Gear Talk > Lenses

Recommendation For Long Lenses

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cfargo:
I’m heading on a South African Photo Safari on the first of March and need some lens advice. I’m shooting with the 1D Mk IV and the 5D Mk II. I own the 500 f/4L IS, 100-400 f/4-5.6L, 70-300 f/4-5.6L, 70-200 f/2.8L along with a 1.4x III and a 2.0x III tele-converters. I have ruled out taking the 100-400 as it is too soft. I’m leaning on taking the 70-200 over the 70-300 due to it’s f/2.8 aperture. It’s a non brainer that I’m taking the 500mm f/4 so my void is between 200 and 500.

I was looking hard at filling this void with the 400mm f/4L DO since it is light weight and would be hand held quite a bit. My concern here is that the 400 DO is 11 year old technology and due to be replaced any day. My other 2 options are the 300mm f/2.8L II with or without 1.4x converter or the 400mm f/2.8L II. Of course the 400mm f/2.8L II is going to be much harder to hand hold and the 300mm f/2.8L II is shorter.

I would love to hear others opinions on which way to go with these 3 options. The other stuff I shoot is nature and aviation.

Curt Fargo

Mendolera:
If you can hold off a couple weeks we might get lucky (though doubtful) and see the 200-400 f/4 which I think would a good lens for a Safari. My friend brought his 200-400 Nikon and said it was great for this trip to SA.

neuroanatomist:
I'd take the 300/2.8 II + 1.4x III over the 400/4 DO - the IQ of the new 300/2.8 even with a TC beats the 400/4 DO lens. 

The 200-400mm with the built-in TC would be ideal...but given that we haven't even seen a formal announcement yet and Canon has still not delivered on the 500/4 II and 600/4 II that were announced back in 2010, I sure wouldn't be holding out any hope you'd actually see that lens by March...perhaps not even March of 2013...

jasonsim:
I would take the 100-400mm with the 500mm.  I've never been on a real safari, but I imagine that there are times that the trucks can get closer to the animals.  The zoom is just too versatile to leave behind.  I personally, would not want to switch lenses too much in those dusty conditions.  I'd save the 500 with the 1.4x for birds.  I would leave the 5D II at home unless you will be taking some landscape wide angle shots.  Say with a 17-40mm or 16-35mm. 

dickgrafixstop:
Take the 500, the 79-200 and the teleconverters.  If you have to take another lens, take a  24-105 as not all
the "good" shots on safari are animals in the distance.  You might also consider someone to carry all that stuff.

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