Canon EF 500mm f4 L IS USM

Brentor

Brentor

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I am thinking of buying a used Canon EF 500mm f4 L IS USM. Is it still a capable lens? I appreciate that Canon no longer service this lens. I already have a Sigma 150-600 C which is fine but only 6.3 above 388mm and AF speed is apparently slower. Is it worth the upgrade or is the improvement minimal? Main use would be bird photography.
 
A lens I am contemplating myself but would have to be a Mk1 as I can't justify the price of a newer, Mk2. I have the Sigma too and for what it is, it's an excellent lens. Worth the upgrade? Very probably.

The Mark 1 has serviceability issues, they're difficult to get fixed when they go wrong.

The newer ones don't have that problem of course.

I've never owned one or even used one but in my opinion, newer versions of camera gear don't mean the older versions become bad (unless they already were). The early 500s were and still are excellent lenses.

Just be aware of the serviceabilty issues of the Mk1, if that's what you're considering.
 
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SFTPhotography said:
Are there 3rd party places that would service it out with the official makers.

Think A J Johnstone in Glasgow, Fixation in London etc.
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It's more to do with availability (or lack thereof) of parts.... The original lens was released back in 1999 and production ceased circa 2011 - that's 11 years out of production and it's common amongst all Canon (and Nikon for that matter) lenses to fall out of serviceability :( It's such a shame, but for some reason, these lenses still command strong money, despite having the potential to become a large paper weight at a moments notice
 
toohuge said:
It's more to do with availability (or lack thereof) of parts.... The original lens was released back in 1999 and production ceased circa 2011 - that's 11 years out of production and it's common amongst all Canon (and Nikon for that matter) lenses to fall out of serviceability :( It's such a shame, but for some reason, these lenses still command strong money, despite having the potential to become a large paper weight at a moments notice
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That is my dilemma. I may end up paying £3 k for a lens that dies within a short period. Having said that I have other Canon lenses that are older and still gong well.
 
Dale. said:
A lens I am contemplating myself but would have to be a Mk1 as I can't justify the price of a newer, Mk2. I have the Sigma too and for what it is, it's an excellent lens. Worth the upgrade? Very probably.

The Mark 1 has serviceability issues, they're difficult to get fixed when they go wrong.

The newer ones don't have that problem of course.

I've never owned one or even used one but in my opinion, newer versions of camera gear don't mean the older versions become bad (unless they already were). The early 500s were and still are excellent lenses.

Just be aware of the serviceabilty issues of the Mk1, if that's what you're considering.
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Have you found any lenses that may be better than the Sigma that are still serviceable and do not cost a fortune?
 
Nothing springs to mind. I have a 300 f4l, beautiful lens but a little short. There’s always converters but they come with caveats.
 
I have one , Works as it should , My way of looking after it is treat it as a baby , nice and gentle
Keep it dry , Keep it clean inc the lens contacts , Keep it in the hard case with the little bags that absorb moisture , Stack the odds in my favour , I do the same with my 300 2.8
 
I’m too late to buy the lens I was looking at which was in excellent condition and came with a warranty. Perhaps a blessing in disguise.
 
I have had mine 20 years and its never had an issue. Well made and bullet proof.
Get one that you can view and also look at the kit of the seller, you will know the one's that take care of their equipment.
Fast and tack sharp also the mk111 extender suits perfectly.
Take a look Flickr GREENGRASS F1
 
Buddy why not do as much research as you can into part availablity and also folks whom would fix it for you. As Steve mentioned above It's what I did............sure I came out feeling an older lens that canon won't service was just too much of a gamble for me personally,so I grafted out the extra pennies for my 400 DOii....part of me wanted the 500 but my subjects tend to be slightly larger than birds plus...the weight might have been an issue because of how I tend to approach said subjects.. The is ii 500 was really out of reach financially as well

musing out loud.............. would a used 400DOii be an option for you, ? I have no idea on current value and sure it simply hasn't got the reach of a 500f4 but with the exts you have 560mm @ f5.6 and 800mm at f8.mind you really need a body to complliiment the lens plus extiii's especially for BIF...( to make the AF sing).....you've got hardly any IQ loss with the 1.4 and a slight hit with the 2X............Hmm just had a dig cheepest I can find seems to be 4.5K...I thought they had devalued more than that, ( because of mirrorless) mind that isn't a private sale,

A thought at least, it's a hell of a tool with the 1 DXii and it's so so light..it's really down to how much you personally need that extra reach and whether that extra dosh can be found
 
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