I ended up getting a EF 500 F4 is L mk1 eventually for about $1800. Very happy with it on my R7 and I have the 1.4x iii and the EF 100-400 is L ii . Great combo gor all sorts of conditions. Then I also have the Metabones 0.71x speedbooster. That gives me a F2.8 550mm equivalent….

I got this lens recently to get into a bit out wildlife and motorsports photography with my R7. It’s great, I have the option of 1.4x, 2x, 0.71x or just the regular adapter. I find it’s a stellar lens but on the heavy side and wish the IS mode 3 was on my 70-200/2.8ii.

all your shots are amazing but I love the monkey! What lens was that on?

one of the finest cameras ever built without doubt, build is amazing, 65point all cross type, 10fps coupled with the battery grip and good glass gets AWESOME results and at a fantastic price. just amazing all round camera.

I still use my EF 300mm F2.8L (bought in 1987) adapted to Panasonic and to Nikon! On my Z9 it works way better and faster than it did on any of my previous Canon cameras. Eye tracking and 3D tracking work without flaw and the in-body stabilisation is the icing on the cake because that first version did not have lens IS. The optical quality is fantastic (which is why I never upgraded it), the only negative is that it is not exactly quiet in focussing 😂, I am so worried that I might burn out the motors as it was obviously not designed back in the day to deliver such speeds and take so much power! I cannot wait to adapt it to the upcoming R1!👍🏾🙏🏾😎.

Good commentary Joe. The 300 2.8 is an awesome lens. I have owned the EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II since it was launched and had great results with my Canon 5d M3. Having not done any photography since 2020, I’m finding my kit is now antique due to tech advances. So I’m after an upgrade body. But don’t want to spend a load of money. So I’ve been looking at the EOS R7 against a EOS-1D X Mark II. Your review indicates that the R7 may be worth a go with the 300 particularly with the massive tech advancement. However I’m finding very few people reviewing the combo to gain an opinion before I choose a new EOS body. So good call. Thanks again.

Mine crapped out at under 400 000 actuations and nobody offers repairs these days. If anyone in the UK can recommend somewhere that still repairs these things, please do. Canon, Fixation, DKAVS and a couple of others have been unable to fix mine.

Thanks for following up with this interesting video. I agree 100%, I have an R3 and have no issues using it with EF lenses. Keep up the good work!

i'm not quite to an r3, but I bought a 1dx mark ii partially due to your praise of it, and it has been beyond excellent for me, so thanks for all the insight you provide for canon shooters!

My oldest lens I recently sold was the 400/5.6L and it was lightning fast. I had no issue with H+ mode electric shutter. The R3 would be awesome one day I’ll pick one up.

Thanks for the vid. I've actually been interested in this. I have an older 300mm f2.8 IS and I adapt it to the Canon R6. The electronic shutter is really bad rolling shutter for sports. I'm guessing with the stacked sensor tech in the R3 you don't have that problem.

On some of the older lenses if you want to get the full 30 frames per second you have to shoot the lens in manual focus and not autofocus. I know this because I use an R3 and I have a EF400 F/2.8 L without IS. And when it's converted like that the only way to get those 30 frames per second is to shoot it in manual focus.

Hi Joe I have the R6 with the Canon 100-400mm mk ii, I use this for animals/zoo photography, I'm problems with Tracking with the R6, even though I have a custom button set to detect the eye. Is this problem because it's not an RF lens? Would be grateful for your comments on this please.

Are you still able to shoot 20fps pairing this with the r6? Or does it dumb it down to 15 or so. I’m thinking about getting one to pair with my r3. Just wondering if you lose any fps

I bought a very used mk1 at like $1800 for my R7. Optics are good and IS works as advertised. I use it with my Metabones speedbooster to get an F2.8 550mm equivalent, or bare for F4 800mm, or with 1.4TC iii for F5.6 1100mm ish. AF work great. IBIS seems to work with the IS. When I need the light gathering or additional reach, it complements my 100-400 ii very well. I love it.

How is a 300mm f2.8 IS AF perform on a R3?

What lenses would you recommend for this camera for sports photography that is affordable?

Thanks again, Though I got a question where do you find so cheap prices on them?

Is there any cheaper monopod head than that one? Also any monopod setup you can recommend for a 1dx (or 1dx ii) with the 500mm f/4 mk1 that is pretty cheap? And any cheaper monopod than the the Manfrotto pro 500 (it comes with a head making it more expensive) as cheap as you can find in the uk that is still reliable for that setup, I am looking at a MPMXPROA4 (though I would prefer something carbon fibre to prevent rust and corrosion if I shoot near the sea that is) and a Sirui L-10 tilt head im looking at, if you have any recommendations please let me know!

Currently have both of these and am deciding on which one to keep, so really cool to see your thoughts on it as well! 😎

You suggest that I buy it now, please reply ✌🏽

Great video!

I use it on the R5 with a 1.4 convertor..excellent quality. Also purchased RF100-500 with the idea of selling the 500mm. Can't bring myself to do it. I use it a lot at the local deer park the 100-500 not quite good enough

please test the AF with the R3 if you can I am really curious.

Which version is it?

