Canon 300mm f4L IS - pulled the trigger (Page 2): Alan, how much do you pay your animal models to pose for you? You seem to produce some very great animal shots that look as if the...

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

Alan, how much do you pay your animal models to pose for you? You seem to produce some very great animal shots that look as if the subject posed. Nicely done, great lens work.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

Basil wrote:

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

Using "spot" focus will eliminate many focus problems. Low light conditions might slow down the AF, but it will work. I even use it when stacking T/Cs and it lets me AF thru f/5.6. The newer T/Cs (v.III) will allow such focusing.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

davidrb wrote:

Alan, how much do you pay your animal models to pose for you? You seem to produce some very great animal shots that look as if the subject posed. Nicely done, great lens work.

Those are portfolio shots for both of us, so we just did a trade out... But I did get signed model releases! ;)

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

davidrb wrote:

Using "spot" focus will eliminate many focus problems. Low light conditions might slow down the AF, but it will work. I even use it when stacking T/Cs and it lets me AF thru f/5.6. The newer T/Cs (v.III) will allow such focusing.

Spot Focus (only avail on 7D, 5DIII, 1DX and upcoming 7DII) is slower to acquire and not as good tracking movement in AI Servo, compared to standard single point. I really like and use Spot, but typically only with slower moving subjects. Don't see much advantage to it other than when the subject is very small, or something like a bird sitting in a tree among a tangle of branches, or when depth of field is very shallow and focus needs to be super precise.

One of my favorite features of the 300/4 is that it's the closest focusing of the Canon teles longer than 200mm.... it gets close to macro magnifications all on it's own. This was shot near the min. focus distance of the lens without any extension tubes or TC, has only been lightly cropped in post processing...

I know several folks who like to use the 300/4 with skittish, small critters such as butterflies (and tend to use Spot Focus a lot with those subjects, too).

Swamp Gator Loc: Coastal South Carolina

davidrb wrote:

Using "spot" focus will eliminate many focus problems. Low light conditions might slow down the AF, but it will work. I even use it when stacking T/Cs and it lets me AF thru f/5.6. The newer T/Cs (v.III) will allow such focusing.

I'm not sure if by "spot" focus you mean single center point.
But with the 7D I have found center point expanded to be much more accurate for fast moving subjects such as BIF then single center point alone.
I expect to be using one of the expanded focusing modes when my new 7D II arrives.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Swamp Gator wrote:

I'm not sure if by "spot" focus you mean single center point.
But with the 7D I have found center point expanded to be much more accurate for fast moving subjects such as BIF then single center point alone.
I expect to be using one of the expanded focusing modes when my new 7D II arrives.

No, 7D (and a few others) has both Single Point Focus and Spot Focus... among the various available patterns.

Spot Focus might be better called "high precision" focus, since it uses a single, smaller than usual AF point. It's handy when things are tight and using the larger, normal sized AF point of Single Point can cause focus errors. But, even Canon admits Spot Focus makes AF a little slower.

70D and 6D don't have Spot Focus.

7DII also will have two Expansion Points patterns (compared to one on 7D)... One with 4-point expansion, the other with 8-point.

And it will have two Zone Focus patterns (compared to one on orig. 7D)... One with 9-points and the other covering a much larger area, that essentially divides the AF array in thirds: left, center, right.

Yes, I'm looking forward to trying the new AF patterns on 7DII, too. However, I gotta say my 7Ds are in Single Point 90 or 95% of the time. Puts it more on me to keep the active point on the subject right where I want it... i.e., I only have myself to blame when I miss focus. The various AF patterns have their uses (well, except maybe for All Points, which I almost never use and could live without)... But I was trying too much to make them work in situations where they weren't good choices, back when I first got the cameras... saw my "keeper rate" drop like a rock due to missed focus, until I got back to my KISS mode. Then I saw what the 7D was really capable of and my keeper rate skyrocketed.

jimbrown3 Loc: Naples, FL

I have, and have used the Kenko 1.4x Teleplus pro 300 DGX on this lens. It is EXCELLENT. I read a report from a testing agency about comparing 1.4x converters on this specific lens. I wish I could find it. Anyhow, it ranked them in the following order; 1) 1.4x II, 2) Kenko pro 300 DGX and lastly the 1.4x III. I had owned/bought/borrowed the three 1.4's. My test, and I am no scientist, bore out the findings. ( curiously, they ranked the 2x III as first in the 2x's category.) Why do I use the older 1.4x II (bought on Ebay for $168.00) rather than the Kenko that I had ??? Maybe I like the color and feel comfortable that it is a Canon product.

I talked to Canon when the III series came out and asked the difference. The rep I talked with said the only difference she could see was the lens coating. I wouldn't go to the bank with this info, but it is interesting.

As mentioned, above, I bought the 2x III and am REALLY happy with the results. But, again, the 5D III autofocuses at f8.0.

Also, the combo of 300mm f4.0 + 1.4x gives you 420mm 5.6 lens WITH IS as opposed to the 400mm f4.0 5.6 Canon lens without IS.

Will you give up image sharpness adding the 1.4x rather than 400mm prime ? Most likely. But, by adding sharpness in PP and the IS of two stops ???

Just my 2 cents worth. Happy shooting.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

Swamp Gator wrote:

I'm not sure if by "spot" focus you mean single center point.
But with the 7D I have found center point expanded to be much more accurate for fast moving subjects such as BIF then single center point alone.
I expect to be using one of the expanded focusing modes when my new 7D II arrives.

Bad news for you! The new camera is going to send you back to school, just to learn it's features. The viewfinder will look different to you when you realize the potential of your new tool/toy. :lol: :lol: :lol: Have fun "in school".

RRS Loc: Not sure

Basil wrote:

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!

Great combo! Yes use it with a 1.4 or 2x especially for birds. Try to fill the frame as much as you can, it may be a little slower with the 2x but the alternative is to crop a very small image. The new 7D MKII will focus at f/8! Have fun and post a shot or two and keep everyone updated.

Swamp Gator Loc: Coastal South Carolina

Here's a couple from yesterday using the 7D with the 300f4 and the 1.4.

(Download)

Swamp Gator Loc: Coastal South Carolina

davidrb wrote:

Bad news for you! The new camera is going to send you back to school, just to learn it's features. The viewfinder will look different to you when you realize the potential of your new tool/toy. :lol: :lol: :lol: Have fun "in school".

Well I don't know that it's bad news.
It will be just like anything else, take a little time to figure stuff out and get used to it. Shouldn't be a big deal.

Basil Loc: New Mexico

Wow Swamp Gator, nice shots!

Swamp Gator Loc: Coastal South Carolina

Basil wrote:

Wow Swamp Gator, nice shots!

Thanks. I just picked out a couple quick things.
I also have a funny wood stork series as my blog post for today. They are photos from yesterday as well.

Check 'em out here:

http://phillanoue.com/2014/10/24/these-two-only-have-eyes-for-each-other/

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Basil wrote:

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

The tests I have seen , The III has slightly better resolution around the perifery - that means you will only see the difference ( if at all) on full frame. I use the Tamron SP 1.4X with a 300 2.8 - because it is much cheaper and 1.4X is not so critical. 2X, on the other hand IS critical ! - and I use the Canon 2X II - on crop frame.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Swamp Gator wrote:

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.

According to Photozone, the non-IS version is sharper than the IS version ........