Sony 300GM

If you would like to post, you'll need to register. Note that if you have a BCG store account, you'll need a new, separate account here (we keep the two sites separate for security purposes).

Member's gallery
From the kayak today....
A1_09355-Enhanced-NR.jpg
You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

A1_09248-Enhanced-NR.jpg
You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

A1_09263-Enhanced-NR.jpg
You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.
 
Member's gallery
arbitrage said:
From the kayak today....
Click to expand...

Sony should hire you to sell the 300GM. You've probably sold more copies than anyone else....!

How big is the lake you go to? and how far away is it from you? trying to gauge how fortunate you are 🤣

The ospreys around me only seem to be on big lakes, which makes it near impossible to get the timing and positioning right for feeding

robert_in_ca said:
Awesome shots Geoff. Of course you're one of the reasons that I am now looking at getting this darn lens.
Click to expand...

do it do it! I'm moving over some files from today's shoot, then I'll send you those Z9 + 300GM + 2x files you wanted
 
Member's gallery
Doug Herr said:
sapsucker & chipmunk cropped from horizontal, hummingbird & warbler crops are about 25
nmerc_photos said:
Sony should hire you to sell the 300GM. You've probably sold more copies than anyone else....!

How big is the lake you go to? and how far away is it from you? trying to gauge how fortunate you are 🤣

The ospreys around me only seem to be on big lakes, which makes it near impossible to get the timing and positioning right for feeding



do it do it! I'm moving over some files from today's shoot, then I'll send you those Z9 + 300GM + 2x files you wanted
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Thanks Nick! I have to sell my Z 600TC (which I have listed) first but as soon as I do I’ll grab one along with the converters.
 
Member's gallery
nmerc_photos said:
just wanted to come in and thank @DavidT . After seeing lots of 300GM's for $5500+, I went to Greentoe and my offer at $5K was accepted immediately.

now I just need to find some TC's!

View attachment 95782
Click to expand...
Wow that beat my deal by $100! If you don’t mind IM with the dealer I’m curious if it’s the same one.
 
Member's gallery
Also here to thank @DavidT ! I have not been as "lucky" with the price, though went back and forth with offers. It happened over the weekend, maybe there was less time for the bargain.
Unfortunately,the 2x TC didn't ship yet, though paid for. We shall see.
Didn't have time to try the lens yet; will use naked and 1.4 TC for now.
Thanks @DavidT for the idea and @arbitrage for the inspiring images.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20240823-124450_1.png
    Screenshot_20240823-124450_1.png
    509.2 KB · Views: 46
Member's gallery
arbitrage said:
I haven't touched my other lenses since I bought the thing. I sold the 400GM to fund the 300GM (remainder can be banked for the A1II) and I haven't shot the 600GM since getting it.
I'm sure I'll shoot the 600GM once we get into winter light levels here in the PNW but for now my summer shooting has been 100% 300GM with both TCs as needed.
The 300GM is probably the fastest focusing lens of Sony's supertelephoto primes. It takes the TCs way better than the 400GM and better than the 600GM. My 2xTC had been collecting dust for the past 2 years as I was never happy with he AF consistency on the 400/600 lenses. Even the 1.4TC was used sparingly on those lenses. Now with the 300GM it has brought new life to my TCs. I don't hesitate to use whichever TC fits the situation best where as with the 400 and 600 I preferred to just shoot bare lens and crop further if needed.

Short hood from John Wolfe over on FM and Shadow Black skin:
View attachment 95258
Click to expand...
You have really put me in great trouule now.I have been using A1 with 200 600 & my wifee has been using Z9 with 400 f 4.5. (since she does not want to handle heavy stuff). Being a real gentleman. i think i will have to buy the Sony 300 f 2.8 & 2 TC & give it to her & use Z9 with 500 PF.Life is very tough .I also doubt whether she will ever loan the Sony combo to me (once she gets used to it) :p
 
Member's gallery
robert_in_ca said:
I countered at 5,100 and the lowest has been 5,250. Still not a bad deal but considering what others have gotten for I can wait a bit.
Click to expand...
Yeah I agree with you. I’m guessing it’s different dealers engaging so might be luck of the draw or what’s available since a lens like this one dealer probably doesn’t have multiples on the shelf except for maybe B&H and Adorama who likely wouldn’t partner with Greentoe.

I’d give it a week or two and try again.
 
Member's gallery
DavidT said:
Yeah I agree with you. I’m guessing it’s different dealers engaging so might be luck of the draw or what’s available since a lens like this one dealer probably doesn’t have multiples on the shelf except for maybe B&H and Adorama who likely wouldn’t partner with Greentoe.

