Camera lenses - Canon 100-400 vs Sigma 150-500

["Ákos Lumnitzer" <>]

Hi John

I echo Chris Ross' comments about the Canon 300/4L IS and TCs for birds
and other wildlife. Why? I used the same lens for over four years and can
promise you that you would hardly ever need a focal length less than 400mm
for birds. Unless you are shooting in a zoo or some tame birds at your
local duck pond.

I have used the 300/4L IS with the Canon EF 1.4x and 2x converters and got
excellent results. Even with stacked converters. However, a lot of it also
has to do with shooting technique and the longer focal lengths with more
TC stacks become more difficult at first (at least).

I never considered using the Sigma zoom due to the reports of softness at
the long end. However, it will depend on what you want personally. If you
want the best quality images, then go Canon (even the 100-400 zoom, though
I wouldn't choose that for the reasons mentioned in the first paragraph).


Here are a few sample images taken with that lens or lens plus Canon TC
combo.


Full Frame with stacked 1.4x and 2x converters (manual focus with anything
other than a 1D body - this was a 30D)
http://amatteroflight.com/gallery2/v/ausbirds/falcons/kestrel/Australian-Kestrel_9290.jpg.html

300mm and 1.4x
http://amatteroflight.com/gallery2/v/ausbirds/falcons/kestrel/Australian-Kestrel_9687.jpg.html


300mm and 2x (manual focus with anything other than a 1D body - this was a
30D)
http://amatteroflight.com/gallery2/v/ausbirds/falcons/brwnflcn/Brown-Falcon_0113.jpg.html



300mm and 1.4x
http://amatteroflight.com/gallery2/v/ausbirds/hawkowls/powerful/20110312_9999_24.jpg.html


Full Frame with 300mm and 2x, manual focus, hand held, 1/125th of a second
shutter speed. So image stabilization works big time!
http://amatteroflight.com/gallery2/v/DAMSELFLIES_DRAGONFLIES/Dragonfly_3774.jpg.html

300mm hand held, full frame shot. At minimum focus distance of five feet
http://amatteroflight.com/gallery2/v/OTHER/SNAKES/easternbrown/_AGL3476.jpg.html


Sorry for the image overload. I would definitely go Canon!



Kind regards
Akos





-- 
Akos Lumnitzer
http://www.amatteroflight.com

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