Once in a while I run across equipment that offers me more flexibility when traveling. I am always looking for smaller and lighter.  Less weight and less space are important.

For a photographer, having a means to view and save digital photographs while in the field is important.  I have used a Vosonic VP8360 unit for viewing and saving photographs on it’s 120GB hard drive, but I have been disappointed with the resolution on it’s tiny screen, although Vosonic has not let me down ever; it’s a great company with wonderful personalized support.

Recently, while visiting CompUSA, I saw an Acer Aspire One laptop.  I was attracted to the device because of it’s size.  It measures 9.8 X 6.7 X 1.14 inches and weighs 2.19 pounds.

It has a terrific LCD high resolution screen with 1024 X 600 pixel resolution.

Moreover, I was impressed with it’s price.  I paid $380 for the 160GB model.

I was amazed at what the little device can do.  First there is WIFI built in, meaning that I can connect to the Internet wirelessly.  Second, it has three USB ports, and more importantly two card slots that read SD card media including SDHC.  So, with no adapter, I can offload photos taken on SD cards directly to the hard drive.  And, with my external 120GB drive I have more than enough space to keep two copies of all my shots over a month long period or more.

Important too is how well it is made, it must be reasonably rugged.  I have found the Aspire One to be a quality product, equal in all respects to machines costing hundreds of dollars more.

It took me about two hours to set up the machine the way I like.  I have loaded Firefox and Thunderbird, added software to sync with my Nokia E71 Cellphone, installed a bluetooth adapter so I can use a bluetooth mouse, and then installed Irfanview, wonderful free software that will allow me to review shots I have made, including RAW files.  I don’t expect to be doing any major Photoshop work while traveling so I have not loaded the software.  What I have is a great device for storing my photos while on the go, a device with a high resolution screen for viewing photos, a device that will allow me to tether to my E71 when I am not near a wifi connection, and connectivity to a hotspot for surfing the web or reading email on the go.

It has a lot more stuff, but the items I have mentioned are the ones I will use constantly.

Including from time to time adding entries to my blog while on the road.

But what I like most is it’s size.  Less is better.

Setup was painless for a Windows machine.  I’m a Mac user and I expected lots of difficulties configuring the PC Home software, but I have to admit, it went smoothly.

So, now I have a small and easy-to-tote laptop that will help me out on the road.  And all for less than $400!  And the good news is that it will fit quite nicely in my LowePro Mini Trekker AW camera backpack!

]]> http://www.phototravelreview.com/gear-review-acer-aspire-one-laptop/feed/ 0 http://www.phototravelreview.com/apex-bean-bag-review/ http://www.phototravelreview.com/apex-bean-bag-review/#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 13:11:12 +0000 Bill http://www.phototravelreview.com/?p=2234 Continue reading →]]> By Bill

From time to time, my friends at Essential Photo Gear send me stuff to evaluate. Two weeks ago they sent me the Apex Bean Bag, a new product designed in large part by Chas Glatzer, master photographer and well-known columnist and photo tour operator.

I have made two trips to Africa, once in Tanzania where I had personal guide and driver, and the other to South Africa where I did all the driving myself. One of the biggest issues I faced on both trips was how to support my camera and telephoto lens when doing wildlife shots.

Good solid support of a long telephoto lens is absolutely necessary. And when one cannot use a tripod, the choice among most photographers has been to use a bean bag.

Photo Courtesy of Travis Peltz

Well, this bean bag is different in many respects from what I have used in the past.

First is its shape. Made like a horseshoe, the bag fits neatly over a vehicle door frame. And I must mention something here that is very important. Yes there are all kind of window mount alternatives. I own one, the Ergorest Multi-tripod, but the problem is that the mounts require you to roll up the window to fit the mechanism in place, that means that critical “headroom” for your tripod mount is lost and it means that the camera is often too high to use effectively. This is one reason that I love the design of this bag, the photographers who designed it have encountered the same issues I have.

And, as you can see in the photograph, that is one more large lens! Yet the bag supports it perfectly.

I often use a bean bag while doing photography in Florida. There are many areas where shooting from a vehicle is a distinct advantage as wildlife tends to pay no attention to a truck or car. And, almost always, I am either shooting early in the morning or late at night which means I need a really really solid support for my camera as it is likely that I am shooting at less then 1/50. As in the photograph that follows.

The Bald Eagle simply ignored me as I took shot after shot, all from my SUV window.

