New Weapon of Choice

Sunday, May 5, 2024

The big boy just got a new toy. It's a new lens. After retirement I had bought a new mirrorless camera - Canon R7. I made do with the old 400 mm lens with an adaptor. But I always knew I would have to go for a compatible mirrorless lens with RF mount. Within my affordable range I found the 100-500 would suit me fine. Partha and Suranjan both have it.

The lens at 100 mm 

When I spoke to Tanvir about it he said he had an almost new but used one at Rs 1.7L. The new one would cost me Rs 2.2L. I was a little apprehensive about buying something used at such a high price. I don't know why a person would sell off an almost new lens unless she broke it or did something equally dreadful. So I decided I would get it officially checked by Canon. Suranjan spoke to the Canon guy, Jayanta De, who promised to examine it if brought to their workshop.

Tanvir was kind enough to lend me the lens for a couple of days. That was on a Saturday. I went straight to Dhakuria Lake and took a few shots of the Asian Openbills and a few night herons and even some flying black kites and crows in flight. Nothing seemed wrong with the glass. In fact the crow in flight was tac sharp. Although sharpness at 500 wasn't nothing much to write home about compared to my prime, what I liked about the lens is its IS. My prime doesn't have IS and I am increasingly finding it difficult to take handheld shots with it at lower shutter speeds. I shoot these days on shutter speed priority with the speed set at 400. With this I could easily step down much further. I guess I shot even at 1/60 sec handheld with it. With some practice I should be able to step down even farther.

However, since I am so used to the feather light 400 mm, my initial reaction to the new lens was "this is really heavy" :-) Apparently this is a very light lens. I would perhaps get used to its weight soon.

On Monday I went to Canon and got it tested. What I was told (after a few hours) is that the lens belongs to one Dr Susmita Dutta. It has about a year and a half of warranty still left (it was bought in November 2023). Although it had once been brought to the workshop (and they couldn't tell me exactly why) they found nothing wrong with the lens. It was perfectly in order, they said. 

In the form of a possible explanation, they said, it could have come for either a software upgrade (yes lenses also need software updates) or for calibration with the camera. I was convinced that I could buy it.

I went back and paid Tanvir the amount. I paid through Monisha's cashback card for which Tanvir charged Rs 1700. In revenge I took a Nissi UV filter from him for free. 

However, what irked me is that there was no hood with the lens. Tanvir gave me the canvas lens bag and the lens back cover etc but not the hood. He said he would get it from the original user and asked me to come back after a couple of days. I phoned back after a couple of days. The hood was still not found. 

The lens fully extended to 500 mm

I felt rather distraught. Mentally I decided, either I get the original Canon hood or I return the lens and buy a new lens. I wouldn't settle for anything in between. I was somehow convinced that this person perhaps dropped the lens and broke the hood and wants to sell it off now. On Saturday (yesterday 4th May, 2024) I called Tanvir to say I am coming to discuss it. He said they have found the hood. I went quickly to his shop by Metro and procured the white lens hood. 

It's a lovely little hood with a window for using polariser filter (hardly anyone does it these days but they improve the photographic quality several notches up). One might think what's the big deal about a lens hood. After all it's just a piece of plastic, albeit a well engineered one.

These hoods are very difficult to find in the aftermarket. No one wants to stock them because hardly anyone buys them. Even if they are available they cost a bomb. I think something like Rs 8K for what is essentially a plastic cup without a bottom. But using the lens without the hood is out of question. Apart from its stray light stopping abilities it's a protection against small nicks and bruises while walking in forests. A stray branch can easily put a scratch mark even with the hood on. 

And there is a heaven and hell difference between the original hood and a replacement, aftermarket hood. I would never buy a third party hood. 

While my 400 mm came with a fixed and retractable hood, this one is obviously a detachable one. 

Anyway, I am pretty happy with the lens now. If Canon comes out with an affordable 500 or even 400 mm prime I might go for it and sell this off. I wouldn't be paying for the depreciation. If I could get one, I would also love to have an old 500 mm tele.  

As of now the lens has the Nissi UV filter on. I have a Hoya on the 24-70. I will swap the two. The Hoya on my 400 prime has a small scratch. I will possibly change it with a new Nissi.

As of now I am not too sure what to do with the 400 mm prime. I am emotionally very attached to it. Let me see how much I use it. If I find it is not finding too much use then I might sell it off. It should fetch me at least 35K if I sold it now. I will possibly get it cleaned once. It's been ten years since I bought it or perhaps more. I have never touched it for cleaning so far.