300 2.8 vs. 400 2.8.

canonnoob wrote in post #11772938
sorry not all of us desire to stop down in order to get everything in focus. just saying.

Didn't say you did.

Keep the 300. As you already know, it is a wonderful and versatile lens. Keep your eyes open for trade in deals on the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens when the pros trade for the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens.

When you are doing the college/pro work or when you are doing baseball, there is just no matching the reach and legendary bokeh of the 400. An added benefit of the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens is that there is still factory support for it. The 400 takes a 1.4 TC very well for those times when you need a lot of reach and still want a fast focus to track athletes. My experience with a 2.0 TC is that too much is lost in sharpness and focus/tracking. The new TCs (the III versions) and the "II" version of the 400 may change my opinion.

It's a whale of a wallop to the wallet but there are times when the 300 is a better choice than the 400 and vice versa. Having both is pretty sweet.

Thanks Phil, I think that is confirming my choice in waiting until the new ones come out and see how that affects the prices of the 400 IS.

Thanks for the opinion.

canonnoob wrote in post #11772844
Heres where I stand:

the 300 can sell anywhere from 3600-3900. I can easily pick up a used 400 2.8 II for less and have cash left over.

I can sell the 300 and put about an extra 2k into a 400 IS.

or I can swing the money for the 400 mk II and keep the 300.

Dave.. I can count the times on one hand I pulled the 300 out last year.

patrickf117 wrote in post #11772831
get the 800 and be done with it.

Too long unless you want to shoot body parts only and too slow unless you strobe the player.

At that focal length dof is still pretty thin.

I also found the 300mm IS a bit too short for soccer/baseball that I just slapped on a body like a 7D instead of a 1D body. If you shoot at night in a field with less than 1400 lux of light you may start going to "H" and slowing down the shutter to get exposure.

liam5100 wrote in post #11774837
Dave.. I can count the times on one hand I pulled the 300 out last year.

Bill, you also shoot much less high school stuff than I do though. Correct? I mean, the high school market is where I make my living. lol

liam5100 wrote in post #11774837
Dave.. I can count the times on one hand I pulled the 300 out last year.

Same here, once I got the 400 the 300 never got used anymore so it was sold. There have been a few times I wish I still had it but for the most part no regrets about selling it.

Also Dave I think the new 400 IS II will be so expensive it could possibly even help the value of my IS. No one will know until they are out and see what the market does.

As Phil said the problem with the Series II is getting it worked on if needed, it could turn into an expensive door stop.

Sledhed wrote in post #11775884
Same here, once I got the 400 the 300 never got used anymore so it was sold. There have been a few times I wish I still had it but for the most part no regrets about selling it.

Also Dave I think the new 400 IS II will be so expensive it could possibly even help the value of my IS. No one will know until they are out and see what the market does.

As Phil said the problem with the Series II is getting it worked on if needed, it could turn into an expensive door stop.

That is true. I have heard good things about midstatecamera and such doing repairs, so that was not on my main list of worries. I would probably go with the IS assuming the prices dropped some. 7k is a bit much for me right now.

No one knows what is going to happen to the value after the new ones come out.

Dave, I am glad you posted this thread, as I am also trying to decide between a 300 and 400, not the II versions, but the IS models. How long do you think Canon will continue to service the lenses once the II's are out?

ha. dont ask me... i dont know what the normal cycle is for discontinued lenses.

I have an EF 400 f/2.8L IS and am borrowing an EF 300 f/2.8L IS for basketball season...I'll tell you what: I used the 300 for a few games, and the IQ was a level below the 400, despite being better for framing than the 400 (the 400 on a 1.3X body is pretty tight for NBA and even NCAA sized players). So, I've gone back to using the 400 for shooting down-court action...I really WANTED the 300 to work since the field of view was more appropriate for hoops, but the decrease in IQ make it a non-starter for me.

dmwierz wrote in post #11776099
I have an EF 400 f/2.8L IS and am borrowing an EF 300 f/2.8L IS for basketball season...I'll tell you what: I used the 300 for a few games, and the IQ was a level below the 400, despite being better for framing than the 400 (the 400 on a 1.3X body is pretty tight for NBA and even NCAA sized players). So, I've gone back to using the 400 for shooting down-court action...I really WANTED the 300 to work since the field of view was more appropriate for hoops, but the decrease in IQ make it a non-starter for me.

When using the 300mm IS where do you position yourself for basketball? Near the rafters?

dolina wrote in post #11776119
When using the 300mm IS where do you position yourself for basketball? Near the rafters?

Nope, just on the baseline. Below is an example of the field of view resulting from a 400 and a 300...the 300 is the wider shot (Noah and Howard). Both shot with a MkIIn (1.3X crop body).

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Not sure if this is any help, Adorama has both lens listed not in stock but you can pre-order them
the 300mm is $7,000 and the 400mm is $11,000 and not sure if this will be the actual cost when they are released.. if that is the cost does anyone of you think that Canon is pricing themselves out of a market.. at some point people and business will stop paying that much of a mark up for next gen lens.

just a thought.

Thank you.... someone in the same delema as me only reversed...I have a 400mm 2.8 actually a mk I and love it... I am dreading the $6k - $10k I am going to drop for new bodies... I actually thought about selling my 400 and getting a 300 and going to 2 7D bodies w/ grips... the problem is I have turned into a 1 series snob... is there a support group for this problem or an armored truck I can hi-jack?