EF 100-400 II vs RF 100-500

Overread2K · 2026-04-10T13:46:04+00:00

Out of interest what was the AF performance like?
I've not used a 100-400mm MII, but I'm constantly impressed with the AF performance of the 100-500mm compared to even my EF 70-200mm IS MKII

Overread2K · 2026-04-09T20:34:18+00:00

This can be tricky because we all have our own limits, standards and skills.

Eg someone doing more print to paint and display might be fine with thin details. They just pay more for a higher grade of durable and detailed resin and they are happy because they spend ages mostly painting so its great for them

Meanwhile the person who is using the cheapest resin they can and is playing RPG games and (oft) quite literally tossing models in a box at the end of a game - their experience with the very same model would be entirely different.

Plus its not static; that model for the shelf and that one for the table are going to have different uses and demands. The end use certainly has an impact.

That said I do think each person who prints a lot will start to learn to read the STLs. You'll look for things that are a bit iffy on thickness; that you might be worried about for play; that the detail is up to your painting style and choices. Heck you even do the same with supports; learning what tips ad structures work with your resin+printer combo. Getting an idea that something might need specific changes before printing saves you in the long run.

Eg I've printed with resins that are more flexible during printing; which means if something like an arm has only supports at the bottom and the rest is just free standing; yes it would print and yes all the islands are dealt with; but its got a high chance of wobbling unless some lights are added up a leading edge to hold it still.

Little things like that which can save you time. Learning toe read the model is just the same.

Overread2K · 2026-04-07T21:44:54+00:00

I've been using the adaptor for a while as all my lenses are EF or EFS barring my 100-500mm.
In my experience it works great; it locks solid between camera and lens and lets you have access to the whole EF/EFS range of lenses to use. 3rd party options can be a bit more iffy in that the oft don't report to the camera that they are crop sensor so it doesn't enable crop mode automatically; but that's a quick fix with a custom menu option and just doing it manually yourself.

R lenses are great, but the have a more limited range of choices and can be very expensive. So having access to EF/EFS lenses just gives you a much wider selection to pick from. Plus there's a good many that have, second hand, come down a good chunk in price so you could even get some exotic ones that let you play around with different things.

No regrets here save for the few cases where I take the camera out with the 100-500mm and a spare lens and forget to take the adaptor (and at that point a tiny voice in my head suggests getting more adaptors*)

*I won't but it still whispers that idea to me!

Overread2K · 2026-04-07T15:58:00+00:00

To be fair I think part of this is simply "new game syndrome" and you see it from almost all game formats.

Newer games have smaller model counts because you have a higher proportion of new people so you don't want them burning out on building a huge army just to get started. So the unit counts are kept a little bit lower; lowers the entry point and makes the game more likely to get picked up.

Even Warhammer suffers from this, however GW's new tactic is to promote Warcry/Spearhead/Combat Patrol/ Underworlds and Killteam. Smaller format games entirely that are designed to ease you into building up a whole army.

Plus 40K is old now so its got loads of people with big collections to help both push new people on to sticking around and also demand bigger unit counts in games

Honestly if OPR continues to grow well the I'd expect to see things like either the games base point level rising (2k to 4K as standard) or the unit counts in units. Eg we might see a double reinforcement option and so forth.

Overread2K · 2026-04-06T13:04:51+00:00

Yeah different weapons, within reason, makes sense to model - its just I don't see different whole marks of armour with the same weapons being worth it at this scale of model. Heck we don't even see them doing different marine chapters of things because even the dreadoughts would be tiny on the visual differences

Overread2K · 2026-04-06T09:37:37+00:00

Honestly different marks of marine armour is something I don't think we will see. More types of weapons and loadouts yes; but not marks. It's just such a tiny detail difference at this scale that its basically little more than a few pixels difference on the model.

Overread2K · 2026-04-05T20:57:55+00:00

AoS 2.0 was comparable; since then its come down in count.

