Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto with Canon T2i

[amjhawar]

I own a canon T2i camera and am planning to buy Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto lens. Does anyone have any experience using this combination? I heard from some sources that this lens with T2i will have cropping issues. Any thoughts?

[OsmosisStudios]

Cropping issues? Unless you're referring to the crop factor, there wont be any issues.

The 100-400 is an EF lens designed for full-frame. Because the sensor on the T2i is smaller than full-frame, there is an effect akin to cropping the edges off a shot taken with a full-frame camera. This can be expressed as the crop factor (in the case of your T2i: x1.6). What this means is that putting the 100-400 on your T2i is like having a 160-640 lens on a full-frame camera (in terms of field of view).

[RichardTaylor]

There are no lens or camera issues when using this lens on a crop body like your T2i.

As OsmosisStudios says the field of view will be different to when it is used on a full frame body.

It is my most used lens, and is used almost always on one of my crop bodies.

[amjhawar]

Thanks for your detail reply. I feel much more confident to buy this lens now.

[daft_biker]

Dunno about cropping issues but you might have sharpness issues with this lens, particularly on such a high resolution sensor.

Some folk like it but it's not for me. (nothing to do with the push-pull zoom thing....the images I've seen from it just aren't as sharp and detailed as I'd like)

[amjhawar]

Do you have any other suggestions then? I am looking for more reach without compromising on the sharpness. I have 2 kit lens - Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS and the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS Telephoto and I like both of them.

[gturner]

I have used it and been very happy. It is not a 300 or 400 F2.8 IS for $6000, but a better high quality value offer is impossible to find.

Anywhooooo - what are you looking to use it for primarily. Birds/ sports/ safari - PERFECT

[daft_biker]

Originally Posted by amjhawar

Do you have any other suggestions then?

EF 400mm f/5.6

I tried a couple of Sigma zooms and didn't like them either....that's usually what happens with me and zooms though.

There's a new Canon long zoom with built in teleconvertor coming out soon which looks interesting but I'm guessing it's going to be a load more money.

Plenty folk do like the 100-400 though....try one for yourself?

[inkista]

The other most-commonly mentioned alternatives to the 100-400L are:

EF 300mm f/4L IS USM (cheaper, faster, also stabilized, can be used with 1.4x tc, a prime)
EF 400mm f/5.6L USM (cheaper, possibly sharper at 400mm, but unstabilized and a prime)
EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS USM (same cost, same performance, much more compact)

Sigma 120-400 OS HSM (much cheaper, performance is good)
Sigma 150-500 OS HSM aka "The Bigmos" (cheaper, performance is good, bigger reach)
Sigma 50-500 OS HSM aka "The Bigma" (cost is similar, performance is close to 100-400, longer reach, but harder to handhold).

As daft_biker says, the 100-400 is probably closer to ideal for your purposes.

[gturner]

based on your current lenses, you will find the 100-400 a major step up.