Home Forums Gear Photography Options for long glass to begin with..100-400 Canon older version?

Income tax was good to me this year. Like way good. I've longed after a decent camera for a very long time. I think I'll enter into the photography world via the 70D or 80D via Costco, or just the body or some route. Like $800-$1000.

I've had many point and shoots. And some of the longer focal Point and Shoots like the S30SX and similar. Is there a better option in that price range of $750-$900 used for the original 100-400? From what I've read educating myself and Tony Northrop....the Sigmas and Tamrons dont really seem to get it done. Or at least most recommend against going the Off Brand route and have decent image quality and fully reliable compatibility.

Suggestions?

A little discussion below in the photography realm.
100-400 below

My wife uses both a 50D and 70D switching mostly between the older 100-400 and a newer 500mm. My thoughts are the older 100-400 in the $700 range would be a good buy if it's not been abused.

Do a search here in the Hunting and Shooting realm for "Cookie's" in the Keyword box and some of her examples will surface. Her shots will be a mix or the 100-400 and her 500mm and remember one is looking about 80% percent reduction resolution at images on this site.

With a little practice the 100-400 can be stretched out and still handheld. Not horridly heavy and it does not take up a full seat in ones rig. Definition looks great and that zoom range is about ideal for wildlife and field type sports. One can macro down pretty close with it, but depth of field is a little wanting. Still that kind of glass is not really made for doing bumble bees.

One of Cookie's friends, a fairly well equipped pro, did the Tamron 150-600 for about 6 months. For the money, he thought it was OK, but certainly not the equal of his Nikon glass. Just not quite as sharp, and a little slow in the early and late hours.

Don't know what Costco is doing now with their kits. Cookie's 70D came with something like an 18-135 and a 70-250mm. The latter, does OK, but when it's stretched to 250, one has to put in some real effort to maintain stability. The additional weight of the 100-400mm makes it much easier to manage.

Also, remember with a crop sensor one gets about a 1.6X multiplier effect. That being the 100-400 is essentially the equivalent of a 160 to 640 mm on a full frame camera.

Let us know what you decide, and start putting up some stuff.

Regardless of which camera body you decide upon, buy quality glass.

Good tips.....kinda why I am asking if the older 100-400 is rated as "Good" glass. I have no clue what I am doing. But I take a LOT of pictures. Always have either a phone or camera with me. And I work out in BFE and see lots of cool [bleep] every day. So it's kinda an Injustice not to have something better than an iPhone 6 or the Canon S30X

The "old" Canon 100-400 was, and is, an excellent lens. Check out this review:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/lenses/100-400mm.htm

I recommend buying one used from www.keh.com or www.bhphotovideo.com Both are reputable dealers who warranty their used equipment.

https://www.keh.com/shop/canon-ef-100-400mm-f-4-5-5-6l-is-usm-telephoto-zoom-lens.html

They have one for $729 with the hood, case and caps in "bargain" condition. Hard to beat that deal. KEH "bargain" grade equipment is generally quite excellent; it is the grade I usually buy from them because the glass and function will be perfect, and the only real wear will be cosmetic.

As far as a camera goes, I would buy just the body and the 100-400 lens. Use your iPhone for everything else. Anymore the iPhone camera is so good, and so fast to use, that I use it for everything that doesn't require a specialized lens like a super wide angle, a super fast lens, or a telephoto lens. Save your money (or put the money into a better camera body) and skip the camera/lens kits--if what you want and need is a telephoto, buy the 100-400, put a body on it, and go shoot until the camera pukes, then buy another camera and shoot it until it pukes. Your 100-400 will likely outlast any cameras you buy. Good lenses are investments. Camera bodies are consumables.

While that lens is not the most recent release, it's pro-grade quality working well on all the recent bodies. Look in the back ground at big events, and one sees about an even mix of Canon and Nikon gear, and he will see a lot of those 100-400's.

Cameras are like speakers, pickups, and motor cycles. One never wishes he had a smaller one. Any more magnification, and one is moving into cosigner land. Good luck and have fun,

A used Canon, Sigma or Tamron 150-600 are options I think of for your price range. The Tamron was close in performance to the Sigma Contemporary. Tamron came out recently with a G2 version and here are someone's thoughts on it, and links to previous version.
http://www.bestofthetetons.com/2017/02/26/tamron-150-600mm-g2-lens-my-experiences/

Some lens reviews of the Sigma, Tamron and Canon:
http://www.lenstip.com/index.html?test=obiektywu&test_ob=217

http://www.lenstip.com/index.html?test=obiektywu&test_ob=403

http://www.lenstip.com/index.html?test=obiektywu&test_ob=434