Lens advice (Page 2): Is it this lens you are recommending? canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6l is ii usm...

bhad

Is it this lens you are recommending?
canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6l is ii usm

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

bhad wrote:

I shoot a variety of photos primarily wildlife and nature. I am considering this lens for my Canon Rebel T5.
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
Can those on this forum give pros and cons of this lense?
Thank you!

BTW- the loons have returned to north-central Minnesota.🙂

First, if you shoot primarily wildlife and nature, your barking up the wrong lens tree. Yes, the 70-200 is a wonderful lens, but it does not have nearly the reach for wildlife, nature yes, wildlife no. And please let us not talk about adding a teleconverter.
The Regel T5 I believe does not have a high "frames per second", something that is important in wildlife.
I would be tending toward a Canon 7D II body and a Canon 100-400 II lens.
It also sounds like your budget is limited, then I would strongly suggest the Canon 100-400 II lens over the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens.
You can always upgrade your body as you gain experience, and the Canon 100-400 II lens can then live on a new body. It is the lens that is the best determination of image quality.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

bhad wrote:

Is it this lens you are recommending?
canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6l is ii usm

Absolutely.
I use it all the time for birds, wildlife, scenery, close-up of wild flowers and spiders.
Well built like a tank (See Lens Rentals Review) and sharp as a tack. There is no other lens with the versatility of it by any maker especially the amazing close focus ability which is closer than the 70-200 you are looking at and it does it at 400mm so the magnification is much greater.
It sits on my camera a lot of the time, in fact it is attached right now on the coffee table ready for the critters around the house in the spring.

Chemwood Loc: UK

Hi

I had the 70-200mm f4 lens for a long time and it was easily my best lens as a walkabout. Light and very fast focusing. Then bought a 100-400 mm also a super lens but so heavy.

After two months I sold the lot and changed to Olympus... a good move. My 40-150mm f2.8 Pro lens with a 1.4 teleconverter gives me the max equivalent of 420 mm at f4 ...and also tack sharp

ggab Loc: ?

Architect1776 wrote:

Absolutely. br I use it all the time for birds, wi... (show quote)

If the 100-400 L lens are too much money, I would suggest the 70-300 IS USM II.
Very fast to focus and very good image quality. You can not use an extender with it, however it can be bought refurbed by Canon on their online store for $400.00.

Typically 400mm is considered the minimum focal length for birding, however if you don't want a Prime and can't afford the 100-400LII the 70-300 IS USM II is a good choice. Just don't use it in the rain, although your camera isn't weather sealed either so that shouldn't be a concern.
If you want the further reach and don't mind using a Prime lense, the 400mm F/5.6L is a good choice. It doesn't have IS, however at 1/500+ Shutter speeds and good technique it shouldn't be necessary for outdoor use. KEH currently has them used in Ex and Ex+ between $740 & $800 using a coupon code "CN4A".
This lens is light weight, has a sun hood built in which I really like and comes with a removable tripod mount if you want to use it.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

ggab wrote:

img src="https://static.uglyhedgehog.com/images/s... (show quote)

I have the 70-300 USM II as well.
Like it as an affordable option but OP is looking at the 70-200 F2.8 L so I figured the 100-400 MII is in the same price class.
I use the 70-300mm on my 10D at the beach or other places where when swimming etc if damaged not as big a financial loss.

ggab Loc: ?

Architect1776 wrote:

I have the 70-300 USM II as well.
Like it as an affordable option but OP is looking at the 70-200 F2.8 L so I figured the 100-400 MII is in the same price class.
I use the 70-300mm on my 10D at the beach or other places where when swimming etc if damaged not as big a financial loss.

I used mine, before I bought the 100-400 IS L USM II, to shoot soccer games along with my 70-200 f/2.8 III.
Now it is a back up.

The OP has a T5 and likes to shoot wildlife and nature.
I would suggest looking into a used 7DII and keep the T5 as back up or sell the T5.
Getting a EF400mm F/5.6 would allow for this, financially as would the 70-300. Just a thought.

bhad

Could this lens be used successfully on a Canon Rebel t5 body?

Nalu Loc: Southern Arizona

I would tend to agree with others that you will be happier with a longer lens than the 70-200 2.8 L. The 100-400 5.6 would be a better choice for wildlife. If you are serious, I have an original 100-400 L I no longer use and is for sale. For that matter, I also have a 70-200 2.8 (non IS) for sale as well. Both are in excellent condition and reasonably priced. If interested, send my a private message and I can share more information.

ggab Loc: ?

bhad wrote:

Could this lens be used successfully on a Canon Rebel t5 body?

Which lens?

bikerguy

bhad wrote:

Thank you! From where do you purchase refurbished gear?

Canon USA.

bhad

100-400 L I

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

bhad wrote:

100-400 L I

Using <quote reply> is so much more effective in asking follow-up questions to specific prior posts.

All Canon EF lenses are f/5.6 or wider. This maintains autofocus on all EOS bodies, back to the original 1987 film bodies through the latest 2020 EOS-R mirrorless releases. The same applies to EF-S lenses, although the EF-S mount has limits to the EOS DSLR bodies where these EF-F lenses can be used.

agillot

500mm for wildlife would be minimum .i use 800 mm on a crop sensor .

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

bhad wrote:

I shoot a variety of photos primarily wildlife and nature. I am considering this lens for my Canon Rebel T5.
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
Can those on this forum give pros and cons of this lense?
Thank you!

BTW- the loons have returned to north-central Minnesota.🙂

What are you shooting wildlife with now? Are you planning to continue using what you have for that? Is your addition of the 70-200 part of a strategic plan to upgrade your overall lens collection? There are several ways to look at this, each of which could make really good sense.

After shooting with a Nikon D200 and three really different Nikkor lenses, I decided to rationalize and upgrade my system. An outside observer could probably not have made any sense of the individual trades and purchases that I made. But now that I'm finished, everything makes sense and supports four updated camera bodies (all compatible) using two sensor formats. And every lens will work on every body.

The lens you are considering is a great lens for many uses. Lots of folks here claim it is the lens they use most. Its focal length seems to make it easy to design the sharpness and excellent overall behavior without it's having to cost a fortune. If you already have another serviceable lens for wildlife, it may make really good sense to add this one, even if you use it for other things.