[genewch]

I'm thinking of buying a tele lens. I may choose between Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS and 70-200mm f2.8 L IS. The 100-400mm has a more aggressive zoom range but has a smaller aperture. You can save an extender on the 70-200mm. It uses push-pull zooming. Both lenses have IS.

Any users can comment on the 100-400mm? I intend to use it for portrait and distant scenery. What lens will you choose?

[patwong]

Quality

70-200 f/2.8L IS photo quality is better than 100-400L
but when using 2x, it becomes 140-400L and the photo quality is much poorer than 100-400L

so you need to consider which range you are using,
if you want to use 70-200 only, and 200-400 just for fun, you should choose 70-200 IS, otherwise, choose 100-400L

Dust

100-400L attract a lot of dust into the lens, and when you are using DSLR, it will attract a lot of dust into CCD.

Portrait

70-200 IS is better, since you can use f/2.8 at 100mm, but not f/4.5. And the range of 100-400 is a little bit too tele, especially if u are using 1.6x DSLR.

[intel875]

patwong: 用左2x , d quality會有幾poor?, 仲有冇IS ga?

[patwong]

The photo quality is poorer than 100-400L for sure when u use 2x.

The sharpness, color saturation, and contrast reduce a lot.

I tried and feel the photo quality is quite unacceptable.

But you can use 1.4x instead, since most ppl said 1.4x does have acceptable quality.

[Mike Chan]

Are you sure that you will use focal range of more than 300mm frequently? I know a friend who have the guts to buy a 400mm f2.8 but it happens that he uses this len 3 to 4 times a year, so I think this is a kind of waste! Peresonally I have the money to buy one but up to now I still not make the move. Apart from seldom use, the problem of storage is another issue that has to be settled. It simply can't fit my electronic dry box! So my advice would be "LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP!"

[efishion]

If you use it for portrait, 70-200 if much better. You may consider the lower version F4 which is pretty good and much less in weight!

I use my 100-400 for birds most of the time.

[intel875]

200mm (*1.6 = 320mm)
夠唔夠影荷花ga?

[genewch]

I see. Thanks a lot. When I look back to my intended use, I'll most likely use a tele lens in indoor stage performance such as music concerts, graduation ceremonies, dancing, etc, and also outdoor portrait or scenery. The 70-200mm f2.8 seems to fit my use more.

For taking birds pics, is it ok to add an 1.4x extender?

Many foreign comments for Sigma 100-300mm f4 EX appear to be very good. They think that it is a very sharp lens. But many users have very different opinions on Sigma. So I wonder if it's worthy to look at the 100-300mm f4.

[Walton]

intel875,
200mm (*1.6 = 320mm)
It ia ok for 影荷花.

[williamc]

I tried to use 70-200mmf2.8LIS and add a 1.4x. The quality seems fine.

You can find the photos taken by this combo in below link:

http://www.dcfever.com/photosharing/viewphoto.php?photoID=139366

Hope this can help u a bit.

[patwong]

I used 70-200 f/2.8L to take bird before also.
Enough to use

http://www.dcfever.com/photosharing/viewphoto.php?photoID=139366

I also used 100 macro to take flower

http://www.fotop.net/albums/patwong/Flower/flower.jpg

[patwong]

don't know why the link of bird is wrong,

send again,

http://www.fotop.net/albums/patwong/040925/IMG_1798.jpg