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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jalethbridge" data-source="post: 1549412" data-attributes="member: 54647">I have the portability issue, although I already have the lense, and it is awesome. I prefer not to use it with TCs though. It is almost certainly my technique, as I hate tripods, but with the 1.6x, I find it impossible to avoid camera shake and adding tcs seems to be the tipping point. Photos improve immeasurably if you use a tripod though, even with just the bare lense. 3.25kg is actually a lot to hold steady. One thing I would draw attention to is that the DOF at f2.8 can be measured in fractions of a mm, which in practical terms for bird photograpy where you need to get in close to get something large enough in the frame, means you need you need to stop down to get acceptable results. I find I use my lense at f6.3 or indeed smaller most of the time. This flys in the face of lugging around 2.5kg for the amount of light it lets in. This problem does not exist with the f4 lense, or at least not for me. I am able to use it wide-open most of the time.The portability issue is one which I struggle with. I am off to Scilly this autumn, and I am birder first, photographer second. I want to have a scope. That means a tripod. Bins go without saying. Then I need food and coffee. And I also want to take photos. I carry the camera and 300 2.8 (hood reversed) in a small lowepro flipside thing, which also takes a flask of coffee in the side and can carry a wide angle, both TCs, and if necessary the small 70-200. This is a lump though. So I would have that, bins round my neck, and a tripod + scope + ball-head (not light) over my shoulder. Personally I don't think I can do a day in the field, walking perhaps 20 miles, with all this. Then again, substituting the f4 for the f2.8 saves less than 1.5kg. This will be noticeable, but hardly substantial over the course of a day. Anyone have any thoughts? Ditch the scope and tripod perhaps? Maybe you just can't bird and take decent photos, and you have to choose one over the other.I tend to carry the f4 locally, as I have been mugged on my patch, thankfully without camera that time, but I would hate to lose the 2.8. You stand out less, you can bung it in a small, non-obviously photographic bag.JonathanPS, majority of bird photos on the blog were taken with the 2.8. Have a look at some of the ones in the post titled "A trip". Used a tripod for the Black Guillie, I really think it makes a difference.</blockquote>

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