I also thought about using the title of “Don’t Believe Everything You Read” when it comes to cameras and lenses, but decided the title above would be the most descriptive. This post is a little long, but it does have an important message that I think will apply to anyone with an interest in photography. And now to the post…
For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while you know that I always considered my dream lens the Canon EF 500 f4; that was until I actually rented the lens.
The story goes something like this. Research online about the “best Canon lens for wildlife and bird photography” (good luck searching for specific “butterfly photography”) and you’ll most often come across the Canon EF 500. Read some of the forums on DPReview.com, FredMiranda.com, The-Digital-Picture, Texas Photo Forum, Canon Digital Photography Forums or Bird Photographers.net, and inevitably when someone asks what’s the best lens for wildlife photography the ultimate answer is the Canon EF 500.
Based on all the reviews and all the forums comments, I knew the Canon EF 500 was my “dream lens.” Now I just needed to save up $6140.00 to buy the lens. Never mind that I had never actually used the lens, but I had seen it in action, and I’ve seen lots of photos taken with this lens, and everything looked fantastic. I started saving for this lens at the beginning of 2010.
Fast forward to Thanksgiving. I was taking some vacation days and decided this would be a good time to rent this lens since I didn’t quite have enough money saved up to purchase it just yet. I go to my favorite place for renting lenses, LensRentals.com. Why? Because the one other time I rented from them the customer service was fantastic, and they have great reviews in all of the forums.
November 24, 2010 I receive this beautiful Canon EF 500 lens from LensRentals.com. As soon as I unpack the lens, I attach my Canon 7D and mount it on my tripod and head out to the backyard to take pictures of Butterflies (sure, it’s November, but this is Houston, so the temperature is around 80 degrees). As expected, I see some Monarchs Butterflies on the Milkweed. I go to my normal shooting distance that I use with my Canon 100-400 and find that I’m way too close. I take a couple of steps back. I’m still too close. I back up further until I’m just about to step in the pool and take some pictures. Check the LCD screen and I’m happy with the shots. I’m not so happy about having to be so far away from the Butterflies, this is my backyard, not some wide-open field.
I continue to lug the camera, lens and tripod around my backyard chasing Butterflies. What I begin to notice is that the Butterflies often land on plants where there is a dark background (lots of leaves, branches, fences, etc.). As a result, I increase my ISO settings to lighten the images (as well as increasing the graininess of my photos).
Over the next few days I continue much of this same pattern while in my backyard. I also took a couple of field trips searching for birds. I then begin to notice a pattern. One, this lens is heavy, and so is my tripod. Two, this is a great lens for birds that are off in the distance, it’s not the best for photographing Butterflies in my backyard or things that are relatively close. Three, if you are shooting in low light situations, this lens can be frustrating (at least it was for me).
At the end of the rental period I return the lens. I’m really disappointed. This was my dream lens, or so I thought it “should” be. Everyone in all of the photography forums said it’s one of the best lenses out there, and it is, but it clearly wasn’t the “best” for my interests.
Now what? Well Christmas is not too far away and I had planned on taking some additional vacation days so why not try renting another lens? The problem was figuring out which one. From what I had read online, the EF 300 f2.8 is one of the sharpest lenses Canon has ever made and it’s certainly lighter than the 500, and since I normally shoot around 350mm on my 100-400, it appeared to be something worth considering.
On a whim, I fire off an email to Roger Cicala who is the owner of LensRentals.com. Below is the exact message I sent:
Hi Roger, I’ve rented from you few times and I like what you have to say and how straight forward you say it. Here’s my dilemma. I mainly shoot with a canon 100-400 on my 7D. I rented a 500 f/4 from you and loved it, it just seemed a little big for what I like to do which is butterfly photography. So in a couple more weeks I’m renting a 300 f.28 with both the Canon Converters.
I’m leaning towards saying the best lens for me will be the 300 f2.8 as the butterflies aren’t always laying around in perfect light, or the background is often dark. The 2.8 would seem to help a great deal with that I would think.
I’m also going to Mexico in late February to take pictures of the Monarchs in their winter sanctuary. I’m assuming being around large trees, I’m not going to have the really bright light, but again I would “think” (since I’ve never used it yet) the 300 with at least the 1.4x tele would do well.
In short, I think I’m just outgrowing my 100-400. I almost always shoot at 350 for the butterflies, and really want a lens that has the capabilities of taking very sharp pictures.
If you would mind offering a few words of guidance or wisdom on what I’m struggling with I sure would appreciate it. I trust your company and experience with a wide range of lenses.
I hope to hear from you as soon as you get a moment.
Thanks again for such great service!
Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. I was thinking that Roger has hundreds of people who send him email, and they’ve probably rented a lot more lenses from him than I have. Plus, he’s the owner of a company who’s probably very busy and I’m just some guy down in Texas who likes to shoot pictures of Butterflies and Wildlife.
Lo and behold, Roger wrote me back the very next day! Impressive. What Roger basically recommended is that I consider the Canon EF 300 f2.8 or the Canon EF 300 f4. Plus he added that I could use the Canon teleconverters on these lenses for extra reach if needed (I’ve tried it on my 100-400 and it was terrible).
Fast-forward again to Christmas. I receive the Canon EF 300 f2.8, 1.4x and 2x teleconverters from LensRentals.com. Another beautiful lens and much lighter (5.6 lbs. vs. 8.5 lbs.) than the EF 500. Then wouldn’t you know the weather would be terrible during my 4-day rental. On all but one day the sky was very cloudy and overcast, and some occasional rain. It didn’t matter to me; I was going to test this lens no matter what. Long story short, I loved this lens. It was perfect for “my interests.”
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably wondering how renting a lens can save you money, right? Here’s how it can save you money based on my experience. If I had purchased that Canon EF 500 lens based on everything I read, I would have spent $6140.00. Because I actually rented the lens before purchasing, I discovered that the EF 500 was not the perfect lens for my photography interests. Then, because I again “rented” before “buying” I discovered that the EF 300 f2.8 is the perfect lens for me (at least right now). It’s great for low light photography, fast motion, and most important Butterflies! The end result is that I spent $4340.00 for the EF 300 f2.8, for an actual savings of $1800.00 ($6140-$4340)!
I want to share one other piece of information that I have learned that should apply to anyone with an interest in photography. You’ll normally see this advice at the very bottom of a review site, but less frequently in any photography forum. The best lens (or camera, or flash) is what will work best for YOU and your interests! Just because most everyone said the EF 500 is the ultimate Canon lens, I believed them and almost purchased this lens. Don’t get me wrong, it IS a great lens, but it wasn’t the BEST lens for me. So next time you are researching a lens or camera and reading all those reviews, keep in mind what they say, but also think about how you will use the equipment. If you’re going to spend lots of your hard earned money, take the time to test the camera or lens, either by borrowing or by renting from a place like LensRentals.com. You may just save yourself thousands of dollars like I did!
BTW, my new lens arrives on Friday!:-)
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