Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsCanon 300mm F/2.8L IS II USM = Optical Perfection!
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2016
This is my review of the Canon EF 300mm F/2.8L IS II USM. This lens is considered Canon's latest premiere telephoto lens released in August 2011.
BUILD QUALITY
The 300mm F/2.8 is a fixed focal length telephoto lens that provides higher magnification for long distance photography. This lens is made out of extremely solid and quality magnesium and titanium materials that is both water and dust-resistant. (Use common sense and don’t submerge in dirt nor water) The glass itself is made out of the most advanced fluoride materials to increase sharpness of image quality and eliminate any chromatic aberrations (green and purple lines along subject or object lines in images). Weighing in at a little over 5 pounds, this lens is built like a tank and there is absolutely no compromise about the sturdiness, the structure, and the materials used to design this lens. This is a telephoto lens and is meant for long-range sports, photojournalism, wildlife, and other events where the photographer is unable to get up close to the subject. The 300mm F/2.8 is the ideal telephoto lens that allows the photographer to hand hold with a camera without excessive strain on arms and hands. Any other lens with higher focal lengths will weigh too much and will most likely require a tripod or monopod.
FUNCTIONALITY
The 300mm F/2.8 uses the most advanced lens technology in the world. This lens provides the following functionalities: extremely fast autofocusing system, three modes of image stabilization, focus preset modes, wide 2.8 aperture (allows more light in lens for cleaner images in low light environments), and has a very quiet ultrasonic motor.
REAL LIFE TESTING
So how does this lens really work in the real world. I can honestly say that using the 300mm F/2.8 is a blast to use and it is fun to work with. Image quality with the use of this lens is extremely razor sharp and that is no exaggeration. If you use an image editing software to view and develop pictures. You will immediately notice the difference between this lens and other less non-professional lenses. It is simple to use this lens while providing profound results with numerous technological advances working in the background while shooting.
For such a fairly big lens, it would have been nice if this lens allowed variable zoom the EF 70-200 mm F/2.8L IS II USM. However, I'm okay with a fixed focal length of 300mm because it provides a sweet spot for telephoto lens photography. For example, at a basketball game, if I was a shoot with the 70-200mm at the further end of the court, it would be difficult to get a good clean shot at 200mm max. A 400mm lens would provide or produce too much focal length at your subject at the other end of the court. 300mm provides the most balanced and right focal length for many common sports, photojournalist and wildlife events. In addition, this telephoto lens allows the photographer to increase the lens focal length to 420mm with a 1.4x tele converter and 600 millimeters with a 2.0x tele converter on a full frame camera. If you have a more common APS - C DSLR camera, you can increase the focal length of a 300mm F/2.8 to 672mm with a 1.4x tele converter and 960mm with a 2.0x tele converter respectively.
Since this lens is light enough to hand hold while shooting, I always shoot without the tripod collar on because I find that it is obstructing and distracting to my hands. Unless there's a lot of sun outside or rain I also do not use the lens hood; I like the weight of this lens but I don't like my lens to look too long because the hood itself provides an additional 5 & 1/2 inches of length. It's also very cool that this lens has two side hooks that you can attach a strap to and place over your shoulders so that it's easy to walk around with without actually holding it in your hands when not in use. The value of this lens is so high that depreciation can be minimal after many years of use in mint condition.
In summary, the Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM is the most professional telephoto lens that is close to optical image quality perfection. It provides the best balance based on high quality construction, advanced lens technology, weight and long distance shooting. Any lens longer than this just weighs too much, and a less professional version does not provide enough light and sharp glass.
