tele-converter-extender question

trogloditetroglodite Registered Users Posts: 130 Major grins
edited July 26, 2006 in Cameras
Anyone use one of those canon extenders (either one) on the 70-200mm 2.8L lens? Are you happy with the results?

I'm having a hard time deciding what lens to get. My work tends to require around 70-200mm. I'd like to throw a 2x on it to shoot some birds and such.
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Comments

  • USAIRUSAIR Registered Users Posts: 2,646 Major grins
    edited July 25, 2006
    troglodite wrote:
    Anyone use one of those canon extenders (either one) on the 70-200mm 2.8L lens? Are you happy with the results?

    I'm having a hard time deciding what lens to get. My work tends to require around 70-200mm. I'd like to throw a 2x on it to shoot some birds and such.


    I use the 1.4 X with the same lens but your f/2.8 becomes f/4
    I am very happy with it.
    I think it will be short for birds...but others better at this then me will chime in

    Fred
    http://www.riverbendphotos.com/
    http://www.facebook.com/Riverbendphotos
  • JeffroJeffro Registered Users Posts: 1,941 Major grins
    edited July 25, 2006
    troglodite wrote:
    Anyone use one of those canon extenders (either one) on the 70-200mm 2.8L lens? Are you happy with the results?

    I'm having a hard time deciding what lens to get. My work tends to require around 70-200mm. I'd like to throw a 2x on it to shoot some birds and such.

    I have used both the 1.4x and 2x, but I only own the 2x. The 1.4 gives you better quality. I have used the 2x on my 70-200 for animals, and sports, and have had no problems with it. You are at f5.6, but can still autofocus. I have used it on my 300 f4, but it is f8, manual focus only, and the image loss is a bit more than I like. I would prefer the 1.4x on my 300. Believe it or not I used them both once on my 300....wow you can really get close!!
    Always lurking, sometimes participating. :D
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited July 25, 2006
    TC 1.4x
    troglodite wrote:
    Anyone use one of those canon extenders (either one) on the 70-200mm 2.8L lens? Are you happy with the results?

    I'm having a hard time deciding what lens to get. My work tends to require around 70-200mm. I'd like to throw a 2x on it to shoot some birds and such.

    I recently acquired canon tc 1.4x, however thus far I only used it on 100-400. See, the combination of 70-200 and TC-ed 100-400 gives me a very nice tele range of 70-200 and 140-560, with the small but valuable intersection between them.
    Not sure if this helps but this is my experience so far...
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • Steve CaviglianoSteve Cavigliano Super Moderators Posts: 3,599 moderator
    edited July 25, 2006
    From all I have seen the 1.4X TC works just fine on the 70-200F2.8. Depending on how close your subject is, the 2X may even satisfy you. If you will be needing 2X type focal lengths on more than a very occassional basis. I would suggest getting a longer lens. The 2X can work OK, but you will notice more image degradation if your subject is at a great distance.

    As mentioned, you will lose a stop of light. Causing the camera to act like you have lost a stop in regards to your max aperture. The aperture really doesn't change from my understanding. In that the opening at the rear of the lens (aperture) does not change at all, just by attaching a TC. So, exposure-wise your F2.8 lens may report F4 to the camera when a 1.4X TC is attached. But DOF-wise, it will still give you a F2.8 DOF wide open. As you fill more of your viewfinder with your subject, this can be a real issue.

    Steve
    SmugMug Support Hero
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited July 25, 2006
    What Steve said...
    Steve Cavigliano wrote:
    From all I have seen the 1.4X TC works just fine on the 70-200F2.8. Depending on how close your subject is, the 2X may even satisfy you. If you will be needing 2X type focal lengths on more than a very occassional basis. I would suggest getting a longer lens. The 2X can work OK, but you will notice more image degradation if your subject is at a great distance.

    As mentioned, you will lose a stop of light. Causing the camera to act like you have lost a stop in regards to your max aperture. The aperture really doesn't change from my understanding. In that the opening at the rear of the lens (aperture) does not change at all, just by attaching a TC. So, exposure-wise your F2.8 lens may report F4 to the camera when a 1.4X TC is attached. But DOF-wise, it will still give you a F2.8 DOF wide open. As you fill more of your viewfinder with your subject, this can be a real issue.

    Steve

    One solution to this DOF/F dilemma is to tape a few contact pins on the extender, and provide manual overexposure for 1 stop.
    Seach for pin taping here and at dprievew.
    I'm using taped pins on TC with 100-400, thus allow focus lock confirmation to work and this combo works rather nicely...
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • claudermilkclaudermilk Registered Users Posts: 2,756 Major grins
    edited July 26, 2006
    Timely post. I just had an opportunity to use a 2x on the 70-200/2.8IS I was shooting with this weekend. It was nice to be able to get the reach, but I wasn't real thrilled with the IQ. Keep in mind this was of a dance show with difficult lighting, fast-moving dancers shot at f5.6/ISO3200, so as is my habit, I'm pushing the performance envelope of the equipment. Given a choice I think a longer lens to begin with would have been better; something like a Canon 100-400, Sigma 120-300, long prime, etc.

    I did get some very nice close-up shots, but the ratio of OOF/soft/motion-blurred to good shots was sub-par from what I'm used to with the lens by itself. I'd have been as well off cropping 200mm shots. I imagine in a different sitaution where I could stop down to f8-11 at ISO100 it would have performed decently.
    Chris
    http://www.chrislaudermilkphoto.com/
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