For Small Birds Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden and Woodbridge Island, Milnerton Cape Town
I have had quite a number of opportunities for testing the older Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens along the Diep River and the
Table Bay Nature Reserve at Woodbridge Island (perched birds / birds in flight) and
Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden (smaller birds / flowers).
100-400mm Zoom Lens Objective
My objective was to find the most suitable and effective body / zoom lens combination for my Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town
small bird and flower photography.
I've tested the lens on both the Canon EOS 70D and 7D Mark II and found the best value proposition pairing for the lens to be the EOS 70D.
My Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens is my preferred go-to lens for birds in flight, but it is rather limited as a prime / non-zoom 400mm lens for my shooting requirements at Kirstenbosch.
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Lens I purchased the original Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens from a client in late November 2021. After a long time thinking about my options, I made the decision to purchase this lens for my Kirstenbosch small bird photography (paired at this stage with my Canon EOS 70D).
Image to the right was was captured at Kirstenbosch paired with my EOS 70D before I made any purchasing decisions. This image of a double-collared sunbird was the image that decided the lens is more than good enough for my purpose(s).
Compared to the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM lens (for my purpose)
I also own and use the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM lens. Although this is optically one of the sharpest Canon EF lenses I own, its just a bit too 'short' for my purpose / licking at Kirstenbosch.
Versatility of the
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM lens.
Canon Camera / Lens used at Woodbridge Island / Kirstenbosch:
- Canon EOS 70D
- Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Lens (Mark I)
- AV Mode: 400mm / f/5.6 / Auto- ISO (Various) Shutter Speeds (Various)
- Manual Mode: 400mm / f/5.6 / Auto- ISO (Various) / 1/1000s - 1/3200s shutter speeds
- Lens IS Switched off / Handheld
Post-Processing: Adobe Lightroom
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| Perched Karoo Prinia Table Bay Nature Reserve Woodbridge Island, Cape Town |
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| Perched Southern Masked Weaver Table Bay Nature Reserve Woodbridge Island, Cape Town |
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| Yellow-Billed Duck in Flight Table Bay Nature Reserve Woodbridge Island, Cape Town |
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| Grey Heron in Flight Table Bay Nature Reserve Woodbridge Island, Cape Town |
