Canon 300mm plus 2x @ f5.6

C300 2x f5_6

Canon 300mm 2.8 plus 2x @ f5.6

Pretty sharp... if you look at the lines around 24 you can see the print resolution

Canon 300mm plus 2x @f8.0

C300 2x f8

Canon 300mm f2.8 plus 2x @f8.0 cropped

really able to resolve very well.. again look at the lines at 24 and you can clearly see sharp resolving of the print blocks

Canon 300mm plus 1,4x @f4.0

c300 1_4x f4

Canon 300mm plus 1.4x @f4.0 cropped

Very sharp... really very impressive.

Canon 300mm plus 1.4x @f8.0

c300 1_4x f8

Canon 300mm plus 1,4 @f8.0 cropped

Very good.. but clearly not able to resolve as much detail as the 2x converter when cropped to the same amount.. ie better to use the converter than crop

Canon 300mm @f2.8

c300 f2_8

Canon 300mm @ f2.8 cropped

very sharp... but again its worth using the converters if you need the reach.

Canon 300mm @f8.0

c300 f8

Canon 300mm @f8.0 cropped

c300 f8 crop

Fujinon GF250mm plus 1.4x @f5.6

gf250 1_4x f5 6

Fujinon GF250mm Plus 1.4x @5,6 cropped

Very good.. but not as much resolving power as the 300mm bare and certainly not as much as the 300mm with TC's.

Fujinon GF250mm plus 1,4x @f8.0

gf250 1_4x f8

Fujinon GF250mm plus 1,4x @f8.0 cropped

stopping down improves, but still not as much resolving power as the 300mm options

Fujinon GF250mm @f4.0 Cropped

gf250 f2_8 crop

Fujinon GF250mm @f4,0

gf250 f4

Fujinon GF250mm @f8.0

gf250 f8

Fujinon GF250mm @f8.0 Cropped

gf250 f8 crop

Fujinon GF250mm @f4

Fuji GF250 F4

Canon 300mm @2.8

And finally a comparison to compare bokeh and rendering.. the Canon has a much better isolation (subject mid point between camera and background). for the same framing.

if you look at the text on the canister you'll see that whilst the fuji has greater depth of field at f4.0 vs f2.8 the actual acuity is very comparable... perhaps even just in the canons favour... but really nothing in it.

GF250mm @ f8 corner crop

it was question whether the corners told a different story...

so here are two crops from the corners (top right) for both lenses no TC's

Canon 300mm @ f8 Corner crop

I certainly can't see any real difference other than the warmer tones from the canon.

but then the canon is a £6500 lens and the Fuji is a £2800 lens. so perhaps its to be expected..

without question the fuji is crazy sharp... but the adapted canon gives more reach and more versatility.

GF250mm plus 1.4 @f8 corner crop

Ok this is where the GF 1.4 really shows its quality.. way sharper than the Canon 1,4x TC shown below..

BUT... its a 350mm lens with maximum aperture of f5.6 vs the 300mm at f2.8 maximum aperture.. is you look at the 300mm naked in the corner its just as good as the GF with the TC.

Canon 300mm plus 1,4 TC @f8 corner crop

yep no getting away from it the Canon TC even the Mk3's have some pretty significant fall off in the corners. but then if I'm shooting wildlife I'll be generally centering the subject then cropping. in this instance the falloff probably helps with bokeh rendering.


but yes I'm making the answer fit my conclusion here :) until Fuji release a GF 500mm or 300mm 2.8 then I think I'll go with the adapted canon and have the versatility.. if I want something in the 200mm range the canon 200mm f2.8 is super compact and perhaps not quite as sharp as the GF250 but also only £450

300mm iso2000 1/40th sec Handheld

All these are taken at almost minimum focusing distance in low light so a real stress test.

super sharp no worries

250mm iso2000 1/35th sec Handheld

think i must have rocked slightly on this one... sharp but focus is off.

300mm iso1600 1/25th Handheld

razor sharp and substantially brighter for some reason.

250mm iso 1600 1/25th handheld

super sharp... but if you do a download of this vs the 300 at 1600iso I think the 300mm is sharper.

300mm iso1250 1/25th sec handheld

again super sharp and brighter by about a stop.. so you drop exposure compensation by 1 stop and have even sharper,

250mm iso 1250 1/20th sec handheld

super sharp

300mm iso1000 1/20th sec handheld

just starting to drop sharpness here on the 300mm

250mm iso1000 1/17th sec handheld

still sharp on the 250mm

300mm iso800 1/13th sec handheld

again slightly soft on the 300mm

250mm iso 800 1/13th sec handheld

Sharp but perhaps just starting to soften very slightly

300mm iso 640 1/10th sec handheld

blurry

250mm iso 640 1/13th sec handheld

soft but not blurry..

300mm iso500 1/8th sec handheld

surprisingly decent. certainly soft but not blurry

250mm iso500 1/9th sec handheld

blurry.



So my thoughts on the handhold ability and image stabilisation of the lenses.. I'd say the lenses probably have about the same amount of IS performance.. but the physical size of the 300mm plus the longer focal length do make it harder to handhold with confidence.

but I'd also note that the T stop for the Canon is clearly better producing a brighter image for the same aperture and iso/shutter speed.. so there is opportunity there. Further these were all taken at F4 to remove that variance... but obviously the canon has a full stop waiting in reserve if you can live with the reduced DoF,

Canon 300mm tripod with IS (best) iso 100

so it seems that the canon wants to have OIS switched on for sharpest images from a tripod or handheld.. where the fuji from a tripod definitely needs the OIS switched off.

Fuji 250mm tripod OIS switched off (best!) iso

If you look at the river cottage books the fuji can resolve way better than the canon.

but only with the OIS switched off on tripod.. with the OIS switched on the results are similar to the canon.

Canon 300mm small bird (bluetit/robin) size and distance

the canon is good.. but doesn't have the same micro contrast as the fuji. in this scenario

Fuji small bird (bluetit/robin) distance and size.

the Fuji is noticably sharper.. with better micro contrast

Canon 300mm stopped down to f4.0 iso 400

stopping it down doesn't makes too much difference... the fuji still has better micro contrast

Canon 300mm Infinity focus

a good showing by the canon, but lacks the contrast of the fuji.

Canon 300mm infinity @ f4.0

stopping the canon down doesn't make too much difference. i also dropped exposure by 3rd stop to better match the fuji.. but the fuji is far sharper and better microcontrast

Fuji infinity focus.

the fuji really is impressive at cutting through the haze. really impressive microcontrast.