Lenses for Aviation Photography | Airshow Lenses

These are the big lenses I use for aviation photography and airshow photography. I like to reach 400mm and 600mm for aviation photography and these high quality lenses are realistic and relatively budget friendly options for aviation photos.
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[@nunopluis]

More videos like these please ! Spotting sessions vlogs would be lovely as well !

[@NikCan66]

Excellent advice

[@aspotterabroad4145]

Great video, thanks for making it. Great content overall, love your Chanel, keep It up !

[@sturousephoto]

Much appreciated! Thanks for your kind comment!

[@GeoffMoorePhotography]

Interesting video Stuart and welcome to the 300mm 2.8 X2 Teleconverter club. :) I have to echo your thoughts/findings, I too see little to no image degradation or performance impact when pairing the aformeions lens with the canon x1.4 & x2 mark3 teleconverters. I also used to have the 400mm 5.6 but my copy was for whatever reason never that stellar, but i do miss the weight advantage it brought to the kt bag. alas your video has now got me romatasicing about getting another copy.

[@richardbrown3434]

Really interesting video Stuart. Lots of good advice. I’ve only recently got into aviation photography and hopefully in the next couple of years will upgrade to some better lenses.

[@kenfrank2730]

I currently own the Canon EF 300 f2.8 IS II lens that I use with the 1.4x III. This combo gives me outstanding aviation image quality at 420mm (I was not satisfied using the 2x III) But, I have found a lens that's even better. It's the RF 100-500mm f4.5-7.1 It may be hard to believe, but in good light I can't see any IQ difference between these two lenses, even when shooting at 500mm. The 100-500 is that good! The 100-500 gives zoom function and weights only 3 lbs. The lens and R5 make a perfect air show combo. I like the 100-500 so much that I may sell my 300 f2.8 II.

[@pepper1046]

canon 200-400 f4 L 1.4ex, my holy grail. Love it. super sharp and versatile

[@sturousephoto]

Wow, great choice………but EXPENSIVE!!

[@PhotoTrekr]

When I shot Canon cameras and lenses, I loved the 400 f5.6. Great travel lens for wildlife. I also had the 300mm L kens which produced excellent photos even with the 1.4x teleconverter. But, it was very heavy and I stopped traveling with it.

[@sorggalder]

Thank you for this informative video. I've been highly considering that Canon 400mm prime lens. I currently shoot with the 100-400mm mk ii lens.

[@jackieboshoff2013]

I picked one up about 9 months ago. Stunning lens. An oldie but goodie, very underrated in my opinion. I shoot wildlife and aviation with it and love it

[@philbaker3540]

i have recently changed to a 400mm canon difracted optics and paired with canon r6 mk2 your photos are great

[@sturousephoto]

Cheers @philbaker3540, I’m curious about the 400 DO - let me know how you get on with it!

[@bbq-man3058]

Im Planespotter Based in Germany over 25Years, i use 2 Cam Setup too, Nikon 100-400mm on a z6II, and a 400mm f2.8 on the z8 wit build in TC enough for 80% of my Spotting. the new 180-600 mm is on order, i will try it. But i don´t think that is any good as my steup now, and 560 or 600mm is not matter

[@mortenthorpe]

i photograph birds and such - pretty much the same requirements- the fuji 150-600 is great for this, or the 100-400, and the 50-140 is amazing for super small depth of field, and great optics, the Fuji 200 mm f2 is really something to behold! it is, however, exceedingly expensive!

[@Terrytheartist]

I’ve really enjoyed watching some of your back catalogue of aviation videos Stuart, great footage and photos, I’m an aviation and wildlife photographer and I use the Canon r5 and r10 with the rf100-500mm and rf100-400mm lens, I also use a 1.4 tc the majority of the time which I find has very little negative impact on the image quality, if it did then it’s easily rectified in one of the many editing tools out there! Look forward to your next outing 👍📷✈️ cheers Terry

[@sturousephoto]

Hi Terry, thanks for the comments! 👍🏻 That’s a great setup you have - both cameras and lenses! Hope they serve you well! The 1.4x on a good lens won’t adversely affect the image quality. I’m blown away by the 2x on my 300 2.8! Cheers, all the best!

[@Terrytheartist]

@@sturousephoto the 300 2.8 is probably one of the best Canon have ever made, I’m pretty sure tho that they will bring out a better rf lens at some point, I’d love a 150-600 with a built in teleconverter or with an internal zoom to bring down the size and weight, at 70 the old worn out body can’t handle big! Lol! that’s why the rf100-400 with tc is an awesome lens for me 👍📷✈️🦅

[@alcosound]

As I own multiple Canon lenses, I was fed up with the heavy cropping required for my photos. The main lens is a 100-400/5.6L II with my 80D, but I was not satisfied with the reach. So, I am trying another approach: I bought a Canon R7 and the EF EOS-R adaptor, and the combination (along with the 33 Mpixels sensor) can easily focur my 400/5.6L + 1.4x extender combination (which gives a 560mm/8 lens), or the 100-400/5.6L + 1.4x combination (which gives lots of flexibility and reach). The next step may be to use concurrently my 80D and the 100-400/5.6L II and the R7 with the 400/5.6L + 1.4x during the next Athens Flying Week. And there are the newer 800/11 and 200-800/9 lenses in RF mount, which are quite tempting... Probably next year. Oh, and the autofocus of the R7 is amazing for bird photography (it actually focus on their eyes). Had to wait a month until I found an EF EOS-R adaptor, though...

