Living with a Canon 100-400 L series.

Living with a Canon 100-400 L series.

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Discussion

Trevatanus

Original Poster:

11,109 posts

149 months

Monday 2nd November 2015
quotequote all
I am saving for a used one of these for the airshow / Goodwood season next year.
I rented one for Eastbourne last year, and was delighted with the results.
HOWEVER, I found it an incredibly heavy lens, a lot heavier than I am used to.
Does anyone here use one on a regular basis?
What's it like to lug around for a whole day?
Should I be looking at something else?
I use a 450d currently.

markmullen

15,877 posts

233 months

Monday 2nd November 2015
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Absolutely fine. Yes, it's a big old lump but carry it right and it's no problem.

Try a Black Rapid strap, you'll be able to carry it with the weight slung off your shoulders rather than your neck with a conventional strap and you'll not notice the weight. At Le Mans I'd have a pair of 1 series bodies, weighty old things themselves, one with a 100-400 and the other with a shorter zoom, both with flashes, so a fairly heavy kit, and a black rapid DR1 distributing the weight and even over 24 hours it wasn't unmanageable.

DibblyDobbler

11,256 posts

196 months

Monday 2nd November 2015
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I used to have one - found I was using it at 400mm almost all the time so went for the 400L f5.6 which is a great bit of kit and a bit lighter and cheaper. No zoom obviously but for me that didn't matter smile

andy-xr

13,204 posts

203 months

Monday 2nd November 2015
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Dont forget to go to Focus On Imaging and barge past people in order to take photos of the girls smile

LongQ

13,864 posts

232 months

Monday 2nd November 2015
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Trevatanus said:
I am saving for a used one of these for the airshow / Goodwood season next year.
I rented one for Eastbourne last year, and was delighted with the results.
HOWEVER, I found it an incredibly heavy lens, a lot heavier than I am used to.
Does anyone here use one on a regular basis?
What's it like to lug around for a whole day?
Should I be looking at something else?
I use a 450d currently.
My typical kit is a 70-200 f2.8 IS II with a 2x converter to get to 400mm. Usually that will be attached to a 1D3 but sometimes a 600D.

The 1D3 combination is heavier but well balanced. After a day or so thinking "Gosh this is heavy" some years ago it just became part of the experience.

I just use a neck strap although I suspect Mark is better prepared with the specialist strap.

If I'm using the 600D, as I was on Saturday last, I just hand hold. I don't have a strap on the camera body. Once you are acclimatised to the feel and the weight distribution it should not be an problem unless you have some notable physical problems. I am by no means fit and certainly not young but I really don't find carrying and working with the kit an enormous challenge if approached sensibly.


Edited by LongQ on Tuesday 3rd November 00:32

RobDickinson

31,343 posts

253 months

Monday 2nd November 2015
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100-400 isnt so big a lens really. You will get used to it

Trevatanus

Original Poster:

11,109 posts

149 months

Monday 2nd November 2015
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Cheers all!

thumbup

DIW35

4,145 posts

199 months

Tuesday 3rd November 2015
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I have lugged mine around motor racing events for a whole day and had no problem. I do use a strap that goes around your shoulder though, rather than just hanging off your neck, and I'm sure that's what makes it bearable.

Zod

35,295 posts

257 months

Tuesday 3rd November 2015
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DibblyDobbler said:
I used to have one - found I was using it at 400mm almost all the time so went for the 400L f5.6 which is a great bit of kit and a bit lighter and cheaper. No zoom obviously but for me that didn't matter smile
I should do the same. I hardly use it at shorter focal lengths.

rwstokes

196 posts

143 months

Wednesday 4th November 2015
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Another vote for you get used to it. I use it for pretty much every race weekend and after the first two or 3 weekends shooting you stop noticing the weight.

I dont bother with a Monopod personally, find it too restrictive, but I know an awful lot of people do, I'd guess for weight and stability too.

Trevatanus

Original Poster:

11,109 posts

149 months

Tuesday 9th February 2016
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Bullet bitten.
On the way, should be here tomorrow.
Just a little excited.

Janesy B

2,625 posts

185 months

Tuesday 9th February 2016
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The 100-400 isn't a particularly heavy lens, get a black rapid strap and mount it using the tripod collar and you won't feel it at all.

Trevatanus

Original Poster:

11,109 posts

149 months

Monday 22nd February 2016
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loving it!

G-TAYC by Jim Pritchard, on Flickr