Sony FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens Review

A white wide-aperture prime telephoto GM lens from Sony? You knew this one was going to be great.

The Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS features a compact size, ultra-light weight, ultra-sharp image quality, including at f/2.8, extremely fast focusing, and pro-grade build quality The price will limit ownership of this lens to, primarily, professionals and serious amateur (or simply wealthy) photographers who require differentiatingly high image quality. Due to this lens's focal length and max aperture combination, those photographers will most frequently primarily pursue sports, portraiture, and photojournalism when this lens is mounted.

Focal Length

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Focal length is the first consideration for lens selection. Focal length drives subject distance choices (or meets distance-related requirements), which also determines perspective.

At the top of the Sony FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens's list of uses is for photographing people. Considerable working distance is required for 300mm general-purpose portraiture, but this angle of view invites a great perspective, including for tight headshots. This lens's outstanding background blur capability separates its portrait results from the crowd.

The 300mm angle of view is a great choice for photographing people participating in events, especially stage performances. Most photojournalists primarily photograph people, and this lens holds a valuable place in their kits.

Photographing people competing is perhaps the best use for the 300mm focal length, and this lens's wide aperture makes it ideal for indoor sports. This range is great for tennis, volleyball, other end of the court basketball, hockey, swimming, gymnastics, track and field, BMX, motorsports, and many other sports.

The 300mm full-frame angle of view is rather wide for large field sports such as soccer, but when the subject approaches the sidelines or goal line, this angle of view nicely supplements a longer focal length.

Most wildlife photographers will prefer angles of view narrower than 300mm, but most using the longer lenses also appreciate having a shorter lens available, such as for environmental images. The FE 300 performs exceedingly well with extenders, and adding a 1.4x or 2x extender creates focal lengths that nicely covers wildlife and large field sports requirements.

Videographers will find the 300mm angle of view ideal for the same uses as still photographers.

Here are focal length range examples that include 300mm:

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A camera with an APS-C imaging sensor will see an angle of view similar to a 450mm lens on a full-frame camera, increasing its utility for sports and wildlife.

Max Aperture

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This lens's f/2.8 aperture is extremely useful, for both image quality and image appearance. No 300mm interchangeable lens has a wider aperture than this one.

The light provided by wide aperture lenses permits sharp images of subjects in motion, with the camera handheld in lower light levels, and with lower (less noisy) ISO settings. In addition, increasing the aperture opening provides a shallower DOF (Depth of Field) that creates a stronger, better subject-isolating background blur (at equivalent focal lengths). Often critical is the improved low-light AF performance availed by a wide-aperture lens.

A wide aperture's disadvantages are related to increased lens element size, including larger overall size, heavier weight, and higher cost. This lens is not small or light, but it is incredibly small and light for its specs.

This example illustrates the maximum blur this lens can create:

The background is a significant percentage of many images, and blurring it away is highly advantageous when the background is not complementary to the subject (or even distracting). That capability is in this lens's skill set.

Image Stabilization

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The longer the focal length, the larger subject details (captured at the same distance) are rendered, and the more still the camera must be held to avoid subject details crossing imaging sensor pixels, the source of image blur. Image stabilization, OSS (Optical SteadyShot) in this case, is an extremely valuable feature in any lens and an especially valuable feature in a telephoto lens.

Sony marketing touts their cameras as having IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization). These two stabilization systems are complementary: "5-axis image stabilization becomes available when used with Alpha series bodies that feature built-in image stabilization." [Sony] Once example of the IBIS benefit is camera rotation correction, a correction unable to be performed by the lens.

This lens is included in Sony's Image Stabilization with Body–Lens Coordinated Control list.

Another image stabilization benefit is its aid to AF precision. The camera's AF system can produce better focus precision if the image it sees is stabilized.

Sony does not provide an assistance rating in stops for the FE 300 but the difference in the viewfinder is obvious, and handheld video recording is nicely assisted by OSS.

