Everything about this lens is GREAT!

IS version not even close to the shapness of the non-is lens.

Having owned and used extensively as a professional wildlife/nature photographer I can say that the non-is version canon 300mm f/4 ef L usm telephoto lens is BY FAR much sharper than the IS version of this lens. It is just flat out a wildlife photographers dream come true telephoto lens! Using the canon eos-1V and canon eos-3 bodies allow me to get incredibly sharp photos with canon's 2x and 1.4x converters attached. Focus is still lightening fast and accurate. The IS lens version was happily sold. PERIOD! I always use a strong monopod but have used lens handheld when bracing against a tree or rock or other items in nature . Tripod is used alot of times when wildlife stay around for sometime. I have thousands of photos to back up what I have said. Thank you for reading this.

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600mm f/4 canon

Sharp! good af, works well with 1.4x converter

F/4, not IS

Very good lens. Much sharper than the IS 300.

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EF 300 f/4 IS L, EF 70-200 F/4 L

- As always super sharp, super contrast
- Light weight
- compact

Only weakneses are when compared to the EF300 F4 L IS USM.

-non IS (but if you want IS you'd buy that)
- Minimum focusing distance of 2.5M (1.5m on IS version)
-Big cumbersome hard case (IS has nice portable soft case)

Here is another fine piece of glass from Canon. On basic principles I don't think there another lens out there that can touch this one in it's class and as such I'll limit my comparisons between the non-IS and IS versions. Needless to say it is very light and of excellent build qulaity making it a good carry around lens the zoo outdoor sporting events and general tromping around the woods. Unfortunately this particular model (the non IS version) is no longer made by Canon. There has been some banter about the non IS version of the 300 F4 being sharper than the IS version. I now have both versions and I can categorically say that the non-IS version is significantly sharper under most condition with incredible contrast and CA correction. Having said that it may be too much sharpness and contrast. I have found that in high contrast situations with a digital SLR the images almost look unatural. Almost as though they had been shot against a chroma and the background inserted. This is probably not the lens' fault as it may just be me being used to dealing with lenses of a lesser calibur I crank the sharpness and contrast way up in the camera. I find the bokeh to be quit pleasinng though not as nice as some of the other 'L' lenses (eg: 70-200 F4 L) but still better than it's IS brother. Where the IS version starts to excel is in that it is IS. If you're like me and and can't hold a 20mm steady at high noon the IS is a must. This is the main reason I keep both versions of the lens. How useful is the IS. As a wise man once told me IS is wonderful for those of us that quake and shiver and for still or near still subjects. If you want to freeze the action IS won't do it, you need a fast shutter speed to do this. If you want freeze the subject and blur the abckground then IS can help but don't expect it to be perfect. The other big advantage of the IS version over the non is the minimum focsing distance. The IS version focuses down to 1.5 m which when coupled with 1.4X or 2X telconverters gives a decent macro lens. The lens lends itself very well to teleconverters. With the 1.4 X there is no appreciable loss of image quality. There is some loss witht he 2 X but keep in mind both of my TC are version one units. I have not had a chance to use tghe version II units as yet .The non IS version will only focus down to 2.5m. Not a huge difference and if you want a macro you should be using a macro lens.. Right? The lens hood is built in and I have never had any problems with flare as long as I'm using it. The tripod mount was included with the lens as was a hard case. The tripod mount is compatible with the Ef 200 F2.8 USM L II, Ef 70-200 F4L just in case you have one of these as well which do not include a tripod mount. It comes to this.. if you want a light weight 300mm lens that's has been said to rival the 300 f2.8 (see Fred Miranda) then this lens is for you bar none. If you fell you need the optical shock absorber and can sacrific some sharpness then the 300 F4 L USM IS is the lens for you. The non IS version is getting tougher and tougher to find because like myself people are buying both versions and not blithly giving up their old non IS versions. Heck I ended up paying $1300 CDN for a used 300 f4 L USM and only $79 more for my brand new IS version.

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Canon 300mm F4 L IS USM
Canon 300mm F2.8 L IS USM
Nikon 300mm IF ED AF-S F2.8

Sharp, very sharp, built in hood. Sharper than the IS version by 3 elements

All lens could be faster

This is a very sharp lens up front. The Bokeh is similar to silk and the colors are very rich. The built in hood is very handy and I find the lens not to big to carry. I use it normally on a monopod for sports and when the shot is right it's up there with the best lenses in the world.

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300L 2.8 400 5.6

Sharpness is EXCELLENT. Build quality is EXCELLENT. USM is EXCELLENT.

Nothing at all -- every thing is EXCELLENT on this lens.

THIS LENS IS EXCELLENT! NO REGRETS HERE AT ALL! I use this lens in Louisiana photographing birds. I find this lens extremely sharp even wide open f/4. A wonderful lens. I always use a tripod so I don't care for Image stabilizatiion. I plan to purchase a 1.4x-extender soon and am excited about this combination.