I’d give it a week or two and try again.
Click to expand...
I think I'll do that.
 
Member's gallery
arbitrage said:
I haven't touched my other lenses since I bought the thing. I sold the 400GM to fund the 300GM (remainder can be banked for the A1II) and I haven't shot the 600GM since getting it.
I'm sure I'll shoot the 600GM once we get into winter light levels here in the PNW but for now my summer shooting has been 100% 300GM with both TCs as needed.
The 300GM is probably the fastest focusing lens of Sony's supertelephoto primes. It takes the TCs way better than the 400GM and better than the 600GM. My 2xTC had been collecting dust for the past 2 years as I was never happy with he AF consistency on the 400/600 lenses. Even the 1.4TC was used sparingly on those lenses. Now with the 300GM it has brought new life to my TCs. I don't hesitate to use whichever TC fits the situation best where as with the 400 and 600 I preferred to just shoot bare lens and crop further if needed.

Short hood from John Wolfe over on FM and Shadow Black skin:
View attachment 95258


A few recent images from the past few weekends....

w 1.4TC
View attachment 95253

w 2.0TC
View attachment 95254

w 2.0TC
View attachment 95255

Bare lens
View attachment 95256

w 2.0TC
View attachment 95257
Click to expand...
Ge
DavidT said:
That’s great to hear! I’ll likely be selling my Sony 14GM since I’ve been using the Sigma 14 f1.4 for Astro all the time now. I’ve also got a 24GM that I’m not using now that I have the 16-35GMII and the 50GM f1.2 I’ve only used 3 times in 2 years which has been mostly because I felt like I needed to justify having it lol. I will see about the 200-600 and the 400GM. I use the 400GM mostly for sports but the weight of the 300 might make it a little more handy.
I’m at a point where I have so much stuff and so little time I have to continue to narrow my photography interests to have time to peruse more of what really interest me which is nature.
I’m going to CA in Oct to shoot the Huntington Beach air show and thinking the 300 will be just perfect.
Click to expand...
Geoff - what's the length of your JW short hood?
 
Member's gallery
I had the 300GM with my A1 (recently sold) and while still sharp with the 2x TC, it does not match my current 600pf in sharpness or AF aquisition with the 2x TC. With the 1.4tc, IQ and AF speed is very close between the two but now your at 420mm....not enough reach for my needs (although F4 is nice ) . I no longer own the 300GM,which I sold . It's a fantastic lens but i feel if you need the 600mm focal length most of the time, it doesn't make a lot of sense to have a 2x TC glued to that lens, as your losing the large aperture benefit you paid for. Just my opinion
 
Member's gallery
LTK said:
Some real nice shots there !
Ive had the A1 200-600 for almost 4 years , the 200-600 is a decent lens for the price but obviously has its limitations . Sharpness isn't bad in the centre but its speed isnt ideal for BIF , at times it can prove frustrating . The 600mm F4 is fast and sharp, the weight isn't bad either for handholding but physically its big , I enjoy doing a lot of walking so would find the big F4 annoying so I've just stuck with the 200-600 mostly at 600mm.
The other option I was seriously considering was Z8/9 with 600mm PF , this 300mm f2.8 looks great and one of the few lenses that works so well with TC's . It's rare I'd use it without a x2 on , maybe a waste ? Would love to see how the 300mm with x2 compares against the 600mm PF .
Click to expand...
Have owned both 300GM with 2x TC and now 600Pf. The 600pf is sharper than the 300GM+2xTC. I did find the AF aquisition to be very similar regardless, which is impressive for a 2x TC attached. My current setup is Z8 with 600pf and 1.4TC. also worth noting the 600pf also handles the 1.4TC better than I expected. Hardly any hit in IQ or AF aquisition
 
maxxus46 said:
I had the 300GM with my A1 (recently sold) and while still sharp with the 2x TC, it does not match my current 600pf in sharpness or AF aquisition with the 2x TC. With the 1.4tc, IQ and AF speed is very close between the two but now your at 420mm....not enough reach for my needs (although F4 is nice ) . I no longer own the 300GM,which I sold . It's a fantastic lens but i feel if you need the 600mm focal length most of the time, it doesn't make a lot of sense to have a 2x TC glued to that lens, as your losing the large aperture benefit you paid for. Just my opinion
Click to expand...
My own experience is that I rarely want to use anything longer than 600mm hand-held because the angle of view is too narrow to easily find the bird in the field of view - so I use the 600 with the 1.4x TC only on a tripod which for myself is more deliberate work with a specific bird at a specific location so the extra time involved adding or removing the TC doesn't cause me to lose any photos.

