Canon 28-300 L Field Report Photography
St Louis Wedding Photography Engagement Illinois Missouri Photographer
Canon EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM Lens
Against my better judgment I rented the 28-300 for a sporting event I was hired to cover. I thought the wide zoom would be a fun lens to bring to my backup my trusted 300 2.8.
While the 28-300 has an impressive range that it can cover, the quality of the images zoomed out are not worth the range. Between 250-300 the images are noticeably soft. Image contrast and color saturation is also too low in all areas.
This lens needs a mono pod because it is heavy. But even with the monopod and a super fast shutter speed the images were unusable and unsale-able for print. The only images that were decent were around the 150mm range and f 5.6. At f5.6 there is too much of the background in focus to make the image pop.
It’s a fun lens, but for paid assignments it is not going to work.
Which lens does work?
Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens
This is a monster that can win every battle. It is heavy and requires a monopod. And it’s not cheap. But the image quality is incredible.
Razor sharp at 2.8, intense color saturation, and good contrast. If you nail the exposure, then every image is spot on. It is really incredible how good each image looks!
There are so many times as I edit through Lightroom where I catch my breath because of how incredibly sharp the images look. And the Bokeh—- intense and buttery.
I have relied on the 300 for the last 8 years for certain events, and it has never failed me.
If you need to use a lens for an event- get the 300 2.8. You will not regret it.