Originally posted 2008-01-04 on Optyczne.pl The Canon EF 300 mm f/4L IS USM lens was launched in March 1997 as a successor of an EF 3000 mm f/4L USM lens without stabilization, introduced in December 1991.

average work against bright light; stabilization efficient only at the level of 2 EV

This 300mm prime lens from Canon is a popular choice among advanced amateur photographers as well as professionals due to it's relatively compact dimensions and price tag. Available for inside the $1000 mark, we take a look at what you are getting for your money.

Excellent build quality; Good contrast and colour rendition; Retractable lens hood a nice touch

AF a little slow for class of lens; Resolution may not be up to future sensors (although pixel race has now slowed

I bought this lens after a lot of thought and spent a lot of time looking around and found one on Amazon "used" and got one at a very good price which I couldn't ignore! The lens was as new and came with a UV filter. I am absolutely delighted with the lens and has exceeded my expectations.

I bought this lens to use on a series of adventure cruises to the high Arctic and Scottish Islands. I was torn between this and the 100-400 L zoom. This lens was lighter and had a constant aperture.

Lightweight; Rugged

I purchased this lens for my wildlife shots after looking what Canon had available. It is lightweight extremely sharp and very affordable. when you are walking around for hours taking shots it can be handheld without too much problem.

Superior build quality; Super-sharp images; Fast auto-focus

I can say nothing bad about it, colour, sharpness, bokeh. If you have a need for the distance, it is well worth considering. I use it for closeup shots as well as racing and simply love to use it. It's not overly heavy, I hand hold and use a monopod.

With a closest focusing distance of 1. 5m/4. 9ft, you can get in as close to the subject as possible in that unique way only possible with a macro lens. The image stabilizer also functions when using the extender ef1. 4xii and extender ef2xii to provide that elusive 600mm shooting capability.

Very sharp pictures - if your OK with no zoom, It is a great lens for a decent price. I would highly recommend.

Shoots sharp images; very quiet IS; great colour and contrast; 2X teleconverter; which provides plenty of manual focussing

No zoom

Having gotten by with bird photgraphy with cheaper zoom lenses I bought this Prime Telephoto lens knowing I would be paying a lot for a minor gain by comparison. The cost/image quality curve makes each little improvement very expensive; but it is necessary if you want consistantly good results.

This lens is as sharp as a tack without the added weight of it's big brother, the f2.8 version. When you are carrying a load of equipment on your back you'll be glad you have the 300mm f4.0 instead of the heavy ones.

Consistent Output; Durable; Easily Interchangeable; Fast / accurate auto-focus; Lightweight; Rugged; Strong Construction