300mm F2.8

[diversean]

Has anyone used this lens to shoot with at an airshow? If so what are your opinions in using this vs. the 100-400?

[matthewrigdon]

Fred Miranda's website has a lot of short, concise reviews of lenses. You can read about the new Canon 300 http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=417&sort=7&cat=2&page=2  I'm not sure exactly which lens you're looking at, but it should be there. The new Canon is a great lens, but is very, very expensive (much more than the 100-400).

Primes are always sharper than zooms, first of all. You often get an extra stop of light over a zoom. If you need sharper images in lower light, the prime is the way to go.

I can't speak to those particular lenses, unfortunately. I bought a Canon 400 f5.6 because of the slightly better image quality. The build quality of the 100-400 also seems to vary. Some complain that the 100-400 is soft. I think some of the complaints are just a reaction to the inherent softness of a zoom lens (and some pixel-peeping), but it is a more complex lens and doesn't have the newest glass. If you compare the 100-400 to the new 70-200L IS II, you'll certainly be disappointed. The new 70-200 is a brilliant lens (I have one).

My 400 was in the shop during the last airshow I went to, so I ended up using the 70-200 with a 1.4 TC II. I found that when shooting a group of planes together (the Blue Angels in this case), the shorter lens worked better to keep the whole formation in frame. When shooting a single plane, I wanted more reach, though.

[KZ]

Has anyone used this lens to shoot with at an airshow? If so what are your opinions in using this vs. the 100-400?

2.8 or 2.8 IS ? I use 2.8 IS - really does not make to even mention 100-400 in the same post - 300/2.8 IS is one finest lenses Canon ever made and is light years ahead of 100-400 in both sharpness and contrast. With TC x1.4 you're getting 420 mm f/4.0 with still significantly better quality than 100-400.

Two problems - weight/size and price. Especially if you look at version II.
If you're beyond "I need zoom at airshow cause I'm going to miss some shots" and looking for a quality then it is a way to go - if you can afford it.

[txstubby]

As KZ indicated you will trade the sharpness of a fixed focal length for the flexibility of a zoom, one option might be to rent say the 100-400mm (around $100 for a weekend) and see how it behaves.  Renting the bigger primes can be costly but not as costly as purchasing one and finding out that it's not what you really wanted.

I rented the 400mm F4 DO for an Airshow, it was a really sharp (and light) lens but it was too long for some of the aircraft and they type of images I was trying to capture. Even so the one of the images of a P51 I captured with the 400 DO is much sharper than anything I have taken with the 100-400mm.

[Liza]

Love mine (300 f/2.8 IS). Bought it in 2007 and it's still my first "go to" lens. If attending an event for three days, I will shoot straight 300, 300 + 1.4x TC, and 300 + 2x TC just to get different looks to the images. I did have the 100-400 for about six weeks and dumped it. It's a very nice lens, but I don't care for the push-pull action of it (prefer twisting zooms).

The sharpness has already been mentioned. Another item is what you're accustomed to already. The shooting style is different. With a zoom lens, one can zoom to the desired framing. With a prime, one needs to wait for the moment when framing is desired. Sometimes creativity is literally in the blink of an eye with a prime.

[SBGrad]

...it's still my first "go to" lens.  ...  The shooting style is different. With a zoom lens, one can zoom to the desired framing. With a prime, one needs to wait for the moment when framing is desired. Sometimes creativity is literally in the blink of an eye with a prime.

+1 for both of LIza's observations.  I've got a Nikon 300mm f/2.8, and you can have it when you pry it out of my cold, dead hands.  At air shows I usually have a tc 1.7 on on it for 500mm, and it is 'too much' lens only for airliner sized a/c.  I've even used it at a Fencecheck photocall at El Centro when we were right next to the runway. Using a big prime has given me shots I'd never have thought of when I had zooms.

[Aguillard]

I have both the Nikon 300 2.8 AFS II and the 70-200 2.8 VR and along with my Sigma 17-35 2.8-4.0 EX, I think this is a great combination of lenses for the airshows.
My 300 is almost always the main lens, and I also pull out the 1.7X when, hardly ever needed.

[diversean]

Thanks for all the information. I will try the 300mm with the 1.4x converter at the POF practice and see how I like it.

[jjnik]

Here's the Nikon AFS 300 f2.8 VRII on a D700 bare and with TC's:

Bare Lens:


w/ 1.4x TC:

[jjnik]

Morre from the Nikon AFS 300 f2.8 VRII on a D700

w/1.4x TC:


from same position w/1.7x TC:


and with the 2X TC (new version III) in rain @ ISO 3200 (my bad - forgot to lower ISO after it landed) :

[jjnik]

and a few more from the Nikon AFS 300 f2.8 VRII on a D700

w/the 2x TC:





w/ the 1.4x TC:

[BrittMac]

I had the great fortune to borrow a 300 f2.8 with a 1.4 TC on it on Sunday at the Tuscaloosa show. 
After going straight from the 100-400, to the 300....I was shocked.  That lens is a monster.  Phenomenal autofocus, never "hunted" for focus like my 100-400.  Super sharp, and I KNOW I got pictures that I wouldn't have with my lens, even though there is only a small focal length difference really (at max for the zoom lens).  Image quality is great. 

It really is a shock to go from the 100-400 to the 300 2.8IS.  I don't think I can buy one right now, but I sure am going to try as soon as I can.
Brandon

[diversean]

Any recommendations on a strap for this lens? I have been using my Black Rapid strap for my 100-400 but this lens not sure what to use now. I want something that will hook onto the lens mounts on the side not the tripod mount. Would love to hear suggestions.

[gdedward99s]

Mine came with its own strap. It's just like the camera strap only about twice as wide. There is only one place to attach it, brackets located right at the tripod ring. Some guys buy an attachment to hook the strap onto the mounting bracket screw hole. Either way, I don't recommend carrying it around by the camera.

[KZ]

Any recommendations on a strap for this lens? I have been using my Black Rapid strap for my 100-400 but this lens not sure what to use now. I want something that will hook onto the lens mounts on the side not the tripod mount. Would love to hear suggestions.

I am not using any. Have Wimberley plate attached to the tripod mount and use it to carry it around - not very cost effective solution though (to use ~$50 plate as carrying handle ;-) )