What to buy for a 300mm 2.8 IS?

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1DMARKII

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Murray
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Hi All,

I have my 300mm 2.8 IS on back order with kerso until he comes back from his holidays.

I have read up and it seems like the Manfrotto 393 gimbal type head is the way to go so that is sorted.

I have a Manfrotto 055 Pro tripod and 681B monopod which by the specs seem to be enough to hold the weight.

The Lowepro lens case 5 sounds nice but apparently wont fit this lens?

Lenscoat stuff is fine but is pretty expensive for some foam camo patter albeit cut to shape.

Just curious if any other 300mm 2.8 IS owners have any must have accessories?

Happy snapping!!

Murray
 
1DMARKII said:
Hi All,

I have my 300mm 2.8 IS on back order with kerso until he comes back from his holidays.

I have read up and it seems like the Manfrotto 393 gimbal type head is the way to go so that is sorted.

I have a Manfrotto 055 Pro tripod and 681B monopod which by the specs seem to be enough to hold the weight.

The Lowepro lens case 5 sounds nice but apparently wont fit this lens?

Lenscoat stuff is fine but is pretty expensive for some foam camo patter albeit cut to shape.

Just curious if any other 300mm 2.8 IS owners have any must have accessories?

Happy snapping!!

Murray
Click to expand...

I bought the 300mm 2.8L IS from Kerso. IMHO, he is ultra reliable and the price is simply superb.

What head do you currently have? Reason I ask is that you may be able to just use the Wimberley Sidekick...

As for Lens Coats, I have all of them in forest green camo:-

300mm 2.8L IS lens lens coat
Sidekick lens coat
Gimbal bag lens coat (draw corded neoprene pouch) which I use to keep sidekick and plates together
Lens hoodie for the 300mm 2.8

As for whether they work, I guess you'll need to ask the birds :lol:

The above is more than adequate to protect the 300 2.8. Also have the Kata HB-205 bag which has a solid hard bottom and provides extra protection.

Hope this helps in some way :thumbs:

Ps. EDIT: If you go onto wildlife watching supplies website www.wildlifewatchingsupplies.co.uk they have similar things to lens coat but quite a bit cheaper, including lens covers etc. They're not mega precisely tailored for individual lens, but reasonable cut, for about £25 less IIRC.
 
Murray,

I'm on the lookout for a 393 at the moment too. Let me know what's the best deal you can find.

Ta Bob
 
markta:

Many thanks for taking the time to respond so helpfully to my thread - I appreciate the help :)

I have used kerso in the past and have no doubts about him - a shame he is away on hols but that is no big issue. I wondered if there is a supply problem with the 300mm due to the olympics as some US stores are out of stock.

I currently have a Manfrotto 322 RC2 (Grip & Ball) its fine but I do not think I would want to use that for the 300mm as I know it would just tip over really easily.

I may go down the lens coat route yet - depends how much wildlife stuff I do but mainly the lens is going to be dabbling in pretty much everything from wildlife to airshows etc.

Will explore the options for protection - will not be taking the suitcase around much apart from when I am out of the country but better safe than sorry I guess.

Many thanks,

Murray

P.S Canon Bob - no problem will do - AJ Purdy have 10% off plus free delivery when you spend £100 but do not have it listed :(
 
1DMARKII said:
P.S Canon Bob - no problem will do - AJ Purdy have 10% off plus free delivery when you spend £100 but do not have it listed :(
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I found one US site which states that it is "discontinued" :shrug:

Bob
 
I use lens coats on my 300 f2.8 and 500 f4 the main reason is to offer the lens some protection against knocks and chips.

Not too sure if the wildlife is concerned what the camo finish, 1 forest green, 1 advantage, is though but its more discrete than Canon white.

Tom
 
The only thing I bought was the Lowepro Lens Trekker 600 AW.
 
