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Product Description
Telephoto lens newly equipped with an Image Stabilizer enabling hand-held
shooting for easier movement. The fluorite element and two UD-glass
elements effectively correct the chromatic aberrations prone to occur with
telephoto lenses. With the EOS-1v and EOS-3, the AF speed becomes the
world's fastest. To reduce the overall weight and enhance portability, the
lens barrel and many other exterior parts use magnesium-alloy. Also, the
detachable tripod collar revolves smoothly and locks securely. ________________________________________________________________
Product Reviews:
Unbelievably sharp lens., January 29, 2006
Reviewer: G. Clark "hogwallow"
If you're looking at this lens, you're ready to spend some serious
dollars. Is it worth it? Short answer, yes, but I'll elaborate.
I've shot with a variety of Nikon and Canon lenses for about 25 years. The
300 f/2.8L IS is without a doubt the sharpest lens I've ever had, and it
is unbelievably consistent across every aperture. With the 1.4X Canon
extender - other its becoming an f/4 lens - I could not see any
appreciable change in its performance. Unbelievable.
I got my introduction to image stabilization on the 70-200 f/2.8L IS, and
it is even more useful on the 300. I handheld consistently crisp shots at
1/60 and sometimes at 1/30. With my old Nikon 300 mm, anything below 1/250
was out of the question and 1/500 was a good idea. The whirring of the IS
is a bit louder on the 300 than the 70-200.
When shooting action in AI Servo mode, the autofocus was as fast as on my
shorter prime lenses.
In some forums, people swear by third party long lenses that they say
produce as good an image at less than half the cost. All I can say is that
their experience probably reflects the limitations of their skills rather
than the comparability of the lenses.
With the 1.4X extender and my 1D Mark IIN's 1.3X FOVCF, this becomes a 546
mm lens. On a 1.6X FOVCF camera it's a whopping 672 mm.
Here are some other Canon alternatives and why you might want to go with
them instead of the 300 f/2.8L IS:
- Canon 300 f/4L IS - less than half the price; it is lighter and has a
built-in lens hood that doesn't require assembly; you lose a stop, and
while a very sharp lens, not in same class at the f/2.8. good choice if
you don't have the money for the f/2.8 or want to spread it among other
lenses.
- Canon 400 f/2.8L IS - a longer reach without losing a stop but the price
and weight increase significantly; not really hand-holdable; lens of
choice for outdoor sports action.
- Canon 500 f/4L IS - if you want to shoot birds, you'll need the extra
reach. It's cheaper than the 400 2.8 but a couple thousand more than the
300. Sharpness is comparable to the 300.
- Zoom lenses (70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS; 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS) Cheaper,
lighter and more flexible but a serious compromise on image quality vs.
300 f/2.8L IS.
Best argument against the 300 f/2.8L is that you won't shoot often enough
at that focal length or you want to buy more lenses for the money.
I'm saving my pennies now to add the 500 f/4L IS for bird and other
wildlife distance shooting. It will take a few years.
Back to Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM Telephoto Lens
for Canon SLR Cameras
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