How is the Canon EF 300mm F/4L for airshows?

[GR.7Media]

Hi all, my Canon EF 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS USM has lived up to it's nickname 'The Dust Pump', and I am exploring options. The main one that stands out is the 300 F/4, but I'm open to other options around that £500 mark that have to have IS. Any sample photos from them would be appreciated. Would be used on a Canon EOS 80D.
Thanks all.

[Talldan76]

I used to own of these, always found it fairly good - traded it in when I went for the reach of the Sigma 150-600 and have always regretted that.

Some sample images with a 5d mk3:





Some with a 70d



and although not strictly aviation related, it qualifies as part of the "pest control" section at Lakenheath





It's also pretty good when coupled with a 1.4 extender, although bear in mind it does step it down etc.

Dan

[GeorgeP]

The 300/4 is a great lens, but have you considered the loss of flexibility that you will experience by moving to a fixed focal length lens?
Is a service and clean of your 100-400 an option?

[Holty]

Seconded about the 1.4 option. Some of the best shots I ever took. It's lovely and light too compared to the Sigma..

[LN Strike Eagle]

Is your 100-40 the original version with the push-pull zoom?

[nighthawk999]

Is your 100-40 the original version with the push-pull zoom?

If it's the dust pump then yes it would be., It's the mk,1

[Peregrine]

I used the 300mm F/4L as my 'aviation' lens from 2016 up until last year when I upgraded to the RF 100-500.

On the plus side, it is very good value for money, sharp, lightweight and compact. At the sweet spot, it is pin sharp. The 300mm focal length is generally a good compromise, tends to give you a bit of space to crop in and some margin for less-well-centered subjects.

Coming from a 100-400 you will likely miss the flexibility when shooting the bigger jets/flypasts, that may or may not be a deal breaker for you. Likewise for some of the smaller shows, you might find yourself longing for that extra reach, which is where you might want to consider the 1.4x pairing mentioned above, the good thing is that it's sharp and fast (in terms of aperture) enough to deal with it.

I found the auto focus to be a bit sluggish at times and the Image Stabilisation isn't anything mind blowing. But neither of those gave me reason to upgrade until I moved to the R7 and wanted something with a native RF mount.