I use the 300 GM nearly all the time with the 2x TC. It's my lightweight hiking wildlife lens; I'd hate to be hiking with a 600mm lens as my only long-lens option so if my 600 were something like the 600PF I'd want another lens in the 300 - 400mm range for those times when the critter is too close for the 600. This has happened numerous times, for example with gyrfalcon, marmot, grouse, pika, ptarmigan, fox, hawk owl, & skimmer. Another lens = more weight & more expense. The 600 PF was on my short list, what stopped me was the desire for an additional 300mm - 400mm lens. Once the 300 GM's performance was established my 600 PF lust evaporated. Using the 300 GM + 2x TC I get the shorter lens by removing the TC. Bonus: large aperture.
 
Last edited:
Member's gallery
Doug Herr said:
My own experience is that I rarely want to use anything longer than 600mm hand-held because the angle of view is too narrow to easily find the bird in the field of view - so I use the 600 with the 1.4x TC only on a tripod which for myself is more deliberate work with a specific bird at a specific location so the extra time involved adding or removing the TC doesn't cause me to lose any photos.

I use the 300 GM nearly all the time with the 2x TC. It's my lightweight hiking wildlife lens; I'd hate to be hiking with a 600mm lens as my only long-lens option so if my 600 were something like the 600PF I'd want another lens in the 300 - 400mm range for those times when the critter is too close for the 600. This has happened numerous times, for example with gyrfalcon, marmot, grouse, pika, ptarmigan, fox, hawk owl, & skimmer. Another lens = more weight & more expense. The 600 PF was on my short list, what stopped me was the desire for an additional 300mm - 400mm lens. Once the 300 GM's performance was established my 600 PF lust evaporated. Using the 300 GM + 2x TC I get the shorter lens by removing the TC. Bonus: large aperture.
Click to expand...
Totally understand your perspective, and everyone has different needs. For me, 600mm is an absolute minimum , and occasionally I need 800mm. I didn't want to compromise by using a TC 90% of the time to get to 600mm, therefore the 600pf was a better option for me. Take care
 
Member's gallery
maxxus46 said:
Have owned both 300GM with 2x TC and now 600Pf. The 600pf is sharper than the 300GM+2xTC. I did find the AF aquisition to be very similar regardless, which is impressive for a 2x TC attached. My current setup is Z8 with 600pf and 1.4TC. also worth noting the 600pf also handles the 1.4TC better than I expected. Hardly any hit in IQ or AF aquisition
Click to expand...
This is the thing thats putting me off tbh , I'd rarely use it at 300mm so probably be worth me looking into the Z8 and 600PF instead . For sports and larger subjects the 300 would be perfect but I mainly shoot birds ,maybe Sony should update the x2 TC
 
Member's gallery
Adding another perspective to the 300GM vs 600PF debate FWIW.

I have owned and shot both. I eventually sold both, and just recently bought the 300GM again. All my experience is only with Nikon bodies though, as I don't own any Sony ones.

For me - it came down to versatility and simplifying my kit. My most used focal lengths are 600mm and 840mm. I own the 600TC, so I have my most used focal lengths covered. but there are often times I just want a lighter kit for hiking, traveling, or outings that aren't strictly photography focused - and I don't want the attention of carrying a big $15K lens around. I knew I would need at least one of the 3lb primes. 300GM, 400 4.5, or 600PF.

The 400 4.5 is the cheapest by far ($2K used), but understandably offers some compromises. I find the naked lens very good, but start noticing degradation with TC's. There is a noticeable difference (to me) between the 400 4.5 + 1.4x and the 600PF, in favor of the 600PF.

The 600PF is the next cheapest ($3.5K used), but it is the least flexible. In my world using the 600PF with a TC is just not going to happen. 840mm f9 or 1200mm f13 are not ideal for me. so I'm essentially left with a one trick pony - great for 600mm, but not useful for anything else.

The 300GM is the most expensive ($5K new/used, $6K with TC's), but has by far the greatest flexibility. As a 300mm f2.8, the IQ and bokeh (to me) are much better than the 400 4.5 and 600PF. Add a 1.4x and you have a 420mm f4 which is more focal length, faster, and still has better IQ than the 400 4.5. Add the 2x and you have a 600mm 5.6 which still is faster and yields better images than the 400 4.5 + 1.4x or 600PF naked, from what I've seen. Up to a point. The one caveat I've found is cropping/super far subjects. the 600PF seems to handle these situations better - but as I try to improve my photography I'm trying to get better at just letting opportunities go, where pictures shouldn't be made. I shouldn't be expecting a 300GM + 2x or 600PF to produce good images on subjects that are 800' away.

