300mm F4L non IS versus IS

I have the option of purchasing a near mint Non IS 300mm F4L a a very reasonable price. I have read somewhere that the NonIS is the slightly sharper version.
Can anyone who has maybe owned or tried both confirm this.

Sorry I can't answer your question directly, but I own the 300 f/4 IS and it is as sharp wide open as my 135 f/2 wide open; which is to say, very sharp. I too have heard that the non-IS version is sharper. If it is, then wow!

I have the non-IS, but I've not tried the IS version.

Having said that, my non-IS is sharper than any other lens I've owned. It's sharper at any setting than the 70-200 f/4 IS (that everyone raves about), considerably sharper wide open (and still sharper stopped down) than the Sigma 100-300 f/4, sharper at any setting than the 80-200 f/2.8 L that I used to own. Colour/contrast is at least as good as any other lens I've owned, and the focussing is faster.

From what I've seen in reviews of the IS version, it's probably a little softer wide open than the non-IS.

gcogger wrote in post #3624202
I have the non-IS, but I've not tried the IS version.

Having said that, my non-IS is sharper than any other lens I've owned. It's sharper at any setting than the 70-200 f/4 IS (that everyone raves about), considerably sharper wide open (and still sharper stopped down) than the Sigma 100-300 f/4, sharper at any setting than the 80-200 f/2.8 L that I used to own. Colour/contrast is at least as good as any other lens I've owned, and the focussing is faster.

From what I've seen in reviews of the IS version, it's probably a little softer wide open than the non-IS.

I would like to know if you use your non IS lens hand held very often and, if so, how well it performs that way? I want to shoot some outdoor sports and wildlife. I prefer to use hand held. Do you find you have to use high ISO's and fast shutter speeds to compensate for body movement... even for still subjects? These are probably very basic questions but I'm relatively new to this and I'm still using my one and only lens... the 28-135mm IS USM kit lens and I'd like to upgrade to a telephoto. Most of the f2.8 telephoto's are just way too expensive so I'm focusing (no pun intended) the less expensive "L" lenses.

Thanks
Henry

HWP wrote in post #3624553
I would like to know if you use your non IS lens hand held very often and, if so, how well it performs that way? I want to shoot some outdoor sports and wildlife. I prefer to use hand held. Do you find you have to use high ISO's and fast shutter speeds to compensate for body movement... even for still subjects? These are probably very basic questions but I'm relatively new to this and I'm still using my one and only lens... the 28-135mm IS USM kit lens and I'd like to upgrade to a telephoto. Most of the f2.8 telephoto's are just way too expensive so I'm focusing (no pun intended) the less expensive "L" lenses.

Thanks
Henry

i use mine handheld all the time...in fact i chose this lens because it can be easily handheld.

here are some shots that you wouldn't have gotten with the non-IS unless you were using a tripod.

ed rader

f4, iso 1600, 1/100s......

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ed rader wrote in post #3625050
i use mine handheld all the time...in fact i chose this lens because it can be easily handheld.

here are some shots that you wouldn't have gotten with the non-IS unless you were using a tripod.

Thanks

Just to be clear though.. I was asking if the NON IS can be handheld. Are these shots taken with the NON IS?

BTW.. Great shots.

Henry

HWP wrote in post #3625126
Thanks

Just to be clear though.. I was asking if the NON IS can be handheld. Are these shots taken with the NON IS?

BTW.. Great shots.

Henry

sure these shots could have been taken with the non IS. i own the IS version. sorry i wasn't clear.

can you handhold a 300mm lens @ 1/100s?

i can't. these were taken with the IS....the first through plexi-glass .

ed rader

ed rader wrote in post #3625207
sure these shots could have been taken with the non IS. i own the IS version. sorry i wasn't clear.

can you handhold a 300mm lens @ 1/100s?

i can't. these were taken with the IS....the first through plexi-glass .

ed rader

No problem. I think this is just another reason for me to wait until i can spring for the IS version so thanks for that feedback. I probably wouldn't be happy with the NON IS version if I couldn't use it handheld for the majority of the time. It's only money...ha ha.

Your pic's are really sharp for ISO 1600.. I tried 1600 once with my 30D and 28 135mm kit lens and the pic was very grainy. Is that a function of a quality lens or the camera?

Thanks
Henry

HWP wrote in post #3625342
No problem. I think this is just another reason for me to wait until i can spring for the IS version so thanks for that feedback. I probably wouldn't be happy with the NON IS version if I couldn't use it handheld for the majority of the time. It's only money...ha ha.

Your pic's are really sharp for ISO 1600.. I tried 1600 once with my 30D and 28 135mm kit lens and the pic was very grainy. Is that a function of a quality lens or the camera?

Thanks
Henry

the 5d handles high ISOs very well....probably like iso 800 with your 30d. the lens matters too and getting the proper exposure the first time really helps.

but the 5d is mostly the reason.

here's one at 1/50s @ iso 1600, 200mm but with the 70-200L f4 IS which has a much superior IS unit.

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ed rader wrote in post #3625388
the 5d handles high ISOs very well....probably like iso 800 with your 30d. the lens matters too and getting the proper exposure the first time really helps.

but the 5d is mostly the reason.

here's one at 1/50s @ iso 1600, 200mm but with the 70-200L f4 IS which has a much superior IS unit.

my advice is the get the IS!

ed rader

That's an awsome shot! at 200mm you must have been pretty close to the bird.. Or am I underestimating the reach of a 200mm. I only have that 28-135mm kit lens i have.

Henry

JTFOTO...

Sorry for hi-jacking your thread. Hopefully this is good info for you as well. If not, just let me know and I'll start another thread for you

Henry

HWP wrote in post #3625419
JTFOTO...

Sorry for hi-jacking your thread. Hopefully this is good info for you as well. If not, just let me know and I'll start another thread for you

Henry

it's all good info. if you get the 300L f4 get the IS version. my copy is very comparable to my 70-200L f4 IS in sharpness tho i did have to get the lens recalibrated by canon.

i was very close to the eagle, which was in the northwest trek animal park in eatonville, WA .

ed rader

jtfoto wrote in post #3623548
I have the option of purchasing a near mint Non IS 300mm F4L a a very reasonable price. I have read somewhere that the NonIS is the slightly sharper version.
Can anyone who has maybe owned or tried both confirm this.

I've had two copies of each. The non-IS lens is sharper with a better IQ overall.
Obviously, if you do not steady the non-IS lens and/or have high shutter speed, it will not get you as good results.

Also, the non-IS lens has 2.5m MFD which is not nearly as good as 1.5m MFD of the IS version.

PetKal wrote in post #3625526
I've had two copies of each. The non-IS lens is sharper with a better IQ overall.
Obviously, if you do not steady the non-IS lens and/or have high shutter speed, it will not get you as good results.

Also, the non-IS lens has 2.5m MFD which is not nearly as good as 1.5m MFD of the IS version.

and shutter speed becomes even more critical when you add a TC and that's when you'll really appreciate IS.

ed rader

ed rader wrote in post #3625388
here's one at 1/50s @ iso 1600, 200mm but with the 70-200L f4 IS which has a much superior IS unit.

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my advice is the get the IS!


ed rader

Wow, at 1/50s that's a super ad for IS!