New Lenses (400 f/4 DO, etc)

[conropl]

If you haven't tried the old version of this lens, you probably don't understand the value of this lens. I enjoyed an Alaska cruise with it in 2012, no tripod, no monopod, no arm pain, etc. And due to the specific nature of the CA in this lens, it takes a 1.4x TC exceptionally well IMHO. It's filled with helium or something...as Roger @ LensRentals describes it, it's the 400 you can handhold (because the 400/5.6 is non-IS, and the 400/2.8 is ~twice the weight). Now that the 400DO/II gets a little lighter (let's face it, vII always gets lighter by 10-26%) and gets a 'current-gen' IS unit with 4 stops of correction, it's going to be a screamer IMO.

Update: only a $400 price increment for the new version? Now we're really talking.

My bigger concern is the "version I" reputation... not so much the weight (I do not have a problem carrying a tripod around). I need to see samples to make sure past problems of bad contrast and bokeh (to name a couple) are a thing of the past.

[Raid]

My bigger concern is the "version I" reputation.

Have seen this lens in the field a few of times. On every occasion it was being used by Paparazzi and they were adding/removing extenders as needed. I somehow don't see these guys being interested in a quality image, just range an weight.