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EF 300mm f/4L IS USM
Compact L-series telephoto lens with an Image Stabilizer which compensates for camera shake with the equivalent effect of a shutter speed two stops faster. Two Image Stabilizer modes are provided: Stabilizer Mode 1 (the same mode featured on the EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM) and the new Stabilizer Mode 2 which steadies the image during horizontal or vertical panning. Mode 2 detects the panning direction automatically. The closest focusing distance is 4.9 feet (1.5 m).
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Average Customer Rating:
4.7
out of 5
6 out of 7(86%)customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for EF 300mm f/4L IS USM
Review 1 for EF 300mm f/4L IS USM
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Features
5
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Price/Value
5
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Quality
5
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Nickname: Chris Urb
Location: Minneapolis MN
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Professional or Expert
Product replacement: Yes
WOW LENS
Date: October 19, 2009
Pros: Super-sharp images, Superior build quality, Fast auto-focus
This is my first L LENS and it is amazing the bulid quality is amazing just like my camera! The picture quality is also amazing, this is my new favorite lens i love how it is a prime lens and has a built in lens hood,
Overall -- Best lens for the money and i have no regrets, the IS is amazing and a great lens for Nature and wildlife photographers!!
11 of 13 people found this review helpful.
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Review 2 for EF 300mm f/4L IS USM
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
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5
Performance
5
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Price/Value
5
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5
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5
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Nickname: DT
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Professional or Expert
Product replacement: No
An Awesome Lens
Date: October 6, 2009
Pros: Super-sharp images, Superior build quality, Fast auto-focus, image stabilization, built in lens hood, size and weight
Cons: not weather sealed
I've been using this lens for 4 years now to photograph surfing, air shows, wildlife, etc. It is tack sharp and contrasty wide open at f/4. I can and often do crop the center half out of images shot with this lens and the resulting prints are still sharp. I've gone so far as to crop the center 1/4th out of some air show shots and, as best as I can tell, the limitation is not the lens sharpness, but the sensor resolution in my DSLR.
IS works amazingly well, in my experience better than the 2 stops Canon claims. Trust me when I say that IS helps after a long day of shooting when tired arms would otherwise compromise even normally safe shutter speeds.
Bokeh and color are excellent, as is the build quality. My only complaint is that Canon did not weather seal this model, though it's certainly more resistant to weather than the typical 'telescoping' consumer zoom. AF is not quite as fast as my 70-200, but fast enough for every subject I've put it against.
I can't say enough good things about this lens. It is one of my most productive lenses.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.
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Review 3 for EF 300mm f/4L IS USM
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
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5
Performance
5
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5
Price/Value
5
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Quality
5
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Satisfaction
5
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Nickname: camphoneguy
Location: Corvallis, OR
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Professional or Expert
Product replacement: No
Best Close Range Telephoto for the Buck
Date: August 27, 2009
Pros: Superior build quality, Fast auto-focus, focuses very close-no tubes needed, light weight, built-in lens hood, can use standard filters
Cons: wish canon had a 400 f4 in this price point
I purchased the 300mm f4 L over a year ago as it was between the 400mm f5.6 L and this lens to fit my budget. It has performed very well- and I love the fact that I can shoot a dragonfly at my feet or a bird off in the distance with the same lens. On the 40d this lens works out to 480mm lens- so a fair amount of reach and if that's not enough you can add the 1.4 extender (672mm f5.6) and still have autofocus. After this lens (except for the f400mm 5.6 L) you'd better have deep pockets as they're four or more times as much- and with this lens you have one you can carry all day. The 500mm and up are really tripod lenses (best used with a Wimberly gimbal head and high end tripod, add $1000 to your budget!)- and take some time to get used to. And they're best for the pro bodies due to their weight. Full frame and almost full frame bodies will reduce the reach of the lens but that would make it easier to find a 'bird in flight'. They are great lenses, don't get me wrong, with the price to match.
Another advantage to this lens is that it can focus to less than five feet! I've shot pictures of dragonflies at my feet (being over six foot). Just be sure to switch to the closer focus position on the lens.
Yes, I wish it had a little more reach for some birds but for the price, it's hard to beat. I'm feeding my piggy bank to hopefully add the 500mm f4 L to my list of lenses but I'm glad I started with this one.
Another advantage to this lens is that it can focus to less than five feet! I've shot pictures of dragonflies at my feet (being over six foot). Just be sure to switch to the closer focus position on the lens.
Yes, I wish it had a little more reach for some birds but for the price, it's hard to beat. I'm feeding my piggy bank to hopefully add the 500mm f4 L to my list of lenses but I'm glad I started with this one.
14 of 16 people found this review helpful.
