I've owned the Canon 40D and the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS lens for more than two years and have taken over 30,000 photos with the combination. Most of the photos are of sporting events.


Your friend needs to get out of the advice business because he doesn't know what he is talking about. I handhold the camera/lens combination as well as use it on a Manfrotto monopod. I have no issues spinning into portrait or landscape quickly as is usually done with sports photography. It is well balanced and the 1.6x FOVCF gets me out to 640mm. I think it is a great combination.





It took this picture from across the football field with the monopod.


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