1DMARKII said:
markta:

Many thanks for taking the time to respond so helpfully to my thread - I appreciate the help :)

I have used kerso in the past and have no doubts about him - a shame he is away on hols but that is no big issue. I wondered if there is a supply problem with the 300mm due to the olympics as some US stores are out of stock.

I currently have a Manfrotto 322 RC2 (Grip & Ball) its fine but I do not think I would want to use that for the 300mm as I know it would just tip over really easily.

I may go down the lens coat route yet - depends how much wildlife stuff I do but mainly the lens is going to be dabbling in pretty much everything from wildlife to airshows etc.

Will explore the options for protection - will not be taking the suitcase around much apart from when I am out of the country but better safe than sorry I guess.

Many thanks,

Murray

P.S Canon Bob - no problem will do - AJ Purdy have 10% off plus free delivery when you spend £100 but do not have it listed :(
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Ah ha, makes perfect sense now :geek: Apparently the sidekicks don't work with the 322 RC2...

Agree with erding, offers some extra protection and defo breaks the whiteness of the lens up pretty effectively, also the lens, sidekick etc. won't be as cold to handle during the winter...to be honest, the WWS version is not bad and probably offers same amount of protection, but the cut is as nowhere near as precise. The lens coat version is about £60 from Warehouse Express :gag: Presumably most of that is labour costs.
 
I keep on reading post on this kerso any web link or phone number.
 
Murray,

www.cameraking.co.uk have them in stock at £99.95 + £5.95 p&p.....the best I could come up with "in stock".

I've ordered one as "get by" until I can source a Wimberley 2 or similar....something long and heavy is arriving tomorrow and a Gorillapod just isn't going to cut the mustard.

Bob
 
Canon Bob said:
Murray,

www.cameraking.co.uk have them in stock at £99.95 + £5.95 p&p.....the best I could come up with "in stock".

I've ordered one as "get by" until I can source a Wimberley 2 or similar....something long and heavy is arriving tomorrow and a Gorillapod just isn't going to cut the mustard.

Bob
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Bob,

Have no idea whether you use Ian (kerso) or would consider, but he is selling brand new Wimberley Mk IIs for £419 plus £10 p&p, or knocking the postage off if bought away from Ebay..

Mark
 
The sidekick to be truely affective has to be used with a good ball head (a lot go for the acratech or arca swiss £200 ~ £500), I would personally say that if you are using 300 2.8 ~ 600 4, then go for a wimberly type head. The ease of using it with the bigger lenses compaired to a ball head is beyond belief. Again I would say go with Kerso for your gear, completely reliable (as you know) and excellent prices.
 
markta said:
Bob,

Have no idea whether you use Ian (kerso) or would consider, but he is selling brand new Wimberley Mk IIs for £419 plus £10 p&p, or knocking the postage off if bought away from Ebay..

Mark
Click to expand...

Cheers Mark...that's the cheapest so far and the Wimberley II is the prefered option long term. The 393 gets some reasonable write ups on the nature forums and looks okay for the smaller tele's in the longer term. I just need to finish my lens spending before splashing out on a relatively expensive head.

Bob
 
On the covers, I've moved from Lenscoat to Wildlife Watching Supplies. I actually prefer the WWS ones, they are a bit thicker and advantage pattern is better than straight camo for nature stuff.
 
grumpybadger said:
On the covers, I've moved from Lenscoat to Wildlife Watching Supplies. I actually prefer the WWS ones, they are a bit thicker and advantage pattern is better than straight camo for nature stuff.
Click to expand...

WWS stuff is good, Kevin Keatley is a nice chap and genuinely has a passion for wildlife photography..

I have a couple of things from them; an advantage wetland waterproof cape/groundsheet, double beanbag in advantage timber, an all in one double sided camo lens and camera cover, custom made padded tripod leg covers for my Gitzo (in traditional camo colour).

No question their prooducts are very well made and are made to last :woot:

Definately recommend them as an alternative :)
 
Hi folks,

Again many thanks for you all to take the time to help me out in this post!!