I used to own this lens a few years ago, but became nervous when Canon stopped supporting it, I'd paid £4000 for it so felt exposed in the event it ever needed repairing, at the time the mk2 was going for about £8000, so a bit too pricey, so I bought the Sigma 500mm f4 which turned out to be a great decision as I found it to be noticeably sharper than the Canon mk1

Hello, I am in the UK as well but a lot norther than you and light here is probably an issue (Overcast most of the year here!) So I am considering picking up a 1DX (maybe 1DX II depending on final cost) and a EF 500mm f/4 L IS USM MK1 (Maybe ill add a 1.4x iii teleconverter in and the lens would become like a 700mm f/5.6) over a R7 and a RF 100-500 due to the low light performance, Do you think this a good choice over the R7 with the RF 100-500 overall? (the rf 100-500 should be sharper but I would have slower shutter speeds probably so I'm losing sharpness when I would have moving subjects) (on the 1DX combo ill possibly add a 70-300 ii as well for plane spotting) I would get these for Wildlife and Plane spotting, what do you think is the better option? Thanks in advance!

Can I ask you where you got your 300 serviced? If you have done so?

Thank you for the video. I own 1D Mark IV. Use it for various purposes however, it is mainly tasked with wildlife and sports action photography where it shines the brightest. This is June 2024 and I want to continue using it as long as it keeps clicking. Thanks again.

i still have one with L lenses n they are awesome

I am getting the contemporary in a few months time my local independent camera shop has suggested this to me I thought the canons own branded is the one to go for the 100-400mm mark II at the beginning I nearly was going to go for Nikon I know there big lens on mirrored is the 200-500mm very expensive if I did go Nikon thow I would of merged it with the old sigma 150-600mm apo and pretend i have the 200-500 I was nearly going to go for the 500mm if I can't afford the 600mm but it's one I really want to get Last year it was my first ever time I saw the Sony 200-600mm and I was amazed I saw it plus I wish sigma would go white because i have learnt a fact it can deflect the heat from the sun I might look for a a white lens cover to make it look like a white lens i have heard the suns heat can swell up the wirering inside the lens if it's a black shell and possibly break but dont know know how true that is anyway I will be looking forward snapping away this autumn I shoot currently with an old sigma 135-400mm apo currently but do have to use tripod but I use it hand held and high shutter even that the images will be soft

Can i ask why you picked the R3 over the R5?

I was interested in R3 for better AF even in lower light but could not afford it; went for the R6 mk2 which was supposed to be close to the R3 in regards to AF (less crippled than the R7). The R6 Mk2 is amazing and cannot imagine how much better the R3 might be. R3 has improved AF and tracking with RF lenses.... Curious to see a video about the differences and similarities 🙂

Nice video! I was thinking about picking up the R3 and selling my 200-800 as well as my R7. But I decided to keep the 200-800 sell the R7 and get an R6. Can’t wait to try full frame!

In the power options make the camera power off after 1or 2 mins, if you use a ef lens with IS the IS never stops running your battery down. If the camera sleeps the IS stops. I have 2 extra batteries but I’ve never needed them. As soon as you put the camera up to your eye it starts within a sec. Sometimes when the camera is tracking say an animal it can get confused with the background, I have on one of my front buttons the eye controlled focus, if my camera doesn’t focus on what I want it too, a quick press of the button, I eye control focus on what I want then another flick of the button turns off the eye focus. It’s quick and it works

Great find dude! I’m on the hunt but looking for a good deal. 24mp doesn’t bother me in the slightest it’s worth up to 30 apparently with the tweaks Canon have made. I too am interested in eye control, the better resolution screens, better build, form factor, bigger battery and overall more advanced features. R6ii maybe great too but this is more my bag. Enjoy!

Really cool camera to get, bet you're loving it, it sounds so worth it! It's interesting you speak of the r6 in comparison and reviewing the mark 2 further. I found - when I switched from 5d3 to 1dx - that I couldn't use the 5d any more with full confidence. I find it frustrating to use and always think 'I could just be using the 1dx'!

I agree with you ref the R3 was supposed to be the R1. The Z9 is still the benchmark for a flagship camera.

Hi Joe… we have got 1dx mk 2 and r3 for the missus… the 1dx is great for photography … but the r3 blows it away on all counts… autofocus.. video… screen … features but neither of us could get eye tracking to work… going to get r5 mk 2 to compliment r3

What aboit AF function in Video mode? I am intrested in this lens and want make try on my R5c

As I’m a wedding photographer, I have two R 6’s , having switched from my trusty old 5D Mark IV’s I love the R6 it’s a great allrounder. Thank you for your videos 😊🙏 appreciate.

I bought my r6 shortly after you bought yours, paid 1199€ so a good Deal. I' m absolutely Happy with it

Really neat camera imo. Not used one but it is a very tempting proposition

hi my cousin has the new model i have tested it.Te quality is great but i wouldnt really say upgrading is nessecary.

I am in Ecuador right now and this lens just proved to be absolutely best in terms of versatility, no matter what kind of birds you shoot. Absolutely love it. Yes, it's heavy, but the F4 is very much needed for bird photography early mornings and late afternoons.

I use the mark 2 on both the EOS R5 and R3, and for what it’s worth I’ve no issues on either as for accuracy and focus speed

Which mirrorless bodies have you used it on? And if it’s a body with IBIS, how do you find the lens IS works in conjunction with the IBIS? Thanks

Hi, nice video,

No thank you :) .... horrible like Sony

Thanks for the video!