# Question about Canon 300mm f/4 L IS



## fishprof (Jan 31, 2014)

Hi All:

I've been lurking here for quite a while but this is my first post. I recently acquired a lightly used Canon 300mm f/4 L IS from Lens Authority (great folks there, by the way). It is my first "big glass". I'm using it on a 7D with the Canon 1.4X Extender III. So far, I'm loving this combo. It is an economical way to get 420mm f/5.6 L glass in a compact, light, easy-to-carry package. 

The lens has a retractable attached hood, a great idea, but it leads to the one issue I have with the lens. I normally carry the camera on a Black Rapid strap so it hangs at my waist, lens pointed down. When the lens hood is extended, a quick twist locks it in place in the extended position. Twisting the hood back in the opposite direction unlocks the hood and allows it to be retracted to the stowed position. Problem is, no amount of twisting in either direction will lock the hood in the retracted position and when retracted, the hood is very loose. Consequently, when I am hiking and bushwhacking with the camera at my waist and the hood retracted, the hood "creeps" (sometimes "falls") out to the extended position. This is a nuisance.

Anybody that has this lens (or the similar 400mm L f/5.6) ... is the hood supposed to be lockable in the retracted position or does it simply "float" around loosely when retracted? If it is supposed to lock when retracted, I'll have to get mine fixed.

Thanks for your help and for all the great information I get from this forum.


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## mackguyver (Jan 31, 2014)

I owned the 400 5.6 for several years and it didn't lock in the retracted position, but I did drop the lens twice and had to pay for new hoods. The hood was dented in each case and I couldn't fully retract the hood. The cost blew me away - it was over $400, each time! That's the price Canon charges for the carbon fiber super telephoto hoods that you can replace yourself, but you can't (easily) replace the built-in hoods of the 300 4 & 400 5.6. Needless to say, be careful and watch out for Murphy's law. I probably had that lens over rocks & roads about 0.01% of the time I used the lens, but those are the surfaces that I managed to drop it on, respectively.


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## Hannes (Feb 1, 2014)

fishprof said:


> Hi All:
> 
> I've been lurking here for quite a while but this is my first post. I recently acquired a lightly used Canon 300mm f/4 L IS from Lens Authority (great folks there, by the way). It is my first "big glass". I'm using it on a 7D with the Canon 1.4X Extender III. So far, I'm loving this combo. It is an economical way to get 420mm f/5.6 L glass in a compact, light, easy-to-carry package.
> 
> ...



Maybe I'm thick but why would you not want to have your lens hood extended in the situation you are describing? It'll offer a lot of physical protection


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## gshocked (Feb 2, 2014)

Hannes said:


> fishprof said:
> 
> 
> > Hi All:
> ...



I would agree. Probably best to keep it locked down if you walking around. It may be bulky but the protection would be worth the bulk.


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## scottburgess (Feb 2, 2014)

fishprof said:


> When the lens hood is extended, a quick twist locks it in place in the extended position. Twisting the hood back in the opposite direction unlocks the hood and allows it to be retracted to the stowed position. Problem is, no amount of twisting in either direction will lock the hood in the retracted position and when retracted, the hood is very loose. Consequently, when I am hiking and bushwhacking with the camera at my waist and the hood retracted, the hood "creeps" (sometimes "falls") out to the extended position. This is a nuisance.
> 
> Anybody that has this lens (or the similar 400mm L f/5.6) ... is the hood supposed to be lockable in the retracted position or does it simply "float" around loosely when retracted? If it is supposed to lock when retracted, I'll have to get mine fixed.



No, the 300f/4 IS is not supposed to lock in the retracted position.

If you put a LensCoat on it, it will stay pretty well when you retract it as the neoprene will help hold it in place.

As others have noted, you probably shouldn't be carrying it loose through the underbrush. At the very least you stand to lose a few lens caps, but it could be much worse. 

I hike with my gear, too, and have fallen directly on top of it traversing boulders--my gear bag and I were fortunate that the tripod was a tank. Perhaps a photo pack, sling bag, or chest harness would allow you to carry the lens + body more carefully. My experience leaves me unconcerned that I would come across an animal that would let me fiddle with my gear up front but would run off if I tried to extract it from my pack--it could happen, but almost never has to me.


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## fishprof (Feb 2, 2014)

Yes, I agree that the lens is safer with the hood in the extended, locked position. However it adds 2 1/4 inches in length to the lens, which means the tip of the lens hood is now down to near my knee when the camera is on the Black Rapid strap at my hip. That makes it pretty difficult for walking, hiking inclines, and especially bushwhacking. I usually keep the lens cap in place when the going gets really rough (and, yes, I do lose lens caps occasionally and always have a spare).

