Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM

[FEBS]

Mack...you wrote "My keeper rate was pretty low with this type of shot"

Like you, my keeper rate with 1dx and 300 2.8 at 2.8 has always been fairly low with this type of shot. (subject coming straight towards me)

I almost always use AF case 1 with 4 surrounding points.

Does anybody have a high keeper rate with this type of shot when shooting at tele range like this and 2.8? Or is it just something you learn to live with?

I don't know what your keeper rate is but I can honestly tell you that my keeper rate is not that low. There are not so many photos I have to reject for this reason. My keeper rate is for sure more then 90%. However I did find out that AF mode 4 is mostly giving me a higher keeper rate then mode 1. This is certainly the case with jumping. I mostly use 1 central point AF with 4 point expansion, the less the faster. Also the central point is always a cross-type AF point. I can't tell you right now if the keeper rate on the 1Dx is better then the 5D3 (I know it should be), but I only have the 1 Dx about 2 months and didn't have the time to make a good comparison, but for sure the AF of the 1Dx behaves almost the same as the 5D3 with the exception of color recognition which is a surplus.

http://francoisloyens.smugmug.com/Sport/Paarden/Cross-Overpelt-2014

Look for the photo here below (FL-20140330-_5D35972-) on page 2, right after that you can find a range of 18 photos and they were all in focus.

Remark: I just did see that these photos are made with f4.5. That day I really needed to go to mostly f4.5 as otherwise the photo was overexposed. I did see that I also could have increased the shutter speed to 1/4000 instead of 1/1000 to get more or less the same result. My experience with in focus of the 300mm is very good. But it took some time. Yes you MUST afma your lens on your body, and also the combinations of the extenders, to use it on 2.8. I tried several things, but at the end I was only satisfied with the result of Focal software. I like that software very much as it is based on statistics as every movement of the AF system is different due to tolerances

 

[mackguyver]

FEBS, that matches my experience and so far, the only thing I've noticed between the 5DIII and 1D X in terms of AF is the faster acquisition related to the higher voltage battery in the 1D X. Even that isn't huge, but it is noticeable. The AF in low light might be a hair better, too, but that's a subjective observation, mainly with the 85 f/1.2 II.

In terms of AF tracking, I haven't noticed any difference at all, though I haven't challenged it a whole lot, yet. AFMA is definitely critical. When I first got my 300, I took it out for a spin with the lens calibrated, but extenders not. The 1.4x was a bit off, but the 2x back focused a lot. After calibration, the results are excellent, and with the Mk III extenders and Mk II big whites, the AFMA is used for AI Servo as well.

 

[Menace]

It's been a while since anyone's posted to this thread, so here are a couple of recent shots:

Who say's it's not a landscape lens? The humidity dulled these a bit, but they still came out well:

Or macro lens (sorry if this a repost):

Also, you need to have f/2.8 for this kind of shot - along with a lot of patience to get all three to look at me at the same time:

Lovely series - well done

 

[mackguyver]

^^^Thanks, Menace!

Here are some more recent shots from Gatorland in Orlando, FL, USA, which is part zoo, part wild bird rookery:

Great-blue heron and fish:

Black-crowned night heron - shot overhead to clear foliage - used LiveView to focus. PITA to get, but I'm pretty happy with the shot:

Snowy egret:

American flamingo:

Sulphur-crested cockatoo (captive):

Red-and-green macaw (captive):

 

[FEBS]

Very beautiful shots MacGuyver.

I see you are a real bird-shooter

 

[mackguyver]

Very beautiful shots MacGuyver.

I see you are a real bird-shooter

Thanks, FEBS! Yes, I shoot them when I can! I take landscapes, too, when they present themselves - here's a recent one (excuse the sensor dust - need to clean this one up!):

 

[FEBS]

Nice colors. You were spot on time.

 

[mackguyver]

Nice colors. You were spot on time.

Thanks, FEBS. I find it much easier to get up for blue hour this time of year...and sometimes it pays off with some nice colors in the sky.

 

[Click]

I really like your bird pictures Macguyver. 8)

 

[mackguyver]

I really like your bird pictures Macguyver. 8)

Thanks, Click!

 

[DominoDude]

Nice colors. You were spot on time.

Thanks, FEBS. I find it much easier to get up for blue hour this time of year...and sometimes it pays off with some nice colors in the sky.

First: I agree wholeheartedly on the correct timing and colours in this photo. Always inspiring to see.

Secondly: "Blue hour"? Is there any hour at this time of the year that isn't blue?? At best they seem to be grey... It's almost like if I take too long eating breakfast in the morning, I might miss the evenings sunset.
But 10 more days, then it will sloooowly become better again. Til' then we'll have to watch superb shots from those of you that make it out to spot any rays of the sun.

 

[mackguyver]

Nice colors. You were spot on time.

Thanks, FEBS. I find it much easier to get up for blue hour this time of year...and sometimes it pays off with some nice colors in the sky.

First: I agree wholeheartedly on the correct timing and colours in this photo. Always inspiring to see.

Secondly: "Blue hour"? Is there any hour at this time of the year that isn't blue?? At best they seem to be grey... It's almost like if I take too long eating breakfast in the morning, I might miss the evenings sunset.
But 10 more days, then it will sloooowly become better again. Til' then we'll have to watch superb shots from those of you that make it out to spot any rays of the sun.

Too funny and nearly true! I'm relatively near the equator so the day length doesn't change a whole lot, but throw in Daylight Savings and I get all messed up! It also seems like good light lasts about 30 minutes this time of year...

 

[Nelu]

To my surprise my 7D hasn`t stopped working after 7D Mark II came out so here they`re, a few shots taken today.
Unfortunately I was too close to the Blue Jay and I didn`t have time to compose properly, being taken by surprise. This is why I cut its tail, the photo is not cropped at all

Thanks,

Nelu

 

[candyman]

To my surprise my 7D hasn`t stopped working after 7D Mark II came out so here they`re, a few shots taken today.
Unfortunately I was too close to the Blue Jay and I didn`t have time to compose properly, being taken by surprise. This is why I cut its tail, the photo is not cropped at all

Thanks,

Nelu

Very nice series of photos Nelu.

 

[applecider]

Dang nice images here, as I guess one should expect from this lens.

Look it's a macro too!

With 1.4 extender.

 

[applecider]

And a damselfly

 

[candyman]

And a damselfly

Really cool photo!

 

[Jack Douglas]

Yes, a versatile lens that works for flower shots with great bokeh, not unlike its use as an almost macro. This one 300 X2

Jack

 

[Kerry B]

Haven't posted in a little while. We all know this lens is razor sharp, so added a Canon Mk 111 2 x extender on a common squirrel that visits our garden. The performance is truly exceptional and must be the best value prime 600mm set up you can get.

 

[OlAf]

561A1621 by -OlAf-, on Flickr