[Leica] Canon 800mm IS

[henningw at archiphoto.com (Henning Wulff)]

I've tried the 400/5.6, but chose instead to keep the 100-400 IS 
zoom. The quality is very slightly lower, but the convenience, 
particularly the IS let me get more keepers. I also use a 400 and 
560/6.8 Telyts, and these are better for birds than any AF lenses 
I've used. The trombone focussing is quick and doesn't go off into 
the wild blue yonder when you've missed your target.

The 400/6.8 should be easy to find, reasonably cheap and works very 
well, and is also very light for it's reach. On a crop camera it's 
outstanding.


At 6:54 PM -0600 12/27/08, James Laird wrote:
>George,
>
>My bad. But they are stunning. I'd still like any luger's opinion of
>the 400 5.6L. I've also considered the 560 6.8 Telyt but they seem to
>be in very short supply and I just don't know if I could get used to
>carrying that cannon around. Still considering.
>
>Regards,
>Jim
>
>On Sat, Dec 27, 2008 at 6:29 PM, Lottermoser George <imagist3@mac.com> 
>wrote:
>>  Wish I could do as well;
>>  but,
>>  not my images Jim.
>>  I only found them in a search
>>  for better examples from the 800.
>>
>>  Fond regards,
>>  George
>>
>>  george@imagist.com
>>  http://www.imagist.com
>>  http://www.imagist.com/blog
>>  http://www.linkedin.com/in/imagist
>>
>>
>>
>>  On Dec 27, 2008, at 5:34 PM, James Laird wrote:
>>
>>>  George,
>>>
>>>  Absolutely stunning images!
>>>
>>>  I'll never be in you're league but have been contemplating a Canon 400
>>>  5.6L for my 40D to try my hand at bird photography and wondered if
>>>  you've used one and what you think of it. I'ts not the 800 but it's
>>>  one-tenth the price and in my budget.
>>>
>>>  Regards,
>>>  Jim
>>>
>>>  On Sat, Dec 27, 2008 at 11:07 AM, Lottermoser George <imagist3@mac.com>
>>>  wrote:
>>>>
>>>>  Here's the first one I found - wide open
>>>>  <http://www.pbase.com/martinisabelle/image/106665049>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  Fond regards,
>>>>  George
>>>>
>>>>  george@imagist.com
>>>>  http://www.imagist.com
>>>>  http://www.imagist.com/blog
>>>>  http://www.linkedin.com/in/imagist
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  On Dec 27, 2008, at 10:49 AM, Lottermoser George wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>  Here's a better example of the lens's possibilities:
>>>>>  <http://www.pbase.com/martinisabelle/image/105425263>
>>>>>  and
>>>>>  <http://www.pbase.com/martinisabelle>
>>>>>  where 800 is indicated
>>>>>
>>>>>  Fond regards,
>>>>>  George
>>>>>
>>>>>  george@imagist.com
>>>>>  http://www.imagist.com
>>>>>  http://www.imagist.com/blog
>>>>>  http://www.linkedin.com/in/imagist
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>  On Dec 27, 2008, at 10:27 AM, Leonard Taupier wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>  You're right Doug. While I'm primarily a Nikon SLR user, I bought a
>>>>>>  used
>>>>>>  EOS 1DS MK II to use with my 560mm Telyt. This combination gives me
>>>>>>  beautiful results. I have since purchased Canon's 400mm f4 DO and 
>>>>>> 1.4X
>>>>>>  extender which also gives me beautiful results. Since I already had 
>>>>>> the
>>>>>>  full
>>>>>>  frame body (This was before the D3 and D700), I started looking at 
>>>>>> some
>>>>>>  of
>>>>>>  the better Canon L lenses to carry with me. I am fortunate that my
>>>>>>  dealer
>>>>>>  lets me try anything I want. I have since had to pass on 4 L lenses I
>>>>>>  tried,
>>>>>>  including the 24mm f1.4, the 16-35mm f2.8 and the 24 -105mm lenses. I
>>>>>>  did
>>>>>>  get the 35mm f1.4L lens which I find very nice. I almost passed on 
>>>>>> the
>>>>>>  400mm
>>>>>>  DO lens as well. I tried a used one from my dealer which I found had
>>>>>>  low
>>>>>>  contrast. A week later he let me try a new one. It was nothing like 
>>>>>> the
>>>>>>  first one. It had excellent contrast and high resolution. I bought 
>>>>>> it.
>>>>>>   I
>>>>>>  don't know if this kind of variability is common but it's certainly
>>>>>>  scary
>>>>>>  for a lens that cost over $10,000. which is the case with the 800mm.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  Len
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  On Dec 27, 2008, at 10:57 AM, wildlightphoto@earthlink.net wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>  Leonard Taupier wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>  This lens is getting glowing reviews from the Fred Miranda site.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>  I'm beginning to question the value of user reviews particularly 
>>>>>>> where
>>>>>>>  the user's quality standard, techniques and intended use are 
>>>>>>> unknowns
>>>>>>>  and
>>>>>>>  may differ from mine.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>  An example is the user reviews of the EF 24mm f/1.4 L on FM and B&H
>>>>>>>  where it seems many are awed by the fast aperture and are willing to
>>>>>>>  forgive
>>>>>>>  weaker image quality at the faster apertures and the expectation of
>>>>>>>  cherry-picking dealer's (or importer's) stock to find one of the
>>>>>>>  better
>>>>>>>  samples, and give the lens a very high rating.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>  At any rate I expect that with the right conditions and technique 
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>  800mmm f/5.6 IS can deliver much more than the sample photos
>>>>>>>  demonstrated.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>  _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>  Leica Users Group.
>>>>>>>  See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  _______________________________________________
>>>>>>  Leica Users Group.
>>>>>>  See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>  _______________________________________________
>>>>>  Leica Users Group.
>>>>>  See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  _______________________________________________
>>>>  Leica Users Group.
>>>>  See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>>
>>>
>>>  _______________________________________________
>>>  Leica Users Group.
>>>  See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>>
>>  _______________________________________________
>>  Leica Users Group.
>>  See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Leica Users Group.
>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information

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    *            Henning J. Wulff
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