a couple BIF's

davev · August 7, 2005

Well, it's the same bird doing a couple of laps around the pond.

Canon D Reb 300.
Canon 200 F2.8L
Quantaray 2X TC

1/640s f/5.6 at 200.0mm iso400

1/2000s f/5.6 at 200.0mm iso400

As always, thanks for looking.

bfjr · August 7, 2005

Well done

Like the light in the 1st one

davev · August 7, 2005

Thanks Ben.
My wife thinks the first one is my best egret pic. Me, I like them all or I'd
quit looking for darn things.:D

Allen · August 7, 2005

Me thinks ya gotta listen to the DW, first is realy nice, love the lighting.
AL

davev · August 7, 2005

Allen wrote:

Me thinks ya gotta listen to the DW, first is realy nice, love the lighting.
AL

Thanks Allen. Yeah, she has an art degree and thinks she knows everything.
(what ticks me off is that 99% of the time she's right)

Harryb · August 7, 2005

Excellent Dave. Great lighting and exposure on that first shot.

Osprey Whisperer · August 7, 2005

Nice captures

I've got that Canon 200mm and love it. I've been reluctant to use a tele-converter with it. I'm surprised at the decent sharpness, color etc you got with the Quantaray 2X TC. Do you have any idea who's making this TC? Did you do much PP with those images? I was thinking of getting the Canon 1.4x as I've read an awful lot of reviews/posts knocking the 2x converters.....even when attached to a fast "L" series lens. I'd love to get the 300mm f/2.8...but that's a lot of clams.

Job well done.

Cheers

BMP

davev · August 7, 2005

Thanks Harry.

davev · August 7, 2005

Bird Man Photographer wrote:

Nice captures I've got that Canon 200mm and love it. I've been reluctant to use a tele-converter with it. I'm surprised at the decent sharpness, color etc you got with the Quantaray 2X TC. Do you have any idea who's making this TC? Did you do much PP with those images? I was thinking of getting the Canon 1.4x as I've read an awful lot of reviews/posts knocking the 2x converters.....even when attached to a fast "L" series lens. I'd love to get the 300mm f/2.8...but that's a lot of clams.

Job well done.

Cheers

BMP

Hey Bird Man.

I think Tamron makes this TC for Quantaray. I have the 1.4 from Tamron, and
these 2 look the same. I call this the poor mans 400 F5.6. I usually use my
Sigma 80-400 for birding, but on this day I didn't have it with me. This combo
works OK, but I don't think I'll win any awards with it. The background comes
out a little spotted, not smooth. I haven't tried it with the 1.4 TC so I don't
know how well that combo works.

here are the 100 % crops straight from the camera, of these 2 pics.

Hope this helps.

Osprey Whisperer · August 7, 2005

Hey Davey,

Thanks...interesting to see the pre-PP images. I could swing the Canon 400 f/5.6 or the 300mm f/4...but with my poor eyes..I'd really like the F/2.8 version of one of those to take advantage of the 20D's AF system. I need to rob a bank. Wanna help?

hehehe JK.

Cheers

BMP

pathfinder · August 7, 2005

Bird Man Photographer wrote:

Nice captures I've got that Canon 200mm and love it. I've been reluctant to use a tele-converter with it. I'm surprised at the decent sharpness, color etc you got with the Quantaray 2X TC. Do you have any idea who's making this TC? Did you do much PP with those images? I was thinking of getting the Canon 1.4x as I've read an awful lot of reviews/posts knocking the 2x converters.....even when attached to a fast "L" series lens. I'd love to get the 300mm f/2.8...but that's a lot of clams.

Job well done.

Cheers

BMP

I have seen similar comments about 2x telextenders all over the WEB. The I went to Arthur Morris website - birdsasart.com - take a gander at his work - it is superb. He posts his exposure data with each image, and uses a 2x TC very frequently. Now usually he is using his 2x with an "L" prime, but his images are very sharp. So I decided to give it a whirl.