While OSS is great for reducing camera shake-caused blur in images, it is also helpful for precise framing of subjects in the viewfinder. While OSS is active, drifting of framing is not an issue, and the viewfinder view is well-controlled, not jumping at startup/shutdown and permitting easy reframing.

Along with the standard Mode I, Mode II (panning mode, stabilization in one direction only), and Mode III (stabilization provided only at precise moment image is captured) are provided. The switch on the lens controls both the lens and in-body image stabilization systems simultaneously. A faint whir is heard when the switch is enabled and when it is disabled.

When you need/want to leave the tripod behind, OSS is there for you, helping to ensure sharp images and adding significant versatility to this lens. When vibrations, such as those caused by wind, are present when using a tripod, OSS can save the day.

Image Quality

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The name and the price set Sony FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens image quality expectations high, and this lens does not disappoint. It competes strongly for a position at the top of the sharpest wide-open aperture Sony lens list.

The FE 300 is razor sharp from full-frame corner to corner at f/2.8. Don't expect to see any sharpness improvement at f4, and even the most discerning will find no improvement needed.

Taking the testing outdoors, we next look at a series of center-of-the-frame 100% resolution crop examples. These images were captured in RAW format using a Sony Alpha 1 and processed in Capture One using the Natural Clarity method. The sharpening amount was set to only "30" on a 0-1000 scale. Note that images from most cameras require some level of sharpening, but too-high sharpness settings are destructive to image details and hide the deficiencies of a lens.

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These results are outstanding, the f/4 results did not show improvement, and the benefits of sharing the f/4 were not worth your bandwidth.

Next, we'll look at a series of comparisons showing 100% resolution extreme top left corner crops captured and processed identically to the above center-of-the-frame images. The lens was manually focused in the corner of the frame to capture these images.

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Count on samples taken from the outer extreme of the image circle, full-frame corners, to show a lens's weakest performance. Rarely is a lens this sharp in the corners, and rarely is it not worth showing at least a 1-stop narrower example, but primarily reduced peripheral shading is seen at f/4.

This lens does not have focus shift issues, the plane of sharp focus moving forward or backward as the aperture is narrowed (residual spherical aberration or RSA). Most of the depth of field increase at f/4 is toward the back, but the subject remains in sharp focus.

A lens is expected to show peripheral shading at the widest aperture settings when used on a camera that utilizes its entire image circle. At f/2.8, the corners are about 2 stops darker than the center, a relatively low amount. Stop down 1 stop for 1 stop brighter corners. About 0.5 stops of shading remain at f/5.6, and the reduction continues until practically no shading is present at f/11.

APS-C format cameras using lenses projecting a full-frame-sized image circle avoid most vignetting problems. In this case, the just-under one stop of corner shading showing at f/2.8 may be visible in select images, primarily those with a solid color (such as a blue sky) in the corners.

One-stop of shading is often used as the visibility number, though subject details provide a widely varying amount of vignetting discernibility. Vignetting is correctable during post-processing, with increased noise in the brightened areas the penalty, or it can be embraced, using the effect to draw the viewer's eye to the center of the frame. Study the pattern shown in our vignetting test tool to determine how your images will be affected.

Lateral (or transverse) CA (Chromatic Aberration) refers to the unequal magnification of all colors in the spectrum. Lateral CA shows as color fringing along lines of strong contrast running tangential (meridional, right angles to radii), with the mid and especially the periphery of the image circle showing the most significant amount as this is where the most significant difference in the magnification of wavelengths typically exists.

With the right lens profile and software, lateral CA is often easily correctable (often in the camera) by radially shifting the colors to coincide. However, it is always better to avoid this aberration in the first place.

Color misalignment can be seen in the site's image quality tool, but let's also look at a worst-case example. The image below is a 100% crop from the extreme top left corner of an a1 frame showing diagonal black and white lines.

Only black and white colors should be seen in this image, and this result is about as good as it gets.

