Canon 70-300 or 100-400 L Lens??? (Page 4): . There is a significant difference. You don't have the weight of the other 2 tripod legs & center column. Most monopods have a ball head or...

nicksr1125 Loc: Mesa, AZ

Cassy wrote:

Hi, I actually have tried using my tripod with only using one leg, so I can move around quickly. Just doesn't seem to work well. Is there really a difference between Tripod (using only 1 leg) and Monopod?

.

There is a significant difference. You don't have the weight of the other 2 tripod legs & center column. Most monopods have a ball head or the capability to add one. I added an Oben quick release to both my monopod & tripod so it's easier to attach & remove the camera.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Cassy wrote:

HI
I bought a 100-400 L lens a few months ago and continue to have problems taking pictures and holding the lens. :-(
I am thinking of selling this lens and buying the 70-300 L Lens. Has anyone had bought lens and is the 300 better?
I just have a hard time hand holding the lens, but when the birds are moving and flying I can't use a tripod. I'm so confused and disappointed the 400 isn't working out.

Practice makes perfect. I know two people that have the 70-300 and I know they would rather have the 100-400 for the extra reach.

RAK Loc: Concord Ca

Mono Pod!

AHK Loc: Lakewood Ranch, Fl.

Cassy,

I use the 100-400 hand held as my go to bird in flight lens.

Having said that if it is too heavy:

A mono pod is a fine way handle a 100-400. If your shooting from a boat it does not work well...need to be on land.

Or go to a 70-300 with a tele extender (check out if you can hand hold)

SteveR Loc: Michigan

AHK wrote:

Cassy,

I use the 100-400 hand held as my go to bird in flight lens.

Having said that if it is too heavy:

A mono pod is a fine way handle a 100-400. If your shooting from a boat it does not work well...need to be on land.

Or go to a 70-300 with a tele extender (check out if you can hand hold)

I wouldn't use an extender with a zoom. However, the combination of a 300mm f4 with an extender works great with b.i.f. and other wildlife photos.

Racefan Loc: Suffolk, VA

See my post about hand held shooting with long lenses--
from Virginia
Name-Racefan

gemlenz Loc: Gilbert Arizona

That's exactly what I'm going to do.

Cassy wrote:

HI
I bought a 100-400 L lens a few months ago and continue to have problems taking pictures and holding the lens. :-(
I am thinking of selling this lens and buying the 70-300 L Lens. Has anyone had bought lens and is the 300 better?
I just have a hard time hand holding the lens, but when the birds are moving and flying I can't use a tripod. I'm so confused and disappointed the 400 isn't working out.

raysass Loc: Brooklin, On, Canada.

Cassy wrote:

HI
I bought a 100-400 L lens a few months ago and continue to have problems taking pictures and holding the lens. :-(
I am thinking of selling this lens and buying the 70-300 L Lens. Has anyone had bought lens and is the 300 better?
I just have a hard time hand holding the lens, but when the birds are moving and flying I can't use a tripod. I'm so confused and disappointed the 400 isn't working out.

I hang mine on a shoulder strap until I am ready to take a pic.
I wouldn't sell mine and all my shots are hand held.

(Download)

raysass Loc: Brooklin, On, Canada.

GLbro wrote:

I have the 300 lens and I love it! I carry it in my walk-around bag, and use a simple tripod to keep it level. I put it on IS, set it on my tripod, and set the timer and let the camera do all the work. I think it is great in the field. Have fun with it.

You should turn the IS off if you have it on a tripod.

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

i'm either sitting on a bench or my scooter, so I use a monopod and maybe a lens support for the longer lenses.

GLbro Loc: Sacramento County

I have a 70 - 300 lens and love it! I do need a tripod to keep it steady though.

anotherview Loc: California

Let me please suggest you try an Exposure Compensation between 1 and 2 stops for shots against a blue sky. The camera's metering system tries for an overall exposure for the scene in the frame. Because the larger sky area as a rule has a brightness higher than the smaller main subject, the metering system detects the larger sky and adjusts exposure for it, by lowering overall brightness. This adjustment darkens the main subject, as here.

I took the liberty of editing your owl shot to give you an example of how your subject would look if properly exposed. I selected the sky and added a blue filter to it to make it appear natural to the eye.

raysass wrote:

I hang mine on a shoulder strap until I am ready to take a pic.
I wouldn't sell mine and all my shots are hand held.

Owl in Flight [edited from original]

wrogers Loc: Kew Gardens, NY

I often handhold the 100-400 Canon lens when I'm too lazy to set up a tripod. But sometimes there is a surface to set the camera on. I have used tree branches, wall tops, backs of park benches, picnic tables, and so on.

raysass Loc: Brooklin, On, Canada.

anotherview wrote:

Let me please suggest you try an Exposure Compensa... (show quote)

Only thing is this Owl was flying so low there was only brush and snow in the background.

raysass Loc: Brooklin, On, Canada.

raysass wrote:

Only thing is this Owl was flying so low there was only brush and snow in the background.

Thanks for the tip.Ray.