[@pauljohnson2461]

Another good video. I also use a 7D Mk II, I have a 7D mkI spare body, both come with 1.6x built in extenders. Lens wise I used to have a Sigma 150-600 Sport but was very disappointed with performance at the top end. So last year I chopped it in, for a second hand Canon ef 100-400 f4.5-5.6 Mki IS USM - with the 7D crop sensor gives me a 160-640 lens. Following your set up suggestions for 7D mKii, I would say my keep rate has increased, but not as much as I had hoped, especially after last weekend outing to RIAT 23. I haven't got too many due to rain and poor light. I have been thinking of trying an upgrade to an ef 100-400 Mkii. So what really interests me about your Vlog is the suggested sweet spots at 400 mm and 600mm. I have pretty much used the top end of the lens 400 (1.6 =640) , so to improve f stops and potentially sharpness, should I instead perhaps be using 375mm (x1.6 = 600) and 250mm (x1.6 = 400). I would also be interested in your view of whether to save up for a 100-400 mkII, or perhaps going down the f.2.8 70-200 mk II and x2 extender route, although am attracted to low light possibilities with f2.8 lens. I shoot mainly aviation and wildlife (birds of prey), although should do more landscapes Paul

[@sturousephoto]

Thanks @pauljohnson2461, I used to have the original 100-400 Canon lens and it was superb! RIAT was a bit challenging this year, wasn’t it!? What with rain and grey skies it’s a challenge to get some truly great shots that are up there with best from other blue-sky and sunshine equipped air shows. I find that big lenses like this tend to give better results in brighter contrasty lighting. The sweet spots I suggested are 400 and 600 and I use them on both full frame and crop, but mostly on my 1.6x 7DMkII cropped sensor body. I think the closer shots at RIAT only really needed 400mm on a crop body but as soon as the aircraft turn away or climb, 600mm becomes more beneficial. So on my 7D I’m shooting at up to 960mm with the 1.6 crop factor. Personally, I’d just shoot at whatever you feel comfortable with and whatever suits your aviation photography purposes. I find I need 400 and 600 on my crop body for most of the shots I take. In answer to your last question, I’d go for the setup you’ll be using the most. If you’re more likely to benefit from a 2.8 for wildlife, then I’d go for the 70-200, but if you’ll mostly use it for aviation the the 100-400 wins. 2.8 doesn’t matter for landscapes because you’ll probably be f/8 or more so that’s kind of irrelevant. Part of me thinks that the 100-400 is a do-it-all lens, but if you kept your existing 100-400 and add a 70-200 and a 2x extender then you’ve got enormous versatility for multiple genres and lighting conditions! Cheers!

[@michaelatherton6055]

I have all of that gear except the 400 5.6 (I have the EF 100-400 MII L). My experience matches yours. Ironically I am a pilot but have little interest in shooting aviation subjects…I’ll enjoy the shots from those of you who have perfected your technique. I shoot sports and in the summer wildlife. The 300 2.8 IS L is truly astounding and I had heard that for a time it was used internally at Canon as the “reference” lens. One consideration for the 400 5.6.: I shoot an R6 and R7 and on those bodies it gets IS because of the IBIS.

[@sturousephoto]

That’s great to hear good things about the 300 2.8! Very good point about putting a non-IS lens on a new EOS-R body with IBIS, could be useful one day!

[@alcosound]

@@sturousephoto it actually works, and makes the 400/5.6L quite useful on my R7, even with the 1.4x II extender

[@paulradford6902]

Hi Stuart, just found your channel as I have a 7d mark ii coming tomorrow. I already have a 70-200 F4 L non IS. Would I lose anything by pairing a 2x extender with it?

[@AJAviation.Wildlife]

Hi, I’m new to aviation photography I’ve purchased a canon 80d and want a lens for sharpe images. I’ve been looking at either the sigma 150-600 or the canon 400mm lens in this video. Two big things I have seen the canon doesn’t have IS. Is this a big issue? And the sigma is soft past 500-600, and also it struggles with focus. I will be buying the lens second hand so I want something reliable that has lens chance of needing fixing! Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[@peterfox2538]

Maybe you can tell me the Camera settings for aircraft photography I use a canon r7 and my pictures are always blurred please I've been taking pictures of aircraft for years but since I've gone mirrorless I just can not get them right.

[@ste3627]

I have just brought the 400 usm canon lens I was wondering if I will get the reach has I am not going into riat any replies would be appreciated thanks

[@mtippett80]

great video!!! am just starting out and have a Canon 75-300mm ... should I bother with a 2x extender or just stick with the 300mm?