What I would have given five years ago to have had the Apex Bean Bag! It would have made a significant difference in my photography for years. So I am glad to see that the folks at Essential Photo Gear have introduced the bag and made it available to folks like me.

Not all photography is done from a vehicle. And I am repeatedly advising others that getting low, or getting on the same level as your subject is a fundamental thing one must do to get a great shot. And wouldn’t you know, the designers of the Apex Bean Bag made it work by turning it upside down to support a heavy lens while shooting prone, something I often do. As you can see, the lens fits perfect in the horseshoe turned up.

Photo Courtesy of Travis Peltz

The Apex Bean Bag is made of high quality materials and I am amazed at the attention to detail that went into its construction.

An aluminum plate comes with the bag to which is welded a tripod mounting screw. One simply inserts the plate into the top of the bag and the mount protrudes through a small hole in the bag. Two washers are included with the bag to protect the cloth from marring when the tripod mount is affixed to the bag. There is even a little sleeve on the side of the bag to store the washers. Details, I like that.

When I got the bag, my first task was to go to Sam’s Club to find earth friendly stuff to fill it with. My first choice was rice. A big mistake. Rice is small and thus heavy, really heavy. So, I bought a bag of pinto beans and mixed the rice with the beans. The result was a bag that weighed 20 pounds when filled. Yep, 20 pounds! Like an idiot, I did not read the instructions or follow the advice of those who made it. One needs to find lighter stuffing, but not to the detriment of what the extra weigh means. The whole idea here is to have a solid surface on which to mount a very heavy tripod mount (most photographers use a Wimberly with it), a very heavy lens and professional grade camera. A five pound bean bag configured like this won’t work very well. It has to be heavy.

There are some other nice features about the bag. It has two straps and buckle that allow one to anchor it to a door handle, or whatever seems handy. Why is that? Cause you don’t want to run into the assembly and have your $8,000 camera and $6,000 lens wind up on the pavement! Having a way to secure the bag to whatever then is a really good idea.

Photo Courtesy of Travis Peltz

Course there are many ways to use this bag because of its unique design. For example, it makes a great table top tripod. And, I can see it used on the ground for doing landscape photography as well. Or even on a car hood.

Photo Courtesy of Travis Peltz

Perhaps the most important feature of the Apex Bean Bag is that it is easy to pack for a long trip. One simply empties the earth friendly contents, rice, beans, or bird seed onto the ground and it all folds nice and flat, hardly taking up any room in my luggage. When I get to my destination, I fill it with whatever is available. That could be anything from pine straw to leaves, or dried beans bought at a native market. And if worse comes to worse, sand will do nicely as well, although that would be dern heavy!

My only regret is that this product was not available when I went on my last trip to Africa. I sure could have made good use of it while driving from one end of Kruger Park to the other, all 2,300 miles of my journey.

Ever since Essential Photo Gear got started, what has impressed me is that the stuff they sell is designed by photographers. Imagine that. And, each time I buy a product from the company I find the quality to be well beyond my expectations. In other words, a group of expert photographers with good business ethics and a friendly helpful attitude are making stuff that I can use because they have been at the same place I have and have faced the same issues I have. And they are making stuff that will last a lifetime.

In sum, if you have a need to support a heavy lens and camera from a vehicle, you should consider the Apex Bean Bag seriously, it is the perfect solution for such situations. In my view, if I am headed on a safari to Africa, this would be the first item I would pack. And frankly, I will use it in Florida repeatedly because I know that early one morning, some deer will pose for me in light that demands that I have a solid surface to support my lens and camera cause I am shooting at 1/20th of a second.

This product is not for everyone. It is for the photographer who wants solid, high-quality support for a heavy tripod mount, camera, and camera lens.

But, if it meets your needs, I highly recommend that you buy it.

By PTR Member Bill Lockhart

Recently I decided it was time to replace my Apple Mac Pro desktop machine along with my Mac monitor — both are eight years old.

As an international traveling photographer, I wanted a portable/desktop solution to replace my current equipment.  That is, something I can use while traveling, and something I can use when at home.

I have been a loyal Apple user for many years, moving away from the Apple platform is not an option for me.  There is nothing like quality and creativity, in my opinion,  and Apple has soared with its innovation and its attention to details.

