What lens for XT 300f 4 LiS or 400 5.6

I have a XT and wonder what would be sharper with it a 300 F4 L IS or 400 5.6 lens,or would they be able to be used in a practical manner with the lowly XT ? (kidding)
I have a 1.4 ext already with the 70-200 f4 L IS .
Thanks
Don

Don Ferguson Jr. said:

I have a XT and wonder what would be sharper with it a 300 F4 L IS or 400 5.6 lens, ...

Click to expand...

They both would be fine, just select the one with the focal length you think works best for the type of images you intend to use them on. Depending on the subject, just remember that the f/4 or f/5.6 lenses need a lot of light (compared to their expensive f/2.8 siblings) and you need to have a very good support (bean bag, monopod, tripod) because camera shake is magnified/amplified by the narrow angle of view. You will also have an auto focus problem with the f/5.6 combined with an extender, with the f/4 it can be iffy (I don't remember the narrowest f-stop limit of your camera).

Remember to use a short exposure time, otherwise subject motion may become an issue, so higher ISOs may be needed.

Also remember that a lens is a long time investment, and most camera bodies are relatively affordable/upgradable. There are distinct benefits to the more expensive series 1 model bodies, in particular their focus speed/accuracy, but one needs to learn and make the best of the equipment at hand, in any case. Shooting technique is often the most limiting factor, focus accuracy the next.

Bart

Bart_van_der_Wolf said:

They both would be fine, just select the one with the focal length you think works best for the type of images you intend to use them on. Depending on the subject, just remember that the f/4 or f/5.6 lenses need a lot of light (compared to their expensive f/2.8 siblings) and you need to have a very good support (bean bag, monopod, tripod) because camera shake is magnified/amplified by the narrow angle of view. You will also have an auto focus problem with the f/5.6 combined with an extender, with the f/4 it can be iffy (I don't remember the narrowest f-stop limit of your camera).

Remember to use a short exposure time, otherwise subject motion may become an issue, so higher ISOs may be needed.

Also remember that a lens is a long time investment, and most camera bodies are relatively affordable/upgradable. There are distinct benefits to the more expensive series 1 model bodies, in particular their focus speed/accuracy, but one needs to learn and make the best of the equipment at hand, in any case. Shooting technique is often the most limiting factor, focus accuracy the next.

Bart

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Remember that one lens has IS, the other does not. That makes a big difference to
your comments about the need for light and good support.

I'd say the 400/5.6 is a specialist lens, e.g. for in-flight bird photography in very good light.
For everyone else, a 300/4 +/- 1.4x is a more flexible combination. But it is hard to give
a really helpful answer without knowing what the lens is to be used for.

Don Ferguson Jr. said:

I have a XT and wonder what would be sharper with it a 300 F4 L IS or 400 5.6 lens,or would they be able to be used in a practical manner with the lowly XT ? (kidding)
I have a 1.4 ext already with the 70-200 f4 L IS .
Thanks
Don

Click to expand...

Hi Don,

Everything depends on your use of the lens. In photography purpose, intent, final delivery should be used in defining one's purchases. Here the XT, a wonderful camera that could have sold for $20,000 at the dawn of digital photography. Just a minor difference one must remember. The central cross hair focus point in the XTi is very accurate but only comes into play with apertures as open as f 2.8.

Now I'm not sure about the XT, but this is something to think of depending on your use. Of course, if you will work in bright light and anyway want a deep depth of focus, then you would close down to say f 8 and then your image will still be in focus easily even with an f 4.0 lens.

The 300 f 4.0 L IS is one of the very best lenses you could ever buy. I intend to buy one since I sold my 300 2.8 L since it was heavy for hours of use.

I chose instead the 70-200 2.8 L IS. This lens is bright, easy to focus in dim light and will cover many photographic needs. If your needs can be covered by this length, then this is a great choice. Otherwise, I'd go for the 300 f 4.0 L IS which will never disappoint you.

Asher

Thanks for all the answers .I am leaning towards the 300 f4 LIS since it can be used in many different ways .
I know the 400 5.6 is great and will AF better then the 300 with an extender .
I live in upstate SC so I would use it for birds some but it seems to me I would be more versitale with the 300 for sports etc.
Regards
Don

This might be different for the smaller sensor on an XT, but for 35mm, I found that I used a 300/4 for things like outdoor portraits or events on stage from the audience, and I use a 400/4.5 for handheld shots of birds in flight. Since I use 35mm mainly for bird photography, rarely shoot events on stage, and use larger formats for portraits, I eventually sold my 300/4. It was a sharper lens than my 400/4.5, but it just didn't get me close enough for the task at hand.

I second David's pointing towards the 400 5.6 is your intent is bird photography. Here you really need reach and I have found that despite the 300 2.8 L being super-sharp, the birds were getting only a small portion of the sensor's pixels devoted to them. I'd say that in many circumstances, even the 400 mm focal length is not enough and a x1.4 extender is needed.

