300mm f/4.0L IS USM Plus 1.4X vs. 400mm f/5.6L

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

05/16/2007 08:57:44 AM · #1

Friend of mine is getting a LOT more serious about photography and is jumping in feet first. He is looking at getting a lens for shooting surfing. He's quite a decent surfer and has already logged some pretty durned fine shots.

He's shooting 1.6x crop with a 20D with a 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM, but feels he needs more length.

I told him to take his time on this decision as cash outlay is not insignificant regardless of the choice he makes.

He already has the 2X TC and the 1.4X TC, but he's not been happy with the 2X TC.

I have recommended to him to make use of the 1.4X though as I've heard that it can keep up pretty well.

He's got his mind set on the 400mm f/5.6L though and I keep thinking that a better choice would be to sell off the 2x TC and play with the 1.4x with a 300mm f/4... The resulting aperture would be the same (400mm at f/5.6 max), but the advantage would be IS.

Does anyone have any comments on this?

Specifically regarding optical quality between the two lenses and IS performance through a TC (which could theoretically change the performance of the TC by changing the effective focal length to cause undercompensation... or perhaps it's a case of the image circle being stabilized regardless...???)

Thanks!

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

05/16/2007 09:05:54 AM · #2

Both the 300/4 and the 400/5.6 are fine lenses. Of the two, the 400/5.6 is probably the optical top dog. I think the 300/4 + 1.4x TC combination is not going to be as sharp wide open as the 400/5.6, but the difference is probably going to be moderate. The contrast may suffer as much or more than the sharpness.
The IS on the 300/4 will work just fine with the TC in place. I've used the 2.0x with my 70-200/2.8 IS and found no problems related to the TC.
If I were in his shoes, I would go with the 400/5.6; for surfing, you need all the reach you can get, and the 400/5.6 is a great performer at a reasonable price. The lack of IS is really of little import if a monopod is used. You want fast shutter speeds anyhow to freeze action.

strangeghost

05/16/2007 09:06:54 AM · #3

My instinct tells me he should go for the 400mm 5.6. If he's primarily going to be using the lens in bright sunlight, the IC won't make that much difference. The advantage of buying an L prime designed and built by Canon should outweight the gain in reach using a teleconverter.

d56ranger

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

05/16/2007 09:12:17 AM · #4

Might consider rent, lease, borrow first.

scalvert

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

05/16/2007 09:28:12 AM · #5

Another suggestion would be the 100-400L. Still 5.6 at 400mm, but it's image stabilized and you have the flexibility of zoom if the situation calls for a wider angle. I've seen this lens compare well to the 400mm prime in reviews.

Nullix

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

05/16/2007 09:32:00 AM · #6

I've seen this discussed on order forums. Might be interesting to check them out.

300/4 IS + 1.4TC or 400/5.6 or 100-400/4.5-5.6 IS
100-400 or 300/4 + 1.4 TC
The 300/4 IS & 1.4X TC Revisited

Enjoy.

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

05/16/2007 10:50:13 AM · #7

Originally posted by scalvert:

Actually, the 100-400 *is* another good option. It is not as sharp as the 400/5.6, but it is a good performer. The real question is whether the zoom is required. I'd wager that only the 300-400 part of the range is what's needed for surf photography. More range on the long end, even, might be desirable.

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

05/17/2007 09:50:09 AM · #8

great suggestions there guys! As I have always compared the idea of the 100-400 to my 80-200, I've not really looked too closely.

Giving it a bit of thought though, it does look like it's a great thing to consider.

Sadly, nowhere in Taiwan offers lens rentals.

AlexSaberi

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

05/17/2007 10:29:38 AM · #9

the new generation IS version of the 100-400L should be out soon.

doctornick

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

05/17/2007 11:00:42 AM · #10

Shot with the 300mm f/4L IS with 1.4x TC wide open at f/5.6

I've had this photo printed at 20x30 size and you can count the individual hairs on the lion...

C-Fox

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

05/17/2007 01:12:21 PM · #11

Originally posted by doctornick:

Shot with the 300mm f/4L IS with 1.4x TC wide open at f/5.6

I've had this photo printed at 20x30 size and you can count the individual hairs on the lion...

Thanks Nick, always nice to see real life examples!

05/17/2007 08:50:47 PM · #12

Originally posted by AlexSaberi:

the new generation IS version of the 100-400L should be out soon.

very interesting... where did you hear this?

even though i am not the one looking at this lens, it's really growing on me...

strangeghost

05/17/2007 08:56:32 PM · #13

A few more examples of the 400mm prime:

05/17/2007 09:19:12 PM · #14

this was with the 400 without an adaptor? *whistle* wide open? wow.

i wonder if the 100-400 can do that too.....

strangeghost

05/17/2007 09:34:12 PM · #15

Originally posted by eschelar:

this was with the 400 without an adaptor? *whistle* wide open? wow.

i wonder if the 100-400 can do that too.....

It's a center crop, but yeah, no TC or extender.

Here's an uncropped (and unprocessed) original from that sequence:

05/18/2007 07:20:42 AM · #16

wow. seriously!

Jacko

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

05/18/2007 07:51:12 AM · #17

Both sweet set ups. My brother uses a 300mm F4 IS. It's crazy sharp. I don't remember if he has the 1.4x coverter.

Bobster