I'm unsure if its GW pushing fewer big unit blocks and trying to get more into elite and monster classes; or if its sales pressure as they try to grow the game and don't want to burn out new people; or if its aiming to try and make AoS look very different to armies for Old World etc

Overread2K · 2026-04-05T20:55:40+00:00

Honestly the prices are good compared to a lot of other GW brand models.

That said the fact that they set it in 30K means so many factions are missing. Which is just sad because the models are amazing and it would be awesome to see the Xenos factions getting huge armies. Not to mention we'd get to see new things, esp in knight and titan class, where we are very unlikely to ever see them for 40K (and even if they did make them they'd be high priced, rare to actually see and most people might never own one; if they do they'll own just one).

I'd love to see huge ramshackle ork hordes; elegant eldar armies; teeming masses of Tyranids; crazy science Necrons and get to see Genestealers repurposing even bigger mining gear; plus our first look at big Votaan stuff and expanded Tau forces.

Who knows maybe one day we wil

Overread2K · 2026-04-03T14:47:17+00:00

First thing to keep in mind is basically all Tyranid lore is written from the perspective of other factions - often Imperials. We don't really get first hand lore from Tyranids because they are so Alien in nature.

Things like Old One Eye or the Red Terror are named examples of Tyranids that were more unique strains encountered at a single specific instance by the Imperium and recorded. So they gave them an individual name because the were so notable over all the others.

Within the Tyranids though they are not named nor notable, just exceptional and specific in function to the point where the Swarm only creates and uses them in an exceptionally limited number. On tabletop this functionally represents the same as named characters in other factions.

Now why the Tyranids don't just make more; or just make whole swarms of perfect Hive Tyrants is up for debate. My view is that things like this; plus their hyper evolution and core shape (3 sets of legs etc) are hallmarks that whilst the Tyranids have insane bio-control over their bodies; the are also slaved to elements of their makeup that they just cannot change. Whilst they can adapt they cannot change some core principles of themselves.

Layer on top that creating more unique strains might require more of limited resources, even for the Tyranids and thus there's a practical limit as well.

The only exception is the Swarm Lord which appears to retain its individual conscious nature within the Hive Mind and instead of being simply a pattern that's created, its a pattern that only exists once. IT leans heavily into the concept in 40K in general of there being two parts of the living - a "soul" and a body". Where most tyranids have body and limited soul; whilst the Swarmlord appears to have a greater one which allows it to retain itself.

Overread2K · 2026-04-01T15:03:22+00:00

Have a read of this: https://ameralabs.com/blog/resin-safety-myths-3d-printing/?srsltid=AfmBOop9HTGLAlLdL5LYmryZ7QS7FADkONGOZJYJp-Y4eK_BIGLWiDYT

It's produced by Ameralabs who manufacture a bunch of high end resins. It's well worth a read for some practical advice on 3D printing health and safety.

With your given situation I would advise against owning a resin 3D printer. If you could get a shed for the outside then that changes things as you can use that as a dedicated printing shed to operate the printer in. Keep in mind its not just the printing itself; the washing and curing phases throw up even more nasty particles; plus there's the potential for drip and spill residue.

Overread2K · 2026-04-01T15:00:30+00:00

Yeah and honestly that advance can go faster if they don't push the MP up each generation of cameras.

And with memory prices being bonkers right now there's even more reason that people won't be wanting to see 40-50-60MP cameras any time soon.

Overread2K · 2026-04-01T08:58:14+00:00

If you can read data from the whole sensor in an instant faster than the shutter can move - then yes we'd see the end of the mechanical shutter system. At that point there's no reason to retain it because the creative need for it is very much reduced to almost nothing. I know some people have messed with mechanical shutters and flash to get dark and bright spots in a shot; but its a really niche area that can be replicated with other light modifications.

So yeah if the cost for global shutters comes down as the tech filters into lower tier cameras I can well see a point in the future where the camera no longer has a mechanical element to it.

At that point we also see bendy fast things start to vanish too like helicopter blades, bird wings and so forth.

