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

sdw1 wrote:

Phocal wrote:

sdw1 wrote:

Phocal wrote:

sdw1 wrote:

Phocal wrote:

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.

That's interesting to know Phocal - that questions are coming in about m43 equipment and the 300 (I assume the 100-400 too). I've wanted a lens that could get out beyond the 600mm range since using a 100-300 and 75-300 II and now we have two choices. That the price is higher than other m43 lenses doesn't bother me.

Pete buster's comments were meant to offer an alternative. But, if I switched to Nikon just to get the Nikkor 300 PF it would be even more expensive because I'd have to get another body and other things as well.

My wife and I both use Oly right now, enjoy the system, share our learning experiences, and we're not likely to add another system at this point. Especially her - she loves the Olympus lenses we have.

It's all good here.

Doc

The addition of those two lenses has really peaked the interest in the wildlife photography area. I actually get asked more about what I think about the 300/4 then the 100-400. When I am at the state parks shooting I got asked a lot of question about what I am using (currently the 150/2 with both TC's). I think the 300/4 will bring a lot of new people over to µ4/3 because of the IQ it has as well as the effective reach in what really is a small package (considering your other choices would be a 400/4 or 600/4 depending on sensor size).

I was hoping good things for Olympus with the 300/4 and based on how hard they are to get right now it looks like that has come to fruition. If the EM1mk2 is what they are saying it will be, I expect the 300/4 to be even harder to get after the mk2 is released. I know a few people in my Texas Bird Group are waiting to see what the mk2 brings to the table and if they like what Olympus has done fully intend to buy an EM1 and 300/4 as their main birding lens. I am also waiting to see what the mk2 brings before I drop any more cash on lenses. If it as they say I will get one, if not I will probably get a D500 and their 200-400 ƒ4.0. Honestly I want to stay with Olympus because I do value the smaller size for my shooting style.

We haven't yet gone out to shoot with other birders - and have seen few in our area - possibly because we are out so early and late - and possibly because one of the places we frequent the most is the Accotink Bay area of Fort Belvoir, VA. (have to have I.D. access to get on post). The marsh area has trails, on-land and in-water blinds, is full of waterfowl, including eagles and osprey and the distances to subjects can be quite long. Kayaks are a great way to get closer to shore and access the in-water blinds. The majority of the time 420mm is not nearly enough - making the 840mm possible with the 300 very desirable.

Have not spent much time on the East coast but seems like a great place to have access to (retired Navy so I would be able to get in I love shooting from my kayak and do a lot of it, great way to get closer to wildlife and makes hauling a bunch of gear a lot easier. It's also one of the reasons I have to have weather sealed gear. Typically paddle around with my camera sitting between my legs getting water splashed over it all day long (if it had skin it would be all wrinkly like me after a day on the water). While I am very interested in the 300/4, not sure how much I would use it with the TC. I already use my 150/2 with the 2x TC and stop it down to ƒ5.6 for more sharpness when I can but typically find that I am raising ISO unless it's bright. The nice thing is I can stop down to ƒ4.0 and still get amazingly sharp photos, with the 300/4 and TC I would be stuck at ƒ5.6. For reference I mostly shoot in the swamps here in Texas, so even on bright sunny days it can be pretty dark up under all the trees and stuff.

You'd probably like Fort Belvoir. Very quiet there. Few photographers and lots of varied terrain, space, and wildlife; eagles, osprey, heron, egrets, gulls, ducks, etc. and beaver, deer, woodchucks, and the random big red crawdad, and more.

Adjacent to where we shoot there's a recreation center that rents kayaks and canoes - and the launch point is 50' from the rack they're stashed on. They are open most of the year.

If you make it up here sometime - I'll hook you up. I'm retired Army - and we'd probably have a hoot. I know the area well. 15 miles of hiking trails on post and a half dozen unoccupied blinds.

When I make it to that side of the states I will take you up on that.  I love when they put stuff like this on bases.  The military owns some very good property around the country and it's nice that they go to lengths like that for the environment and for military personal.

Yep - gotta have weather sealing for the same reasons as you. No matter how hard I try the gear still gets wet sometimes - and I like to shoot in the rain as well.

Understand perfectly, especially the shooting in the rain.

I can see why the 150/2 and TC is a good combination in your situation and you've probably had it for awhile and really know how to use it - making switching to something else not such a want-need.

