Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens Review

The Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens is another excellent lens in the Canon L Series.

The Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens is a relatively light 2.6 lb (1,190g) and is very well built. This weight ranks the 300 f/4 IS at slightly less than the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens. The 300 f/4 is relatively thin and long - 3.5" x 8.7" (90.0mm x 221.0mm). It handles well and is very nice to carry.

With Canon's Ring USM (Ultrasonic Motor), the 300 f/4 IS focuses very fast, accurately and quietly. I find focus accuracy to be very good - especially when shooting sports in AI Servo mode. FTM (Full Time Manual) focusing is enabled.

The 300 f/4 is one of two current Canon lenses that have a built-in retractable lens hood (the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens is the other). I like the convenience of quickly sliding the hood out/in for use/storage - or to gain access to a filter. A 77mm filter to be more specific - the same size as many of Canon's other L-Series telephoto and zoom lenses. Aside from the hood, this lens does not extend with focusing. The filter does not rotate.

The Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens is known for its sharpness. Sharpness wide open at f/4.0 is very good with slight improvement visible at f/4.5. Corner sharpness is very good.

Slight vignetting is apparent at f/4 on a full-frame body, but it is mostly a non-factor once stopped down slightly. Color and contrast are nice. CA (Chromatic Aberration) is well controlled. Very slight pincushion distortion is present - but you will likely not notice it. Flare is not a problem.

Separating the subject from the background is easy with this lens thanks to the long focal length and a relatively wide f/4 aperture. Longer f/4 lenses are available, but at a much greater price. Put a little distance between the Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens' subject and the background, dial in a wide aperture setting and watch the subject emerge from beautiful, smoothly blurred background. The quality of the OOF (out of focus) areas is enhanced by an 8-blade aperture.

This is not a weather-sealed lens.

One of my favorite features of the Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens is Image Stabilization (IS). IS allows the Canon 300 IS to be handheld at a much lower shutter speed - 2 stops lower - than normal. This does not help stop a moving subject, but it does amazing things to stop a photographer's motion. Keep in mind that the version of IS on this lens needs to be turned off when tripod-mounted. Not doing so may cause the image stabilizer to act erratically.

Canon Telephoto L Lens Comparison

In the above comparison picture from left to right are the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM Lens, Canon EF 180mm f/3.5 L USM Lens, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens and Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens. The 180 and 70-200 have Wimberley P20 Lens Plates mounted on them.

Canon 300mm Lens Comparison Picture

The Canon EF 300 f/4 IS L Lens (above left) is noticeably smaller than the Canon EF 300 f/2.8 IS L Lens (above right). Both lenses have Wimberley Lens Plates attached to their tripod collars. The 300 f/2.8 is a far more expensive lens, but it delivers the ultimate in features and image quality.

The Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens is great for nature and wildlife photography. When paired with the Canon Extender EF 1.4x, this lens becomes a 420mm f/5.6 IS lens. On a 1.6x FOVCF body, this focal length will even reach into bird photography range. The 1.4x introduces some CA and barrel distortion. Wide open sharpness is also degraded somewhat - especially in full frame corners. Stopping down to f.8 results in a very sharp image - even in full frame corners. AF is slower when using extenders. The 300 f/4 IS is also compatible with the Canon Extender EF 2x II, but not everyone will be satisfied with the results of this combination - And non-1-Series Canon DSLR bodies do not autofocus with this combination.

Sports photography is another good use for this lens. Great AF and optical performance combined with a relatively long focal length and a reasonably wide aperture deliver what is needed to capture outdoor sports. Like many other lenses, this lens works well for portraits and landscape photos - 300mm compresses these subjects relative to other commonly-used-for-these-subjects focal lengths.

The Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens focuses down to a relatively close 4.9' (1.5m) for a .24x maximum magnification. This is not a 1:1 macro lens, but .24x is a nice magnification. Plants, flowers and butterflies make great subjects for this lens. Extension tubes extend the maximum magnification a small amount - to .30x and .37x for 12mm and 25mm tubes respectively. Better magnification will be delivered by the Canon 500D Close-up Lens.

Those considering the purchase or rental of the Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens will usually consider several other lenses as well. These include the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens (along with a Canon Extender EF 1.4x), Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens and Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens.

The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens in combination with the Canon Extender EF 1.4x delivers an extremely versatile package of quality and features, but the 300 f/4 IS has better image quality (sharpness - especially in the corners - and contrast) at f/4 than the 70-200 does at 280mm f/4. Stopping down to f/5.6 greatly improves the combo's image quality but this costs 1 stop. The 70-200 f/2.8 L IS is weather sealed - the 300 f/4 L IS is not. If you plan to primarily use 280mm or 300mm, the 300 f/4 IS gives you a lighter and less expensive package with better image quality. If you need 280mm only infrequently, then consider the 70-200 + 1.4 - or the Canon 100-400 L.

The Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens is another highly recommended lens that competently covers the 300mm focal length - and much more. At 300mm, the Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens has slightly better sharpness (especially in the corners), slightly less pincushion distortion, slightly higher maximum magnification and is lighter, less expensive - and possibly most significantly - is 1 stop faster. However, if you can live with 300mm f/5.6, the 100-400 L adds the great versatility of a wide focal length zoom range that includes 400mm. If 400mm is your goal, the 100-400 will give you better results than the 300 f/4 and 1.4x combo.

If 400mm is your goal, the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens is another option you should consider. This lens shares very similar build design with the Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens including the slide-out hood. By far (in my opinion of course) the biggest detraction from the 400 f/5.6 is the lack of IS. Handholding this focal length requires a relatively fast shutter speed - which requires light. The biggest advantage is that 400mm is native - which delivers better image quality including less CA, better contrast and less barrel distortion. AF remains at its fastest with no extender installed. The 400 f/5.6's minimum focus distance is a relatively long 11.5' (3.5m) giving it 1/2 as much native magnification (.12x) as the 300 f/4 IS without the 1.4x attached.

The 300 f/4 IS ships with a nice padded Canon LZ1128 case and the tripod collar shown in the pics above. Overall, this lens a a very good value. The Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens delivers great image quality and physical features for a relatively low price. If you need only 300mm (and 420mm available with the 1.4x) and f/4 is a wide enough aperture for you, look no farther.

Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens Sample Pictures ...

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More Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens Reviews & Information
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Photo.net Comparison
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