A relatively common lens aberration is axial (longitudinal, bokeh) CA, which causes non-coinciding focal planes of the various wavelengths of light. More simply, different colors of light are focused to different depths. Spherical aberration, along with spherochromatism, or a change in the amount of spherical aberration with respect to color (looks quite similar to axial chromatic aberration but is hazier) are other common lens aberrations to observe. Axial CA remains somewhat persistent when stopping down, with the color misalignment effect increasing with defocusing. The spherical aberration color halo shows little size change as the lens is defocused, and stopping down one to two stops generally removes this aberration.

In the real world, lens defects do not exist in isolation, with spherical aberration and spherochromatism generally found, at least to some degree, along with axial CA. These combine to create a less sharp, hazy-appearing image quality at the widest apertures.

The example below looks at the defocused specular highlights' fringing colors in the foreground vs. the background. The lens has introduced any fringing color differences from the neutrally colored subjects.

Only minor color differences are present.

Bright light reflecting off lens elements' surfaces may cause flare and ghosting, resulting in reduced contrast and sometimes interesting, usually objectionable visual artifacts. The shape, intensity, and position of the flare and ghosting effects in an image are variable, dependent on the position and nature of the light source (or sources), selected aperture, shape of the aperture blades, and quantity and quality of the lens elements and their coatings. Additionally, flare and ghosting can impact AF performance.

This lens features Nano AR coating II to suppress reflections, flare, and ghosting, but the high 21-element count increases the challenge in this regard. Telephoto lenses always show flare effects in our standard sun in the corner of the frame flare test, and this one does the same. However, the amount is not concerning from a relative standpoint.

Two lens aberrations are particularly evident in images of stars, mainly because bright points of light against a dark background make them easier to see. Coma occurs when light rays from a point of light spread out from that point instead of being refocused as a point on the sensor. Coma is absent in the center of the frame, gets worse toward the edges/corners, and generally appears as a comet-like or triangular tail of light that can be oriented either away from the center of the frame (external coma) or toward the center of the frame (internal coma). The coma clears as the aperture is narrowed. Astigmatism is seen as points of light spreading into a line, either sagittal (radiating from the center of the image) or meridional (tangential, perpendicular to sagittal). This aberration can produce stars appearing to have wings. Remember that Lateral CA is also apparent in the corners.

The image below is a 100% crop taken from the top-left corner of an a1 image captured at f/2.8.

This result is among the best I've seen, an outstanding performance.

Also impressive is the FE 300's lack of geometric distortion, showing only a minor amount of pincushion distortion.

As seen earlier in the review, it is easy to illustrate the strongest blur a lens can create, and telephoto lenses are inherently advantaged in this regard. Due to the infinite number of variables present among available scenes, assessing the blur quality, bokeh, is considerably more challenging. Here are some f/11 (for diaphragm blade interaction) examples.

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The first example shows defocused highlights remarkably smoothly filled and round shaped, thanks to the 11 diaphragm blades. The second example is a full image reduced in size and looking normal.

Except for a small number of specialty lenses, the wide aperture bokeh in the frame's corner does not produce round defocused highlights, with these effects taking on a cat's eye shape due to a form of mechanical vignetting. If you look through a tube at an angle, similar to the light reaching the frame's corner, the shape is not round. That is the shape we're looking at here.

This truncation is mild.

An 11-blade count diaphragm will create 22-point sunstars (diffraction spikes) from point light sources captured with a narrow aperture. Generally, the more a lens diaphragm is stopped down, the larger and better shaped the sunstars tend to be. Wide aperture lenses tend to have an advantage in this regard, though the large number of blades reduces the angles between each other. Still, this lens can produce nice stars, as illustrated below.

The example above was captured at f/16.

The design of this lens, illustrated above, includes [1] Super ED (extra-low dispersion) glass and [2] ED glass. "G Master series lenses take imaging and expression to previously unattainable levels with a stunning blend of extremely high resolution and softly dissolving background bokeh." [Sony]

The Sony FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens rocked the image quality testing. Few lenses perform as highly as this one.

