There is really no "right" answer. I have the 600 and I love the focal
length, when you use a digital body the reach is fantastic(I shoot mainly
birds).
BUT, the weight and size are a real pain, as mentioned by Bill Hilton the
problem of getting one on a plane is a real problem............I still have
no solution that I am happy with.
The camera bag you need to carry it on board is simply too big to pass as a
carry on, so I resorted to a separate padded bag to carry the 600 on board,
and the rest of my stuff in a separate smaller camera bag. If you planned on
doing a significant amount of air travel, then go with the 500 for sure.


wrote in message
...
I have a question for those of you that are very serious about
wildlife photography.

I currently own all Canon equipment and have recently started making
the move toward digital. My longest lens is the Canon 100-400 IS USM.
I am looking at purchasing a longer lens and am torn between the Canon
500mm f/4.0L IS USM and the Canon 600mm f/4,0L IS USM lenses. The cost
difference between the lenses on B&H's website is about $1,700.00.

I enjoy shooting wildlife photographs of small and large mammals as
well as birds. Can someone please make a recommendation on which lens
would be better for the type of photographs I would like to take?

The weight of the lens is not an issue for me as I rarely hike or
backpack to remote locations when photographing wildlife. I'm just not
sure which lens would be the best choice for wildlife photography and
would like some recommendations before spending such a large sum of
money on a lens.

Thank you,
Chuck