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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
CPS, repair, 400 2.8 loaner and MKIII experience
Joe Winn, Photographer
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Tampa | Fl | USA | Posted: 3:51 PM on 05.31.09 |
->> I have to comment on my recent CPS experiences.
I recently had to have the rear barrel replaced on my 300 2.8LIS due to the tripod collar tabs stripping out. I sent it in on a Monday and got the lens back on a Thurs. Can't beat that. Very happy.
I also requested a loaner 400 2.8LIS so I could give it a go for a week. I emailed my request (I have never requested anything before) on a Saturday, got a reply on Monday morning that my request was approved and received the lens on Friday. Fantastic service!
Comments on the lens, love it up to a point. It's not as sharp as the 300 2.8. It's almost twice the weight. Conclusion, for what I do (youth sports tournaments and all-day action shooting) it will not be in my stable anytime soon. If I were shooting professional sports where field access was limited to certain areas (like pro baseball) then the 400 2.8 would be a necessity. But I shoot College level and below events where I always have field access. I am not confined to the dugout etc. The 400 is just too long and limiting for most of what I do. Now, if I were to get a pro gig somewhere and had to shoot from a specific area then the 400 would be on the list and in my bag
I use MkIIs for all my shooting but my buddy uses MkIII's. He always offers to let me use one of his MKIII's when we shoot together and I always take him up on it...but I always go back to the MKII. I love the high ISO performance of the MKIII but the AF performance of my MKII is just better. I have used these back to back many times and I always go back to my MKII. I recently shot a baseball tournament and used his MKIII a few times to try it out with the 400 2.8 (and my 300). There were a few times when the play went to a fielder, I held the focus button down (the fielder was full frame, mind you), and I just let the MKIII fly through the series and every single frame was OOF (seriously OOF...not a little). I am talking over 2 secs worth of holding the focus button down. This happened several times and his cameras have the latest fixes....one was even a loaner from canon while his other was in for the fix.
I tried another experiment with the MKIII after this happened a few times. Let's say I'm standing 10ft from home plate (to the side and behind) and shooting the short stop with a 400. If I focused on the back wall of the field and very slowly moved the viewfinder (center focus point) across the shortstop while holding the focus button down...several times the camera would not acquire focus on the much nearer short stop. It would stay focused on the wall. Very odd.
Would love to upgrade to a MkIII but it's just not gonna happen. MkIIIn or MKIV for me. |
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Philip Peterson, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Puyallup | WA | USA | Posted: 11:53 AM on 06.02.09 |
| ->> I'd wait (several months) after the mark IV comes out. Hopefully Canon will not repeat th4e III fiasco. |
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