Focusing

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"The lens maximizes the speed potential of high-performance cameras, making it easy to capture important moments in dynamic sports action or fast-moving wildlife scenes. Two XD (extreme dynamic) Linear Motors with high thrust efficiency and an advanced control algorithm have been specially fine-tuned for fast response to control signals. Additionally, AF tracking speed and precision are maintained even when shooting continuous bursts." [Sony]

When a lens delivers extremely shallow depth of field and is designed to be used for fast action, fast autofocus speed and reliable autofocus accuracy are critical.

This lens internally focuses extremely fast, and tracking a rider on an approaching galloping horse proved no problem, even at a close distance.

This lens features a focus distance range limit switch that enables distance selection to be limited to 19.7' (6.0m) - ∞, with the narrower range improving AF speed in some situations. Like all of the other 300mm f/2.8 lenses, this one focuses internally.

The Sony FE 300 has 4 AF hold buttons located around the lens. While these buttons are 90° from each other around the lens, they are not positioned at even 90° locations relative to the physical lens. Instead, they are positioned for easier access when the lens is being used in standard and vertical orientations. While in continuous focus mode, press an AF hold button to lock focus at the currently selected focus distance, permitting a focus and recompose technique without changing back to AF-S (Single) mode. If you don't value this feature, use the camera menu to program different functionality.

This lens includes a function ring for power focusing. In any focusing mode, turn the ring a small amount for a consistently slow speed focusing or a more significant amount for a consistently fast speed focus adjustment with the direction of turn changing the direction of focus adjustment. Video recording is a suggested use for this feature.

Along with an AF/MF switch, this lens features a full-time DMF switch, enabling manual focus to be utilized at any point. I find this feature especially handy when photographing field sports from the sideline, enabling me to bring the action I'm not actively photographing into focus without engaging the camera's autofocus. That said, the camera must be on and awake for the viewfinder and DMF to function, and half-pressing the shutter release is an easy strategy to make that and conventional AF happen.

This lens features a linear manual focus adjustment rate, and with about 145° of rotation between focus extents, adjustments happen at a good rate. The rubber-ribbed focus ring is big, lightly damped, and smooth, with little play.

Usual is for the scene to change size in the frame as the focus is pulled from one extent to the other. This effect is focus breathing, a change in focal length resulting from a change in focus distance. Focus breathing impacts photographers intending to use focus stacking techniques, videographers pulling focus (without movement to camouflage the effect), and anyone critically framing while adjusting focus.

This lens produces a significant change in subject size through a full-extent (worst-case) focus distance adjustment.

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The FE 300 F2.8 has a minimum focus distance of 78.7" (2000mm), where it generates a low 0.16x maximum magnification spec.

Model	Min Focus Distance		Max Magnification
Canon RF 100-300mm F2.8 L IS USM Lens	70.9"	(1800mm)	0.16x
Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens	78.7"	(2000mm)	0.18x
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II Lens	15.7"	(400mm)	0.30x
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens	38.6"	(980mm)	0.35x
Sony FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens	78.7"	(2000mm)	0.16x
Sony FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens	106.3"	(2700mm)	0.16x
Sony FE 600mm F4 GM OSS Lens	177.6"	(4510mm)	0.14x

A subject measuring approximately 16.4 x 10.9" (417 x 278mm) fills a full-frame imaging sensor at this lens's minimum MF distance.

Mount an extension tube behind this lens to modestly decrease the minimum focus distance and increase the magnification. As of review time, Sony does not publish extension tube specs or manufacture these items, but third-party Sony-compatible extension tubes are available.

This lens is compatible with Sony teleconverters, a better option for increasing magnification.

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Extenders / Teleconverters

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The Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens is compatible with the Sony FE 1.4x and Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverters. These accessories retain the lens's native focus distance range and OSS feature, while providing a far greater magnification impact than extension tubes used on this lens.

The addition of a 1.4x teleconverter creates a full-frame 420mm OSS lens, with a 1-stop narrower max aperture (f/4). Magnifying the image by 1.4x usually impacts image quality noticeably, and in this case, it shows only modest sharpness impact and color fringing impact. The 1.4x creates slight barrel distortion from this lens's native slight pincushion distortion.