Remember that with your XT the autofocus will be in trouble at small apertures like f8 and beyond. 1DII cameras are becoming available used for about $2,000 and if this is in your price range, then you might think of investing in the superior focus capability.

The other possibility is that you may not be going out photographing birds very often. In that case renting a long lens might be an idea to check out. Often one can get a lens for the weekend at the price of 1 day's rental.

Also renting the lens first allows you to really find out whether or not the lens meets your intent and purpose.

If the lens is more for sports, I'd rather have the 70-200 2.8 IS so you can have capability for shooting both sides of a field and getting focus fast. You can use the x 1.4 extender to get more reach.

Again, only trying one out from the positions you are allowed to shoot will determine your own best choice.

Good luck and let us know what way you will finally decide to go! Then share some of the pictures you get. That would be interesting to see how good our advice really is!

Asher

I second David's pointing towards the 400 5.6 is your intent is bird photography. Here you really need reach and I have found that despite the 300 2.8 L being super-sharp, the birds were getting only a small portion of the sensor's pixels devoted to them. I'd say that in many circumstances, even the 400 mm focal length is not enough and a x1.4 extender is needed.

Remember that with your XT the autofocus will be in trouble at small apertures like f8 and beyond. 1DII cameras are becoming available used for about $2,000 and if this is in your price range, then you might think of investing in the superior focus capability.

The other possibility is that you may not be going out photographing birds very often. In that case renting a long lens might be an idea to check out. Often one can get a lens for the weekend at the price of 1 day's rental.

Also renting the lens first allows you to really find out whether or not the lens meets your intent and purpose.

If the lens is more for sports, I'd rather have the 70-200 2.8 IS so you can have capability for shooting both sides of a field and getting focus fast. You can use the x 1.4 extender to get more reach.

Again, only trying one out from the positions you are allowed to shoot will determine your own best choice.

Good luck and let us know what way you will finally decide to go! Then share some of the pictures you get. That would be interesting to see how good our advice really is!

Asher

Don Ferguson Jr. said:

I have a XT and wonder what would be sharper with it a 300 F4 L IS or 400 5.6 lens,or would they be able to be used in a practical manner with the lowly XT ? (kidding)
I have a 1.4 ext already with the 70-200 f4 L IS .
Thanks
Don

Click to expand...

Hi Don

Well just to add my 2 cents worth to the mix, I have both the lenses you mention and if Bird photography is your intent then you will benefit from the extra reach of the 400mm. I also found it sharper and faster focusing than the 300mm F4 + 1.4.

The only downside is it has no IS so you do need a bright day to really gain its advantage, but its nice and light and can be used handheld with no problems.

Of course if you get bitten by the "bird bug" you will still find yourself looking for more reach and then its the 500 or 600mm F4 or even the 800mm 5.6 thats due out next year.

John

Hey John and Asher ,

I have decided to get a 400 5.6 since my 70-200 f4 L IS goes to 280 with TC and the 300 would have to go to 5.6 wth a TC to get 420 . It defeats the purpose if you get 400 without a TC and it focuses a lot better without one at 5.6 , 400 right !

In the future thinking I might use a 1.4 to get 560 mm for birds. Then I read that a Kenko or Canon 1.4 would not do it.

But someone has a Tamron that did auto focus. I was thinking maybe it was not as good as the Kenko so the signal was not transfered right so it was like taping the pins and achieved auto focus in bright light ,in other words a non- aperture reporting 1.4 TC .

Then again that may not make sense and I am not real literate with this design .

I would appreciate any thoughts and is it a good idea to tape the pins on a Kenko . I do not think I would buy a Tamron since I have Scottish heritage so I guess I can manual focus like the old Minlota X 700 days !

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/53109-REG/Tamron_AF14C700_1_4x_Teleconverter_for_Canon.html
I am thinking this may be the ticket.

If this is not reporting it is only 100 so I would spend 100 to protect 1000 ! I just do not like idea of taping pins is it safe ?





Thanks
Don

Hi Don,

The Kenko converter will fit a larger range of lenses than the Canon. But the camera is part of the limiting factor for AF capabilities, afaik. For the 20D, it will not AF if the aperture is f5.6 or smaller, for example (p64 of the handbook). However, having just experimented with a 14 year old 75-300 zoom, at the 300 end (f5.6) and a 1.4 Kenko converter, provided the subject is well lit, and the point of focus has sufficient contrast, my 20D focusses just fine. If the subject is not so bright, then it will focus, if the initial focus position is not too far away from the final (note, the subject was only about 8 foot from the camera.) I do not think there is any need to tape the contacts of the Kenco converter.

Best wishes,

Ray
.

Thanks for responding Ray .
Yea I love my 1.4 Pro 300 DG Kenko on my 70-200 f4 LIS .
On the 400 5.6 with the XT I think it will not work though since it is reporting .
I need to find the non -reporting Tamron or tape the Kenko I am finding researching the forums.
But I am not clear which model Tamron or maybe Kenko has a good non reporting TC .
Regards
Don