In considering which Apple products to buy, I wanted a machine and monitor combination that would allow me to do two things:

1.  Use the machine for travel, allowing me to both store and replicate images as well as view, process images in Photoshop CS5, and then upload images to my two websites. Further, I wanted a machine that has all the attributes required in today’s world — high speed wifi, bluetooth, a keyboard, and USB2 ports.  I wanted a machine that I could use while traveling internationally on a long flight, with good battery life. And, last, I wanted a high resolution monitor for viewing my photographs.

2.  Use the machine at home in combination with a very large monitor.  My two prime cameras produce very large images and I want to be able to view the images for dust spots as well as process them using techniques I have learned over the last 20 years. Further, I wanted a machine that would communicate with my home file server, either via wifi or using an ethernet cable.

So, my computer engineer son, John and I, went to our local Apple Retail Store with credit card in hand.  We arrived at the store and immediately moved to the displays of the MacBook Air.  When I picked up the Air, well, I was astounded at how light it is –weighing in a tad under three pounds.  My old desktop Mac Pro weighs nearly 40 pounds! Yet, in terms of processing power, the Air is nearly equivalent to the Pro.  WOW was I impressed.  My impressions though go well beyond the weight and size of the Air, I was stunned by its display, and absolutely enthralled with its design, especially the keyboard and the glass Multi-Touch™ trackpad.

My son summed up our impressions. “It is art,” he said.  Yes, indeed, for this machine has the appeal of a fine Italian sport car, it just shouts perfect design at you.  There is nothing else like it available by any other manufacturer.

So, I bought the high-end 13-inch MacBook Air. I got it with:

• 1.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
  processor
• 4GB memory
• 256GB flash storage¹
• Intel HD Graphics 3000

It cost me $1,599 plus tax.  What is interesting is that this price is about half what I paid for my Mac Pro!

And, I have decided to purchase the Thunderbolt Display for use at home.

The display has ports which will charge the MacBook Air, and a connection for the unique thunderbolt wired connection which is about as fast as available today. The display also supports USB2 and ethernet, the latter of which I will use to connect to my file server and internet router.  Unfortunately the display is not yet available, but will be within two weeks.  Having seen the display at the Apple Store, well, I was blown away by the resolution.  This display will greatly aid me in the production of high quality photographs in the future.

After arriving at home with my MacBook Air, I set about using the machine.  I bought a special cable to allow me to use my current large monitor until the Thunderbolt Display arrives.  Once done, I turned on the MacBook Air.  And five seconds later the computer had booted and was ready to go to work!  This was simply stunning to me, five seconds to boot.  This due to the fact that the MacBook Air uses solid state memory, no hard drives. Another consequence of this is that the machine is totally silent.  How nice it is to sit in my office and work with the constant buzzing of disk drives whirling away.  Not to say the least of which is that I am not as concerned about disk drive failure with the solid state memory.

And I must tell you, I am absolutely blown away by the wifi in the MacBook Air — it is just as fast as an ethernet connection, or so it seems.  I see no difference, even when I connect to my file server wirelessly.

So, what I have is the ideal world.  I can pack the MacBook Air in a small leather case, use it while traveling just as if I were home with full-blown software such as Adobe Photoshop CS5.  I don’t have to skimp on other software as well.  Which for me is fantastic.  That coupled with the fact that the MacBook Air will work for seven hours on a single charge. Plus, given the SD card slot in the Air, I can offload photos directly and then replicate them on Flash Drives for backup.  I always keep two copies of my photographs during trips.  The advantage to the Flash Drives is that I do not have to worry about charging batteries for an external drive.  Sure I can use an external hard drive that is powered by the USB2 connection, but frankly Flash is the way to go.

And, when I return home, I can dock the MacBook Air with the Thunderbolt Display and have a desktop machine, complete with an external keyboard and bluetooth track pad and my Apple magic mouse.  And, wire the MacBook Air directly to my 4TB file server.

And, in so doing, produce photographs like this one I made at the Isle of Lewis in Scotland.

Click on Photograph to see a Larger Version

In sum, I have the perfect computer solution for the traveling photographer, one that will last me many years to come.  I no longer need both a desktop and a laptop.

All in a system that costs far less than I have expended in the past, in a package that weighs 3 pounds.

Claire:

Some observations and thoughts about the Canon 5D MkII and up-grading from a 5D.

I bought my Canon 5D within months of it first coming on the market and I loved it from day one. At that time I was up grading from a 10D and the improvements were beyond doubt. The full frame capabilities for a landscaper who likes wide angle opened up whole new possibilities and a view on the world.