Here is an image I got at Yosemite with a 300mm + 2x TC - handheld ~600mm! The 300+2X is also much lighter as well as vastly cheaper than a 600mm prime.
f8 1/250 ISO 400 1DsMkll

Here is another shot of finches on a feeder - not a very pretty picture, but a good demonstration of what can be done with a 300+2x with a Better Beamer - shot on a beanbag rest from my back window. Sharp enough?
f7.1 1/60th ISO 800 20D 600mm at 1/60th - love that IS

I think that pixel peepers may find some softening in the corners, but for birding corners rarely need to be that crisp. Also, I think that reduced size sensors like the 20D are more forgiving than a full frame SLR would be. Also stopping down a stop from wide open probably helps also. And I think that Canon's 2x + a good prime is pretty neat way to shoot 600mm handheld - you would find a 600mm prime + body hard to hold to your eye steadily for any length of time. I find myself using this combination a lot.

davev · August 7, 2005

These pics that Pathfinder posted are excellent examples that you can't
believe everything you read on the web. I used the cheapest 2X known to
man, and for me, they came out OK. Looking at Path's pics, it sure makes me
think about getting the Canon. I think if the TC's were as bad as some folks say,
the lens makers would have stopped making them a long time ago.

And before I forget, Great pics Path.

pathfinder · August 7, 2005

davev wrote:

These pics that Pathfinder posted are excellent examples that you can't
believe everything you read on the web. I used the cheapest 2X known to
man, and for me, they came out OK. Looking at Path's pics, it sure makes me
think about getting the Canon. I think if the TC's were as bad as some folks say,
the lens makers would have stopped making them a long time ago.

And before I forget, Great pics Path.

Thanks Davev. Arthur Morris even stacks his TCs - He uses a 1.4 and a 2x on his primes. 500mm + 2x + 1.4x = 1400mm - now that is some reach - lenses of that length require supremely meticulous usage or the image will be blurred due to camera movement, not optical degradation. I wonder if some of the bad mouthing of TCs is due to less than superb camera support. Tripods rule!!

Here is another 300+2x shot - not quite as crisp - but check this out!!
ISO 200 f8 1/13th sec handheld 20D

ginger_55 · August 7, 2005

I use the 1 1/4 all the time, kind of standard for it to be on my 300 Prime. That combination still can Autofocus, once I put the 2 Xs on, I have to go to manual, so I don't like to use it unless I have to. My 300 is the F4. I don't have the money for fast lenses, either, not unless it is the 1.8 50 mm, and I don't even have that money right now.

It kind of depends on my mood. But I have gotten good shots with it. Sometimes I need it to get me there. It was invaluable with the bird babies in the nests. Since I use the 300, rather than putting a TC on my 70-200, I have never used it with that lens. It is the slow one, too.

ginger

Osprey Whisperer · August 7, 2005

Nice pics....and yes..look pretty sharp to me. What 300mm was used? THe f/4 or f/2.8 ? I think I'll pick up a Canon TC...but am not sure which one yet. I would like the added reach of the 2x...but it will also effect AF based on change in f-stop. I have to rely on the 20D's auto focus system....as the one I was born with is rather defective

I think the added AF characteristics of using the f/2.8 is a major plus IMO. I'm going to have to save up for that 300mm f/2.8 and a TC. I also want a decent ultra wide soon also. ahhhh that damn 200mm "L" glass really has me hooked. I love my 200mm...and especially like the price I picked it up on Ebay for

I think I've got a nice copy...as I'm always blown away by the sharpness and color of it. It stays on my 20D most of the time. I have a Tokina AT-X 300mm f/4 and a Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 macro. PRetty slimp pickin's for my lens selection at this point. Now if we are talking Nikon 35mm gear.

: Just can't use that manual focus stuff anymore. Love that old glass though.

Thanks for sharing...and the info.

Cheers

BMP

a couple BIF's

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