[@sturousephoto]

Personally, I think if you’re just starting out I’d stick to the 75-300. When you feel like you need a longer focal length or better quality, that’s the time to upgrade. Use the 75-300 to practice your technique before investing any further. That’s what I’d suggest, for what it’s worth. Good luck, enjoy!

[@mtippett80]

@@sturousephoto thanks for the advice!!

[@kenwiberg6517]

Regardless of the lenses, can you send me a bucket of airshows to Vancouver Island ?.....I'd love a chance to get some aviation shots with my OM-1 with 150-400 f/4.5

[@MichaelEpprecht]

I use the new RF 100-300mm F2.8 L IS USM with a 1.4x or 2x extender on an R3 and on my R5 a RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM at airshows and airports

[@jasonsharbonno7874]

I am researching this exact combo. Shot 70-200 2.8 III, 100-400 mk1 and mk2. Do you have a link to any of your sample images with the 100-300 with 2x for airshows?

[@BikingWithCraig]

Be interested in hearing your thoughts on the 2 big primes 10 months down the line. Got a few air shows lined up this year and need to invest in a decent lens

[@sturousephoto]

Thanks Craig, good question! You know, I stand by my decision with those two lenses and I’m still very happy with them. The 400 blows me away every single time I use it, it really is an exceptional lens if you think you can live without image stabilisation, but problem solved if you have mirrorless IBIS! Equally the 300 is just as exceptional. Even with a 2x extender the 300 produces amazing results in most conditions, but even more so with great light. If sharpness and clarity are what you are after then I still wholeheartedly recommend these lenses over a superzoom, even more so after 10 months! But like I said on my other video, the 400 prime is a bargain!

[@sturousephoto]

Amazing Telephoto Lens for Airshow Photography | Aviation Photography for Beginners kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGfbZH2ZirCMhtU

[@BikingWithCraig]

@@sturousephoto thanks for the response! I have a 70-200 mk2 also, and like the look of the 400 mm, but feel it’s still a bit short on a full frame body. Might look deeper at the 300 + 2x extender, but also tempted by the RF200-800mm. Just a lot of extra money to spend on a hobby 😅

[@destinyangel5]

Another cost effective way to get extra reach is using a high FF 45 mp say Nikon D850 Z8 Z9 or a FF Canon R5 or the FF Sony 61 MP and using it DX mode still give you 20mp plus raw files plenty for blowing up , this then times your focal length by 1.5, while retaining the fast F stop 2.8 instead of using telly converters where you give up F stops then this usually increases ISO or slower the shutter range or both causing more grain less sharp . So EG your super sharp 300mm f 2.8 becomes 450mm F 2.8 in DX. This is why the super zooms no good and struggle in tricky light they force the camera to increase iso and compromises sharpness its a false economy.

[@alcosound]

why not use an APS-C body if you want more reach? My R7 APS-C sensor gives 33 Mpixels for generous cropping

[@msmith2016]

We need to get you in the RF world brother. Your worries about stupidly high ISOs and apertures will go away.

[@sturousephoto]

The time will come…..one day!

[@sexysilversurfer]

How much money are you donating? 😂

[@aspotterabroad4145]

couldn’t agree more. I replaced my 7D and 7DII with an R5 and R7 and never looked back !

[@anthonyhershko]

I got the R5 along with Sigma 150-600 mm. Recently, after updating to the latest Canon R5 firmware (2.0), all of my pictures come blurry . I wonder, should I change something in the settings? Can you do a video about what's the best settings for aviation photography? Like, what's the best case? Case 1 or 2? Should I change something? Should I some Customize buttons or so? I've shared the whole KZbin, and there's nothing. I'm simply hopeless... Thanks

[@sturousephoto]

I can’t speak for the R5 I’m afraid, however, my video on the 7D MkII should certainly help you out. A lot of the settings will apply to any camera for aviation photography. Take a look here: Canon EOS 7D Mark II Settings for Aviation Photography including Menu System in Detail kzbin.info/www/bejne/rnemlXeMrKyaotE

[@anthonyhershko]

I'll give it a try. Thank you so much!

[@dengladesmiley5467]

What do you Think of the Canon ef 70-300mm f4-5.6l is usm? And would you go with the Sigma 150-600C or the Canon 400mm f5.6l usm? (I think thats the names of all the lenses ahaha)

[@jackieboshoff2013]

I shoot both wildlife and aviation with the 400mm f5.6L on my R7 and the 70-300mm f4-5.6L on my 5dmarkiii. Those combo's have worked well for me

[@dengladesmiley5467]

@@jackieboshoff2013 Thanks!!

[@m1gs363]

what about nikon

[@user-gf1ld1sg5s]

Hello everyone, at the moment I use the Panasonic Lumix DC FZ-82 but I would like to buy a camera for airshows and it should cost under 1300€ including a lens. I hope someone can help me Greetings Mile

[@wormwood6424]

Can these lenses take photos of high altitude planes leaving those white trails?

[@sturousephoto]

Yes sure. However, you’ll probably get noticeable atmospheric haze at that distance and altitude so you may find the quality disappointing. Maybe.

[@Patto2276]

Meh