I bagged a Manfrotto 393 from MPB for £80 posted (Mint-) and given the reviews I am confident it will see me through. I did give some thought about the wimberley II but at £350 plus bits n bobs was a fair wedge of cash more and think the 393 will see me through.

I think I will just splash the cash on the lens coat stuff as they would come in handy when I am taking wildlife pics and a small "bag hide" from WWS would be cool.

markta can I ask what size of lens hoodie you have for the 300mm 2.8 IS?

Canon Bob hope you enjoy the wimberley :)
 
1DMARKII said:
Canon Bob hope you enjoy the wimberley :)
Click to expand...

I'd just ordered the 393 when Ed directed me to a secondhand Wim 2....now they're both heading my way :shake: (insomnia induced rash decision)

I guess that I can at least see what's what and come up with the pro's and con's.......price seems to be the first con of the W2.

I suspect that the 393 will be more than suitable for the 300/2.8 but a heavier lens might need a little more in the way of friction control...I'll report back in due course.

Bob
 
Bob, I don't think you'd have any problem with shifting the 393 on here, if it becomes redundant due to the Wimberley.
 
Canon Bob said:
I suspect that the 393 will be more than suitable for the 300/2.8 but a heavier lens might need a little more in the way of friction control...I'll report back in due course.

Bob
Click to expand...

Not so Bob! As long as you balance the lens properly, it will stay at whatever crazy angle you leave it at with very little friction applied. You're going to be very pleasantly surprised. ;)
 
CT said:
Not so Bob! As long as you balance the lens properly, it will stay at whatever crazy angle you leave it at with very little friction applied. You're going to be very pleasantly surprised. ;)
Click to expand...

I've trawled around and asked the questions and it comes out pretty much 50/50. Past experience has taught me that 50/50 usually means that the more expensive option is the better option but fewer people have the experience to judge it by.

I can't imagine keeping both unless the 300/2.8 works better with one and the 600/4 with the other. My biggest problem at the moment is suffering my inaugural slipped disc...not quite the best thing to do the day after ordering a 600/4 IS. Compared to a slipped disc, childbirth must be an absolute breeze :lol:

Bob
 
LOL. Childbirth is a breeze. I had two rug rats and never felt a thing. :shrug:

Well see what you think, but I forked out £500 quid for a Nill head. I can't honestly say i regret the purchase, but I prefer the 393 in many ways, especially for the 500mm.
 
markta thanks again mate!

Bought the lens coat / hoodie and teleconverter set for around £70 posted which was quite good (from lenscoat.com - ordered at 15:51 - shipped at 16:01) :) I did think about buying the wimberley but at £350 plus fittings whilst I can tell its a quality item I thought the 393 for £80 posted at MPB was worth a punt.

Kind of pushing my finances buying the 300mm to be honest but I have to spend my money on something :)

I already have the 1.4x might pick up a 2x - I know image quality suffers more than with a 1.4x but might be worth a stab in the dark.

Happy snapping folks :)

murray
 
1DMARKII said:
I already have the 1.4x might pick up a 2x - I know image quality suffers more than with a 1.4x but might be worth a stab in the dark.
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Apparently/Allegedly the 2x Converter was designed primarily for the 300 2.8, and they work very well together.

Not 100% sure you will need a gimbal head for a 300 to be honest, its easily hand holdable and useable on a ballhead. I handheld one on a boat in rocking seas in Iceland (dont let StewartR see this ;)) and still managed to get some very nice Humpback Whale pics :)
 
IanC_UK said:
....I handheld one on a boat in rocking seas in Iceland....and still managed to get some very nice Humpback Whale pics :)
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They were probably Minkies, the humps were likely caused by camera shake :shrug:

Bob
 
lol there were Minke's :) but i definitely got humpbacks ;)

Humpback_Whale2.jpg
 
Manfrotto 393 arrived and it sure looks like a very nice bit of kit. Just need the 300mm to try it out but initial impressions are very positive.