It sounds like scottburgess is the only respondent so far that actually has used this lens and the answer seems to be that the lens hood will not lock in the retracted position. Thanks Scott and others. 

Here's a Wilson't Snipe shot with the Canon EF 300mm f/4 L and the Canon Extender 1.4X III combo.


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## Deleted member 91053 (Feb 3, 2014)

Only just picked up on this thread!
The lens hood on my 300 F4 L IS does not lock in the retracted position but it most certainly does not "Creep" forward when being carried. I think your lens hood may be worn, for reference I have had mine for 4 years.


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## DigitalDivide (Feb 3, 2014)

I own the 300 f/4 and 1.4X III extender combo myself, and I also love the portability and the performance it gives. The price is right too. I'm using mine on a 5D2, which gives a little less reach, but the IQ is very good.

The lens hood does not lock in the retracted position on my lens, but it stays where I put it and I have never had a problem with it extending. I hang it from a BR strap as you do. I attach it to the lens foot rather than the camera body, and in this configuration the combination tends to hang horizontally and not hood down (I think - I don't have it to hand right now so I can't check). This might make a difference, although it does sound like your example is looser than it should be.

Nice photo by the way - was that shot on a tripod? It looks very sharp. I probably need to AFMA my lens, since I get slightly better results with manual focus.


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## Deleted member 91053 (Feb 4, 2014)

+1 on the shot - nice one!
There are a goodly number of Snipe near me but I can never get close enough for a shot like that even with a 1.4 extender on my 800! Obviously Welsh Snipe are far more wary!


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## scottburgess (Feb 4, 2014)

johnf3f said:


> Obviously Welsh Snipe are far more wary!



I dunno, John... I see that droplet at the tip of the beak. It may be that our colleague has discovered a snipe who craves the occasional shot 'o scotch!


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## Deleted member 91053 (Feb 4, 2014)

scottburgess said:


> johnf3f said:
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> 
> > Obviously Welsh Snipe are far more wary!
> ...


I will have to see if the local Snipe like Penderyn (Welsh Malt whisky). The trouble is that I am of Irish decent and they are NOT getting their beaks into my Bushmills!


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## Hannes (Feb 5, 2014)

johnf3f said:


> scottburgess said:
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> > johnf3f said:
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I'd rather have a penderyn


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## scottburgess (Feb 5, 2014)

Hannes said:


> johnf3f said:
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> > scottburgess said:
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Hmm... I am totally unfamiliar with these two glorious libations. As the third voter you must each supply me with a bottle so I can sample them and break the tie. I assure you both that I will sample them _most thoroughly_ before arriving at a decision, and will request additional samples if the need arises...

Yeaah, yeeaahhhh, *that's* the ticket!


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## Deleted member 91053 (Feb 7, 2014)

Hannes said:


> johnf3f said:
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> 
> > scottburgess said:
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Have you tried it? Let's just say it's not my favorite! However Penderyn do make a whiskey matured in Port casks which is quite nice but not available in the UK!


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## Logan (Mar 5, 2014)

I think the 300 f4 will be my next purchase, and I had this idea. Is there space on the body to attach one of these?

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5162T0Zw5iL._SY300_.jpg

it would require some clearance btw the hood and body, but if you put it in the right spot it should friction lock the hood in place.


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## scottburgess (Mar 6, 2014)

Logan said:


> I think the 300 f4 will be my next purchase, and I had this idea. Is there space on the body to attach one of these?
> 
> http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5162T0Zw5iL._SY300_.jpg
> 
> it would require some clearance btw the hood and body, but if you put it in the right spot it should friction lock the hood in place.


Curious photos you supplied. Yes, an oversized translucent condom tends to "friction lock" things "if you put it in the right spot." I don't view this as advantageous. I have a "space on the body" for such a device, but I cannot comment usefully if you do as well. If you lack sufficient clearance "btw the hood and body" you may want to consider other options.


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## Logan (Mar 6, 2014)

hahaha nice one . they are actually urethane buttons, about 5mm wide and 1mm tall, like you find on the underside of some electronics. what i meant was to put one on the LENS body, so that the hood stays retracted and doesn't fall to the extended position. hopefully that makes my entendre a little more singular!


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## Deleted member 91053 (Mar 7, 2014)

As I mentioned in a previous post the hood on my 300 F4 L IS does not creep under any circumstances that I have yet encountered, nor does a friends (much more heavily used) one. I haven't heard of this from the numerous local 400 F5.6 users either.
Is it the Welsh climate???


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