After owning all the lenses and trying a bunch of different combos, I find that a 300 f2.8 + 600 f4 is the ideal combo for me. If I went with the 600PF instead, I'd likely also want the 70-200 or 400 4.5. and that just means more lenses, more cost, more weight, and more options. right now I feel that with 1 backpack that holds 2x Z9, a 35-150, 300GM, and 600TC I can cover any situation that I'd want.

I used to also be in the camp of "don't buy the 300GM if it's just going to have a 2x glued to it", but have come around after seeing the excellent work Arbitrage has done. And for me, the trade off in price is worth it just to at least know you can fall back to 300 or 420 if you want. Even if you only use it once a year, it's something you can do - that you can never do with the 600PF. As Doug said above, if I went with the 600PF again - I'd desperately want or need something shorter and faster. The 300GM for me replaces a 70-200, 400 4.5 and 600PF all in one lens.

Ideally Nikon would come out with a sub 5lb 300TC under $7500, and I would run 300TC + 600TC and never want for anything else... but I fear they will try to one up Canon, and instead release a 100-300TC. that would likely be heavier, more expensive, and I don't really value the zoom portion - so it wouldn't be a lens for me. so for now the Sony fills the spot.
 
Member's gallery
LTK said:
This is the thing thats putting me off tbh , I'd rarely use it at 300mm so probably be worth me looking into the Z8 and 600PF instead . For sports and larger subjects the 300 would be perfect but I mainly shoot birds ,maybe Sony should update the x2 TC
Click to expand...
I was also strongly considering the 600PF but that meant buying a Z8 and shooting two systems again.
I had never been very happy with the Sony 2xTC on the 400GM or 600GM so I didn't even have the 300GM on my radar when it was first announced.
Luckily my friend bought one early on and after just a morning of shooting it with the 2xTC I realized it was performing so much better than the other lenses.
Around the same time I had borrowed a friend's Z8 with 400/4.5 for a morning and confirmed I still didn't find the AF on latest FW to be as good as the A1 and a few other things I just don't like about the UI of the Z8/Z9.
So with new faith in the 2xTC on the 300GM and less faith in the Z8, I decided the best choice would be 300GM. It has shortly become one of my all time favourite lenses...may actually now be my all time favourite (against other contenders like 400DOII and 500PF).
I've also found lots of uses for 300 and 420 so I'm happy with the versatility.
I don't shoot at 800mm often and I didn't find the Z400/4.5 to do all that well with the 1.4TC so I didn't have much hope for the 600PF with 1.4TC. Also being at f/9 rarely works for me. If I need 800 I have the 600GM with 1.4TC at f/5.6.
I would rarely recommend a lens to someone if they always had to use a 2xTC on it but the 300GM would be the lens to break that rule. I haven't even shot my 600GM more than a few hours since getting the 300GM.

Now I have assumed that the 600PF would likely be a bit sharper and maybe have a bit better AF consistency than the 300/2xTC. But I've never shot the 600PF. Reading nmerc's comments above, maybe the 300/2x is as good as the 600PF for IQ?

I had been hoping for a new Sony 2xTC that would work better with the 400GM and 600GM. Now, I'm not as sure if the TC needs to change because it does so well on the 300GM. I'd like to see a new version of the 400GM with a built-in TC instead.
 
Member's gallery
One thing to note - I make distinctions between IQ and sharpness (some people don't.) IQ to me is a combination of many characteristics. sharpness, bokeh, contrast, vignetting or lack thereof, etc. I find the overall images from the 300GM + 2x are more pleasant and therefore have better IQ than the 600PF.

On paper - reviewers rave about sharpness of the 600PF/800PF. I would not be surprised if the 600PF is sharper than the 300GM + 2x. But in the real world, I find "normal" lenses give more predictable results, and the bokeh and characteristics that I define as "IQ" are more impactful than just raw sharpness.

I'm just a hobbyist photographer, so I won't have a reason to ever own the 300GM and 600PF at the same time to test them back to back. If a local friend ever gets a 600PF, I'd be happy to do the test and post results.

Until/if that happens, the 300GM + 2x has demonstrated many times that it can produce excellent images. Is the 600PF sharper? maybe. are they both extremely capable setups? definitely. does the 300GM allow more flexibility? definitively.

In my mind, in order for the 600PF to win - it would have to give extremely noticeable differences in sharpness or IQ over the 300GM + 2x, and I just don't see that happening in the real world.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top