New Camera/Lens Canon 7D and the Canon 100-400mm

[will_161]

Hi guys

This is my first post on this forum.

I've been taking aviation photos for a couple of years now, with differing results , but only stumbled on this site recently.

I had to sell my DSLR last year so haven't really been able to take any photos, which is killing me after seeing the photos on here.
I was thinking of getting the Canon 7D and the Canon 100-400mm lens.

Has anybody on here had a go with that combo? If so, what's your opinion of the equipment?

I'll be hoping to post some photos pretty soon

Cheers

Will

[mach one]

I dont have the 7D but i do use a 50d with a 100-400 and find that it performs very well

the 7d and the 100-400 should be a cracking combo and i am sure you will be very happy with it

[rich]

Well only my opinion, depends how in depth you want to go with your photography and your cash flow, I thought about upgrading to the 7D but personally I wouldn't need all the features for the amount of photographing I do, and at £1,146 for the body I'm happy to soldier on with my old 20D and 100-400 for the time being, and may consider the 550D/60D when I do eventually change as they are a lot more affordable even if I don't need all their features, well more affordable for me anyway.

Good luck with whatever you choose, and look forward to seeing some of your photos in the future

Rich.

[Charles022]

My main set up is the Canon 7d and 100-400mm can't knock it tbh!

[mach one]

I was looking forward to the 7D coming out and hoped it would be a ful frame sensor like the 5D and the 1D, i was a bit dissapointed when i found out that they had used a 1.6 crop sensor in the 7D

this and the cost are two of the reasons that i went for the 50D

[will_161]

Thanks guys.

Mach One, I know what you mean, I was surprised when I found out it wasn't a full frame sensor.

Do you think that lens is the best way to go? I'm not sure the 70-200 would be enough for the likes of RIAT or the 09L topside departure shots.

Thanks

Will

[mach one]

Thanks guys.

Mach One, I know what you mean, I was surprised when I found out it wasn't a full frame sensor.

Do you think that lens is the best way to go? I'm not sure the 70-200 would be enough for the likes of RIAT or the 09L topside departure shots.

Thanks

Will

up until last year my kit consisted of a 30D and a 40D body a 70-200 L series f/4 non is lens, and a 300mm L series f/4 is prime I also ha a L series 1,4 converter in the bag that would give you 280mm on the short lens and 420 on the long, plus and old Sigma 80-400 OS zoom that I picked up cheap

now at the likes of RIAT the 70-200 was great for a team display and the 300 was better for a single aircraft and if you put the converter on you got a bit of extra reach for the loss of only one stop, but i found it all a bit of a faff so I sold the lot and went for the 100-400

now I didnt want to buy the 100-400 because of the push pull zoom and the stories that you hear of the seals failing and canon charging nearly £200.00 to replace them, at first I picked up a cheap Sigma 80-400 OS which i quite liked but the main down side was it was huge and you really felt it after a long day shooting with it, so early last year I decided to sell the lot and buy the canon 100-400


now when i go out I take the 40D with a 17-85 IS lens on it for statics and close stuff and the 50D with a 100-400 on it for everything else it has cut down on the kit and i dont have to faff about changing lens and adding extenders

now my experience with the 100-400 it can be a bit of a dust pump and you do have to keep an eye on the dust on your sensor, I just use a rocket blower and have never contact cleaned the sensor in nearly a year but it may be due a good clean soon but I am thinking of sending it to canon for a check over and to get the 100-400 calibrated to the 50D body so I may get them to do a sensor clean as well

[will_161]

Thanks Mach One.

That was my other option, the 70-200mm with a tele converter.

I don't think I'd use a prime lens enough to fork out for one, thats what attracted me to the 100-400mm but the dust issue is a worry.

[mach one]

the 70-200 2.8 is would be an awesome lens with the 1.4x converter you would get 280mm at the top end and with the 2x converter you would get 400mm but the price is the killer the lens with the 2 xconverter is close to twice the price of the100-400

I know that the 70-200 2.8 lens is awesome but £1800.00 new is a lot of money and if i had that the last thing i would want to do is stick a 2 x converter on it

I think i will have to start saving for the new 200-400 at ten grand (in my dreams)

[will_161]

The 70 - 200mm F2.8 looks a very nice lens

The converters do cost a bit and like you say, the price soon adds up.

I only saw that 200 - 400mm today, built in converter too. Not sure I could part with £10000 for one though

I think it'll have to be the 100-400mm, it seems a very good lens and you get a bit more scope with the focal range.

I'll have to get some decent post editing software to touch-up the photos too.