Not long til kerso comes back from his hols now :)
 
1DMARKII said:
Manfrotto 393 arrived and it sure looks like a very nice bit of kit. Just need the 300mm to try it out but initial impressions are very positive.

Not long til kerso comes back from his hols now :)
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At this rate, you'll be hiring a chartered plane for him to get back safely :lol:
 
markta said:
At this rate, you'll be hiring a chartered plane for him to get back safely :lol:
Click to expand...

Good idea - he'll be able to bring more lenses that way :woot:
 
1DMARKII said:
I already have the 1.4x might pick up a 2x - I know image quality suffers more than with a 1.4x but might be worth a stab in the dark.
Click to expand...

Well if you're forking out the dosh for any of the Canon family of super prime long lenses, it makes sense to get both converters to maximise the flexibility and reach. Used with any of these lenses, the 2X TC will give you far better results than some of the reviews of the Canon 2XTC would suggest. I have many bird shots taken at 1000mm with the 2XTC and the 500mm f4L which are excellent quality. Just don't expect the same results behind lesser glass.

Dunnock at 1000mm with the 500L and 2X TC

2331193176_510282ffdd_o.jpg
 
CT said:
Not so Bob! As long as you balance the lens properly, it will stay at whatever crazy angle you leave it at with very little friction applied. You're going to be very pleasantly surprised. ;)
Click to expand...


Indeed, I use one for my 600 F4 with tc and camera body with occasional grip.The 393 will easily take a 2.8 300, it is a good bit of kit.....:thumbs:
 
Thanks guys will order a 2x aswell :)

Found a bit of a problem today - my second hand Manfrotto 393 only has one screw on the mounting plate.

Seems like when new they come with alot more - may need to buy a new plate or try and find some screws. :(

Tried to attach my 1D to the only screw that came with the 393 but it is indeed to big.
 
1DMARKII said:
Thanks guys will order a 2x aswell :)

Found a bit of a problem today - my second hand Manfrotto 393 only has one screw on the mounting plate.

Seems like when new they come with alot more - may need to buy a new plate or try and find some screws. :(

*After a quick google the screw looks like it will fit - will find out I guess* :)

Suppose at then end of the day aslong as the screw fits and the 393 holds the lens without any issues its no big deal.
Click to expand...

:lol: re the private charter jet linky!

May be worth contacting Bogen imaging and see if they can send you a couple of spare screws. I remember when the grub screws on the 190 x pro b kept working loose then disappearing that a quick call to them and spares were sent out FOC.

01293 583300
 
1DMARKII said:
Thanks guys will order a 2x aswell :)

Found a bit of a problem today - my second hand Manfrotto 393 only has one screw on the mounting plate.

Seems like when new they come with alot more - may need to buy a new plate or try and find some screws. :(

Tried to attach my 1D to the only screw that came with the 393 but it is indeed to big.
Click to expand...

Hi,

if you mean the normal thread (1/4") for the underside of the body then PM me your address and I'll post you one. I use the larger size for my Siggy 500mm F4.5 so I have 2 of the smaller screws spare, I can send you one and keep other for myself.

Remember you would be better off with the lens attached to the 393 via the tripod ring for better balance and less strain on the body, but I assume you are fitting it the body to try it before the lens arrives?

Anyway PM me that address and I can post it tomorrow, unless you can locate one before that.

Mike.
 
Hello Mike,

Many thanks for the very generous offer!!!

I purchased the 393 from MPB Photographic and after some contact with Matt he said he would try and source some replacement screws.

I will see what happens :)

Many thanks again,

Murray :)
 
1DMARKII said:
Hello Mike,

Many thanks for the very generous offer!!!

I purchased the 393 from MPB Photographic and after some contact with Matt he said he would try and source some replacement screws.

I will see what happens :)

Many thanks again,

Murray :)
Click to expand...
Hi Murray,

no problem, just drop me a PM if any trouble sourcing one via MPB.

Mike.
 
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