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Best choice for first Canon 600 f/4?

Started 7 months ago | Questions thread
Victor Engel Forum Pro • Posts: 20,968
Re: Best choice for first Canon 600 f/4?
1

I have the EF Mark III version. I bought it when there was a deal on a refurbished one. If I were to turn back time and do it again, I'd consider the Mark II instead. Why? Because the lens has had issues with IS that is said to not be fixable given its design, although several firmware updates have helped. I've not really noticed an issue, but you might want to look into it.

Also, you may notice that the specs like the Mark I and Mark II as f/4.0 lenses and the Mark III as an f/4 lens. Why the change in precision? I quick glance at exiftool's output from a photo taken with this lens shows that the actual aperture is f/4.2. So it's lighter than the Mark III not just because most of the elements are closer to the camera, and new lighter glass was used, but also because the aperture is actually smaller. Also, the focal length is similarly exaggerated. It's just a hear less than 600mm (not sure about the other two).
Having said that, there's something to be said for its handholdability. It's the lightest of the three, and the bulk of the weight is closer to the camera, so it's easier to handhold.

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Victor Engel

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