Canon 100-400mm L - tripod needed?

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Broric

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I just picked up a 100-400mm lens and I'm planning on taking it on a trip to the zoo at the weekend.

Anyone any thoughts on how easy this is to handhold all day? I'm not too bothered about the weight but do I need a tripod/monopod to use the lens well? I'd have thought a fast shutter speed (1/750+) would be ok without any support, right?
 
Agree with Joe here. A tripod would be an incumbrance in a zoo and would limit your manoeuvrability, although a monopod would be easier to handle if you felt you needed to support the weight.
 
I've used one of these a few times and and would recommend you take a mono pod if possible.

They are quite hand hold able at the short end, but a the long end and especially if you are using a crop body then a mono pod will help a lot.

The IS does work OK but is an older design and only good for a couple of stops.

This is a rather large crop of an image shot on my 7D at 400mm (so 640mm equivalent view) at 1/90th sec to get the prop blur.

IMG_7307_1500 by david.williams5Dmk3, on Flickr

Some of the other photos in my Goodwood Revival 2014 album were also shot on the 100-400L

HTH

David
 
I use a 100-400 on a 1D3 and find it no bother to use hand held all day.

in terms of hand held shutter speeds - a lot will depend on available light and how far you can push your ISO I guess.
 
Have hand held one all day in a back of a heap in blistering heat in Sri Lanka a trip to the zoo should be a walk in the park
 
I would recommend a monopod, it can become a little cumbersome after a while, a monopod takes some of the strain away (y)
 
Cheers guys

Don't mind giving the muscles a work out and thought a monood/tripod would be a pain to carry around all day.
 
One quick follow up question.

Should autofocus work with a 1.4TC on a 70D? If I take the TC I need to factor that in but not sure if it'd even work.
 
I recently had to use monopod since i knew i had to just use it once i bought it from local bargain shop.If you think u just had to use it once borrow it or buy it local bargain shops.
 
Broric said:
One quick follow up question.

Should autofocus work with a 1.4TC on a 70D? If I take the TC I need to factor that in but not sure if it'd even work.
Click to expand...

I've used a 1.4 on a 100-400 before

Remember you loose one stop with a 1.4 so your f5.6 becomes f8

My 1D3 retains autofocus at f8 but I haven't checked whether the 70D does.

For other cameras I've tried it can depend on the contrast of the subject and the brightness of the conditions.

400mm is normally long enough at the zoo but if you do go with the 1.4 remember manual focus is always still an option and for many animals at the zoo that's OK
 
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dinners said:
I've used a 1.4 on a 100-400 before

Remember you loose one stop with a 1.4 so your f5.6 becomes f8

My 1D3 does but I haven't checked is whether the 70D retains autofocus at f8

For other combinations it can depend on the contrast of the subject and the brightness of the conditions.
Click to expand...

I've tried googling it and read that it "definitely will" and "definitely won't" work on a 70D several times now.
 
Broric said:
I've tried googling it and read that it "definitely will" and "definitely won't" work on a 70D several times now.
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In my experience with other cameras (using a 100-400 plus a 1.4) it's not black and white.

Some people say it works others (using the same combo) say it doesn't whilst some just say it hunts a lot.

I've always put mixed views down to the conditions people were shooting in.
 
I thought the camera read the maximum aperture and if it was beyond then it wouldn't regardless of if it technically could.

Is that not right?
 
Generally speaking

2X converters are OK on f2.8 lenses

1.4X converters are OK on f4 lenses

When you get into the realms of converters taking f5.6 lenses to f8 it's a bit of a grey area with people reporting mixed views with all manner of TC / body combinations.
 
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Canon bodies will disable AF completely if the effective aperture falls below the camera's capability, so you'd have to check in the manual for your camera (sorry I don't have a 70D so can't comment). In practice though, even if it will technically work, the AF will be very significantly slower and less reliable with the TCs.
 
magicolor1 said:
Canon bodies will disable AF completely if the effective aperture falls below the camera's capability, so you'd have to check in the manual for your camera (sorry I don't have a 70D so can't comment). In practice though, even if it will technically work, the AF will be very significantly slower and less reliable with the TCs.
Click to expand...

Cheers

I've read conflicting information on it's capabilities. Will check the manual.
 
The 100-400 is my lens of choice (i would love a 200-400 with built in 1.4 T/C but that isn't going to happen any time soon!) on a full-frame 5D3 (so 400 is 400!) for 90% of my wildlife photography and very rarely do I use any form of support, even on 4 hour walks.

These images taken a couple of weeks ago:



2R4C6663 by Whyone, on Flickr



2R4C6690 by Whyone, on Flickr



2R4C6705 by Whyone, on Flickr



2R4C6724 by Whyone, on Flickr
 
magicolor1 said:
Canon bodies will disable AF completely if the effective aperture falls below the camera's capability, so you'd have to check in the manual for your camera (sorry I don't have a 70D so can't comment). In practice though, even if it will technically work, the AF will be very significantly slower and less reliable with the TCs.
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That's what I was trying to say.

In low contrast scenes or if light levels are low - AF 'working' may just result in AF hunting to the point that it's not really much use.

Here in Scotland were not always blessed with the best light. That's where I find the 1D3 (AF at f8) to be far more reliable with the TC than some of the other bodies I've tried it with.

A lot will depend on whether the 70D does f8
 
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According to Wiki - which isn't always the most reliable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_Extender_EF

List of EOS bodies that can AF at f/8[edit]
Canon EOS bodies that have a high density, high precision auto-focus sensor with 45 or more AF points are able to autofocus at maximum apertures of f/8.[12]

 
Yep, I read that and it suggests it'd be a no. The manual also suggests that the 70D isn't capable of F8 (except in Live View) but then I've read various reviews/comments saying that it works. I thought it should be a case of the camera preventing it as it's outside the specs (even if it were possible with good light, etc).
 
If you're using a Canon TC then no -it won't AF as is. If you're using a TC that doesn't report it's presence to the camera (some of the older kenko TCs for example) or are prepared to modify it by taping over some of the connector pins, then the answer is maybe.
 
As above, the 70d will not auto focus at F8. But would you need all that reach in a zoo? 1.6 crop & 400mm would be plenty I'd have thought.
 
Adam J said:
As above, the 70d will not auto focus at F8. But would you need all that reach in a zoo? 1.6 crop & 400mm would be plenty I'd have thought.
Click to expand...

I imagine I won't but also wanted to test out if that combo worked well or not. Will probably leave the tc at home.

Cheers
 
Joeturner11 said:
You need to get to the gym if you need a monopod for a 100-400 (y)
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I used to go to the gym when I was in my thirties and forties, not now I'm afraid :(
 
I am of the female persuasion (obviously) and have no problem hand-holding my 100-400 all day. My husband, however, complains if I don't give him a monopod when borrows it for a couple of hours! Make of that what you will.

On the teleconverter question, mine worked pretty well with a Kenko 1.4 on my 7D, then I sent it off to Elstree for a service where it was pretty much rebuilt. When it came back it was like a new lens, but would no longer focus with the Kenko, so it could be down to the age or condition of the lens as well.
 
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