Very nice!
Shows off the panning IS (and/or your own ability to track the thing...)
waht i do normally pan it for the first few laps without taking the shot compensate speed and apature (manual mode) then the next lap snap it & spot on...
Somebody please, please, please stop me from pulling the trigger on this lens. I admit I have a bad case of Gear Acquisition Syndrome and I really want this one. Actually, I want the 300/2.8L IS but at $4000+ and nearly 6 pounds of weight, I can't really do that. Ironically, it also happens to be one of the reasons why I haven't bought the 300/4L IS, since in my mind I'm saying "well, if you buy the f/4, that's just about 1/4th the cost of the f/2.8 and that's really the one you want...."
Yeah. I am a sick, sick man. Don't get too close, or else you too may be infected.
Why do I want the 300/4?
- I often find myself without enough reach on my 70-200/2.8L IS.
- I can shoot 420/5.6 at a reasonably affordable price.
- I think lens prices are going to continue to rise.
- I don't think this lens will see an update for at least another 4-5 years.
- I love to shoot wildlife and street.
- It has much smaller MFD, enabling almost 1:4 magnification, which @ 300mm is freaking amazing. Unparalleled.
Why do I want to hold off?
- Because I could buy the 300/2.8L IS instead. Sick, I know.
- I need to save money and I've already spent obscene amounts on gear.
- I'm not earning any income from photography. If this changed somehow, I would be ALL OVER IT BABY.
- Did I mention the 300/2.8L IS already? Excuse me while I wipe the drool from my mouth.
Please help me. I'm begging you.
You are in good company! I havean advancedcase of G.A.S.Originally Posted by wickerprints
Me too...and me too :-(
You make some great points, especially for the purchase of the 300 f/4. It's an outstanding lens. If you REALLY think that you'll eventually buy the 300 f/2.8 then maybe it would be better to just continue to save. Remember though, L glass has unheard of value retention. You could buy the f/4 and sell it if you decided that you absolutely needed the f/2.8. You would probably only take a 10% or 15% hit after resale. Other than what I have already said, my only other advice would be not to EVER rent the 300 f/2.8 because I'm sure it would be impossible to not want to buy it then!!!
There is no known cure! Started with a 30D and 28-135 kit lens, sold the 28-135 and got a 100-400. Sold the 100-400 and got a the 300 f/4 IS. Also got along the way, 17-40, 70-200 f4 IS (great glass!), 200 2.8 (also killerglass), 5D (super IQ wit all this glass), getting a 35 f/1.4 for Christmas, a 135 f/2 (for birthday in Feb.), No Known Cure. Learn to live with it! Maybe a 1Ds MkIII now that the MkIV is here.
JeffersonPoster
Okay you guys, not exactly helping me out here... At this rate, I think it's terminal. LOL [:P]
Here's what happened today. I've been practicing shooting hummingbirds in my backyard for months now, off and on. I was using the 70-200/2.8L IS, but the problem was I couldn't get close enough, or I didn't have the range. Now that I got my flash off-camera thanks to the PocketWizards, I have been at it some more. They continue to be skittish around me and I feel like I could definitely get some nice images with the 300/4L IS.
In the meantime, I thought why not slap on the 100/2.8L macro IS if the MFD is the issue here. I was very doubtful that I could be let so close to these guys. I hung my feeder right outside the patio door and used my umbrella as a sort of makeshift blind. My lens was positioned about a foot away from the feeder. And guess what I got:
5D Mark II, 100/2.8L macro IS @ 100mm @ f/7.1 @ 1/40s @ ISO 320, ETTL flash on PW, 100% crop:
[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.30.26/IMG_5F00_0022c.JPG[/img]
I could NOT have done this with the 70-200/2.8. No way. Not only would it not have been this sharp, it wouldn't be this big. And now my mind is thinking, "imagine what I could do with the 300/4L IS + 1.4x TC...."
And not too long ago I went to the zoo and got a shot of this sparkling violetear:
5D Mark II + 70-200/2.8L IS @ 200mm @ f/4 @ 1/50s @ ISO 320, 25% crop:
[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.30.26/IMG_5F00_0242.JPG[/img]
And it absolutely *kills* me to know that I wasted a lot of pixels because I could not get close enough, and that I was literally cantilevered over the railing, hands shaking, to get as close as I could. And so the image is soft. If I had the 300/4L IS, I could have done a much, much better job. You have to understand. I NEVER expected to develop an obsession with photographing hummingbirds, of all things. I bought this camera to take photos of people, not wildlife. And yet, I have found wildlife (and macro) so much more rewarding and comfortable than portraiture that I am starting to wonder if I would be more successful shooting animals than people.
So tell me, am I crazy for wanting to spend another $1200 on a lens, without having any expectation that I can earn something back for it? Am I unworthy of this lens?
Wow! Talk about detail!! My only critique is that I find the catchlight a little distracting. I find that bird's eyes don't reach as well to flash as other animals but that may just be me :-)
There are few things that I don't enjoy shooting. It's really exciting though when you find that "one" thing that really inspires you though.
I don't think this is the right way to look at it. If you were a pro and your money maker was studio portraiture then it probably would not make business sense "to spend another $1200 on a lens, without having any expectation that I can earn something back for it". I think a better way to look at it is, "is it worth $1200 to me to purchase a tool that will further enhance my art and allow me to take photos that I could not take otherwise?"
Call it what you want, a hobby, passion, job, etc. For those of us who don't pay the bills with our photographs we do it because we love it (not that you pros don't love it too!). It's hard to put a price on the things we love. Some people have extravagent home theater systems. Some people have fast cars. Some people don't buy their clothes at Target [:P]. We invest in photography gear. If nothing else, you will always have a support system here (enablers!) to help you make these decisions :-)
wickerprints, this is an outstanding shot. (you could always photoshop out the catchlight, of course).
Would you be willing to post a shot of your makeshift blind set up? This really sounds intriguing and inspirational.
And, show the position to the feeder, too.
Thanks!
Okay, I can't take it any more!!!!! There are limits to my willpower. Dropped coin on the 300/4L IS. *shakes head*
I'll try to show off my setup when I get around to shooting more of these guys. Bear in mind, it's nothing fancy. Just hang the feeder on the awning just outside the doorway, let the hummingbirds get used to its location. Hang it low so that you can sit down. Get the camera + tripod super close, put the umbrella and OCF to the side, blocking most of your body. Then sit and wait. As soon as they fly by, bring your hand up to the camera and shoot.
Now I'm hearing rumors of an EF 70-200/2.8L IS Mark II...this makes me want to sell my 6 month-old Mark I and spend even *more* money. Help. Please. This is TERRIBLE.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote