Lens dilemma......

[MARINERMAGNUM]

I sold an antique firearm and am now looking at/comparing 2 lenses trying to decide on one or the other,the 400mm F2.8L IS and the 500mm F4L IS. I do have a Canon 1.4x TC to bring the 2.8 up,but it's still $1000 more. I'm leaning toward the 400/2.8. any input??

[Dbl]

Might I ask what you will use the lens for? Do you need a fast 2.8 lens? Maybe the 400/5.6?

[MARINERMAGNUM]

both sports and wildlife. our kids will be thick in sports soon.

[Steve Foss]

MM, the 500mm will be the better wildlife/birding lens because of the reach.

The 400 will be the better sports lens, partly because of the extra stop of aperture, but also because in the settings you'll be shooting you'll not likely need 500mm, and on those rare occasions you think you will, you've got the 1.4 TC to give it that boost. In all my outdoors sports shooting, the only thing I've not been able to do with 400 mm and a TC is shoot home plate from the outfield fence or one end zone from behind the other.

As I'm sure you already know, they both are whoppers, and you'll want a very strong monopod for your sports work, as well as a darn strong tripod/head for your wildlife work.

If the $1,000 is make or break, I'd say get the 500. You'll be able to make it work for sports like football and soccer and baseball by standing a bit further back, and putting the 1.4 TC on the 400 f2.8 bumps it up to the f4 of the 500 anyway.

You'll likely be putting that $1,000 into a tripod, monopod and head, anyway, unless you've already got equipment that will support the 10 pounds of lens/camera that your body and the 500 would total. Being four pounds lighter than the 400 f2.8, however, you may be able to handhold the 500 now and then. Even with the 500 a monopod, at least, will be a must.

Oh, and don't let me pass up this opportunity to let you know how jealous I am that you can buy one of the three top pieces of supertelephoto glass in the world and I'll just have to keep limping along with CPS loans.

On the other hand, I DO have the 600mm f4L IS coming for a couple weeks in August free from CPS, and I didn't have to shell out more than $7,000.