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Reviews (1)
Jun 22, 2016
Amateur take Big lense plunge
4 of 4 found this helpful Like many others, I faced the dilemma of going beyond the 400mm barrier. My 400mm f5.6L was OK and the new 100-400 IS-2 even better but neither would let you really reach with a 2X extender. I knew bird and wild life photography would always be a smaller percentage of my photos and it was hard to justify spending 10K on a new IS-2 lense. Used IS-2 lenses were hard to come by and very expensive making their value over a new lense marginal and at the risk of no warrantee and uncertainty as to why it was for sale. I finally elected to purchase an older 2009 500mm f/4 IS lense as it was at half the cost of a new 500 IS-2. This lense was in perfect condition and appeared new. My test photos have been excellent and at 2x still fully satisfactory. The contrast is excellent and it is very sharp wide open at F/4. While the newer IS-2 lense is probably sharper, this is Much Better than either of my past 400mm lenses. If I were a professional, I would have the IS-2 version. As a serious amateur, I am very happy with the older version. I will have to be convinced the new version is better, though it probably is. I really appreciate the fast AF and the crisp detail this lense gives at 500mm, 700mm, and even 1000mm. Additionally, this works well both hand held and with a monopod and fits in a carry on case that gives me much greater security when traveling.