Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM Image Thread
p.11 #1Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM Image Thread
white wrote:
I have the 300, 400, 600GM. Bird shooting is just a smaller subset that I use these for.
I fully agree that the 2x is very usable with the 300GM and makes it a great birding walk around lens due to the weight savings. Previously I would go more to my OM1 and 300f4 Pro for a lighter set up. (The 300f4 pro is actually slightly heavier than the 300GM which definitely caught my attention to buy the 300).
But I do not get the negativity of the 2x with the 600GM. IF the thermal conditions are good, the image quality is...Show more →
I shoot about 75% of all my bird photos with the 600 and 2x combination. There's definitely a very slight softening with the two, and the AF is more sluggish, even on static subjects--although I am not sure I'd call most small birds "static" as they jump and move a lot. The A9III's AF solves most of these problems with that combo so I'm really hoping that the A1II shows a similar improvement.
That said, you are 100% right--it's VERY unforgiving to any thermal issues. Much more so than the 600/1.4x combo. That extra big of magnification will show every atmospheric distortion out there. I generally won't even shoot it if the sun is out, not past 2 hours after sunrise or the last two hours before sunset.
I have the 300, 400, 600GM. Bird shooting is just a smaller subset that I use these for.
I fully agree that the 2x is very usable with the 300GM and makes it a great birding walk around lens due to the weight savings. Previously I would go more to my OM1 and 300f4 Pro for a lighter set up. (The 300f4 pro is actually slightly heavier than the 300GM which definitely caught my attention to buy the 300).
But I do not get the negativity of the 2x with the 600GM. IF the thermal conditions are good, the image quality is...Show more →
I shoot about 75% of all my bird photos with the 600 and 2x combination. There's definitely a very slight softening with the two, and the AF is more sluggish, even on static subjects--although I am not sure I'd call most small birds "static" as they jump and move a lot. The A9III's AF solves most of these problems with that combo so I'm really hoping that the A1II shows a similar improvement.
That said, you are 100% right--it's VERY unforgiving to any thermal issues. Much more so than the 600/1.4x combo. That extra big of magnification will show every atmospheric distortion out there. I generally won't even shoot it if the sun is out, not past 2 hours after sunrise or the last two hours before sunset.
May 28, 2024 at 01:01 PM
p.11 #2Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM Image Thread
Diffrent lens, but I definitely noticed more thermal issues at 1,200mm (Sony 200-600 + TC 2x) vs 840mm (Sony 200-600 + TC 1.4x). Up until that point I really only considered did I have enough light to add a TC, and I quickly realized I was going to have to keep a much closer eye on thermal conditions and distance.
I feel like part of it is with 1,200mm of reach you start trying for distant pictures you wouldn't have tried for in the past. Using 1,200mm to fill the frame is much diffrent than using 1,200mm and still making a big crop.
I feel like part of it is with 1,200mm of reach you start trying for distant pictures you wouldn't have tried for in the past. Using 1,200mm to fill the frame is much diffrent than using 1,200mm and still making a big crop.
May 28, 2024 at 01:06 PM
p.11 #3Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM Image Thread
white wrote:
I have the 300, 400, 600GM. Bird shooting is just a smaller subset that I use these for.
I fully agree that the 2x is very usable with the 300GM and makes it a great birding walk around lens due to the weight savings. Previously I would go more to my OM1 and 300f4 Pro for a lighter set up. (The 300f4 pro is actually slightly heavier than the 300GM which definitely caught my attention to buy the 300).
But I do not get the negativity of the 2x with the 600GM. IF the thermal conditions are good, the image quality is...Show more →
It is not about the IQ. It is about the AF accuracy. I mostly shoot BIF and even if I'm not shooting BIF at a given moment I will be shooting it again within the next 10mins
. So I don't like being tied to the 2xTC at 1200mm when so few subject require that focal length. As you say when the conditions are right the IQ is fine.
I have the 300, 400, 600GM. Bird shooting is just a smaller subset that I use these for.
I fully agree that the 2x is very usable with the 300GM and makes it a great birding walk around lens due to the weight savings. Previously I would go more to my OM1 and 300f4 Pro for a lighter set up. (The 300f4 pro is actually slightly heavier than the 300GM which definitely caught my attention to buy the 300).
But I do not get the negativity of the 2x with the 600GM. IF the thermal conditions are good, the image quality is...Show more →
It is not about the IQ. It is about the AF accuracy. I mostly shoot BIF and even if I'm not shooting BIF at a given moment I will be shooting it again within the next 10mins
. So I don't like being tied to the 2xTC at 1200mm when so few subject require that focal length. As you say when the conditions are right the IQ is fine.May 28, 2024 at 05:48 PM
p.11 #4Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM Image Thread
arbitrage wrote:
I fully agree that the 2x is very usable with the 300GM and makes it a great birding walk around lens due to the weight savings. Previously I would go more to my OM1 and 300f4 Pro for a lighter set up. (The 300f4 pro is actually slightly heavier than the 300GM which definitely caught my attention to buy the 300).