When the 5D MkII arrived on the market I wasn’t immediately convinced I needed it. I wanted it but did I need it? Eventually the decision was made on the basis the extra pixels would further help with the marketability of images in the arenas I sell. Plus I got a great part exchange deal, which won’t be possible a little longer down the line.

I had assumed that moving between these two cameras would be an easy learning curve. They felt similar in the hand and all the buttons were more or less where I was used to finding them.

I’ve now had the 5D MkII four months and taken it on two photo trips and also had one opportunity to really try it thoroughly with the 100-400mm shooting birds of prey. I’ve also done one commercial studio shoot that involved some challenging lighting.

I only now feel totally comfortable with it. The biggest frustration has been changing my workflow and resolving software issues. Straight from the box I couldn’t read the raw files in any of my usual conversion programmes and whilst the dedicated Canon software can do the job it doesn’t have the power of the professional packages. Once I’d paid the price of up-grading software there was more time needed to become familiar with them. It was at this point I realised I needed to up-grade my PC and buy yet more external storage and compact flash cards! Jumping from 12mp to 21mp files is a huge leap.

Bill:

My reason for purchasing the 5D Mark II differs with Claire.  I was using the Canon 1Ds Mark II, a 16MP camera, and frankly realized that it was time for me to upgrade to newer technology.  While the 1Ds Mark II is an outstanding camera, it was simply outdated with a small LCD panel, no live view, and no on-board sensor cleaner, something I hated about the camera.  So, the whole new experience of using the 5D Mark II was totally new, and its human interface was totally different than the 1Ds Mark II.

What I realized from the outset was that the 5D Mark II was a smaller camera, something that I really wanted to own.  And, after seeing some test shots done by professional reviewers, I was excited about what a 21MP camera could do for me.  Especially if down the road I want to do large prints or sell my shots to publications, since the 21MP size is what most publications want.

I had recently purchased a new computer with lots of storage and memory and had also purchased Adobe Photoshop CS4, so my workflow was not affected by the larger files, although I do realize that down that road I will be fighting with finding more and more disk space to store my files.

What I wanted was image quality.  That, in my mind is the first and foremost consideration.  And, even some of my first shots proved to me that the 5D Mark II would produce what I was after.  For example, the following shot is a 100% crop from one of my first shots, done hand held with the 300mm f/4L IS.

Click on Photograph to see the actual 100% crop.

What amazed me is that I took the shot of the Cormorant with default settings as I was on my way home just having purchased the camera and had no time to read the camera manual.  When I saw the shot I was ecstatic!

Claire:

Prior to going to Scotland in February I had been unable to source a second battery within the UK. With the 5D I had always travelled with two additional batteries. Only traveling with one was making me nervous. Bill came to my rescue and brought a device from the US with him that would enable me to recharge from the car. Days before leaving I managed to find a dealer in Hong Kong who was selling original Canon batteries and I ordered one (another £70). As it happened I never needed a second charge but then the weather was grim so opportunities slim. However, I have since filled nearly two 8gb cards in a day without needing the back-up. This is a considerable improvement. I’m not saying I’m happy Canon has made my old 5D batteries redundant but at least it is a superior, if expensive, product.

My style of photography means I use a tripod. I just didn’t take hand held shots, as I’m usually shooting in morning and evening light. However, this is changing, the reason being I have discovered that auto ISO in conjunction with a camera that had such amazingly low noise even at high ISOs gives you opportunities to experiment and get some interesting and sharp shots in moments when a tripod is unusable or the action is changing so fast a tripod slows you down. Having 3 custom setting buttons also speeds you up. I can be happily shooting on my tripod using my standard landscape custom setting, the mood changes and I see an opportunity for some experimental shooting, maybe into the light catching a wave and I want to freeze the action. I can take the camera off the tripod, move the settings to my second custom setting which is set up for auto ISO and within seconds be shooting. What also helps is the amazingly useful quick control screen (especially for the long sighted), this is a joy as you have instant access to all the settings you would want to tweak or check.

In the shot below I wasn’t willing to risk my camera on the tripod. It was a case of run in and run away and the camera’s auto ISO, in combination with some fast finger work on the quick screen, enable me to get this shot.

My third custom setting I have put ready for video. I’ve played with it but as yet haven’t had the time to really understand. The same goes for live view, my eye sight means I can see perfectly through a view finder but have problems with an LCD screen.

