Sony A7 IV Sony F2.8 300mm telephoto lens exceeded all my expectations

[Shooter41]

On Wednesday, October 23, 2024, Fed Ex delivered my Sony F2.8, 300mm, Master, telephoto lens one hour before I was hired to photograph the Friends University versus Ottawa University Men's outdoor soccer game in Wichita, Kansas. I had no time to familiarize myself with my new lens or how I should fine tune the settings. I quickly took my new lens out of the box and attached it to my Sony A7R4 camera. Frantically driving to the game, I began wondering why the aperture ring I was accustomed to on my other Sony Master lenses was missing on my new lens. The sun was going down and the mercury lights were coming on during the entire game. IE...The light was constantly changing, so I had to continually mess with the ISO on the camera body to keep the histogram in the zone. I shot in aperture priority at F2.8 and at 1/2000 second without the use of a teleconverter. This Sony Master lens is so wonderful in quality, that it allowed me to take the two attached images when I arrived at the game without having the opportunity to get familiar with the lens in advance. The new Sony, F2.8, 300 mm, Master lens is the best lens I have ever owned in my forty-four years of shooting both indoor and outdoor soccer photography. You are going to love this one! Don Marler (Wichita Wings Soccer photographer)

 

[Doug Herr]

Against my better judgement I was an early adopter and I'm glad I jumped on it as soon as it was available. It's a spectacular lens with and without the TCs. The only thing I'd change is adding an aperture ring.

• ILCE-1
• FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 2X Teleconverter
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/500 sec
• ISO 800

 

[AlphaWorld]

I was using mine today - it's a superb lens, and almost ridiculously light in the context of 300mm f/2.8 lenses.

About the only thing I'd like that it doesn't have is a lens cap.

 

[Unframed Dave]

I was using mine today - it's a superb lens, and almost ridiculously light in the context of 300mm f/2.8 lenses.

About the only thing I'd like that it doesn't have is a lens cap.

I just purchased a 3D printed one off ebay. It was quite expensive at over £50, but it's well engineered and solid.

I've now purchased one off the same guy for my 600 f4.

Why sony persists with the daft floppy vinyl adjustable fez, baffles me.

 

[spudhead]

I just purchased a 3D printed one off ebay. It was quite expensive at over £50, but it's well engineered and solid.

I've now purchased one off the same guy for my 600 f4.

Why sony persists with the daft floppy vinyl adjustable fez, baffles me.

I just made one on one of our 3d printers

 

[Shooter41]

I was using mine today - it's a superb lens, and almost ridiculously light in the context of 300mm f/2.8 lenses.

About the only thing I'd like that it doesn't have is a lens cap.

Like you, Doug Herr, I would like it better if my new Sony, 300mm, F2.8, Master telephoto lens came with a lens cap and an aperture ring. (But that might mean that the lens had to be heavier, longer and even more expensive.) Therefore I will settle for shooting in aperture mode to adjust the aperture and protect the front glass of the lens with the leatherette cover during travel and the plastic extender when shooting in sunlight. This lens is the most user friendly and highest quality of any lens I have owned in 75 years. Don Marler

 

[AlphaWorld]

The weather was perfect today. I didn't see a lot of birds, but I caught one long stretch with a black kite soaring close enough to me to fill the frame with a 300 GM without a teleconverter. Plenty of light, and some pretty clouds against the blue sky.

This shot was taken with the A9 III and the 300GM wide open at f/2.8, 1/6400, ISO 250 (base ISO for the A9 III), EC set to +0.3. Even then, I lifted the shadows to fill the colours under the wings.

Here's the full frame I shot (to show how close the bird came), and my preferred square crop.

Oh, that's good - I have been able to edit this post and include the images.