Teleconverters slow AF performance, but the 1.4x mounted behind the FE 300 focuses quickly in reasonable light conditions.

Use the 2x teleconverter to create a 600mm OSS Lens. With the 2x comes 2-stops of max aperture loss, making this a still-reasonable f/5.6 combination. I am seldom satisfied with the performance of 2x teleconverters, but this combination performs quite well. Stopping this lens down produces minor image quality improvement without the teleconverter mounted, and nothing changes in that regard when the teleconverter is included in the optical formula.

With the Sony FE 2x mounted, barrel distortion is increased slightly. The increase is just about the right amount to offset the native 300mm pincushion distortion, resulting in a well-corrected distortion profile. Lateral CA is considerably increased with the 2x in place.

Expect the 2x to slightly impact AF speed and to slightly increase hunting frequency. Still, this combination focuses quickly in moderately bright light conditions. The f/5.6 max aperture is wide enough to be useful for the wildlife and sports photography that 600mm is especially well suited for if the lighting conditions are reasonable.

Design & Features

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Sony's G Master series lenses are the top-of-the-line, professional-grade models. Like the rest of the GM lens models, this one is beautifully designed and built.

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The Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens utilizes a magnesium alloy frame for lightweight strength.

There are a lot of switches on the side of this lens. Each switch has been mentioned previously in the review, but I'll add that they are on a low-profile switch bank easily accessible to the left thumb and that the switches themselves are low profile and snap surely into their positions. Three-position switches always require more care when selecting the middle position.

This is a weather-sealed (not waterproof) lens that is ready for the rigors of professional outdoor use.

The front element is fluorine coated for reduced adhesion of dust and moisture, making the lens easier to clean and stay clean.

This lens is incredibly small and light for the 300mm f/2.8 specs. Note the Canon EF 300mm F2/8 II's weight — we thought this lens was incredibly light when it was introduced.

Model	Weight oz(g)		Dimensions w/o Hood "(mm)		Filter	Year
Canon RF 100-300mm F2.8 L IS USM Lens	93.5	(2650)	5.0 x 12.7	(128.0 x 323.4)	112	2023
Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens	83.0	(2350)	5.0 x 9.8	(128.0 x 248.0)	DI 52	2011
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II Lens	36.9	(1045)	3.5 x 7.9	(88.0 x 200.0)	77	2021
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens	49.2	(1395)	3.7 x 8.1	(93.9 x 205.0)	77	2017
Sony FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens	51.9	(1470)	4.9 x 10.4	(124.0 x 265.0)	DI 40.5	2024
Sony FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens	102.2	(2895)	6.2 x 14.1	(158.1 x 359.0)	DI 40.5	2018
Sony FE 600mm F4 GM OSS Lens	107.3	(3040)	6.4 x 17.7	(163.6 x 449.0)	DI 40.5	2019

Note that the spec weight does not include the tripod foot.

For many more comparisons, review the complete Sony FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens Specifications using the site's Lens Spec tool.

Here is a visual comparison:

Positioned above from left to right are the following lenses:

Canon RF 100-300mm F2.8 L IS USM Lens
Sony FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens
Sony FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens

The same lenses are shown below with their hoods in place.

Use the site's product image comparison tool to visually compare the Sony FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens to other lenses.

Like the Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 and 600mm f/4 GM OSS Lenses, the 300mm f/2.8 lens utilizes side-mount 40.5mm filters in the drop-in/slide-in holder (a clear filter is provided). Optional (and expensive) is the Sony VF-DCPL1 Drop-in Circular Polarizing Filter.

The Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens gets a strong tripod ring and a quick-release foot to meet balanced mounting needs, avoiding tripod head and camera strain and sag and allowing easy camera rotation. This tripod foot has two threaded inserts, with a fore-positioned 3/8"-16 size and a rear-positioned 1/4"-20.

