Canon 100-400 MK ii vs third party lens.

[eos1]

I am a proud owner of Canon 700D (T5i) . I need a zoom for wildlife( Birding included) . I was about to purchase the Canon 100-400 MK ii when some friends opinied that I should go for the 3rd party 150-600 zooms because of the range. Also, I am planning the 10-20 STM for wideangle photoes .   Any opinions ladies & gentlemen ? I currently have the 18-55 is ii & 55-250 is ii lenses.  Thanks in advance. 

[RobertTheFat]

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@eos1 wrote:

I am a proud owner of Canon 700D (T5i) . I need a zoom for wildlife( Birding included) . I was about to purchase the Canon 100-400 MK ii when some friends opinied that I should go for the 3rd party 150-600 zooms because of the range. Also, I am planning the 10-20 STM for wideangle photoes .   Any opinions ladies & gentlemen ? I currently have the 18-55 is ii & 55-250 is ii lenses.  Thanks in advance. 

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Check out some of the previous threads on this board. That particular issue has been discussed extensively over the past couple of months, with strong-willed partisans on both sides.

[cicopo]

With wildlife the general statement is you never have a long enough lens so 200 more mm is a good thing. However you also need to learn long lens technique because as magnification goes up so does the effect of camera shake or weak arms / wrists etc. I have ver 1 of the 100-400 & a Sigma 150-600 C & shoot action. The Sigma has proven to be more than capable at it on a pro body but the AF may be slower (likely will) on a Rebel series body. I do miss not being able to go wider than 150 at times so that has to be taken into consideration too. As for the IQ between the ver 1 Canon & current Sigma too close to claim 1 is better than the other BUT I'm shooting moving targets hand held at slower than ideal shutter speeds most of the time. . 

[cicopo]

One thing I'd like to point out & discuss is the change from a push / pull (ver 1 is push pull) to the twist to zoom style of lens & I have only used the Sigma 150-600 C which has to be twisted a lot to go from long to widest. I can not twist it all the way from 1 end to the other in 1 motion. I have to release it & start again because of the amount of rotation required which is too slow compared to push / pull. How do the other lenses compare? Ver 2 vs Tamron vs Sigma S.

[Waddizzle]

I have both the 100-400 Mk II and the Sigma 150-600mm "C".   They both have their advantages and disadvantages.  I have come to like the lighter weight and smaller size of the 100-400.  But, the longer reach of the 150-600 speaks for itself.

I am not a big birder at all.  I gotten in the habit lately of carrying two cameras and two lenses [full frame with 70-200, and crop body with 100-400].  I can mount the 100-400 onto a camera, and fit it into any bag that can fit a 70-200mm f/2.8. 

Not so with the 150-600, because it doesn't fit into anything, except the largest backpacks.  Carrying the 150-600 almost always means going with one camera in the field.  It doesn't carry well, except around your neck or shoulder, and not in a bag.

As far as IQ goes, I chose the Sigma because of the Sigma dock.  After spending a few hours [the 150-600 has 16 test shots to take] and days calibrating the lens, I was rewarded with a lens that is pretty sharp throughout its' range. 

Weather sealing was of secondary importance to me because I try to avoid being in bad weather like the plague.  Weather sealing is only important to me because I have convinced myself that the lenses will be more resistant to mold and mildew over the years.

[EDIT]  The weight of either lens will present an unusual amount of torque on the camera body.  Probably far more torque than what a Rebel body is designed to handle.  It is highly recommended that you support the lens with your hand when either of those lenses are mounted to your Rebel.

[TTMartin]

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@eos1 wrote:

I am a proud owner of Canon 700D (T5i) . I need a zoom for wildlife( Birding included) . I was about to purchase the Canon 100-400 MK ii when some friends opinied that I should go for the 3rd party 150-600 zooms because of the range. Also, I am planning the 10-20 STM for wideangle photoes .   Any opinions ladies & gentlemen ? I currently have the 18-55 is ii & 55-250 is ii lenses.  Thanks in advance. 

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Sandhill Crane in flight taken a week ago. 

Canon 7D Mk II, Canon EF 100-400 L IS II + Canon 1.4X TC III 476mm, 1/1600, f/8, ISO 500

Post Processing in LightRoom only.

The EF 100-400 L IS II is a better choice if you have a camera that can AF at f/8 so you can use a teleconverter with it. Since your T5i can't, you are probably better off getting one of the Sigma 150-600s S or C. But, be aware those lenses are both heavier than the Canon, especially the Sport version. You might decide you're better off with the EF 100-400 L IS II and cropping until you upgrade your camera.

[ebiggs1]

And the correct answer is, there isn't nickle's worht of difference in IQ between any of these lenses.

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens

Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary Lens

Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD Lens

It is simply a "your choice" situation.  You can't go wrong with any of them.  However, if you want or require 600mm you have to choose the Siggy or Tamron.  Again a toss up, your choice.  The other specs of each lens may weigh on your decision.

I personally have all three of the 150-600's and I prefer the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports Lens over any of them.  I had a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens and turned it down since it doesn't have 600mm.

If you still want Canon and require 600mm there may be light on the horizon.  Canon is developing the Canon EF 200-600mm f/4.5-5.6 IS lens.  It is not an "L" so maybe it won't be 10 grand.  When it will be available is a crap shoot, could be tomorrow or next year!

[cicopo]

IQ may be very similar but what about AF speed? The longer lenses have to travel further before turning around while trying to find the target. The Limit switch helps on my Sigma but I do feel the Canon was a hint faster when set similarly. Hasn't been a problem but it is something to think about. From last weeks event. The speed is in KPH. (1D4, Sigma 150-600 C at 347 mm, f11, ISO 400, 1/1600, hand held.

[TTMartin]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

And the correct answer is, there isn't nickle's worht of difference in IQ between any of these lenses.

Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary Lens

Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD Lens

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Amended that is a statement I can agree with. However, even with the 1.4X TC the Canon EF 100-400 L IS II still matches or bests the IQ of those two lenses. Without the TC there is no contest the Canon EF 100-400 L IS II is clearly superior.

Of course there is more to a lens than just image quality. There is also build quality, and again Canon L lenses the best in that category too. 

[Waddizzle]

"Amended that is a statement I can agree with. However, even with the 1.4X TC the Canon EF 100-400 L IS II still matches or bests the IQ of those two lenses. Without the TC there is no contest the Canon EF 100-400 L IS II is clearly superior."

Uh, oh.  I am going to agree with Tim!    AF speed is better on the 100-400.  It can keep up with my son's 7D2 in continuous shooting mode with ease.  Not quite so with the Sigma 150-600, but which can keep up with a 1D4.  as for IQ, only after I had the 150-600 calibrated, which took a couple of weeks of tweaking, was the IQ on par with the 100-400.