Which telephoto lens for the 70D

[CCR54]

I have a Canon 70D and am interested in a telephoto lens for it. I own an EF18-135 IS, an EF 55-250 IS USM and recently purchased a new EF 70-200 F4 L USM (non IS, that was a mistake). I am thinking about getting the new EF 100-400 L IS II USM but I'm not sure if, for the money, it may be smarter to get the EF 70-200 F2.8 L IS USM and put a 2X extender on it thinking that way I can take the extender off and have a top of the line 70-200. I realize it would be F5.6 at 400mm but so would the new 100-400 and it will never be an F2.8. Any thoughts on the subject would be appreciated, just remember I'm a newbie. Thanks

[ebiggs1]

My personal opinion, I would pick the EF 70-200mm f2.8 IS II over almost any other lens made. Period! It is that good.

I don't like tele converters in general but that said I do use and pertty much like the way my 1.4x II works with my 70-200mm IS II.  I still don't like the 2x but it works, I guess.

So I reccommend you do get the EF 70-200mm f2.8 IS II but with the 1.4x converter.  I have the older EF 100-400mm and it is an OK lens, not a great lens.  The 70-200mm is going to be far more useful for you.

Besides you can sell the other lenses in favor of the 70-200mmm because you won't use them any longer.

You do know the cost of this upgrade in lenses?  If it doesn't put fear in you, go for it.

How about the 24-70mm f2.8 as a companion?  Now I am really spending your money but that is the dream combo.

[Skirball]

If you're going to be primarily using it at 400mm then I'd get the 100-400.  If you're going to be using it in a variety of situations, get the 70-200.  But if you go that route, and plan to use an extender, I highly recommend renting one and seeing how you like it.  Extenders are not without their quirks.

[cicopo]

Your logic is good but it really comes down to what you intend to shoot. Adding a 2X TC slows down the AF which can be a problem when shooting some forms of action. I have the original 100-400 & am very happy with mine & it suits my needs better than the new one so I doubt I'll be upgrading. I had the older 70-200 F2.8 L IS and rarely used it so take your time deciding which direction you'll go with your photography before spending big bucks on lenses you may not use very often.

[CCR54]

How does the older style 100-400 suit your needs better than the new style? Are you a fan of the push/pull design? I would go for one of these but am leary about getting a used one and if I spend $1700.00 on a new one I would probably just go for the upgraded 100-400.

I know the AF would slow down because of the extender on the 70-200 F2.8 but would it be any slower than the AF on a 100-400 when zoomed all the way out, both would be at F5.6 right?

Thanks in advance

[Skirball]

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@CCR54 wrote:

How does the older style 100-400 suit your needs better than the new style? Are you a fan of the push/pull design? I would go for one of these but am leary about getting a used one and if I spend $1700.00 on a new one I would probably just go for the upgraded 100-400.

I know the AF would slow down because of the extender on the 70-200 F2.8 but would it be any slower than the AF on a 100-400 when zoomed all the way out, both would be at F5.6 right?

Thanks in advance

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I certainly wouldn't spend $1700 on the old 100-400, given the $2200 introductory price of the new one.

I know some people love the old one, I'm just not one of them.  I didn't care for the push/pull at all, though I'd probably have got used to it.  The performance was just OK as well.  Hopefully the new one turns out to be a gem.

The speed of the lens isn't the only factor in determining AF speed.  For example, the 400mm 5.6 prime is a lightning bolt compared to the 100-400. There is actually a lot of information out there comparing the 100-400 (old) to the 70-200 2.8 II with 2xIII - as it's a much debated purchase.  General consensus is that the combo is slightly faster, but more prone to hunt.  In general though, they're both kind of slow and those that really need fast AF get primes.

[cicopo]

I wouldn't recommend anyone buy the old 100-400 at anything close to the regular list price until we know a lot more about the new version AFTER it's been in use by the general population. That said I'll add that it took me a long time to adjust to using a push / pull zoom but once I did I can easily say that helps me get better results. By using it vs a twist to zoom lens my hand is at the front of the lens right where the hood mounts giving me a more stable hold (support) than if that hand was near the back of it. The new lens will be even heavier so you'll need to find a way to hold it, twist it & control it's weight.

Because I shoot fast paced action at slower shutter speeds lens IQ isn't as important as my panning skills so I really find it hard to believe I'd see a noticeable improvement to what I shoot but many others probably will see a difference. I bought my 100-400 in late 06 or early 07 & it still delivers nice sharp images & is one of the 2 lenses I shoot a lot.

[CCR54]

After doing some research and talking to a profesional wildlife photographer I settled on the new Tamron 150-600mm For my 70D. I've only had it two days now and haven't had a chance to take it out yet, tommorow looks good, I'll let you know how it goes. BTW I'm still planning on getting the Canon 70-200mm F/2.8 L IS II USM but it'll have to wait till spring. Thanks for your help.

[cicopo]

That's a lot of reach & will require learning how to get the most from that reach. Watch your shutter speeds & be patient in working towards sharp images because they won't be easy to get if your target is moving.

[ebiggs1]

The Tamron 150-600mm brings all the grestness of 600mm and all the badness, too.  On a 70D that is nearly 1000mm of telephoto.  You are not going to just go out and shoot great pictures without some preparation and practice.

The Canon 100-400mm and the Tamron 150-600mm are actually very similar.  Excepting the obivious mm advantage.

My copy of the Tamron 150-600mm does not have any of the focus issues that some or most of them do.  I use it mostly on my 1D Mk IV, however, which will focus anything and quickly even at f8.  The Canon may focus better but not by any real degree.

The Tamron 150-600mm is a buy but there is a lot pf plactic so don't treat it like "L".