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EF 70-200mm L f/4, EF-20mm, EF-24mm Shift, EF-35mm f/2, EF-45mm Shift, EF-90mm Shift.

Sharp, light, fast focus (I've used it on Eos 3 and 5). Very pleasant to use. Absolute bargain at the s/h price I paid.

None, really. f2.8 would be nice to isolate subjects more and for faster shutter - but the truth is it would stay in the car most of the time because of the weight.

The 300mm f4L is a superb lens for the money - for nature or landscape hiking it pairs with the excellent 70-200 f4L zoom and both accept the 1.4x and 2x converters, adding further to their flexibility. These two lenses are unbeatable for value-for-money in the 'L' series, especially if bought second-hand. With the 1.4x converter the 300mm f4L gives a 420mm f5.6 which is every bit as sharp and easy to use as the prime 400mm f5.6. In fact, you will find it difficult to push the top end of your lens range beyond this as Canon's longer/faster 'L' telephotos are really expensive and the consumer zooms are very poor... Don't bother with IS either as you just pay more for lower optical performance. Follow the good advice others give on this - use a tripod with a non-IS lens to get the best performance and save money.

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In Canon: 135mm f2L (superb), 200mm f2.8L and 70-200mm f4L zoom. Pentax to 300mm and Leica to 80-200mm.

- relatively lightweight (about 1.250 g) - built-in extendable hood - 90% sharpness at f4.0 - full image quality at f5.0 - very fast AF - nicely combines with the 1.4x converter

- white color appears obstrusive for portraying friends - shade slips back if you try to portrait the man in the moon ;-)

When I saw this lens in Ebay I coudn´t resist and purchase this L-glass. The reason for taking this lens despite the lack of image stabilization came from the Photodo results which put this lens just into the same league than the brighter Pro-Supertele lenses. My first personal results were indeed breathtaking: Sharpness, contrast, neutral colors, lack of distorsion or vignetting were all very good. One exception: From the Photodo results I understood that sharpness should be identical wide open as well as at f8. My 300/4.0 L USM is very crisp at f4.0 over the mid 75% of the image area and exhibits a slight falloff towards the corners. This slight falloff is completely abolished at f5.0. Stopping down to f8 does not result in additional sharpness or contrast. For portraits with blurred background this lens is simply perfect. In my eyes the 300/2.8 at f2.8 would result in a too shallow DOF for my personal photographing purposes. Even with the 300/4.0 it makes a clear difference to focus on the nose or the eyes of a person which is about 5 meters away.

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EF 135/2.0 L USM FD 70-210/4.0

image quality is excellent, sharp and contrasty, light weight, they are now available used very cheap!

can''t be used for stroking technolgy ego as it has no IS 8^)

The EF 300 4L is a great lens! Has better contrast than the EF 300 4L IS and appears sharper too. Moderately fast lens speed means light weight, excellent sharpness and excellent contrast make this a perfect lens for any sports shooter who shoots in daylight or has a trigger for the stadium''s flash system. The EF 300 4L is also great for a landscape or nature shooter who wants a longer lens but doesn''t need to fill the frame with small animals, like birds. The EF 300 4L lens is versatle, add an EF 1.4X and get a 420mm f/5.6 lens that is still excellent optically and retains full AF operation. Great deal used now that people think they need the IS version. I say learn how to use your gear better, use a monopod or tripod.

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CPS is the BEST!

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Canon EF 70-200 2.8L, EF 200 1.8L, EF 200 2.8L, EF 300 4L IS, EF 300 2.8L, EF 400 5.6L, EF 400 2.8L

Ultra sharp, quiet, very useful focal length. Very solid tripod mount.

Heavy and bulky, but not much more so than other "premium" lenses. The sliding lens hood drives me nuts, but I keep a rubber band (!!) handy to keep it in place. Not as fast (f4) as some lenses.

This is a very sharp lens with quick, quiet focusing. It is heavy but can be handheld if necessary. I rarely use it without a tripod. If I am going very far, I will generally ask myself if I really think I am going to be needing it, because of the extra weight - and sometimes miss a certain shot as a result. Works very well with canon teleconverters.
Unless you absolutely need the extra speed, this is is great way to go on a budget.

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Canon 100-300

Excellent focal length
Great value for the money
Built-in lens hood
L lens quality
Magnesium(?) body construction

Slower than the 300/2.8 (but it's also 1/4 the price)

An excellent lens for the price. It is sharp, contrasty, and durable, everything you want out of a pro telephoto. I do sort of wish I got the IS version (I ruled it out because of lowered quality due to the extra elements). I am able to get acceptably sharp pictures at 1/75s with my arms braced against something. For almost everything, except indoor sports, this 300/f4 will make you proud.

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