Canon 300mm f2.8 IS II

[Dylan777]

He must be joking, my arm is still aching since I tried to lift the Sigma, and by all accounts its IQ suffers with extenders. I have taken 1000s of bird photos at 600mm with the 300 II + 2xTC III. But, here is my grandson playing cricket taken with the 300mm II +1.4xTC III on the 5DIII (100% crop). I cannot think of a greater pleasure than the 300mm III, a grandson and cricket.

It looks like my 135L at f2.2

My American express card is burning last couple years with Canon L lenses and 5D III bodies.

Perfect - I have a British Airways American Express card, and the Avios (mileage) points for all the purchases paid for flights for my wife to South Africa and Brazil for wild-life/bird photography. Happy you, happy wife, more glass!

Alan,
Slightly diff. at my house: happy wife, happy me, more glass

[AlanF]

All of us 300mm f/2.8 II with 1.4 and 2xTC III users are in complete agreement: from native 300 to doubled at 600, we are really delighted. So, Dylan, get out your Amex card and don't hesitate.

[lenstrack26]

I rented a  300 f2.8 series I and have to agree that it is good with a 1.4x, but falls down with the 2x. However, the price of the series II is a bit daunting. So, I have to ask whether anyone has tried the 300 f4.0? It is 1/5th the price and half the weight.  Appears to be an older lens, but maybe it still provides good IQ?  Will it handle the 1.4 and 2x?  Thanks!

[TexPhoto]

I rented a  300 f2.8 series I and have to agree that it is good with a 1.4x, but falls down with the 2x. However, the price of the series II is a bit daunting. So, I have to ask whether anyone has tried the 300 f4.0? It is 1/5th the price and half the weight.  Appears to be an older lens, but maybe it still provides good IQ?  Will it handle the 1.4 and 2x?  Thanks!

I have the 300 f4 IS, and it is a wonderful lens. It works well with the 1.4X.  I also own a 400mm f2.8 IS and I think the 300 f4's image quality is equal.  The wonderful thing about the f4 (aside from cost) is size and weight.  This is a lens that weights noticeably less than a 70-200 f2.8.   So it is something you can actually put in a  camera bag and take with you, not something that needs its own bag and prior planning.

With any of these lenses you can find a flikr group just for shots with that lens.  I even have a group just for 420mm shots. http://www.flickr.com/photos/12047900@N06/10369745766/#
These groups are a great way to see what other people are doing with a lens.

[neuroanatomist]

So, I have to ask whether anyone has tried the 300 f4.0? It is 1/5th the price and half the weight.  Appears to be an older lens, but maybe it still provides good IQ?  Will it handle the 1.4 and 2x?  Thanks!

The 300/4L IS is a very good lens.  Although it's IQ can't match the 300/2.8L IS II, the same can be said of almost all other lenses!  It takes a 1.4x TC decently, although I found the 100-400L to deliver slightly better IQ at 400/5.6 than the 420/5.6 TC combo (the bare 300/4 was better, but not long enough). The 300/4 + 2x will be f/8, meaning it'll only AF on 1-series bodies and the 5DIII.  The 300/4 takes a substantial IQ hit from the 2x TC, but still produces usable images.  For any who question how usable, I ran into Lillian Stokes (coauthor of the Stokes bird guide series) on a New Hampshire mountaintop, and she told me many of the pics for the guides were shot with a 300/4L IS + 2x on a 1D-series body (APS-H), since her 500/4 was too heavy for hiking).

I had a 300/4 IS, sold it in favor of a 100-400.

[Jim Saunders]

I rented a  300 f2.8 series I and have to agree that it is good with a 1.4x, but falls down with the 2x. However, the price of the series II is a bit daunting. So, I have to ask whether anyone has tried the 300 f4.0? It is 1/5th the price and half the weight.  Appears to be an older lens, but maybe it still provides good IQ?  Will it handle the 1.4 and 2x?  Thanks!

I had one, it runs fine with a 2X III if your body will focus at f/8.  Even with the extender AF is pretty good, albeit not as quick as without it nor as quick as the f/2.8s.  The first one attached is the bare lens on my 5D2, the rest with a 2X III on a 1Dx.  All three got a little love in LR5 but no cropping.

Jim

[AlanF]

Here are lenstip's mtfs for the 300mm f/4, including 1.4xTC, the 100-400mm, and the 300mm f/2.8 II.

[johnf3f]

I have both the 300 F4 IS and the 300 F2.8 IS Mk1 (I just can't bear to sell the F4!) and they are both excellent lenses with different strengths and weaknesses.
The F4 is small, light and not too much of a burden to carry with my long lens also I love the close focusing abilities of this lens.
The F2.8 is a bit of a lump to carry along with my 800mm, won't focus very close. However it works better with extenders and is simply stunning as a bare lens.
I have attached one of the first shots I took with my 300 F2.8 Mk1 with a 2 x Mk3 extender (I was far from impressed with the 2 x Mk2!). This is a RAW file that has been converted to Jpeg and scaled for web, there is no Photoshopping/sharpening etc as I just wanted to show what one would expect from this lens + converter combination. The camera is a 1d4 and Exif should be intact.

