Drop in Filter for EF 500 or 600 f/4L IS II USM

[florian]

Hello to everybody,

I´m going to order one of these lenses soon for my birding trip to Australia.
I was more of the macro and underwater guy.
Now I like to get a really long lens for my 5D III.

It´s just not a lot of information to find about people having these and using filters.
Usually I have a B+W Käsemann circular polarisation filter with me for my 16-35 II or my 70-200 II.

Does it make sense to get this at all for a 500mm or 600mm ?
Since I haven´t got a lens with drop in filter slot before, if I do get a filter, how do I adjust it to the situation ?
Is there a nob to turn ? or do I need a Canon filter that come with some kind of possibilty to adjust without getting the filter out?

Thanks for your input and this great page, reading it for years now since I got my 5D II.
Sorry my bad English I´m from Germany ;D

 

[revup67]

I have a 400mm 5.6 L and have never used a filter. Lens hood only for all my wildlife shots. I had also read that a UV can cause some softness. Since then the UV has been off, I calibrated the lens and get razor sharp images. I'd be more concerned about losing IQ by adding a filter vs. the benefit of reducing glare or darkening skies which you can do in Post Process. Personally, I'd shoot this 500 or 600 filter less and use only the hood.

 

[Loswr]

The big supertele primes (which include the 300/2.8 but not the 400/5.6) cannot take a front filter at all. Also, a filter must be in the drop-in slot (the lenses come with a clear filter installed, that also serves as a gelatin filter holder, and is part of the optical formula of the lenses).

You can get a drop-in holder for 52mm filters. That would only be if you want an ND filter (a slower shutter speed can't 'just be added in post').

If you want a CPL, the Canon 52mm drop-in CPL is the only real option. It has a knob on the outside to rotate the CPL. The effects of a CPL also cannot be duplicated effectively in post.

Not sure about Germany, but in the US there's a back order queue for the 500/600 II. If your trip is soon, order now...

Get a good monopod, at least, and for tripod use, get a gimbal head (a ballhead is a bad idea, even if the load rating is plenty high).

 

[risc32]

I have the 300mm Is v1 and i had to search high and low for a long while to get my hands on the canon filter holder so i could use regular screw in style filters. I got it so i could use ND filters, real glass ND filters, and not fool with gels. I put gels on my flashes, not lenses(but i would if need be). I hope you have an easier time than i did. really, i was searching B&H, Adorama, KEH, and others, some in the UK(i'm in the states), for this new or used.

 

[florian]

Thanks everybody,

I did order my EF 600 II yesterday here in Germany at my CPS store without the CPL. Canon can´t even tell me if I´ll get it in the next 6 months. Lucky me I have a lot of time before I go to australia.
The waiting without a date is the worst.

 

[Deleted member 91053]

Florian - The Canon 52mm drop in Circular polarising filters are available at Castle Cameras in the UK - see here: http://www.castlecameras.co.uk/canon-52mm-drop-in-circular-polarising
I bought one recently as they were the cheapest I could find and It's very useful in strong/harsh light.
Then 2 weeks ago I bought a Canon 300mm F2.8 L IS from a certain auction site that came with a 52 mm Cpl so I have ended up with 2!
I don't really need them both so I am open to offers on the one that came with the 300 F2.8 - though I will state that whilst the filter is absolutely fine the circular plastic box it comes in is badly damaged.
If you are in any doubt then just buy from Castle Cameras - brand new and guaranteed as well as the cheapest I could find, if you want to save some money make me an offer?

 

[florian]

Thanks but this does not fit for my new lens. you need another for all new II lenses from 300 to 600.
I´ll give it a shot without first and if I see I can´t live with it I´ll get one after testing the lens in the field.
Got a call from Canon today. End of March is the estimated delivery date. only 5 more month waiting.
It´s Winter here so there is not much I´ll miss during this time.

 

[Loswr]

Thanks but this does not fit for my new lens. you need another for all new II lenses from 300 to 600.

Actually, you don't. The old version fits the new lenses. The only update to the WII version is the color of the 'white' paint (matched to the new white of the MkII superteles). Other than paint color, they're the same and thus forward/backward compatible.

 

[PackLight]

I find the performance and IQ of the Canon drop in CPL to be lacking.
I am not sure if I have a bad copy or if the quality of the product is low in general.

 

[florian]

Thanks neuroanatomist good to know that they are the same, didn´t know that. thought they changed something that would not make it fit.
PackLight : That´s what worries me too. I use the B+W nano Käsemann CPL on my other lenses with my 5D III.
But I think they don´t make the optical quality of the pictures better if you don´t need them.
I have the 16-35 II and 70-200 IS II and I only get it on the lens when I have blue skies and have to fight reflections or need some better colors.
With the 600 I think I will use it most to take pictures of Wildlife and most of the time I would worry if the picture would be better without it.
When I get my lens I´ll go and get some pictures of parrots and beeeaters from around where I live and if I´m happy with the colors I will not get a CPL.
Would be intresting to know if you could put a 52mm B+W CPL in, like the Käsemann´s I have. They are the best for a good price and then you could compare if it´s the Canon CPL that´s causing loss of IQ.

 

[PackLight]

Thanks neuroanatomist good to know that they are the same, didn´t know that. thought they changed something that would not make it fit.
PackLight : That´s what worries me too. I use the B+W nano Käsemann CPL on my other lenses with my 5D III.
But I think they don´t make the optical quality of the pictures better if you don´t need them.
I have the 16-35 II and 70-200 IS II and I only get it on the lens when I have blue skies and have to fight reflections or need some better colors.
With the 600 I think I will use it most to take pictures of Wildlife and most of the time I would worry if the picture would be better without it.
When I get my lens I´ll go and get some pictures of parrots and beeeaters from around where I live and if I´m happy with the colors I will not get a CPL.
Would be intresting to know if you could put a 52mm B+W CPL in, like the Käsemann´s I have. They are the best for a good price and then you could compare if it´s the Canon CPL that´s causing loss of IQ.

I also have the B+W Nano Kaesman CPL that I use on other lenses. I like the job it does.
I have several older B+W filters that are not as good.
I don't think Canon's CPL is as good as the older B+W's that I have, and not any where close to the class of the Nano Kaesman.
For the most part I do not use the Canon CPL on my supertele's unless I just have to have it. Unlike the Nano Kaseman where during the day I might put it on one of the other lenses and leave it and not think twice.