AlanF,
I am rarely looking to take photos of bird portraits, so usually, my camera will be set to 1/2000 or 1/4000 (depending on light), and Mode 3 IS. When I wander a good opportunity, like the photo above, I start taking handheld shots at 1/2000, and work my way down in ISO an EV or two at a time, then keep the lowest ISO shot at good focus. Basically, click click, turn dial, click click, turn dial click click. You need a few shots anyways, in case the bird closes its eyes.
At the end of it, if I have ISO 100, 200, and 400 shots of the same thing, all at good focus, I'll keep the ISO 100 On the above shot, I was amazed that I captured it that crisply at ISO 100. I actually have another heron portrait on my 6DII sample images thread where I took it at 1/30, again, perfectly focused! Of course, I didn't start at 1/30; it just happened that one of the 1/30 photos was shockingly focused.
I usually don't switch to IS Mode 1, because at any moment, I could be trying to catch a BIF. Also, in mode 3, I don't have to fight IS to manually focus. My thumb usually moves between the focus ring and the MF switch (and sometimes the focus limiter switch), rather than the IS switch at the bottom.
Of course, I'm not saying that it's impossible to get BIF shots on at 6.3 of f/8. And, I don't doubt the AF system on a 5DIV is superior to than 80D or 6DII -- but this is a camera that I won't ever buy, even excluding the price, because it is missing a flippy screen, which I need for other things. Even with an 80D, I've gotten tons of great handheld BIF shots at 600mm.
However, I've missed a lot more than that. I have had occasions where I've tracked the bird for several seconds, and every single shot is out of focus.
On the other hand, at 400mm, if I successfully track a bird for a couple of seconds, there will be at least some shots with the bird perfectly focused (of course, some will have AF on the wrong subject).
Even against blue sky in perfect lighting with the sun behind me, it's possible at 600mm for the AF to just wander and not lock, which I find infuriating (because that's a missed, potentially perfect shot). If I reduce zoom to about 450mm, it locks fine, and when I zoom back to 600mm, AF will continue to track. You may be entirely correct that this is a problem with the 6DII -- others who own both lenses and a 5DIV will need to chime in.
About the weight -- I agree, there is a wide distribution of people who are comfortable holding heavier lenses than others. To be clear, I don't have a problem handholding the Sigma 150-600C. I do have a problem handholding it for an afternoon of shooting, which could be anywhere from 2 - 5 hours, with a very high percentage of the time holding the lens at wildlife and waiting for a moment.
Most of the time, unless it's something I've never photographed before, I want more than an in-focus photo of a bird or an animal. What I'd really like is for that animal to do something interesting, and to catch that, I need to be patiently watching it through the viewfinder, and usually for more than a few seconds.
The difference between the 150-600C and the 100-400II is that on the former, I need at least a monopod if I'm going to do that more than a couple of times. Maybe some people can go all afternoon holding up a 150-600C for minutes at a time, but I don't think that's the majority of photographers. On the 100-400II, even if I pack a monopod or tripod, I will often not use it, unless I'm at a location that I know I'll be staying out for a good long time.
I am rarely looking to take photos of bird portraits, so usually, my camera will be set to 1/2000 or 1/4000 (depending on light), and Mode 3 IS. When I wander a good opportunity, like the photo above, I start taking handheld shots at 1/2000, and work my way down in ISO an EV or two at a time, then keep the lowest ISO shot at good focus. Basically, click click, turn dial, click click, turn dial click click. You need a few shots anyways, in case the bird closes its eyes.
At the end of it, if I have ISO 100, 200, and 400 shots of the same thing, all at good focus, I'll keep the ISO 100 On the above shot, I was amazed that I captured it that crisply at ISO 100. I actually have another heron portrait on my 6DII sample images thread where I took it at 1/30, again, perfectly focused! Of course, I didn't start at 1/30; it just happened that one of the 1/30 photos was shockingly focused.
I usually don't switch to IS Mode 1, because at any moment, I could be trying to catch a BIF. Also, in mode 3, I don't have to fight IS to manually focus. My thumb usually moves between the focus ring and the MF switch (and sometimes the focus limiter switch), rather than the IS switch at the bottom.
Of course, I'm not saying that it's impossible to get BIF shots on at 6.3 of f/8. And, I don't doubt the AF system on a 5DIV is superior to than 80D or 6DII -- but this is a camera that I won't ever buy, even excluding the price, because it is missing a flippy screen, which I need for other things. Even with an 80D, I've gotten tons of great handheld BIF shots at 600mm.
However, I've missed a lot more than that. I have had occasions where I've tracked the bird for several seconds, and every single shot is out of focus.
On the other hand, at 400mm, if I successfully track a bird for a couple of seconds, there will be at least some shots with the bird perfectly focused (of course, some will have AF on the wrong subject).
Even against blue sky in perfect lighting with the sun behind me, it's possible at 600mm for the AF to just wander and not lock, which I find infuriating (because that's a missed, potentially perfect shot). If I reduce zoom to about 450mm, it locks fine, and when I zoom back to 600mm, AF will continue to track. You may be entirely correct that this is a problem with the 6DII -- others who own both lenses and a 5DIV will need to chime in.
About the weight -- I agree, there is a wide distribution of people who are comfortable holding heavier lenses than others. To be clear, I don't have a problem handholding the Sigma 150-600C. I do have a problem handholding it for an afternoon of shooting, which could be anywhere from 2 - 5 hours, with a very high percentage of the time holding the lens at wildlife and waiting for a moment.
Most of the time, unless it's something I've never photographed before, I want more than an in-focus photo of a bird or an animal. What I'd really like is for that animal to do something interesting, and to catch that, I need to be patiently watching it through the viewfinder, and usually for more than a few seconds.
The difference between the 150-600C and the 100-400II is that on the former, I need at least a monopod if I'm going to do that more than a couple of times. Maybe some people can go all afternoon holding up a 150-600C for minutes at a time, but I don't think that's the majority of photographers. On the 100-400II, even if I pack a monopod or tripod, I will often not use it, unless I'm at a location that I know I'll be staying out for a good long time.
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