Camera Labs

I don't think the 70-200mm is that useful at air shows as the 200mm are a bit short. It's a nice focal length for portraits and some closer tele shots but the 100-400mm offers the additional "zoom power". I wouldn't want to miss my 100-400mm any more - sometimes I wish to have even more reach.

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Canon EOS 500D + Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Canon EF 24-105mm 4L IS USM + EF 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS USM + EF 100mm 2.8L Macro IS USM + Sigma 12-24mm 4.5-5.6 EX DG HSM + Canon Speedlite 580 EX II + Nissin Speedlite Di 466

@Jiko it really depends on what you are doing. For wildlife it is not very good. But for portraits, indoor and outdoor sports it is amazing. I love how sharp it is even at 2.8! I have tried the 100-400 and must admit I absolutely love that lens aswell.

P.S do you reckon canon designed it to be used as a portrait lens aswell or did photographers just adopt it for that?

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Camera: Canon 550D with battery grip
Lenses: Canon 24-105mm f/4L, Canon 50mm f1.4, Canon 18-55mm, Tamron 70-300mm,
Accessories: Manfrotto 055XPROB with 808RC4 head, Canon 430ex II speedlite, Lowepro Nova 180AW and Lowepro Pro Runner 450AW

Oh that is so lame, every hot girl who can aim a camera thinks she’s a photographer -Stewie Griffin

You mean the 100-400? I think it's been adopted for portraits. I feel like that was meant to be the definitive outdoor sports lens. And it is. But the truth is, with a focal length that versatile it can be applied to pretty much anything so long as the light's there.

I must say that I have been VERY happy with my 35mm 1.4L!

This one, plus my 100mm 2.8L Macro IS, seem to do just about everything I need, with the 35mm being used the most, by far. I would only need to use the 50L for rainy weather, as the 35mm is not weather-sealed, or for something like portraits, when neither the 35mm nor 100mm put me at a comfortable working distance.

It is now a nice 70-200mm that seems my most likely next target, in the distant future, when I can afford to even begin to look. (I can "make do" with our Tamron 18-200.)

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Canon 7D/5D/40D/1D2N; Nikon F6, FM3A, & Coolpix A; Canon 40mm Pancake, 135L, 50L, 35L, pre-II 50mm 1.8, 100mm 2.8L Macro, 10-22mm EF-S, 28-135 EF, 400mm 5.6L; Nikkor 50mm 1.2 AI-S, 50mm 1.4G, 50mm 1.8D, 16mm 2.8D Fisheye, 180mm 2.8D, 100-300mm 5.6 AI-S; Tokina 17mm & 100mm 2.8 Macro

@ Mark D i was talking about the 70-200 It is used by almost every professional portrait photographers. I agree it has been adopted because of it's focal length and wide aperture. When I get mine I will use it for a lot of portrait work.

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Camera: Canon 550D with battery grip
Lenses: Canon 24-105mm f/4L, Canon 50mm f1.4, Canon 18-55mm, Tamron 70-300mm,
Accessories: Manfrotto 055XPROB with 808RC4 head, Canon 430ex II speedlite, Lowepro Nova 180AW and Lowepro Pro Runner 450AW

Oh that is so lame, every hot girl who can aim a camera thinks she’s a photographer -Stewie Griffin

Before it was about the 70-200 f/4
I don't say it's a bad lens - it's just not getting the reach of the 100-400mm.

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Canon EOS 500D + Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Canon EF 24-105mm 4L IS USM + EF 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS USM + EF 100mm 2.8L Macro IS USM + Sigma 12-24mm 4.5-5.6 EX DG HSM + Canon Speedlite 580 EX II + Nissin Speedlite Di 466

@ Jiko oh yer I must have misread that

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Camera: Canon 550D with battery grip
Lenses: Canon 24-105mm f/4L, Canon 50mm f1.4, Canon 18-55mm, Tamron 70-300mm,
Accessories: Manfrotto 055XPROB with 808RC4 head, Canon 430ex II speedlite, Lowepro Nova 180AW and Lowepro Pro Runner 450AW

Oh that is so lame, every hot girl who can aim a camera thinks she’s a photographer -Stewie Griffin

I don't see the 70-200 f2.8 as a specialty lens, it likely wasn't really "designed for" anything. Portraiture is probably what I'd use it for, and I guess is why I have never wanted one because I rarely shoot portraits. But I could also see it being very useful for say, indoor sports like basketball, where one is close enough to the action but the lighting isn't so good. Basically if what you're doing falls within that focal length range, it'll deliver the goods. Especially with that aperture, it's as close to optical perfection as possible in the short telephoto range.

I am seriously considering the Sigma 50mm f1.4 for a prime lens as well as the Canon f1.8 telephoto. Both have good optics as well as being good builds. In the future, I hope to add a wide angle lens to my collection.

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John Bradley

I´m currently very tempted by the 70-200 class.
I already tried Tamron and the Canon f4 because i didn´t want to spend that much money in the first place. I was really surprised by the Tamrons IQ. Unfortunately the AF was a bit sluggish. The Canon f4 had similar IQ and a much faster AF, but i missed the f2.8 at times.
I will have to increase my budget to get both aperture and IQ.
Also i´m thinking about the 35mm Samyang.

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My photostream

Sony's 50mm f/1.8 OSS (E-mount). I hope it's even better than its A-mount sibling, the 50/1.8 SAM. Too bad I can't find any reviews of it...

I'm really looking forward to Sony's upcoming 'G' standard zoom too !

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Sony α77V/VG-C77AM/α350/18-70/70-400 G SSM/NEX-5/18-55 OSS/Lowepro Pro Trekker 600 AW/CompuTrekker AW/Nova 140 AW/Street & Field gear/Toploader Pro 75 AW. And a huge wishlist...

My photos on Flickr...

Still the 800mm 5.6L IS on my mind xD


But lens I#d most likely buy next would be the 24mm 1.4L.. awesome lens for street documentary

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http://www.AnderssonPhoto.com
Cameras: Leica M8, Nikon FE-2, Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, 5D Mark II, 40D
Lenses: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm 1.4, Ultra Wide Heliar 12mm 5.6 ASPH II, Nikkor AI-S 28mm 2.8, Canon 24-70 2.8L, 85mm 1.2L II, 300mm 2.8L IS, TS-E 45mm 2.8, Sigma 105mm 2.8 Macro
Canon 1.4x/2X TC II, Canon 580EX II X2, Gitzo + Manfrotto.
Wishlist: Leica Monochrom, Summilux 50 ASPH, Voigtlander 35mm 1.2 ASPH II

24-70mm f2.8L will be my next for sure

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Canon 5D MKIII, Canon 400D, 70-200 f2.8 L, 17-40 f4 L, 50 f1.8

EF 24-105 f4L IS USM here. It's the last lens for the next time - after that one I'll upgrade my camera.

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Canon EOS 500D + Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Canon EF 24-105mm 4L IS USM + EF 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS USM + EF 100mm 2.8L Macro IS USM + Sigma 12-24mm 4.5-5.6 EX DG HSM + Canon Speedlite 580 EX II + Nissin Speedlite Di 466

In my case

An Used Canon 70-200 f 2.8 IS Mark 1 or II
OR
Brand new Sigma APO 70-200 f 2.8 OS HSM
...............

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Nikon D800
Nikon AFS 50mm F1.8 G
Sigma APO 70-200 F2.8 EX DG OS HSM
Sony H50