Canon 600 mm rental - will a newbie be able to use it the first day?

Chrissiebeez_NL

as the title read, I am thinking about renting a 600mm lens for my stepdad as a gift for his birthday (in combination with a nature photography workshop). Will he be able to use it that day or do you need to practise with it for several days before decent photos come out? Should i rent a 400 or 500mm lens instead? I like the idea of him lugging around this huge lens but he should be able to shoot something as well.. :scratch

He is sort of new to DSLR's and owns a 55-250mm lens

hope you guys can help

ziggy53

Chrissiebeez_NL wrote:

as the title read, I am thinking about renting a 600mm lens for my stepdad as a gift for his birthday (in combination with a nature photography workshop). Will he be able to use it that day or do you need to practise with it for several days before decent photos come out? Should i rent a 400 or 500mm lens instead? I like the idea of him lugging around this huge lens but he should be able to shoot something as well..

He is sort of new to DSLR's and owns a 55-250mm lens

hope you guys can help

A 600mm lens is a handful to be sure. Without knowing his intended subject matter I could only imagine that trying to handhold a 600mm, especially as a "... new to DSLR's ..." shooter could be (would be) problematic. If you feeel the 600mm is appropriate be sure to also get a suitable tripod and head for the task.

I suspect that a longer rental of an EF 400mm, f5.6L USM, with tripod and head, would be more productive overall.

Chrissiebeez_NL

hi ziggy!

A tripod was something i was thinking about arranging as well. I only want to rent it for the day as its a one day workshop. do you think that (with the right tripod) someone new to DSLR's would be able to find/shoot birds in nature with the 600 mm the first day? mybe the 400 mm is a better option..

ziggy53

Chrissiebeez_NL wrote:

hi ziggy!

A tripod was something i was thinking about arranging as well. I only want to rent it for the day as its a one day workshop. do you think that (with the right tripod) someone new to DSLR's would be able to find/shoot birds in nature with the 600 mm the first day? mybe the 400 mm is a better option..

Even though the workshop is only a single day, your step-father would probably like to practice for some time after (maybe before).

I doubt that a single day would be that beneficial to anyone learning something new versus having a few days to practice. I also think that the 400mm, f5.6L USM is a more practical lens overall for a newcomer.

20DNoob

+1 on the 400mm 5.6L

While the 600 might be nice and all, it would be a pig to lug about. That and the fact you would need a top notch set of legs with a gimbal to make it worthwhile. That set up would tip the scales at nearly 20lbs.( just over 9Kg). Unless your dads used to schlepping around that kind of weight it may put him off a touch.

Plus the fact if your dad really enjoys using the 400, it's far easier on the wallet to purchase the 400 than the 600.

Tee Why

Chrissiebeez_NL wrote:

hi ziggy!

A tripod was something i was thinking about arranging as well. I only want to rent it for the day as its a one day workshop. do you think that (with the right tripod) someone new to DSLR's would be able to find/shoot birds in nature with the 600 mm the first day? mybe the 400 mm is a better option..

I think renting a Canon 100-400mm instead is a much better idea, especially for a newbie.

Besides, if you wanna go big get the 800mm L or a Sigma 200-500mm f2.8. They are tough to handhold though.

Photoskipper

I feel the 600 just too big and too heavy (almost 6 Kg), it is not possible to handheld and need need a big tripod and head too. It make up to more than 10 kg with the camera. Just 100 mm difference may not be significant in the field. A 1.4X or 2X TC will be very useful to stretch the reach.

I settled with the 500 mm which is just 3.8 Kg and marginally handheld-able It allows you to move around quicker with the lens.

pathfinder

As an owner of several pieces of long glass from 300 to a Sigmonster, I will tell you that 600mm is not the place for someone to start shooting long glass. I agree with Ziggy that 400mm is a better place to start.

A 600mm lens is very heavy, requires a large gimbalhead and a heavy tripod to use properly. With camera body, this can approach 30 - 40 pounds and is not easy to schlep about at all. It can fall over also and is likely not to fare well if it does fall over. You cannot hold this type of lens by the camera body at all, and I have had folks try to do that with mine.

You cannot just point a 600mm lens at a subject and have it pop into view. It can take a moment to even find your subject at first. Between the shallow Depth of Field and narrow angle of view, he may find it challenging to even find the bird he is looking in the beginning. If the bird is flying, unless one was focused on it when it launched into flight, it can be almost impossible to locate in mid flight.

Do your dad a favor, and let him adjust to the technical demands of long glass shooting, by starting out with a tool he can hold in one hand, carry about, and shoot without a tripod at first. He will have more fun. If he pursues this highly specialized aspect of photography he will gradually realize the need for gimbal mounts, heavy tripods, mirror lock up, remote releases, and all the other baggage necessary for first rate imagery. Let him come to this realization himself. There are several new skills that are needed, not just bigger lens.

Bird shooters all lust after longer lenses, but we all also know that getting closer is vastly more productive if it is at all possible. Bigger, longer, heavier is not really more fun, but more work.

raptorcaptor

I agree with everyone here, and that a 600mm lens is too much lens to start with. A 400mm is an excellent starter lens, and much more flexible.

tijoseph

If it is a full frame camera he has, go for the 600. I have the 100-400L and am disappointed with the reach it gets. if on a cropped sensor, the 100-400 would be a great fit. The zoom feature will come in handy vs the prime.

Chrissiebeez_NL

thanks all!

I think ill go for the 100-400 as a compromise between reach, versatility and weight. It should still be a nice picture !