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Review 4 for EF 300mm f/4L IS USM
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
3
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5
Price/Value
3
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Quality
4
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Satisfaction
3
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Nickname: EOS4me
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Professional or Expert
Product replacement: No
It's no substitute for an EF300 2.8L IS USM
Date: August 7, 2009
Pros: Superior build quality, Fast auto-focus, dual mode is, relatively small and light
Cons: image quality no match for old ef 300 2.8l
I've owned three of these over the years looking for the lens some people say they have. These lenses have been a disappointment to me in terms of pure sharpness and contrast compared with my old EF 300 2.8L. When comparing price, handy size and weight the EF 300 4L IS USM is clearly a very desirable lens but for pure optical and focusing performance the old EF 300 2.8L clearly beats the EF 300 4L IS USM both on film (EOS 1N's and 1N-RS) and EOS 1D and EOS 1Ds bodies I had at the time of comparison.
I had read a few online reviews from new owners when these first came out many years ago about how sharp the images they were getting out of these lens. So me being curious and wanting to save the significant weight difference between the EF 300 4L IS USM and my old EF 300 2.8L USM I bought one. I shot it for a few months and came to the conclusion that the trade off in terms of weight, size and cost are simply not there because the image quality was no match of my EF 300 2.8L USM. I've owned a couple of different EF 300 2.8L USM lenses over the years and they were both absolutely outstanding lenses.
So I sold that one off and a few months go by and I have an assignment where I think the EF 300 4L IS USM will be an advantage due to it's much handier size and weight so I bought another new EF 300 4L IS USM and went on the shoot. I started to notice a pattern developing once I got the chromes back from the lab. Even with IS working on the deck of a large racing sailboat the EF 300 2.8L USM images were sharper and had much more pop than the images shot with the EF 300 4L IS USM.
So I sold that lens a few months later to a friend of mine who I showed the chromes to fully disclosing my issues with the EF 300 4L IS USM lens. He still has that lens and it works fine for him shooting his kids playing soccer and tennis.
A couple of years later I thought I would try yet another EF 300 4L IS USM on my now digital EOS bodies. At the time I was shooting with both EOS 1D and EOS 1Ds bodies and by now I also had purchased another EF 300 2.8L having lost the first one in 600feet of ocean while attached to an EOS 1N w/booster. After many more months of shooting with them side by side the EF 300 2.8L was still the clear winner of the image quality race though I liked the smaller size and lower weight of the EF 300 4L IS USM I'm a quality geek so I sold yet another EF 300 4L IS USM to some lucky guy to shoot his kids playing soccer.
22 of 56 people found this review helpful.
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Review 5 for EF 300mm f/4L IS USM
Overall Rating
out of
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Features
5
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Performance
5
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Price/Value
5
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5
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5
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Nickname: Anonymous
Location: Portland, Michigan
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Professional or Expert
Product replacement: No
Great Telephoto Macro Lens
Date: May 19, 2009
Pros: Super-sharp images, Superior build quality, Fast auto-focus, super value
I bought this lens because of its close focusing cabability compared to the other 300's available. I have not been disappointed. It has replaced the 180 L Macro for hand holding situations because of its light weight, IS capability, and greater working distance to subjects. Don't get me wrong, my 180 L Macro is still my go to lens for really close up work, but for general field use, this lens is super. And it is a 300 telephoto too. Wish they made a 400 or 500 with the close focusing capability this lens has. Added bonus - MSRP. A real sweet lens, with L quality, at a real sweet price.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful.
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Review 6 for EF 300mm f/4L IS USM
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
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5
Performance
5
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5
Price/Value
5
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Quality
5
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Satisfaction
5
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Nickname: ttomas
Location: Kentucky
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: No
great macro lens
Date: April 18, 2009
Pros: Super-sharp images, Superior build quality, Fast auto-focus, great as a macro lens
This lens is amazing as a macro lens. I shoot with a Canon 100mm 2.8 macro also and love it, however I have to position too close to the subject To shoot macro with the 300mm, I have the ability to shoot from a little distance, and still get a fantastic shot. With the 300mm 2.8L, resuls are clear, crisp and he bokah is fantastic. Extension tubes are a must have to use this lens as a macro.
7 of 12 people found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for EF 300mm f/4L IS USM
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
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Quality
5
out of
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Satisfaction
5
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Nickname: ondo
Location: Tatamy Pa
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Professional or Expert
Product replacement: No
a lot of bang for the buck
Date: December 2, 2008
Pros: Super-sharp images, Superior build quality, Fast auto-focus, high value
One of the best values for a telephoto. Easy to hand hold. If you can't afford to buy the big glass @ f-2.8 ; go for this. The glass is sharp,focus is fast. A friend who is an NFL photographer referred this lens to me. Good advise!
109 of 111 people found this review helpful.
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