IQ wise I don't think there is much difference between the 150/2 with EC-20.  The biggest difference really is the focus speed and better IS (which neither are a big priority for my wildlife shooting).  I actually think the 300/4 is lighter then the 150/2 but even after getting it I will still take the 150/2 with me so it will actually increase the weight I take in with me.

When using the 75-300 II even 600mm was too short many times. And, I shot it backed off to 282mm to mitigate softness at the long end. But, what the area and that lens did do was allow me to start practicing tracking with the EE-1 dot sight - which is great fun. It really works. And, at the same time I continued to practice without it and keep both eyes open - right eye dominant looking through the EVF, left eye capturing fuller field of view. That works for me too - and is a useful skill to have when in a pinch. We think, in the shooting areas we've been in and the style we use that the 300 is fine; meaning not a problem that it is not a zoom.

I started shooting rifles at a very very young age and the first thing my dad taught me was to keep my left eye open so I could see where my target went after I hit it (target as in deer or bird or rabbit etc). I shoot like that with my camera and find it very helpful for following moving things.

Same here. Started with a .22 Marlin - but, because of being a Vietnam tank commander got into some big stuff - was a Sheridan commander for a time. Many humorous stories.

OH.....big guns.......I have always been fascinated with tanks.  As a kid I read every book I could find about WWII and was so fascinated by stories of Rommel in Africa.

I sure wish I had had the pleasure of being around other birders, because it might have sped up the learning process for my wife and I. I'll have to look into finding clubs nearby. Nevertheless, through sustained trial and error, and reading on this forum and elsewhere, we've progressed.

There are several rookeries near me that have great viewing platforms to set up on. They get crowded and if you want a good spot you have to arrive 1 to 1 1/2 hours before sunrise. Does give you a good chance to talk with other photographs about gear and technique. What is funny is I will go one weekend and talk to someone who is shooting a full frame camera with a 600mm lens and you can tell they have this attitude about my smaller gear. Then they see my photos on the Texas Birding Group and a few weekends later when we see each other at the rookery they are all full of questions. It's amazing how showing the pictures that come out of the camera can really change a persons mind about the smaller format.

That's been the case with many I see - that the results get people thinking. Its what happened with us. Our first m43 was a G2 followed by GH2s, a GH4 and now EM5 IIs... ...and the lenses? Long progression. Currently have 12-40s, 40-150 Pros, and a 25/1.8. More to come - but the budget has to work. Its all a "moving target" huh?

I know all to well about that.

It is very interesting to us to read your experiences with other birders in Texas. If you have been getting more questions about the 300 than the 100-400 then that says something. I've done enough birding to know that reach, sharpness, speed, smaller size and weight, stabilization at long telephoto reach, rugged build, and weather sealing are what we need.

I think the main reason I get more questions about the 300 is because people don't like the slower apertures of the 100-400. It's the reason I am not considering it, plus I really prefer a prime for wildlife photography.

That's what I'm thinking too - have seen the need for speed in a variety of types of shooting... ...and absolutely like where we are now - just need a longer lens. Love the great outdoors - and am using the 40-150 and MC-14 in lieu of the 75-300 II - sold to bump savings for probably a 300 F4.

I am about to sell off a bunch of lenses I no longer use and the 75-300 is one of them (but I keep thinking it may come in handy and is why I have not sold it yet).  I replaced the 75-300 with the 50-200 + EC-14 when I got my EM1 then a year later replaced that with the 150/2.  Still use the 50-200 for sports, but for wildlife I only use the 150/2.

The D500 sounds amazing. But for now switching systems to accommodate two photographers (wife and I) just isn't possible - making acquiring one 300 F4 actually cheaper to us.

The D500 was a game changer, before that the only camera I even considered to replace my EM1 was the D4 and I really don't want full frame (mostly because I need a 600mm lens to get 600mm of reach and those things are just huge). The problem with Nikon is their 200-500 ƒ5.6 is not weather sealed (which is a must have for me) and it would be the perfect the lens for me. The only lens they have that I would really want to pair it with is the 200-400 ƒ4.0 and that is getting into the realm of to big for my style of shooting. Canon has a 400mm ƒ4.0 and I have yet to figure out why Nikon does not. On APSC the perfect lens for me would be a 400mm ƒ4.0 because it is a good compromise on reach/speed/size.

Frustrating sometimes isn't it? There's just no perfect combination. But, we'll all keep searching!

No there is not but the EM1 w/ either the pro lenses or the old 4/3 SHG lenses are as close to perfect for me and my shooting style.

We are waiting to see what the EM1 II will be like as well. That , and a 300, could be the trick!

Thanks for your post,

Doc