Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens or other options?

Sandyld7 wrote:

This is very helpful. But - the 100-400 has the capability of f/4.5, so why not 400mm at f/4.5? Then I am kicking the ISO up, and getting more noise, right?

The 100-400L cannot shoot wider than f/5.6 when zoomed into 400mm. In fact, I think that as soon as you go beyond 300mm it will be at 5.6 and not wider than that. Only between 100-250 or so will it open up to f/4.5. Some websites will give you that detailed information.

I guess the other thing I was struggling to understand is the situation in which I am a distance from the subject, and there is light on the subject in the distance, but there is dark between me and the subject. Is my camera thinking I need more light (f/2.8 vs f/4.5-5.6) because of the distance, and lack of light between me and the subject? Or is it really able to read the need for light on a subject at a distance 100 yards away?

If you use spot metering or center-weighed metering, the camera will determine exposure based on the light directly on your subject; this is convenient when you cannot fill the frame with your subject, e.g, a far-away player. You can change the metering system if you are not filling the frame with the subject.

I am thinking specifically of a football player under stadium lights at night, or a soccer player, both of which I have dealt with recently.

And hopefully get a better photo, which is the whole goal of putting out this kind of $$ in the first place!!

I have shot soccer in high school stadiums: light is not abundant: be prepared to use high ISO.

Hope this helps,

Armando