Canon 300mm f/4 L IS vs 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS (I need your help!)

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Canon 300mm f/4 L IS vs 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS (I need you...

Lars Johnsson
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p.2 #1 · Canon 300mm f/4 L IS vs 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS (I need your help!)

ShaneB77 wrote:
Imagemaster wrote:
Go for the versatility of the 70-300. It performs very well with a 1.4x TC:

F/8 makes me very nervous. Anything beyond broad daylight, and you're toast.

If you are toast at f/8 and a 4 stop IS lens. Then you probably are toast with the f/5,6 lens and less good IS also.
And that's why we have tripods and monopods

Dec 27, 2012 at 05:17 AM

WestFalcon
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p.2 #2 · Canon 300mm f/4 L IS vs 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS (I need your help!)

If Imagemaster recommends something, I would buy it.....His pictures are among the best I have seen in over 40 years of photography...Do a search on him and see for yourself.

Dec 27, 2012 at 03:40 PM

JohnJ80
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p.2 #3 · Canon 300mm f/4 L IS vs 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS (I need your help!)

Pixel Perfect wrote:
JohnJ80 wrote:

I believe the 100-400 is being redesigned, is it not? I'd wait for that.

Yes I've heard it will be the new kit lens for the EOS 3D being released on April's 1st

f/8 for AF? Iffy on many cameras AND light needs to be perfect (bright).

J.

Hmm, I was using my 100-400L + 1.4 at dusk regularly last week and lens had no issues focusing on my 1D IV.

"most cameras" - your Mk4 and my Mk3 have the ability to AF at f/8. Many/Most do not.

J.

Dec 27, 2012 at 10:21 PM

Imagemaster
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p.2 #4 · Canon 300mm f/4 L IS vs 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS (I need your help!)

JohnJ80 wrote:
"most cameras" - your Mk4 and my Mk3 have the ability to AF at f/8. Many/Most do not.

J.

Many/Most will if you use a non-reporting TC. That includes reporting TC's with taped pins.

Dec 28, 2012 at 05:48 PM

JohnJ80
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p.2 #5 · Canon 300mm f/4 L IS vs 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS (I need your help!)

Imagemaster wrote:
JohnJ80 wrote:
"most cameras" - your Mk4 and my Mk3 have the ability to AF at f/8. Many/Most do not.

J.

Many/Most will if you use a non-reporting TC. That includes reporting TC's with taped pins.

Very narrow range of lighting conditions to make this work.

J.

Dec 29, 2012 at 12:22 AM

Imagemaster
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p.2 #6 · Canon 300mm f/4 L IS vs 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS (I need your help!)

JohnJ80 wrote:
Very narrow range of lighting conditions to make this work.

Which is not what you said: Many/Most do not

2013 © Imagemaster

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV 309 mm f/8.0 1/200 sec 1600 ISO -0.7 EV

Dec 29, 2012 at 01:34 AM

jpeter
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p.2 #7 · Canon 300mm f/4 L IS vs 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS (I need your help!)

The 300f4 IS is an underappreciated lens on this photography forum. My first copy was so-so but now own a second one that is very good.

It is fairly light weight and easy to carry around. I shot with it using a 7d and 1.4x extender before getting a 500. I have missed just a few shots because I lacked a zoom. But will find more shots where I wanted to be longer in focal length.

My 300 still gets a lot of use. I don't like to go anywhere without some kind of tele lens on my person. And the 300 is just easy to bring in a small camera bag. I guess the birding has taken over.

JP

Dec 29, 2012 at 04:55 AM

JohnJ80
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p.2 #8 · Canon 300mm f/4 L IS vs 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS (I need your help!)

Imagemaster wrote:
JohnJ80 wrote:
Very narrow range of lighting conditions to make this work.

Which is not what you said: Many/Most do not

Ok, let me be explicit.

1. Most cameras don't have focus points that are designed to work with an f/8 maximum aperture.
2. You can get them to work within a very narrow range of lighting and it has to be very bright.

J.

Jan 01, 2013 at 12:15 AM

arnold1
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p.2 #9 · Canon 300mm f/4 L IS vs 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS (I need your help!)

300

70-200 + 1.4X

70-300

I wouldn't spend money on 70-300 as you'll want something faster once you'll see its limitations. Even 300 f/4.0 in a low light situation hunts for focus. As others have also suggested, I either grab the 300 or if you want the zoom option go for a 70-200 and a 1.4.

Jan 01, 2013 at 12:34 AM

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