You definitely feel it by the end of the day, but it is worth it. I have to say though, after shooting with both the 200-400 and the 80-400mm, I like the 80-400 better. It's just as sharp, half the weight and a third of the price.
I got sent a cool video from Oshkosh today. I made the highlight reel! At 2:35-2:40 you can see me shooting with the 200-400. I am on the left with the big black lens (200-400) at the start, the the shot looking up is me, and the scene just after that with the guy in the blue shirt shooting upward. The video is a great overview of Oshkosh! EAA Video Player - Your Source for Aviation Videos
Yeah, it's a monster. I did hit someone in the head last year while panning a shot with the lens hood. Carbon fiber lens hoods are pretty darn tough. The lens fared fine, can't say the same about the guy's head.
Back in July, we went and hung out at a horse ranch here in Moorpark. My daughter's best friend lives there (her family owns the ranch). I hadn't been around horses much since my youth, and it was cool to be on a horse ranch again.
It was a great camera, Shinpachi. But I don't think I will ever go back to film. Here is a good example why. Here is a shot of three Zeroes together. Obviously not something you see every day! You can see as it is originally shot, which is okay, but very backlit. But what I can do with editing made a big difference. I could probably do that in a darkroom, but not nearly as quickly, nor without a lot of trial and error, that would cost me some money.