I don't typically shoot a lot of wildlife but I've had a couple of projects lately where I have to do just that. I've found that my 70-200 F4L IS with a 1.4 telextender is both very versatile and very sharp and I'm delighted with the images I've gotten with that combination. The issue: a typical one when you're shooting wildlife, reach. So, I've been looking at a couple of alternatives:

1. at the top of my list is the Canon 100-400 F4-5.6L IS. It's versatile, works great in bright sunlight and can double as a long lens for dog or horse sports outside. While it's pretty slow, it has IS.

2. the 300mm F4L IS and/or the 400mm F5.6L. Both are primes so they should be a bit sharper than the zoom. The 300 has IS and even with a 1.4 TX, it will autofocus on my 7D. The 400 won't.

So, for those of you with experience with these lenses I'd appreciate some feedback. IQ is important but at what I'd call "magazine" sizes. I don't expect to be making huge prints. Portability is also important but I won't be hiking into the mountains (at least not for my current projects). Hand-holdability is very important. I generally won't be hauling a tripod along with me (maybe a monopod). Most shooting will be in bright daylight.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Jim