I’m in the process of getting files from my last trip and bird of prey shoot ready for my website. I think that the one aspect of the images that has shown me how responsive this camera is has to be that I no longer have to use the recovery tool to correct high-lights. I just haven’t burnt a pixel and I’m not using the hi-light priority function. Last weekend while shooting birds all cameras fell silent as the sun came out. I decided to carry on shooting as I was primarily there to see what the camera could do. Someone said “your whites will be burnt”. I thought yes, but my histogram was telling me otherwise. Since processing the files I can confirm that this camera can produce images I could not have considered shooting with the 5D. By spot metering from the hi-lights I also got some useable images in light that most would consider too harsh.

This image was taken under a dark pier with sunlight streaming under and catching the water and some of the dangling anemones.

The only way to see what this camera can really do is to print them large. I find that even sharpened images look soft when viewed as a slide show on a monitor (especially vertical), you have to zoom in to see the detail.

I find it even more important when saving to web to reduce the file in stages and add sharpening as you go.

The final observation is that the amount of information captured in the raw files is astounding. So much so I find that I am spending more time on my conversions and producing several versions from one image.

Bill:

I totally agree with Claire, the raw files are astounding, with details I have never seen before in any camera I have used.  And I have used many, including the 1Ds, the 1D IIn, and the 1Ds II.  None of those cameras came close to producing what the 5d Mark II will do.  And even cropped photographs retain wonderful details.  As in this shot, done in my backyard.

Click on Photograph for a larger version.

I have yet to have the opportunity to do landscape photography with the camera.  I should have that opportunity in June while in Scotland.  For now, my best efforts have been shots of Florida birds.  And yes, the 5D II can do excellent wildlife photography.

Click on Photograph for a larger version.

Claire:

I have a lens I love; it is old but has been my workhorse for years. It is the 17-35mm 2.8L. Whilst on the 5D I could live with the slightly soft corners but it is not really adequate with the 5D Mark II due to chromatic aberration – yes, I can use software to resolve this but I feel that it is time to exchange it to keep the quality of the images intact. I have yet to decide exactly which way to go – 24mm prime, Canon’s 16-35 f2.8 or maybe the Distagon. Whichever way – it will be expensive so I can only hope that my belief that more pixels will result in more sales is true.

The image below is an example of where CA would be a problem, I have cleaned it up successfully for the web but going large would show the impact to an eagle eye.

I am surprised at how well the 100-400mm works with this camera. I have a love/ hate relationship with this lens as I have never enjoyed the pull/push zooming and autofocus is slow. I have no intention of buying prime telephoto lenses as I so rarely use them. I did own a 300m 2.8 for a while but quickly sold it as I couldn’t cope with the weight. The fact the 100-400 can therefore prove useable is a bonus.

My 100mm macro works as expected and the extra cropping factor is a plus.

My walk around lens is a 24-105 L and chromatic aberration is an issue but it is more than useable.

In conclusion, it is a great camera but it has given me headaches as well as pleasant surprises. It isn’t a simple step up from the old version and as such anyone thinking of upgrading needs to be prepared to expend time and money to make the most of it.

Bill:

I agree with Claire about the need to own good glass to go with the 5D II.  I am fortunate to have lots of good glass, since I have always believed that glass is actually more important than the camera body.  Cameras come and go, glass is forever.

For example, here is a shot down with the 300mm f/2.8L IS, probably the sharpest lens made by Canon.

Click on Photograph for a larger version.

I am excited about using this camera in Scotland soon.  And that trip will likely result in my final review because I will be shooting daily under all kinds of different circumstances and all kinds of different subjects, including landscapes, red deer, puffins, and gannets.  Some shots will be done from boats.  It will be my test from the real world about how this camera works in the field.

For now, let me summarize some of my likes and dislikes about the camera:

Likes

1.  Stunning image quality.  For me this is the most important measure of any camera.  The Canon 5D Mark II is absolutely the best camera I have ever used.

2.  Good ergonomics.  It is easy to hold and use, with sensible buttons and dials.

3.  Easy to understand menu system.

4.  Superb LCD panel, great for looking at the sharpness of photographs in the field.

5.  Great HD video, if one can come to grips with what the camera is doing automatically.

6.  Live view can be useful for setting exposures, although it is a pain to do.

7.  Light weight. Perfect for use while hiking or long treks.

8.  No dust!  So far at least.  Thank you Canon, the dust cleaning system will save me thousands and thousands of hours during post processing.

