500mm vs 600mm?

jjl wrote:

I'm in the market for one of these lenses, and looking for feedback from people who have one or both, and perhaps wish they had the other one. I'm just looking for insights that I might not have thought of. I know all the specs, weight, etc... I will probably rent one first just to get a better sense of it.

At the moment, my longest lens is the 400 f4/DO (plus a 1.4x extender). It's been a great lens, but I crop most of my final photos with it. Seems I can never have enough length. I'm at a place in life where I can afford a 500 or 600, but not both (let's not get silly). I'm mostly shooting birds, and it's all for fun (though I do professional work in unrelated areas).

I'm leaning toward the 600 (new generation lens), because I feel I can never have enough length. The number of times it's "too much tele" will outweigh those where it's not enough. One of the reasons I picked the 400 f4 years ago was that it was light & I could use it hand-held if needed. But, in practice, I almost always use it on a monopod anyway. So, why not have a longer lens?

I've considered going with a used first-generation, but feel like I'll have regrets. I've also considered going with a refurbished 600mm to save ~$2000 or so, but at this price range, I'm not sure if that's a risk worth taking... or is it a risk at all? Maybe a refurbished 600 is totally fine, and it's just a vanity thing? Anyone out there have a refurbished 600?

Any insights, lessons learned, etc that anyone can share before I pull the trigger on this? thanks in advance!

i was exactly in your predicament a few years ago! after giving it a long thought, i settled for canon 600 f4.0 II and 300 f2.8 II plus canon 1.4x III and 2.0xIII. 300 f2.8 can easily become a superb 600mm by using the 2.0x III. you can convert the 600mm to a 840mm prime with using a 1.4xIII with very slight hit in IQ. canon 500mm is an odd ball for birding, IMO. people that own the 500mm, they eventually give it for a 600mm, in my experience! 500mm is just not long enough even using 1.4/2.0 TCs. the new versions of white primes are lighter and have even better IQ, from what i hear from the owners of the older versions. so, if you have the cash, i'd go for rev. II. now, 600mm is quite heavy hand-holding, although its weight is shaved of by canon significantly, so, i'd recommend a nice light weight CF tripod with gimbal head. that will make life a lot easier, i wodn't skimp on a nice good brand tripod. i ended up purchasing a RRS CF tripod and couple of their top heads, including the gimbal one. that will set you up real nice for a long time to come with a real nice even if you resell them one day.

i am totally elated with having my canon 300 f2.8 II! this lens is an amazing piece of engineering. i fine the IQ impeccable, even if 2.0x IIl is used on it. i carried my 300 in SF zoo, all day without feeling the pain badly. i find this lens brilliant whether used for birding, zoo trip, or portrait...nothing like it!!!!! like i said, if you have the cash for it and you like photography, using these 2 lenses will give you an amazing experience. good luck.

all the best

syd