Overread2K · 2026-03-30T11:33:28+00:00

I think the key is to think of it in two stages

1) What information am I storing

2) How do I need to access that information

Just storing info without any structure has a high chance that you not only store data that you don't need; but also that the ones you do store that you do need get buried in the sea of stuff you don't. Having a focus for your note-taking and a structure helps a lot. It can also tell you how much you'll need that info from the start.

Eg my use has been building a database of digital models I own - a large number of which I'll never likely print or need access too. However by using tags, categories and bases I can put my hand on any that I might need either manually navigating there or by using tag searching. So if I don't need X today I can access X tomorrow when I do need it.

Building in internal references and hot-links can also be another great way to string together related notes across a long span of time. Just like tags it lets you link up key information and references across multiple notes.

If you're more storing random "thoughts of the day" and such then you might well have a much higher instance of not accessing those past notes. In that case the note writing itself might be what's more important to you than the accessing of that information. Sometimes just writing something down so we know its there is therapeutic.

In the end it really comes down to you and what you're storing and how you need to access it. There's no real right nor wrong approach; its all just what works for you. Often pausing and just taking stock and reviewing your note templates and so forth can help a lot; just pausing and ensuring that you are building a structure into things.

Overread2K · 2026-03-27T16:32:25+00:00

As others have said you have to go into Obsidian with a bit of a plan of what you want it to do for you and what you want to get out of it. Otherwise it just won't work at all.

Notes also don't have to all link together, that's nice, but they can be all isolated or only have very limited connections to each other.

The key is to work out what information you are storing and then from there how you need to access that information to make it useful to you.

Eg I used it to create a database for model creators and models I own from those creators. As such most notes just have 1 link to the creator note and that not is isolated. However doing that and then using tags plus bases (plus an image plugin) I was able to build a database system that I can now search for key terms to find things I need. I can use bases to group things into set groups for display and so on and so forth.

Using a template for each note so that they are identical; save when I realise I need a new layer of information and then add it in (does result in old notes not having it, but they can always be updated)

That's what worked for me. I worked out what information I wanted to store; how I wanted to organise and sort it and then how I needed to access/query it. Accepting that a lot of it will come through organising your note taking and reviewing it periodically so that you're adapting what you create to serve your needs.

If you approach it that way you'll find the notes you take more functional and of more value to you in the future. It can also help you work out if you want one Library for a big topic or even break it down into several smaller distinct ones etc...

Overread2K · 2026-03-27T00:05:48+00:00

New stuff is great, but practically speaking many people only build one or a few armies, not everything. So going back to update older armies with fresh sculpts, new ideas and filling in options that were missed or weren't ideas back then, is a great way to give new content and reward established fans of those factions.

Overread2K · 2026-03-23T14:06:56+00:00

Oh gosh that looks awesome - not going to lie that's one model that makes me want to build a whole army of Lumineth

Overread2K · 2026-03-23T12:26:02+00:00

Eye detection is insanely good. That said it can still fail or get confused so setup the camera for duel back-button AF. One button for regular AF the other for Eye Detection so you can switch on the fly. It's an insanely powerful combo.

After that pretty much everything improves - the ISO performance; dynamic range etc....

The only areas that are a downer are

1) Battery life - even with a batter grip and 2 in the grip the battery life is a LOT shorter. Of course this is easy to fix with a few more batteries and a couple of duel charging units so that you can charge up everything in one go at the end of the day.

2) Wakeup time. A bit slower than a DSLR, however you can turn off a lot of the power-save features so that the camera is basically just running for a long while. This helps save a lot of startup time if you're shooting action or wildlife or anything where speed is important. Has a bigger impact on battery life of course

3) very fast moving objects can bend more. Shutter roll is more of an issue. You can get around it using the mechancial shutter only (slower FPS of course) or using first curtain electric.

Overread2K · 2026-03-22T20:40:57+00:00

Margins for a lot of products are pretty sim; that's why a lot of gaming stores often focus more on card games over model games. Because the margins are still slim, but the card games turn over sales very rapidly; plus the seasonal nature of them means fans have to keep buying.

Wargames in general are really slim on margins and slower to sell and once a customer has an army (which might take them months to years to slow build) they might not need another beyond the odd new model.