9.  High ISOs that I can actually use!  The camera has opened up opportunities for shots I could never have done with a 1D series camera.  Absolutely.

Dislikes

1.  Build quality.  While a significant improvement over the Canon 5D, the 5D II still lacks professional camera status, particularly the battery door and the CF compartment.  While it feels substantial in my hands, it does not have the feel of a 1D series professional camera.  I worry about damage from using larger lenses with it, such as the 300mm f/2.8L IS, and I am very concerned about how well it will stand up in rain, saltwater, and other extreme weather conditions.  I worry about transport and already have ordered covers to protect it while traveling.

2.  Video shooting, while of great quality, is almost totally impossible to understand.  Apparently the camera is setting ISO, DOF, shutter speed, and other stuff automatically.  I like control of what I am doing and I have not idea what this camera is likely to do when I am shooting video, for example, if I set the aperture to f/16 it is not likely I will get f/16, it more likely I will get f/2.8.  And worse, the manual supplied with the camera is just about useless in the “how to” of shooting video.  On the good side is the superb shallow DOF the camera will produce with certain lenses.  Heretofore such capability would cost one tens of thousands of dollars to produce with a video camera.

3.  AF is slow even on the best lens Canon makes, the 300mm f/2.8L.  Although I must admit that I was able to keep flying terns in focus will little difficulty.

Recommendations on lenses for use with the camera:

1.  Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II

2.  Canon 24mm f/1.4L II (Canon’s best wide angle lens).

3.  Canon 24-105mm f/4L (if I were to buy one lens this would be it).

4.  Canon 70-200mm f/4L (one of the sharpest zooms Canon makes and a perfect match for the 5D II).

5.  Canon 85mm f/1.2L (simply awesome for portraits, bokah like none other).

6.  Canon 300mm f/4L IS (great balance with the weight of the camera, superb quality, fantastic hand held lens).

7.  Canon 400mm f/5.6L (incredibly sharp, will work well with the 5D II because of weight).

I must remember, this camera is not one of Canon’s “professional grade” cameras.  It is aimed at the serious photographer, but not the professional.  I suspect though that many professionals will use it simply because of its superb image quality.  I can only image what the replacement for the Canon 1Ds Mark III will be like.  Whenever the Mark IV is announced, I will be looking for ways to buy one.

In sum, after a week long test of the camera, I am convinced it is the best I have ever used and that includes comparisons with four of Canon’s professional grade 1D series cameras.

By Bill Lockhart

For the serious wildlife or sports photographer, having a 300mm lens is basic.  Having one that shoots at f/2.8 is even better.  Having one that can use 1.4x and 2x extenders and still capture very sharp images is even better yet.  This is what one gets with the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS – consistently sharp photographs, even at f/2.8.

Here is an image captured with the Canon EF 2xII extender, equivalent to 600mms at f/5.6.

Click on Photograph to see a Larger Version

Frankly, I don’t think I could get a sharper image with any other lens.  Let’s just say that the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS is the best of the best.  It’s a 10.

Even when used hand held with moving subjects the lens excels.

Click on Photograph to see a Larger Version

And when used with a Full Frame camera, one can expect to crop away and still retain great details, even when one uses a 2x extender, as is shown in this shot of an Osprey with fish.

Click on Photograph to see a Larger Version

And when close to the subject, the details are simply stunning.  Here photographed with the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II.

Click on Photograph to see a Larger Version

Pros:

1. Outstanding image sharpness, best in its class.

2. Usable Image Stabilization that works.

3. Outstanding build and rugged construction.

4. Retains its value over time.

Cons:

1. Expensive.

2. Heavy and awkward to transport.

But, I gotta tell you, if you want a lens that can go from 300mm on a full frame camera, or out to 600mm with a 2x extender, or a lens that is mounted on a cropped sensor that starts out at 480mm and twice that with a 2x extender, this is the one.

BTW, the reviews at Fred Miranda for this lens average a 10 out of 10, and that is saying a lot as his forum is visited by among the world’s best photographers.

Course, all I have to do is just look at one of my shots done with the lens to know, it is the best telephoto lens made by Canon bar none.  The Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS lens has earned PTR’s highest rating – Five Stars.

Click on Photograph to see a Larger Version