But I do not get the negativity of the 2x with the 600GM. IF the thermal conditions are good, the image quality is phenomenal and exceeds my original expectations based on the Canon 600's I have had. I have shot 1200mm landscapes that look like you used a macro lens. BUT, the thermal degradation is the limiting factor and it is not often it works out for landscapes. But close in birds are SHARP and aberrations are hard to find in the corners or anywhere. I guess at effective f8 the tracking at 1200mm will take a hit and if birds in flight is your main gig then maybe you would be less happy. I have not explored this as much with birds, but it does extremely well with things like surfing.
The 400GM is definitely the weakest with the 2x as it was in the Canon world. Still very usable though.
Some I think confuse image quality with thermal conditions which can even show up in bird shooting as the distances increase.It is not about the IQ. It is about the AF accuracy. I mostly shoot BIF and even if I'm not shooting BIF at a given moment I will be shooting it again within the next 10mins. So I don't like being tied to the 2xTC at 1200mm when so few subject require that focal length. As you say when the conditions are right the IQ is fine.
Not to mention at 1200mm good luck getting them in the viewfinder. BIF are not like shooting pics of elephants
white wrote
I have the 300, 400, 600GM. Bird shooting is just a smaller subset that I use these for.I fully agree that the 2x is very usable with the 300GM and makes it a great birding walk around lens due to the weight savings. Previously I would go more to my OM1 and 300f4 Pro for a lighter set up. (The 300f4 pro is actually slightly heavier than the 300GM which definitely caught my attention to buy the 300).
But I do not get the negativity of the 2x with the 600GM. IF the thermal conditions are good, the image quality is phenomenal and exceeds my original expectations based on the Canon 600's I have had. I have shot 1200mm landscapes that look like you used a macro lens. BUT, the thermal degradation is the limiting factor and it is not often it works out for landscapes. But close in birds are SHARP and aberrations are hard to find in the corners or anywhere. I guess at effective f8 the tracking at 1200mm will take a hit and if birds in flight is your main gig then maybe you would be less happy. I have not explored this as much with birds, but it does extremely well with things like surfing.
The 400GM is definitely the weakest with the 2x as it was in the Canon world. Still very usable though.
Some I think confuse image quality with thermal conditions which can even show up in bird shooting as the distances increase.
. So I don't like being tied to the 2xTC at 1200mm when so few subject require that focal length. As you say when the conditions are right the IQ is fine. Not to mention at 1200mm good luck getting them in the viewfinder. BIF are not like shooting pics of elephants
May 28, 2024 at 06:06 PM
p.11 #5Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM Image Thread
Borrowed my friend's lens once again....got to get a copy for myself soon...was trying to wait for my 400GM to sell but I might just buy the 300GM anyways...
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter lens 420mm f/4.0 1/4000s 1000 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 2X Teleconverter lens 600mm f/5.6 1/3200s 2000 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 2X Teleconverter lens 600mm f/5.6 1/3200s 2000 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter lens 420mm f/4.0 1/4000s 1000 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter lens 420mm f/4.0 1/4000s 1000 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter lens 420mm f/4.0 1/4000s 1000 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter lens 420mm f/4.0 1/4000s 1000 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter lens 420mm f/4.0 1/4000s 1000 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 2X Teleconverter lens 600mm f/5.6 1/3200s 2000 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 2X Teleconverter lens 600mm f/5.6 1/3200s 2000 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 2X Teleconverter lens 600mm f/5.6 1/3200s 2000 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 2X Teleconverter lens 600mm f/5.6 1/3200s 2000 ISO 0.0 EV
Jun 02, 2024 at 04:43 AM
p.11 #6Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM Image Thread
Spectacular shooting Geoff...interesting to see the bands. A lot of money is being spent to kill the Columbia River nesting sites (they eat endangered salmon). Out here in the desert of Oregon, they have tried to move nesting to our inland Refuges. I wonder if anyone can read the bands?
Jun 02, 2024 at 06:24 AM
p.11 #7Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM Image Thread
arbitrage wrote:
Borrowed my friend's lens once again....got to get a copy for myself soon...was trying to wait for my 400GM to sell but I might just buy the 300GM anyways...
Thank you Geoff, sublime images.
K-H.
Borrowed my friend's lens once again....got to get a copy for myself soon...was trying to wait for my 400GM to sell but I might just buy the 300GM anyways...
Thank you Geoff, sublime images.
K-H.
