Lame question - significant differences between lenses...?

[mnbruce]

i cant wait to get behind that lens !!

 

I bet you can't! One thing though. Just because it's very fast,very sharp and has IS does not mean every shot is going to come out great . I hope the weather in Alaska is great and you have ideal light conditions but it is possible that won't be the case. I don't know if you shoot in the auto modes or not,I never do,but you may will need to shoot in a high ISO. I always try to shoot with low ISO but on my Alaska trip it was mostly ISO 640 or ISO 800. Keep an eye on that and your shutter speeds,plus zoom in on your LCD to review the images to make sure they are sharp.

[pilotdane]

Jacquid:

If you have a 70-200 f2.8 a circular polarizer would be usefull. The f2/8 is nice and bright so you have extra "elbow room" for the polarizer. It will knock you down to at least f4 shutter speeds (and possibly slower) so there is a price to pay for using a polarizer. I consider it a nice to have, not a gotta have. I certainly do not walk around with it mounted on the lens all day. I use it only in specific situations.

 

I used a 1.4x converter very often with my 70-200 f4 and it still produced better images than the consumer grade 70-300mm. The 1.4x converter will give you 280mm and then you get even more "enlargement/zoom" if it is mounted on a crop body.

 

Getting a new lens right before a big trip can be risky. It took me several months to really get to know my 100-400. You may get better results going with what you know (your 70-200). Don't forget that 70-200 f2.8 is a very good lens.

[jacquid]

Thanks for the advice PilotDane. I'm really considering the 1.4x converter for the wildlife cruise where I might need the extra zoom power. I will have the lens for a week prior and plan to do alot of practicing. I only currently have the kit lens and not a telephoto so I will employ some of my college tactics and just cram like crazy !!!!! LOL

[PopPop3]

If I may, I'd like to add a couple of things to this conversation:

 

Depending upon if your camera is a crop sensor type, the 100-400L IS will have even greater magnification, as crop sensor bodies have a magnification factor of around 1.6x.....meaning this lens will have a practical "reach" of 160 to 640 mm.

 

Racked out to the maximum magnification, 640 is extremely difficult to hand-hold, even for a pro. For a non-pro, well, as others have suggested, a tripod is a necessity.....even at the minimum focal length.

 

Also, the image quality at max focal length suffers a bit, though this lens is a very good performer throughout its range.

 

As for polarizers, they're minimally useful in cloudy conditions, which you're likely to encounter in Alaska. Polarizers are most useful on sunny days, and their maximum usefulness and effect occurs when you are shooting at 90 degrees to the sun. If you're shooting toward or away from the sun, you won't see much...if any....effect from a polarizer.

[mnbruce]

Also, the image quality at max focal length suffers a bit, though this lens is a very good performer throughout its range.

 

 

I hear that often and it may be the casebut I have been extemely happy with this lens at 400mm. Here's more at 400mm hand held.