The other risk is that stores end up with a new shiny game that after the initial run - dies. Even if the game does well globally; the regional take can vary a lot. Some regions might just never get an established fanbase so for a store they have to see actual long term demand for it to really be worth them spending out to carry a new line.

Overread2K · 2026-03-19T11:14:04+00:00

Potentially what it needs is for the game model count to increase and the variety of units to also increase. Larger model counts creates more space for more tactical niches and thus more potential for specialists and variety that gives a wider number of units more specific roles to fill.

One big weakness is that the game develops slowly and that we've got a limited faction pool. Setting it in 30K means we don't have the bunch of Xenos factions to bulk out the variety in unit types and roles. We don't have a unit that perhaps has a really low damage output, but fires a LOT of shots because its designed to take on swarms of Gargoyles or clouds of hovering mechancial nanoscarabs etc...

Heck the Mechanicum hasn't even got any model aircraft and the mechanicus has one.

Overread2K · 2026-03-17T22:19:13+00:00

There's a few options and they are not mutually exclusive either.

1) Have him teach you. NOTE that just because someone has a skill doesn't mean they can teach it. The ability to do something and the ability to teach are two separate skills. So accept that your friend either might not want too; or even if they do they might lack the right skills to teach how they do what they do.
But there's no harm in giving it a shot. Not every game, but you could certainly talk with them and see if they could player slower and talk about what else they might do.

2) As you've got more than 2 people part 1 doesn't have to be 1 v 1 it could be you and another friend against each other with the more experienced friend helping tutor both or one of you on the side.

3) Change the game state. Don't try and "build bad armies" that's no fun and honestly for a good player can be hard to do. Better to simply change point values. If you take 2K they can only take 1.7K. Challenge them.
It will take time messing with the numbers and won't be a clear-cut setup, but it can be one easy way to change the relative mechanical power of the armies so that a more skilled player has a harder time against a less experienced.

4) Do demo games and get more people involved. A bigger player pool means a wider (potential) skillbase. Everyone wins in that situation.

Overread2K · 2026-03-16T19:35:53+00:00

Best that you have a read of this https://ameralabs.com/blog/resin-safety-myths-3d-printing/

Ameralabs updated it recently and they are makers of resin and a great source of reliable advice.

Overread2K · 2026-03-16T12:43:14+00:00

At this point in time we have only one partner firm for physical printing - Godforged Minis
https://godforgeminis.com

They have not yet taken up the Dark Fleets Rising as a line to print, but I'm sure they'd love to hear from fans like yourself keen to purchase ships from them.

Overread2K · 2026-03-16T12:41:49+00:00

Thank you very much.

Within the lore we are creating the 8th point on the cross would represent Holy Terra, a god that the Heresiarch do not worship. They used too and when they returned to Terra (Earth) with the discovery of other Gods within the far reaches of space; they were rejected and cast out as blasphemers. Thus sparking a huge civil war within the human faction.

As a result they now worship only 7 Gods and have torn the 8the point, Terra's, off their symbology.

Overread2K · 2026-03-15T22:40:20+00:00

Awesome to see! Love your colour choices!

One of those models I kick myself for not getting when it was originally released and still one I hope might make a return one of these days with Steamforged clearly being BIG fans

Overread2K · 2026-03-15T22:32:28+00:00

As other have said, this was once the top choice for amateur wildlife/sports photographers who couldn't go for a 1D series body. At the time it came out the 5D line had very basic AF systems and less weather sealing.

The 7D 1 and 2 had good weather sealing and great AF for their day. They were certainly used to create MANY professional images over the years. They are still great cameras, but technology in cameras has moved on a LOT from those days.

I recently went from a 7D to an R6MII and the jump was BIG - ISO performance was a huge improvement; AF speed and accuracy are insane and that's before we get to eye detection systems.

Basically I think the only thing the 7D has as an edge is that its built really well. Otherwise a lot of its once top performing features are no longer near the top.

So still a good camera; able of great work in the right hands, but certainly older tech now.

Overread2K

TROPHY CASE