Which Camera & Lens - Aviation + Animals

[Half Way To Nothing]

I was about to upgrade to the 5D iii (currently have 50D) but just before I do I want to check with the many Pros and Arm Chair Pros on here if it would be right for me.

I want to shoot Aviation and animals, some landscape and Family (non portrait, just nice shots)

I can spend up to £8000 ($12000), however saving money always helps.

I have currently 70-200 L IS 2.8 and 24-105 IS L 4.0

The options then FF or not to FF. 600mm f4 or will the 400m F5.6 do it's a lot cheaper? Which Body? Which Lens? Extenders? (I had one 2x mk ii on a 70-200 and did not like the quality)

Any other combos you guys can think of?

Thanks for your time!

[scrappydog]

I photograph animals a lot with my 60D and 5D Mark II.  FF is great because you can crank up the ISO cleanly to get the shutter speed you need to stop movement; the 5D Mark III will be much better than the 50D in this regard.  With your budget, the 1D Mark IV and 1DX should also be considerations.  The 1D Mark IV has 1.3 crop, which is nice.

I have the EF Extender 1.4x III and its performance is excellent with the 70-200 f/2.8 II -- sharp, fast AF, etc. 

You may want to consider the 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L for its versatility.  Art Morris commented that he thinks it is a good birding lens.

[Kernuak]

If only Canon had a 400mm f/4 prime (not the DO). I tend to have my 1.4x welded to my 300 f/2.8 and it will take the 2x as well, for an IQ hit. I have used that combination successfully on my 7D for a few years, although I've tended to avoid the 2x, so don't have a vast amount of experience with it. Now that I have the 5D MkIII, I do lose the reach, but so far, I haven't missed it as much as I might have thought, due to the improved image quality. Even cropping, the better AF is making a noticeable difference. A pro I know, used to use a 600 f/4 on his 1D MkIII, but he dropped the pair going through a gate. He replaced the 600 with the 500 and said he got better shots, because he wasn't struggling with the weight of the 500 and could use the 1,4x, whereas it was near impossible to control in locations where a tripod wasn't possible when the 1.4x was added to the 600. With that in mind, if you can find one, a 500mm f/4 L IS (original) might be a good bet, the ones I've seen have been just under £5000, although MPB Photographics had a well-used one for under £4000 I think it was. I was sort of tempted, but it was just too cosmetically damaged from the pictures.

[Mt Spokane Photography]

A 100-400mm L on a 7D or 1D series is very popular for Aviation, and fine for most animals, but perhaps a bit slow focusing for BIF.  Its ok on a FF too, but might be focal length limited for distant wildlife photos.
I found that my 600mm f/4 was too much of a hassle to carry and setup, but you might do ok with one.
 

[Half Way To Nothing]

Thanks for all the replys.

I'm still trying to make my mind up. I'm wondering has anyone tried the Sigma 120 - 300mm f/2.8 lens on the 5d mk 3. (sorry to say the "S" word on the Canon website)

I think if I used the 1.4 Tel converter it would make it a 120-300mm f/2.8 lens as a 168- 420mm f/4 lens.

A 420mm f4 would be epic (is this a possibility, has any one tried this???)

Can you use the canon 1.4 on a s Sigma lens??

[scrappydog]

A 420mm f4 would be epic (is this a possibility, has any one tried this???)

I have with a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 II + EF Extender 1.4x III on a 1.6 crop camera, which is past 420mm at f/4.  On a 7D, the AF would be fast, but it will be very noisy if you raise the ISO above 800.  I have not tried the Sigma.  Sorry!

[Caleb Luke]

Thanks for all the replys.

I'm still trying to make my mind up. I'm wondering has anyone tried the Sigma 120 - 300mm f/2.8 lens on the 5d mk 3. (sorry to say the "S" word on the Canon website)

I think if I used the 1.4 Tel converter it would make it a 120-300mm f/2.8 lens as a 168- 420mm f/4 lens.

A 420mm f4 would be epic (is this a possibility, has any one tried this???)

Can you use the canon 1.4 on a s Sigma lens??

I do. I contemplated purchasing the Canon 300mm f/2.8L II however ended up opting for the Sigma 120-300. I absolutely love the lens (although it is a heavy beast). I also have the Sigma 1.4 TC- There is a slight noticeable drop in contrast and a little bit more noise when using the TC, but the images are still superb.

I will see if I can get a few pictures up for for you.

[Half Way To Nothing]

I will see if I can get a few pictures up for for you.

That would be great!

[Half Way To Nothing]

After the 6D news, I have just ordered my new toys!!! Can't wait o start using them

Canon 5d mkiii

Sigma 120-300 f.2.8 OS

Sigma 1.4 Extender

Sigma 2 x Extender

Don't tell the wife!!!