less adapter and have plenty of time to focus then the older manual focus lens may well be just the job. If you need speed and responsiveness then the newer 500 F4 L IS is the way to go.
If you can cope with the extra weight then the Canon 600 F4 L IS is around the same price and offers a more reach, though at the cost of some weight.
 
perhaps Nikon's brand new 200-500/5.6 could be an alternative,
then you can afford a D7200 also…or a D750...and have money left,
would be a nice and lightweight combo at about 3 kg in total.
 
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£4000 Is quite a bit to take on a lone and 4 years is a very long time ,for around £2400 you could get a 300f2.8 is L and 2 tcs I think this may be worth thinking about .

Rob.
 
GYRob said:
£4000 Is quite a bit to take on a lone and 4 years is a very long time ,for around £2400 you could get a 300f2.8 is L and 2 tcs I think this may be worth thinking about .

Rob.
Click to expand...
Do you mean this version?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Canon-EF-...RVICED-3723-/271941235412?hash=item3f50f5f2d4

I actually like the sound of this. It will give me the reach I crave, shots I've seen on Flickr look great with a TC attached and I could get a Canon 6D Mk 3 too. I have no problems with a 4 year lone, but I want to ensure I can get the most and best kit with the cash.
 
If it's the 500mm f4.5 you're really interested in, Canon did use to make an autofocus EF model. But Canon doesn't service it anymore should it break down.
 
I wouldn't touch the manual focus lens. Too old, too many disadvantages.Potentially a waste of money.

You obviously have a bad case of addiction if you are prepared to get a loan for £4k to buy what is probably a 5 or 6 year old lens which is dropping in value as your loan adds on the interest. By the time you have paid it off the lens will be worth a lot less than it is now but cost a lot more than it's current value.
If you are anything like me you probably won't be satisfied simply by buying a bigger lens because there is always something that could be better. Buy a 500 and you will want a 600. Buy a 600mm MK 1 and regret it's so heavy you are limited to where you can take it, buy a 300mm f2.8 and curse the lack of reach, add a TC and curse AF has slowed down dramatically. It's never ending and to be honest...what's it all for. Shots of birds on sticks that you file away never to be seen again in the same fashion as all those holiday snaps we take.
I would find a happy medium. Buy something like a 300mm f4 or 400mm f5.6. A Sigma 150-600. There are some excellent lenses available for under £1k.
Be happy with that without damaging your pocket too much and concentrate on technique and style and finding places where you can get close to your subject.
Most of all, keep your understanding wife happy!
Good luck in your decision. Dave
 
Retrodaz said:
surely image quality would take a massive hit though?
Click to expand...

the 300f2.8 is one of the sharpest lenses out there a 1.4 tc will hardly show any IQ loss and very little slowdown in AF - THE 2xtc does lose a little IQ but stopped down to f8 will bring it back af does slow but is still quick .

I just see £4000 on a lone as a lot to take on -just my thoughts on this.

Rob.
 
GYRob said:
the 300f2.8 is one of the sharpest lenses out there a 1.4 tc will hardly show any IQ loss and very little slowdown in AF - THE 2xtc does lose a little IQ but stopped down to f8 will bring it back af does slow but is still quick .

I just see £4000 on a lone as a lot to take on -just my thoughts on this.

Rob.
Click to expand...

I think we are on the same lines here re the investment Rob!

I have never owned a 400f5.6 but everyone who has says they are very fast focussing so might compare with the 300mm f2.8 plus a 1.4 TC f(420mm) for reach and AF speed ?
The 300 with a 2.0x will give 600mm reach but I find too slow to AF for fast moving subjects.
The 300mm is still quite heavy and will still add £3k to the bill with TC's.
I have a friend who is taking excellent images with his 1D3 and a Sigma 150-
600 which would cost less than £1500.
Food for thought.
 
Dave Williams said:
I wouldn't touch the manual focus lens. Too old, too many disadvantages.Potentially a waste of money.

You obviously have a bad case of addiction if you are prepared to get a loan for £4k to buy what is probably a 5 or 6 year old lens which is dropping in value as your loan adds on the interest. By the time you have paid it off the lens will be worth a lot less than it is now but cost a lot more than it's current value.
If you are anything like me you probably won't be satisfied simply by buying a bigger lens because there is always something that could be better. Buy a 500 and you will want a 600. Buy a 600mm MK 1 and regret it's so heavy you are limited to where you can take it, buy a 300mm f2.8 and curse the lack of reach, add a TC and curse AF has slowed down dramatically. It's never ending and to be honest...what's it all for. Shots of birds on sticks that you file away never to be seen again in the same fashion as all those holiday snaps we take.
I would find a happy medium. Buy something like a 300mm f4 or 400mm f5.6. A Sigma 150-600. There are some excellent lenses available for under £1k.
Be happy with that without damaging your pocket too much and concentrate on technique and style and finding places where you can get close to your subject.
Most of all, keep your understanding wife happy!
Good luck in your decision. Dave
Click to expand...
Some good points there.
We've got the loan now (it was originally going all on a car, now only have of it is). We could blow it on a holiday, but we're not really that way inclined. I get a massive amount of enjoyment out of taking my photos and also have opportunities at work for freelance (I work in magazines and we have wildlife and photography mags) so I really want to get the best I can sensibly afford (my total budget now looks like £5,000). Oh and while I remember, while the loan is currently 4 years, I've only got two left on the mortgage, so there's the potential to get it paid off afterwards. I've always been under the impression that the big primes hold their value well, so I shouldn't lose too much cash over 4 years. I certainly can't imagine the current models dropping to £2,000 in two years for example.
 
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Retrodaz said:
Some good points there.
We've got the loan now (it was originally going all on a car, now only have of it is). We could blow it on a holiday, but we're not really that way inclined. I get a massive amount of enjoyment out of taking my photos and also have opportunities at work for freelance (I work in magazines and we have wildlife and photography mags) so I really want to get the best I can sensibly afford (my total budget now looks like £5,000).
Click to expand...

Some good points there too!
Good luck, Dave
 
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