70-200mm and 100-400mm lenses...

[rpcrowe]

Both the 70-200mm f/4L IS and the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II are top-notch lenses with excellent focal ranges. However, I have never used the two lenses together because their focal lengths overlap considerably. If I carried both these lenses on a pair of crop cameras, the 70-200mm lens would provide me with only 30mm of additional focal length - from 70 to 100mm.

HOWEVER... If I were to carry the 100-400L on my 7D2 and the 70-200mm on my 5D2 (which I primarily use for portraits) it would open up a new expanded set of focal ranges for me to use.

Obviously the 70-200mm on the full frame would provide that focal length. However, the 100-400L on my 7D2 would give me an equivalent range of 160mm to 560mm... I would then have an equivalent range of 70mm to 560mm using the two lenses. The slight 160mm to 200mm overlap would be an advantage because I would not need to switch cameras that often...

I have tried the combo around my property and it works quite well. My first "real-life test will be next weekend with the arrival of the Tall Ships in San Diego Bay.

I realize that the 5D2 doesn't have the great auto focus capability of the 7D2 but, I think that it will work decently - especially since the sailing ships will not be traveling that fast. Of course, a 5D3 or 5D4 would be even a better addition to the set.

Adding a 1.4x TC Mk.3 to the 100-400L would give even a longer range with a bit of a gap in the middle of the focal ranges. I could still auto focus using the single center point of the 7D2.

I realize that both Sigma and Tamron have lenses with a longer focal range than 100-400mm but, I really like my 100-400 Mk.2...

[NorthernFocus]

That's an excellent strategy that I also employ, Richard. In my case it's D500/200-500mm for the long stuff and D810/70-200mm for closer action and/or to capture more BG. Also if necessary when the D810 is in hand I have the buttons configured so that I can quickly switch it to DX crop mode effectively giving me up to 300mm EFL at 15MP. And since I'm using the 70-200 f4, it is light enough to be easily hung on a shoulder strap while the larger camera/lens is being used.

[rpcrowe]

That's the way I plan on handling these lenses. Big lens on a tripod with the 7D2 and smaller lens hand-held on the 5D2...

I have loved telephoto lenses from the very first time that I used a 135mm lens (which was all that was available to many photographers in the mid-1950's) on a 35mm SLR film camera....

The only rangefinder camera that I know of which would accept and be able to frame with a lens of this size was the NIKON SP, a camera which I always pined after!

[Shadowman]

For me its the 24-70 (2.8), 70-300mm (4.5-5.6) for the FF and for awhile a 3 lens combo for DX (18-55, 55-200, 70-300) but I never really warmed to the 55-200 so settled with either a 50 or 85mm (1.8) for most situations.