Jun 02, 2024 at 08:59 AM
p.11 #8Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM Image Thread
ISO160 with TC1.4
Ardea cinerea by Andrew Nik, on Flickr
Ardea cinerea by Andrew Nik, on FlickrJun 03, 2024 at 06:20 AM
Jun 03, 2024 at 08:41 AM
p.11 #10Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM Image Thread
Anas platyrhynchos by Andrew Nik, on FlickrJun 13, 2024 at 04:43 AM
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p.11 #11Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM Image Thread
My personal copy arrives today. Can’t wait. My friend will be thankful I will stop borrowing his 
Jun 13, 2024 at 06:29 AM
p.11 #12Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM Image Thread
arbitrage wrote:
My personal copy arrives today. Can’t wait. My friend will be thankful I will stop borrowing his
It seems a bottle of wine is in order... 😜
My personal copy arrives today. Can’t wait. My friend will be thankful I will stop borrowing his
It seems a bottle of wine is in order... 😜
Jun 13, 2024 at 07:36 AM
p.11 #13Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM Image Thread
This thing is sharp
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter lens 420mm f/4.0 1/800s 250 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter lens 420mm f/6.3 1/320s 640 ISO 0.0 EV
Jun 14, 2024 at 08:23 PM
p.11 #14Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM Image Thread
This lens may end up dethroning my previous two favourite lenses Canon 400DOII and Nikon 500PF.....love it....
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter lens 420mm f/4.0 1/2500s 1250 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 2X Teleconverter lens 600mm f/5.6 1/1600s 2000 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 2X Teleconverter lens 600mm f/5.6 1/1600s 2000 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 2X Teleconverter lens 600mm f/5.6 1/2000s 2000 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 2X Teleconverter lens 600mm f/5.6 1/1600s 1600 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS lens 300mm f/2.8 1/500s 1250 ISO -0.7 EV
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS lens 300mm f/2.8 1/500s 800 ISO -0.7 EV
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS lens 300mm f/2.8 1/500s 2500 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS lens 300mm f/2.8 1/500s 2500 ISO 0.0 EV
Jun 15, 2024 at 05:47 AM
p.11 #15Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM Image Thread
arbitrage wrote:
This lens may end up dethroning my previous two favourite lenses Canon 400DOII and Nikon 500PF.....love it....
Thank you Geoff, I see why.
Absolutely stunning images.
WOW!
K-H.
This lens may end up dethroning my previous two favourite lenses Canon 400DOII and Nikon 500PF.....love it....
Thank you Geoff, I see why.
Absolutely stunning images.
WOW!
K-H.
Jun 15, 2024 at 08:31 AM
p.11 #16Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM Image Thread
arbitrage wrote:
This lens may end up dethroning my previous two favourite lenses Canon 400DOII and Nikon 500PF.....love it....
Better than the 400 DO II? That's pretty amazing. I believe I've seen some of your posts before where you've extolled the virtues of that lens.
I own the 400 DO II. I really like it, but have been looking for a Sony long prime lens that doesn't break the bank like the Sony 400 and 600 do (at least for me). I shoot two systems (R3 with the 400 and the Sony A9 with Sony lenses). I went with Canon (at the time) on top of Sony b/c I could purchase a used long Canon white lens for much cheaper.
Do you find the AF acquisition with the Sony + TC, as well as IQ, up to the standards of the 400? I'm assuming a tough comparison but thought I'd ask.
This lens may end up dethroning my previous two favourite lenses Canon 400DOII and Nikon 500PF.....love it....
Better than the 400 DO II? That's pretty amazing. I believe I've seen some of your posts before where you've extolled the virtues of that lens.
I own the 400 DO II. I really like it, but have been looking for a Sony long prime lens that doesn't break the bank like the Sony 400 and 600 do (at least for me). I shoot two systems (R3 with the 400 and the Sony A9 with Sony lenses). I went with Canon (at the time) on top of Sony b/c I could purchase a used long Canon white lens for much cheaper.
Do you find the AF acquisition with the Sony + TC, as well as IQ, up to the standards of the 400? I'm assuming a tough comparison but thought I'd ask.
Jun 15, 2024 at 12:24 PM
p.11 #17Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM Image Thread
Goldfinch 300Gm and extender 2X
2024611_Tommy Thompson Park_00184 by Jose Raposo, on Flickr
2024611_Tommy Thompson Park_00184 by Jose Raposo, on FlickrJun 15, 2024 at 06:28 PM
p.11 #18Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM Image Thread
Spatula clypeata by Andrew Nik, on Flickr
Spatula clypeata by Andrew Nik, on FlickrJun 17, 2024 at 05:43 AM
p.11 #19Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM Image Thread
Fast little buggers...In the field next to my house.
A1_01529-Edit by D.C. 83, on Flickr
A1_01533-Edit by D.C. 83, on Flickr
A1_01637-Edit by D.C. 83, on Flickr
A1_01604-Edit by D.C. 83, on Flickr
A1_01518-Edit by D.C. 83, on FlickrJun 17, 2024 at 07:14 AM
p.11 #20Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM Image Thread
Yellow Warbler
Yellow Warbler by Jose Raposo, on Flickr
Yellow Warbler by Jose Raposo, on FlickrJun 18, 2024 at 05:45 AM