Used Canon 300mm f/2.8 I w/2X TC or Sigma 150-600 Sport

Hello all !!

If you had a choice for BiF : Used Canon 300mm f/2.8 I w/2X TC or Sigma 150-600 Sport ??

Please note that I shoot w/Canon 1DX (Series I)

Respectfully,
Paul

Paul, you have pro's & con's on both sides.

A fast focus speed is a must-have for BIF photography. By mounting the 300mm on a 2x extender you will reduce its focus focus speed. Will it focus slower than the Sigma Sport? Not sure, but most likely.

The 2x extender will turn your f/2.8 lens into an f/5.6. The Sigma will give you f/6.3 @ 600mm but that is only a 3rd fstop of light less than the Canon.

Now and again when shooting large raptors in flight (or perched birds) you will find yourself in a situation where you want to zoom out a little (because they are too close). Usually when I'm waiting for a bird to take off I also zoom out a little to provide some space in the direction the bird will most likely fly to. You will not have that option with the 300mm.

The 300mm undoubtedly gives you higher quality images than the Sigma. But will that still be true after adding the extender? Your guess is as good as mine.

So, all considered: I'm leaning towards the Sigma for the purpose you need it. I've used a Nikon 300mm f/4 with a 1.4 TC before I bought my Tamron 150-600 G2 and the only thing I'm missing is the 300mm's faster AF speed. But that should not be an issue with the Sigma Sport which was built with a fast AF speed in mind.

Tobie, Thank you for the reply. I purchased the used Canon 300mm f/2.8 IS series I. I already owned the Sigma Sport... I took the 300 up to shoot Puffins recently and could not be more happy with the performance and IQ... I did try out the 300 w/the 2X on some Osprey and the results looked good and I thought the AF speed was good, but need more time to get a better feel and answer. I also want to take both combo's out and do some comparison on AF, speed, tracking, and images...

I'm leaning towards the 300 w/1.4 and keeping the Sigma Sport for the 500-600 needs... I was leaning toward selling the sport, but now I'm thinking keeping the pair and getting the 1.4X...

1DX I w/300: 300 f/8 ISO 400 1/2000





Respectfully,
Paul

Paul,

Thanks for clarifying - I was not aware that you already owned the Sigma Sport. No doubt that the 300mm f/2.8 is one of the sharpest lenses out there (with and without extender) but I must admit - had I been an owner of a Sigma Sport the acquisition of a 300mm would have been the last thing on my mind.

I'm quite curious to eventually see your comparison figures though. A pity it was not available already. I'm on the verge of starting an article on lenses for bird photography on behalf of the Photzy group and your thoughts would have been invaluable. Kindly notify me once you have done the comparisons, regardless!

Regards and happy shooting!

Tobie