Who Chose the 300 f4 over the 100-400 for Birding and Why?

petebuster wrote:

Okapi001 wrote:

petebuster wrote:

just putting other options forward for those who think it's a ridicoulusly high price

The price is so high that you have to wait in line for a couple of month to get the lens

So 2k suddenly becomes cheap because you have to wait??? Very logical, a line of pros no doubt where cost doesn't come into it

2k is still 2k but the fact that they are selling faster then supply can keep up says that you are in a minority when it comes to thinking they are to expensive.  I highly doubt that it is Pros buying up all the 300mm ƒ4.0 lenses as there are not many working Pro photographs using µ4/3.  That buying is coming from the 1000's of amateurs who look at the Olympus 300mm as a small and light way of getting 600mm of effective reach.  It is way lighter and smaller then a 400mm or 600mm lens and much cheaper.  I run across 20 normal people every time I go to my favorite state park for gator photography who are out taking photos with more expensive gear then an EM1 and 300/4.  On Facebook the Birds of Texas group has 23,042 members and at least 1/2 of them are serious amateur bird photographers who spend $1,000's on their gear.  Being one of the few µ4/3 users in the group I have been fielding a lot of questions about the system and lenses as more hear about the 300mm ƒ4.0.  There are a lot of older members who currently shoot older full frame Canon/Nikons with 500/600/800mm lenses looking to down size as they get older and can't or don't want to lug that stuff around anymore.  They could sell a 600mm lens and but several 300/4's and EM1's to attach them to.

Just because you can't afford the 300/4 does not mean there are not 100000000000 out there who can and obviously are considering the wait time on them.