Mounting plates with two screws are optimal to avoid twisting, and most lens plates will require a 3/8"-16 to 1/4"-20 Reducer Bushing in the larger threaded insert. For single screw use, a small hole is provided to accommodate an anti-twist pin. Unfortunately, it is not large enough to accommodate the pin of the Really Right Stuff Sliding Multi-Purpose Rails I use on Canon lenses.

Better still would have been for Sony to machine the needed Arca-Swiss dovetail grooves into the foot. Replacing the Sony tripod foot with a Wimberley AP-612 Replacement Foot (similar to but longer than the AP-610) or Really Right Stuff Tripod Foot is popular for good reasons.

The tripod collar is smooth and unclicked.

The included ALC-SH175 Lens Hood is large and rigid, providing significant protection to the lens's front element. Unlike the normal thumbscrew attachment for this lens class, the ALC-SH175 hood features a bayonet mount and release button for a considerably faster and easier mounting experience.

The interior is flocked to avoid light reflection, and the end of the hood is rubber-coated to protect it and anything it might come into contact with. The colored ring at the end of the lens is a nice aesthetic touch.

It is recommended that this lens supports the weight of the camera mounted to it and not the other way around, meaning you should not rely on the camera's mount to fully support the weight of this (or any other large/heavy telephoto) lens. A shoulder strap is provided for attachment to the tripod ring, allowing the lens to rotate freely without the strap tightening around your neck.

Sony ships the FE 300 in a classy, uniquely shaped, zippered, padded nylon soft case with generous proportions, though not generous enough to accommodate a mounted camera. A shoulder strap is provided for the soft case.

Sony provides a flexible wrap-around padded vinyl lens cover with a semi-rigid end to protect the front lens element. This cover attaches to the hood in reversed and ready-to-use positions.

Price, Value, Compatibility

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Top-of-the-line performance brings a high price, and this lens does not break that rule.

As an "FE" lens, the Sony FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens is compatible with all Sony E-mount cameras, including full-frame and APS-C sensor format models. Sony provides a 1-year limited warranty.

The reviewed Sony FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens was online retail sourced.

Alternatives

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This lens does not currently have a direct Sony-mount alternative, so let's compare the Sony FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens. Aside from the significant 100mm focal length difference, these lenses are similar in most respects.

The image quality comparison shows the 300 slightly sharper at f/2.8, and the same holds true with extenders mounted. The 400 is slightly sharper in the 420mm (with 1.4x) vs. 400mm comparison at f/4), but the 600mm vs. 560mm comparison at f/5.6 is close. The 400 has slightly less peripheral shading.

The Sony FE 300mm F2.8 vs. 400mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens comparison shows the extra 100mm of focal length having a considerable size and weight cost. It also has a big cost penalty. If 300mm suits your needs, it is the right choice. However, the 400mm lens's longer focal length is substantial and often valuable, including for creating a stronger background blur.

Crossing over to the Canon brand, the RF 100-300mm F2.8 L IS USM Lens covers the 300mm f/2.8 combination along with the entire focal length range down to 100mm.

In the image quality comparison shows the two lenses similar remarkable performance. They perform similarly with a 1.4x, and the Canon lens shows a slight center-of-the-frame advantage in the with-2x comparison. The Sony lens has slightly less peripheral shading at f/2.8

The Sony FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS vs. Canon RF 100-300mm F2.8 L IS USM Lens comparison shows the Canon lens larger and considerably heavier, 93.5 vs. 51.9 oz (2650 vs. 1470g). The Sony lens has 11 aperture blades vs. 9. The Canon lens accepts front filters (112mm) vs. drop-in (40.5mm) filters.

The Canon lens's focal length range is a huge advantage; however, it costs over 50% more.

Use the site's tools to create additional comparisons.

Summary

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If you can make use of the 300mm focal length and can afford the price, the FE 300mm F2.8's primary downside, get this lens. The Sony FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens is one of the best lenses ever produced — an exceptional performer.

Superb build quality, ultra-wide aperture, fast and precise AF, and outstanding image quality define the feature-filled FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens, sure to satisfy the most discerning photographers chasing people, including people performing in fast-moving and low-light activities. This lens is awesome!