Canon 600/4 L IS mrkI still worth investing in

[Dvir Barkay]

Hello, I recently posted a thread or not that long ago, asking about the sigma 300-800. Its a great lens from what I heard, but in the end I have decided that I will look at the Canon 600 lenses, and in the future at some far off juncture add the canon 200-400. I wanted to ask all those that have used the 600/4 L IS mrkI if it is still worth investing in. I would rather get the new version, but at its current price its rather over the top. From the sparing reviews that I can find, the 600/4 l IS I is decent wide open, and then becomes very good stopped down one stop. Also there seems to be some discrepancies on how it handles teleconverters. Some say it does it well, others say even with the x1.4TC its only mediocre. Overall, I just wanted the opinions of those that own or have owned the lens on how it handles, mostly interested in image quality, for I know its heavy and all and will make sure that is sorted out. Samples would be fantastic as well. Thanks in advance for any help.

[Doug Brown]

It's a superb lens. The version 2 lens does have some optical advantages, but the lighter weight (3 plus pounds) is the single biggest advantage. The version 1 lens works beautifully with a 1.4x and quite well with a 2x. I have many shots posted on BPN with the old 600 if you're looking for samples.

[Dvir Barkay]

Thanks for the reply, its kind of hard to find the photos as each one of your threads seems to have a different lens, can you point me out to a year or time period that you posted some stuff?

[Doug Brown]

Thanks for the reply, its kind of hard to find the photos as each one of your threads seems to have a different lens, can you point me out to a year or time period that you posted some stuff?

Prior to the new 600 coming out, the vast majority of my photos were taken with the old 600.

http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/53712-Northern-Pintail-Power-and-Grace

http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/52131-Bufflehead-Drake-Catch-a-Speeding-Bullet

http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/98705-Northern-Cardinal-Strikes-a-Pose

http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/98539-White-winged-Dove-Portrait

http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/96462-A-Golden-Goodbye-to-the-Snowy-Owl-Irruption-of-2012

http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/92983-Number-9-000-Revisited-Opinions-Wanted

[David Stephens]

If you hope to shoot hand held, the S1 600mm is beyond most of our abilities to hold, while the S2 is not. Are you shooting full-frame or crop, is another significant consideration. Shooting with a 1D X or 5D3, you'll most likely want the extra 100mm over the 500mm; however, on the 7D MkII, you might want to use that camera's higher pixel-density to get more pixels on your subject and reward yourself with further weight reduction and significantly improved IS performance (vs. the S1 600mm).

[Dvir Barkay]

Prior to the new 600 coming out, the vast majority of my photos were taken with the old 600.

http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/53712-Northern-Pintail-Power-and-Grace

http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/52131-Bufflehead-Drake-Catch-a-Speeding-Bullet

http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/98705-Northern-Cardinal-Strikes-a-Pose

http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/98539-White-winged-Dove-Portrait

http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/96462-A-Golden-Goodbye-to-the-Snowy-Owl-Irruption-of-2012

http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/92983-Number-9-000-Revisited-Opinions-Wanted


Thanks great shots, really fantastic. How sharp are some of those, I mean for example the first one, or the snowy owl, how do they look at 100%?

[Dvir Barkay]

If you hope to shoot hand held, the S1 600mm is beyond most of our abilities to hold, while the S2 is not. Are you shooting full-frame or crop, is another significant consideration. Shooting with a 1D X or 5D3, you'll most likely want the extra 100mm over the 500mm; however, on the 7D MkII, you might want to use that camera's higher pixel-density to get more pixels on your subject and reward yourself with further weight reduction and significantly improved IS performance (vs. the S1 600mm).

I know that it is super heavy, plan on getting a great tripod and wimberley head, the weight does not bother me. I have the 1DmrkIII and once I get enough extra and it goes down when the new one comes out, I will add the 1Dx. I already have hte 300/2.8 and TCs and that will be my handheld combo, as it is very easy to hand hold the 300/2.8 all day. I am hoping to get a 600, the new 500 is great as well, but is rather expensive as well, and in the future if I do get the 200-400 some day I would think the 500 is too close to it, I believe that Art sold his for a similar reason.

[Doug Brown]

Here's a 100% RAW file crop of the 600 mm I and the 1.4x III. Default LR sharpening was applied.

147495

[Doug Brown]

And here's a 600 mm RAW file with the same processing.

147496

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Dvir Doug has presented some good examples on how well this lens performe. I use a 600f/4 (1) same version you are looking for and all I can say is that I love this lens! who said that this lens is not sharp when a TC is attached?
Like Arthur Morris says... most of the time is operator error, and I could not agree more with that statement. Here in CR I always use my 1.4TC and now I am saving to buy the new 2XTC I am not affraid because I know that with a sturdy tripod and a good stabilizing technique one
can produce some crisp files. Good luck and try to get a lens with serials like U-V-W-X as those were manufactured before the new version II and then they have been, hopefully, less used or beaten!

[Dvir Barkay]

Thanks so much Doug, those look very good. Looks similar to my 300/2.8, and honestly, I doubt the 300 can get sharper than that. Maybe the only thing I see is the 300 controls CA better, although its amazing at that, but that is not an issue for me. Here is what I am used to at 600 with my 300 and x2TC https://www.dropbox.com/s/tqxo5kcvozdg54u/_O2P6071.CR2?dl=0

Also how does the old 600 compare to the new 600 overall other than weight, focus speed and accuracy, I know image quality is a bit better and all?

BTW is the second pic at F/4 or more stopped down?

[Dvir Barkay]

Dvir Doug has presented some good examples on how well this lens performe. I use a 600f/4 (1) same version you are looking for and all I can say is that I love this lens! who said that this lens is not sharp when a TC is attached?
Like Arthur Morris says... most of the time is operator error, and I could not agree more with that statement. Here in CR I always use my 1.4TC and now I am saving to buy the new 2XTC I am not affraid because I know that with a sturdy tripod and a good stabilizing technique one
can produce some crisp files. Good luck and try to get a lens with serials like U-V-W-X as those were manufactured before the new version II and then they have been, hopefully, less used or beaten!

Thanks Juan, I will heed your advice when I look to purchase the lens. What tripod do you use? And I do plan on using the x2TC at times, my 300 takes and uses the x2TC very well, it can even focus really well with it in even bad light and all, so I am a big proponent of TCs.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Dvir, I use a Feisol CT-3372 and Wimberley head.

[Alex Vardy]

on the digital-picture.com website that compares lenses, the previous model looks terrible compared to the new model wide open. Not sure how much trust you can put in that though, from the feedback I have heard, they are similar, its only when the latest teleconverters are used that the new model putshines:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=748&Camera=453&Sample=0&FLI=0&API=0&LensComp=336&CameraComp=453&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp=0