Lightweight lens for wildlife/birding

[JonAustin]

Firstly, thanks for that link. I didn't realize there was an easy way too compare lenses like that.

She can handle the 70-200mm just fine right now. If weight saving was included in an option that worked, it would be a benefit. I think we have decided to get the 100-400mm ii. Hopefully I don't end up liking that lens too much more then my sigma. Then we would have another problem. ;D

Very welcome. I owned the 70-200/2.8 IS (vI) for about 8 years, and upgraded it to the vII a couple of years ago. Then I bought a 100-400 II about 6 months after that. It's remarkable how close in size the three lenses are (when the 100-400 is retracted).

Your biggest problem may well be that you will like the 100-400 II better than your Sigma. The only way to prevent that is to never mount it to your 5DIII, nor handle your wife's 7D with the 100-400 II attached!

 

[AlanF]

The Old World has bird hides in most reserves that would pass off as luxury hotels in the Yukon...

More information please! What countries? How do you find out about them? I want to go to there!

In the U.K., the largest organisation is the RSPB, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Look at their website. We have various Wild Life and Wetland Trusts in our different counties. I pay for membership of three of these. These organisations are just so good. Some just have a reserve plus hides. Others have cafes and nature-related shops as well. The Dutch are great birdwatchers as well, but I don't have details on their facilities.

 

[scyrene]

The Old World has bird hides in most reserves that would pass off as luxury hotels in the Yukon...

More information please! What countries? How do you find out about them? I want to go to there!

In the U.K., the largest organisation is the RSPB, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Look at their website. We have various Wild Life and Wetland Trusts in our different counties. I pay for membership of three of these. These organisations are just so good. Some just have a reserve plus hides. Others have cafes and nature-related shops as well. The Dutch are great birdwatchers as well, but I don't have details on their facilities.

And I would add, even most of the small local nature reserves have a hide or two, although they tend to resemble sheds.

 

[applecider]

As I recall the 7 D doesn't do f8 autofocus, which would only be a problem with say the 100-400 ii with a 1.4 tele converter. Which of course would make a great holiday present or birthday gift. And YOU and her are going to want it.

Of course this applies to some of the other suggestions with teleconverters, and the 7D.

 

[AlanF]

The Old World has bird hides in most reserves that would pass off as luxury hotels in the Yukon...

More information please! What countries? How do you find out about them? I want to go to there!

In the U.K., the largest organisation is the RSPB, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Look at their website. We have various Wild Life and Wetland Trusts in our different counties. I pay for membership of three of these. These organisations are just so good. Some just have a reserve plus hides. Others have cafes and nature-related shops as well. The Dutch are great birdwatchers as well, but I don't have details on their facilities.

And I would add, even most of the small local nature reserves have a hide or two, although they tend to resemble sheds.

All they lack are birds. I'm not joking. It's long patient waiting much of the time. Thousands of bird reserves but a shortage of birds. It's the thrill of the chase that keeps you going here.

 

[SteveM]

The 100-400 mkll has 4 stops stabilisation; the 300f4 has 2; and the 400 f5.6 has no stabilisation. When you are shooting Deer, for example in a wooded area, the 4 stops stabilisation is very very useful - unless you want to be carrying a tripod... I've never been happy with trying to combine stabilisation with a monopod, and find a monopod is probably worth about 2 stops of stabilisation. The 100-400 will let you get down to about 1/80th second, hand held, and it carries the new 1.4 converter very well on the 5D Mklll.
Once you use the 100-400 mkll you may as well weld it on your camera, it is unlikely you will want to take it off.
Wait for the cash backs before buying, maybe sort out the 5D Mklll first before they disappear.

 

[SteveM]

Why not upgrade the 7D to a 7D mkll?

 

[scyrene]

The Old World has bird hides in most reserves that would pass off as luxury hotels in the Yukon...

More information please! What countries? How do you find out about them? I want to go to there!

In the U.K., the largest organisation is the RSPB, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Look at their website. We have various Wild Life and Wetland Trusts in our different counties. I pay for membership of three of these. These organisations are just so good. Some just have a reserve plus hides. Others have cafes and nature-related shops as well. The Dutch are great birdwatchers as well, but I don't have details on their facilities.

And I would add, even most of the small local nature reserves have a hide or two, although they tend to resemble sheds.

All they lack are birds. I'm not joking. It's long patient waiting much of the time. Thousands of bird reserves but a shortage of birds. It's the thrill of the chase that keeps you going here.

Lol. Well I tend only to go to places when I've seen reports of something interesting. Fortunately, my local bird club posts incredibly thorough and detailed daily news