[Dylan777]

All of us 300mm f/2.8 II with 1.4 and 2xTC III users are in complete agreement: from native 300 to doubled at 600, we are really delighted. So, Dylan, get out your Amex card and don't hesitate.

 

[mwh1964]

Have used a loaner 300 f2.8 is II for two days now. What an amazing lens even with extender. Wahoo now I certainly want one.

[eml58]

Of the Canon Whites, the 300f/2.8 L II is about as good as it gets, when I recently purchased the 200-400f/4 the lens I sold was the 400f2.8 II, I kept the 200f2, 300f2.8 II & 600f/4 II, the 300 is just a perfect Lens, I use it mostly on the 1DX but also when I want to crib on weight I put it on the 5DMK III, brilliantly fast on focus lock, sharp as a razor, gorgeously crystal clear in the viewfinder on either the 1Dx or the 5DMK III, works a treat with the 1.4x extender, Ok with 2x converter, lighter by far than the Mk 1 version.

Jump on it Dylan777, I can't imagine how you will ever be disappointed, at least until the version III becomes available, which gives you about 5 + years of complete enjoyment with a brilliant piece of gear.

[Dylan777]

Of the Canon Whites, the 300f/2.8 L II is about as good as it gets, when I recently purchased the 200-400f/4 the lens I sold was the 400f2.8 II, I kept the 200f2, 300f2.8 II & 600f/4 II, the 300 is just a perfect Lens, I use it mostly on the 1DX but also when I want to crib on weight I put it on the 5DMK III, brilliantly fast on focus lock, sharp as a razor, gorgeously crystal clear in the viewfinder on either the 1Dx or the 5DMK III, works a treat with the 1.4x extender, Ok with 2x converter, lighter by far than the Mk 1 version.

Jump on it Dylan777, I can't imagine how you will ever be disappointed, at least until the version III becomes available, which gives you about 5 + years of complete enjoyment with a brilliant piece of gear.

Thanks eml58 for feedbacks.

I'm waiting for Sony A7 +  Zeiss 55mm to arrive. I'm at the state of rebuilding mirrorless + DSLR system. I went through some photos I took last couple years, most are at 35mm - 70mm, candid style.

At this moment, I'm thinking: 85L until Zeiss releases 85mm, 135L, and 300mm. I really want to keep 70-200 because this lens is simply AWESOME, but I love bokeh of 135L.

[mackguyver]

I can't help you, either.  I've had my 300mm 2.8 IS II for about a month now and I'm in love.  It takes the extenders like they aren't even there and the IS is so damned good I have yet to use a tripod with it -- and I even found a monopod annoying!  I haven't nailed any great shots with it (yet) as my favorite haunt has been closed no thanks to the Feds, and I've had to work two of the weekends but it's only a matter of time.

I sold the lenses collecting the most dust (I don't shoot events much any more):  Sigma 12-24, Canon 35 1.4, 50 1.2, 135 2 for this bad boy and have no regrets.

The only negatives are that the polarizer (if needed) is very expensive, you probably need a new camera bag, and RRS may get another chunk of your money if you go with their foot.  Also, AMEX may chase you to upgrade from Gold to Platinum.  Oh, and don't lose the lens hood (~$400) or cap (~$125).

The only help I can provide is a sample of one of my shots taken at ISO 12,800 f/8 1/400s on my 5DIII at 600mm, which may help deter you.  Obviously the lens is only good for boring cat photos :

[Dylan777]

I can't help you, either.  I've had my 300mm 2.8 IS II for about a month now and I'm in love.  It takes the extenders like they aren't even there and the IS is so damned good I have yet to use a tripod with it -- and I even found a monopod annoying!  I haven't nailed any great shots with it (yet) as my favorite haunt has been closed no thanks to the Feds, and I've had to work two of the weekends but it's only a matter of time.

I sold the lenses collecting the most dust (I don't shoot events much any more):  Sigma 12-24, Canon 35 1.4, 50 1.2, 135 2 for this bad boy and have no regrets.

The only negatives are that the polarizer (if needed) is very expensive, you probably need a new camera bag, and RRS may get another chunk of your money if you go with their foot.  Also, AMEX may chase you to upgrade from Gold to Platinum.  Oh, and don't lose the lens hood (~$400) or cap (~$125).

The only help I can provide is a sample of one of my shots taken at ISO 12,800 f/8 1/400s on my 5DIII at 600mm, which may help deter you.  Obviously the lens is only good for boring cat photos :

Christmas is around the corner

[jasonsim]

Nice shot mackguyver!  I really do like the 300 II.