I'd like a tacksharp lens longer than my 70-200mm f/4L IS to go with my 40D. I'm finding that, when I go on trails in the woods around lakes, etc., that I capture images at 200mm that I have to crop heavily in PP to get a decent framing. So, I suspect that 300mm or longer is called for. Also, most wildlife seems to come out and play close to sunset when the light is very low. I don't like to use flash, since it provides unnatural light and may startle the animal. So, I suppose f/2.8 max or better is called for. I also want the lens to be hand-holdable, since I can react much quicker to birds flying, or getting that beaver or snake before it beats a hasty retreat. So, I assume anything that is both f/2.8 and longer than 300mm would be too heavy. With these criteria in mind, I'm leaning toward the EF 300mm f/2.8 IS lens. But, that is a heck of a bite (pricewise). Also, of note, the 300 f/2.8 has been around for a long time and has only 2 stops of IS. The nagging thing about this is that I'd hate to pay $4000 for the lens only to discover Canon released an update to this lens with a later series IS--which is important for hand-held shots of near-motionless subjects. My priorities are as follows:
1. Focal Length 300mm or longer (required).
2. IQ / sharpness throughout open to shut, center to border (required).
3. Low-light performance (required).
4. Hand-holdability (Highly Preferred).
Since the price of the 300 f/2.8 is so high, I felt like I needed to throw this out there to the 40D community for advice and/or recommendations before I pull the trigger. Comments?
-Tacksharp
1. Focal Length 300mm or longer (required).
2. IQ / sharpness throughout open to shut, center to border (required).
3. Low-light performance (required).
4. Hand-holdability (Highly Preferred).
Since the price of the 300 f/2.8 is so high, I felt like I needed to throw this out there to the 40D community for advice and/or recommendations before I pull the trigger. Comments?
-Tacksharp
