Better value birding lens upgrade (1 Viewer)

I have just migrated from Sony with a 600mm ED Telescope. The scope gives me a satisfactory IQ but with failing eyesight, just couldn't get good focus unless I go the Liew View 10X or 14X focusing which are both slow and cumbersome. So AF is a must.

I currently use a 60D + 400 5.6 L and also purchased a 1.4X TC III. The 400 5.6 is meant for wife to use but will be my benchmark for testing. My birding routine are casual walk in the jungle/trekking and shoot birds as they comes to view and seldom use hide. My ideal FL would be 500-700mm though may at times use the 400-500 range. With a budget of around US$4000, which of the following would be the better buy? I would most probably be going the used lens way. 1) Canon 500 4.5, 2) Sigma 500 4.5, 3) Canon 300 2.8 IS + 2X TC II, 4) Canon 400 4.0 IS or 5) Canon 300 2.8 (non IS) + 2X TC II and use balance bucks for a 7D Body instead of another 60D.

I prefer shooting with Tripod as I cannot hand carry my gears for hours on the move. BIF will be rare when in the jungle but short hand holding will be nice when going after faster moving birds.

Any suggestion on places around the world with nice used lens pricing would be handy. The only known used lens shop nearby only have the Canon 500 4.5 from the list above and it goes for US$4600.

All advises, recommendations and critics would be highly appreciated.

More than two hundred view but no word from anybody? Am I asking the wrong question or have I ask at the wrong place? Not even critics?

Hi, just saw your post today. From what I gather, you would like a light setup for relatively mobile birding with the option of handholding your lens for the occasional mobile birds.

IMHO your current setup is about what you really need as the 400 5.6L lens is a great sharp lens, with the only drawback being its lack of IS, so a tripod is a must at all times. I use one of them myself coupled with my 600D or occasionally with my dad's 60D. The beauty of this lens is that very little light is lost traveling between the glass lens elements (measured in T-stops). Meaning that the actual amount of light reaching your camer's sensor is equivalent to an aperture 5.7 as opposed to, say, a 70-200mm & 2x TC combo which has 3 times as many lens elements, forcing the light transmission nearer to an aperture of 6.3. This is perhaps the best sharpness-for-price value of all Canon's L-class telephotos. It is also sharp wide open and does not need stopping down except to eliminate heat haze in really hot shooting scenarios.

Further, do bear in mind that, given your camera's 1.6x crop factor, your equivalent 35mm focal length would be 640mm i.e. your angle of view with the 60D is cropped by 1.6x. This puts this lens well within your desired focal range, albeit measured by effective 35mm focal length.

That said, this lack of IS would also rule out the non-stabilized Canon and Sigma 500mm 4.5 lenses which would be absolute monsters to handhold. Further, Canon has stopped replacing spare parts on the discontinued 500mm 4.5 and the non-IS 300mm 2.8. Should they break down, that would be a real problem.

Sigma's after sales service in Malaysia is very limited. Sigma's center is the 2nd floor of a shophouse in Petaling Jaya. If any problems arise with the Sigma, expect it to be sent to Japan for weeks on end. Further, a large and steady tripod is a must for both these lenses, which would further add to your setup weight.

That leaves the 300mm f/2.8 IS & 2x TC combo. For one thing, the setup will weigh 2.5x more than your 400mm 5.6. You'll really need strong hands to handhold this combo for any period of time. Further, this combo when shot wide open at f/5.6 is actually less sharp compared to the 400mm as the TC will degrade optical quality somewhat - see the comparison here http://www.the-digital-picture.com/...meraComp=453&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=2&APIComp=0.

Perhaps the best solution would be to get a 300mm f/4 IS lens. It is light like the 400mm and has a 2-stop IS (needs to be switched off when tripod-mounted though, so use it only when handholding). It can be sharp even when your 1.4x III TC is used, although like the 300mm 2.8 optimum sharpness is obtainable only upon stopping down to f/8. My sister has this lens and uses it with the 1.4x TC with great effect. Its IS allows decent results when handholding.

Hope this helps!

Hor Kee, thanks very much for chipping in.

My ideal FL of 500-700 is before taking sensor crop into consideration. Even at this FL, I most likely need to crop heavily, but anything longer would most likely render the picture useless due to atmospheric distortion in my humid location.

Yes, I 100% agree about that 400 5.6. That lens make me migrate to Canon and I am using it as the comparison for quality. My wife will use that lens while I look for something of my own.

My idea of having a Canon/Sigma 500 4.5 is because of the reach and not really having to use a TC. Since I shoot mostly with tripod, how important would IS be over non IS lens? If I have the $$$, I would definitely go for a new 500 4.0 as when I decide to let it go, I would probably get the same amount if not more, back.

I notice that the 400 4.0 DO lacks the sharpness ad contrast when compared to the 400 5.6 but I do not have any links to compare the other older non IS lens. The advantage of the 400 to me would be times when I saw smaller birds skipping around and I need to move around fast to keep track with them. The greatest obstacle would be branches which will render my tripod useless.

So considering my preferred FL or 500-700FL in 35mm format, which lens would be more suitable and bang for the money, considering my budget?

Thanks.