Awhile back I talked about having rented a Canon 100-400mm lens and how, although I really enjoyed it, I just couldn't justify the cost and decided to make due with what I had - the very nice 100-300mm. Still, always present in the back of my head were the stunning shots I had taken at both Mid-Ohio and the local park last year. This in mind, I began to 'casually' investigate potential options for a high quality longish telephoto.
There are really 3 options for Canon lenses in this range (that cost less than $4000): the 100-400 that I had previously rented, the 400mm f5.6, and the 300mm f4 IS. After quite a bit of consideration, I finally decided that the 300mm was the ticket. At f4, it was decently fast for motor sports and birds, and the IS is a life-saver, especially with my complete lack of hand-steadiness. This way I also had the option of using a 1.4x tele-converter to have a very nice 420mm f5.6 IS - seemed like a pretty good compromise.
Image Courtesy of B&H Photo
So after much searching, I found a practically new copy for a great price on the Canon Photography Forum classifieds. This is a great place to buy and sell gear, with $5,000~10,000 lenses being bought at sold all the time. The lens arrived in perfect condition as-advertised, and I was very excited to get out and try it.
Tufted Titmouse close crop from my first time out with the 300mm.
To say I was pleased with the image quality would be a gross understatement. The focus speed and accuracy is excellent on my 40D, and I've used the servo function to track everything from hummingbirds to racebikes.
Ruby Throated Hummingbird
Eric Bostrum coming through T1 at Mid-Ohio
I do miss the versatility of the zoom at times, but I've been a prime lover for some time now, so I'm used to zooming with my feet. The range is a bit short for birds, but I've found with lots of patience it's actually not bad for backyard birding. It's perfect for the track, not only in focal length, but the weight is low enough that my arms never got tired @ Mid-O, which I'm sure certainly wouldn't be the case with a 12 lb 400mm f2.8.
Overall I'm extremely pleased, and look forward to continuing to use this lens for as much as possible. MotoGP at Indy is just around the corner!
