C100 and Canon EF 70-200mm / 2.8L IS II USM
 

Hi,

At this moment Canon has a cash back action and I am considering to buy the canon Canon EF 70-200mm / 2.8L IS II USM lens in combination with the Canon video camera C100.

My purpose is mainly wildlife (South Africa) film making but wonders if this lens is good enough to use in combination with mainly a MONOPOD.

If somebody has experience or other advice, please let me know.
Thank you all in advance.

Wil

Re: C100 and Canon EF 70-200mm / 2.8L IS II USM
 

Not much reach with that combo. But the IS does work very well. I think you could easily shot steady off a monopod, maybe even and held for the right shot.

Re: C100 and Canon EF 70-200mm / 2.8L IS II USM
 

Does it mean this lens is better not to take?

Wildlife distance what I normally shoot is approx 100 meter.

Nobody else good or bad experiences or another lense advice?

Re: C100 and Canon EF 70-200mm / 2.8L IS II USM
 

I don't own the C100 or any of this lenses, but...

...The 100-400L IS + 17-40L (or Canon 10-22/ Tokina 11-16) would be just a little bit more expensive, but gives you much more reach.

/Markus

Edit: I don't think you should focus on the 2.8 too much...

Re: C100 and Canon EF 70-200mm / 2.8L IS II USM
 

OK I'll chime in...

I use C100 with a Canon 70-200mm F4 IS. A mate has the (version I) F2.8 and that, by comparison, is a really heavy handful on my C100. I can only hold that steady for a few seconds before it starts to become a burden on my arms. I posted about it a while back on here.

With my lens and IS on I can get excellent, pretty steady hand-held (no mono pod) video clips, even at 200mm much more easily, but I rarely shoot wildlife. Tack sharp too. IS is noisy though.

I think, with the C100s amazing ability in low light, the F4 limit of this smaller, much lighter lens is of little consequence. However, a big factor to consider if you want to keep a C100 based kit agile for travelling in South Africa is its more manageable weight and girth.

Sure, the lens you are considering is a stunner and would work but really will need that monopod most of the time which makes things more cumbersome.

Whatever you buy I also recommend you get a small bean bag as that can work wonders for quick and easy cam support when in a vehicle.

I also recommend a Canon 1.4x Extender should be in your kit bag too. Beware the outgoing 2x version as that was a bit soft, latest version is supposed to be better (but you will still loose 2 stops with it). The penalty on the 1.4x is just a stop of course. I have used both 2x and the 1.4x extensively. The 1.4x is the one I kept.

Just my opinion. Good luck and hope this helps.

Re: C100 and Canon EF 70-200mm / 2.8L IS II USM
 

i recently shot photos of wildlife in Senegal with 5Dmii, 70-200 IS 2.8 and 2x extender. The extender limits you to f5.6, makes focus a little slower, and apparently you lose sharpness and contrast, but i found the combo pretty useful. for video the f5.6 might be less of a problem as focusing wildlife (unless sleeping or dead...) at 2.8 would be not easy. without the extender i don't think 200mm is enough reach. i have the older version, but i think the 70-200 IS UMS 2.8 is a great investment!
i know that you are asking about c100, but a T3i with 1.6 crop and the ability to have 3x zoom video with minimal quality loss would be an insane amount of reach and versatility- hard to miss a shot with a range of 112mm- 960mm!!!!!!!!!!!!!! not sure about a monopod, at 960mm though... even a slight breeze on a less than great tripod will make the video shaky! i've read that a beanbag on the vehicle window or frame is pretty handy, and if you are on a safari with a guide, you are not supposed to be allowed to leave the vehicle, so a monopod might be awkward unless you are on the roof. that said, the attached photo was taken on foot with my heart beating a mile a minute and a great appreciation for the 2x extender!

Re: C100 and Canon EF 70-200mm / 2.8L IS II USM
 

Hello Andy & Brian,

thank you very much for your advices.
yes I use when possible also a beanbag but based on my approach towards the animals (see small video what I mean with hort distances ).

Based on your replies, it makes it for me not easy ;>))

Thanks again,
Wil

Re: C100 and Canon EF 70-200mm / 2.8L IS II USM
 

I use a C300 with 70-200 f2.8 L IS II USM with and without 2xII TC. The 70-200 f2.8 L ISS II USM lens is sharp and is good for handheld. With the 2xII TC when I place it on a beanbag or monopod I get much better results. I have done lot of handheld work in short sequences as well as panning when the leopard is moving.

I am yet to test the C100, however, I think the results will be the same.