Upgrading from Sigma 70-300

Yes, the 100-400 will be worth the money. That extra 100mm will be wanted, if not required for many shots you want, especially if you are shooting wildlife. Plus your shots will be a little sharper so if you have to crop (even with the extra range) you will get better results.

What body are you using it on?

In a word.... absolutely. You'll really enjoy the better build quality. In addition the L lenses have much better optics. Honestly I think that these are very important for your application. Also the white lens will help to reflect a lot of light that'll heat up your lens. You might want to also buy a good haze filter and definitely a good digital protection filter. The one thing I might worry about with this lens is the fact that it's quite large and very heavy. I think you should rent it before you buy it and make sure it's right for you.

If you look down a few items, Britt, you will see that this same question has just been discussed in depth. Rather than try to repeat everything I suggest that you have a look there first. http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00OOwA That probably won't work but the item is titled 'Canon 70-300 IS or 100-400L by chinmaya sn'.

I can only say that, while I have never been on safari, I use the Canon 70-300 for general wildlife in the UK. It is an excellent lens and IS really does help, it isn't big enough for what I want so I am saving up for the 100-400. Unlike the 70-300 the 100-400 will accept a converter if you want to go even bigger.

As an alternative, have you considered one of the bigger Sigma lenses, some go upto 500. Many Canon users tend to prefer Canon lenses but I have seen some good photos taken with these Sigma lenses, which are a bit cheaper. Perhaps someone who currently uses them can comment further.

My bad. XTi. Anyway though... make sure you have time to return the lens before your trip as many L lenses (all the ones I've purchased) have had calibration issues and needed to be returned. When you get back please post some of the pics in a gallery and link it into a post. Should be amazing! Have fun!

~Andrew

The sigma idea is a good one but be warned sigma will not produce the same amount of contrast and the colors won't be as punchy.

~Andrew

You could also consider the Tamron 200-500 - Bob Atkins has some good tests on his site. It is a good lens and at a very attractive price point.

please don't take the canon 70-300 on a once-in-a-lifetime trip. it's just not good enough. this is a utilitarian street lens -- good, but in no way L class. 100-400 is a good lens (and, yes, the difference in imagery is worth the extra $$$).

better would be a 70-200 plus 300 and 400 with a 1.4 tc -- but, that may not be doable

if you do go with the canon 70-300 realize you have to coax good images out of it -- you have to shoot at f9. remember, you get what you pay for. a cheap do-it-all zoom can't compare to an expensive do-it-all zoom

You can always resell a lens that you may have bought just to get the best out of your safari, which will often work out cheaper than hiring.

The 100-400 is a popular choice, but both "this summer" and "safari in Africa" are imprecise concepts. Research your safari location(s) for photographic advice which will include the effects of the season on vegetation, dust levels and seeing conditions, whether you will get off road and whether you have skilled guides and rangers who can get you close to the animals, and the range of fauna you can expect to photograph, as well as the type of vehicle you will be in. Consider too that you will probably be doing night drives, so a faster lens can help to give flash more reach (as can a Better Beamer - especially for daytime fill into harsh shadows). You ought to have a second body with a standard zoom on it - things happen too fast to change lenses. Even a P&S may do so long as it goes wide enough to capture a good landscape.

Do not expect that AF will be your salvation: in the bush, you will use MF more than you might imagine to capture animals partly shrouded by grasses or shrubs, so be comfortable with MF use.

>> please don't take the canon 70-300 on a once-in-a-lifetime trip. it's just not good enough.

As far as IQ and IS are concerned it is as good as both 70-200 L IS variants.

That said, I agree that for a safari the 100-400 will be a better choice due to longer range and faster AF.

Happy shooting, Yakim.