Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS II USM

Great lens I've only owned this for a short period of time and the images are what I have expected from Canon "L" glass. This particular lens is much easier for me to hand hold and shoot compared to my original 400 f2.8 non-IS version (which I still have going on 25+ years)... 5 lbs doesn't sound like much, but over the course of a 3 day air show, it is. Disclaimer... I don't work for Canon. This review comes from my many years of owning Canon "L" glass going back to the original FD manual focus line. Even though I bought this lens is used, I know the build quality of their line. Granted, no lens or camera is perfect... I've always been of the mindset that, you get what you pay for. If you need this type of lens, you can't go wrong.

Way to big and heavy for me This lens would probably be a workhorse for a professional wildlife photographer. But I only get to go to places with real wildlife once a year for a few days. The lens is huge and it is heavy. It's much more suited to a professional photographer or at least a hobbyist that lives in areas where wildlife photography can be enjoyed several times a month. I sold mine after one usage here in Dallas. Now, if I lived in the mountains of Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, etc. I would have loved it.

Canon EF 500mm as a sports lens Many reviews have been written about this lens on various web sites and in magazines by professionals. I am an amateur and purchased the lens to photograph my son's college baseball team. Not surprisingly, the lens works to perfection. I have a few suggestions for other amateurs that may be considering the purchase of this lens for sports photography. Buy the Lens Trekker 600 from Lowepro. I got it on ebay for $80 new. This is not a lens that you want to carry separate from the camera. Attachments for other lenses can be added to the bag. The case that the lens comes in is only useful for air transport, travel, etc. It is impractical for bringing the lens to an event. Use a monopod. I purchased a Gitmo and it is unparalleled in terms of quality, easy adjustability and, most importantly, staying at the length you set. There is no need for a ballhead when using a monopod and this lens. Unlike the Canon 100-400, the quality and feel of the tripod ring on the 500 is superb with clear detents. A monopod can be mounted directly to the tripod ring which allows you to quickly and accurately adjust from landscape to portrait. I purchased the 1.4 extender. To get the outfielder to really pop and blur the background I found it to be essential but the extender does much more than that. It allows a different view of sports by creating the opportunity for close shots of facial expressions and plays at the bags. While my sport is baseball, I think this would be true for all outdoor sports. The lens is clearly expensive but I monitored costs for some time. I found that the lens has held its value and I expect to sell the lens for what I paid for it and maybe a little more if I ever decide to let it go.Read full review