Basil Loc: New Mexico

My GAS got the better of me. I just bought the Canon 300mm F4L IS for my 7D (and soon my 7D MkII.). Now just waiting for Brown!

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

Congratulations are in order! Hope you enjoy this lens as much as I did. It will open up a whole new world for you. Now you will have to contribute to the Hog's photo wall of fame! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Basil Loc: New Mexico

You ever use it with a 1.4 or 2x extender?

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

I shoot a lot of birds, yes I use extenders. They will slow you down, and some people claim they degrade images. It is up to you the shooter to make sure viewers cannot tell if an extender was used. When your new camera arrives you will need and accountant to figure out your focal lengths. GL and have fun!

Swamp Gator Loc: Coastal South Carolina

You are going to love it! That lens is one of the all time best bargains for a lens in it's class and price range in my view. Even the older non IS version is a gem.
And yes it will work great with a 1.4 on a 7D. I use that combo every day for birds and other wildlife action. The AF is still super fast and the IQ is excellent.
Virtually every image on my wildlife photography blog was taken using that camera and lens combo.
New 7D will be even better. You made an excellent choice.

Basil Loc: New Mexico

After reading a ton of reviews and looking at sample images, etc., of many different lenses, I concluded that for my 7D crop sensor this was probably the best "bang for the buck.". On a crop sensor it is equivalent to 480mm and if I add the 1.4x extender it would be like a 672mm on a full frame and still have equivalent f-stop of 5.6. With IS I imagine its possible to squeeze another stop or two out of it.
I can't wait!

Carolina Wings Loc: Flew from North Carolina to Pennsylvania

That's great Basil...that's all I ever use on my 7D...and I can't wait to use it on my new 7D MarkII! For some reason I had focusing problems when i put my Canon 1.4x TC on my 300 with the 7D?? I'm really excited to try that combo with the new one!

Basil Loc: New Mexico

I wonder if others have had focus issues when using a teleconverter?

Carolina Wings Loc: Flew from North Carolina to Pennsylvania

Phil doesn't and either does Gregory...I had some focusing issues with my 7D...that's probably why it didn't work well. Canon told me to send it in...but never wanted to give it up long enough to get it fixed ;-) Now it's just going to be a back up.

Swamp Gator Loc: Coastal South Carolina

Like I mentioned, mine works great using a Canon 1.4 III
Fast accurate AF.
Just used it out at the marsh today, performed flawlessly as always.

Basil Loc: New Mexico

What are the differences between the 1.4, 1.4 II and 1.4 III??

Zone-System-Grandpa Loc: Springfield, Ohio

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Congratulations !!!

Canon's 300mm f4L lens is a terrific lens and if it gives the results as does my Canon refurbished Canon 400mm f5.6L, you are going to love it !

By the way, should you ever find a need for other Canon lenses, you might want to check with Canon's website to see the refurbished lenses they have to sell..

When Canon refurbishes a lens, it is completely gone over and it is made to look brand spanking new..

In many ways, I feel that a Canon refurbished Canon lens is better than brand new Canon lens ~ simply because (my personal opinion here) a well trained Canon technician who refurbishes a lens is far more knowledgeable with the functions of a lens than is a factory laborer with timed, limited functions on an assembly line assembling the lens at their work station at the manufacturing facility.

One really important function that a highly trained Canon technician performs when refurbishing a lens is that he or she calibrates and adjusts all lenses for their auto-focus accuracy.. Too, they never attempt to refurbish a lens that was junk to begin with and should there had been any blemishes upon a painted surface, such as a scratch on a lens barrel, the barrel is fully painted to look new again.

Lastly, Canon never refurbishes a lens that had even an unseen, finite amount of infractions upon it's original multi coatings upon any and all of its lens elements.. Best said, if a lens doesn't look to be a new lens, Canon will not fool with it !

Congrats, again, with your new lens and please remember to post a few of the many high quality, fantastic photos that it will soon be providing for you in the upcoming future ! :thumbup:

Have a great day, Basil !
~Doug~

jockellis Loc: Cumming, GA

I agree with you on having a tech look at it. My Canon 135 mm f2.5 FL lens shed a screw shortly after I bought it in 1970. After having it fixed, I used it for 25 years without a problem. My 300 mm f4 FD lens gave the richest colors of all my nine lenses.

jimbrown3 Loc: Naples, FL

I use that lens. Often with the 1.4 II and it is great. I recently used it with the 2x III. It also is great. I use them on a 5D III. On this camera, the 2x will auto focus, but the camera automatically defeats to the central area. The combo with lens and 1.4x can use all focus points. The 7D will not auto focus with the combo of 300mm f4.0 and any 2x extender as the effective lens becomes f8.0 and the camera only focuses to 5.6. The 7D II is supposed to auto faces to f8.0.
I love that lens and use it for birding. I shoot raw and, if I am steady (shoot mostly hand held or resting on my knees with 1.4x II and 2x III ) the results need VERY little (sometimes none, but I do a tiny bit just because...) sharpening.
You will LOVE that lens.
Happy shooting.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

I use it frequently with Canon EF 1.4X II for a combo equivalent to 420mm f5.6 and it works very well.

This was done with the lens & teleconverter on 7D, handheld...


And this was shot with the same lens + TC on 5DII, where it works equally well...


In more challenging, low light conditions AF can slow down or hunt a little more when the TC is added to the lens... Not really surprisingly, but also pretty minor difference that I've only seen occur in really demanding lighting conditions. In better light, it probably slows with the TC on the lens... but not enough that I notice it. I've tracked race cars at 100+ MPH with the lens + TC, no problem.

One nuance of this particular lens is it's tendency to render a magenta tint to specular highlights, such as can be seen in this hawk's eye...


This is easily fixed in post-processing, if it's a problem. I didn't think it was in the above image, so left it alone.

If you are looking for a TC to use with it, I certainly can recommend the Canon 1.4X Mark II, if you can find a good, used one (usually around $250). The Mark III should work just as well, but will cost a lot more (typically about $450).

I haven't used, but hear great things about the Kenko Pro 300 1.4X DG and DGX (about $250) and the Kenko MC-4 1.4X DGX sounds to be nearly as good (approx. $150). I've also heard some good reports about certain Tamron and Sigma TCs, but don't know the specific models and each has made a lot of different ones over the years.

I have Canon 2X II, but I don't use it on this lens.

Enjoy the lens!