Canon 2x tele extender?

[IPT]

Anyone here have hands on experience with the Canon 2x tele? I have and use the 1.4x with good results. Word on the street (and my experience) is that the 1.4x does little to degrade the image quality.

From what I've read the 2x softens the image a little, but that it is still quite usable if using a good lens to start with. Of course I'll lose two stops of light but that's the price I'll have to pay. I have a 300m F4 IS lens and a 300mm f2.8 non IS lens. With the f2.8 I'll essentailly have a 600mm f5.6 lens for way less that the over $4K it would cost for that focal range. The 300mm F2.8 is known to be one of the sharpest Canon lenses made and from what I've read handles to 2x pretty well.

I ordered one, so time will tell how I feel about it. I was just wondering if any of you have used it (in any combination) and what your thoughts were about it.

 

[princer7]

In the end, it all depends on the lens and camera body used with it. A prime lens at f/2.8 will most likely be better than a zoom. I used one with my 100-400mm L. It was softer than I would have liked and my camera (40D) had difficulty with autofocus with that lens.

 

[IPT]

I have a body that'll handle the autofocus so I am not concerned about that. Living in Alaska, as good as we have it, I often find that the 420mm I get with the 1.4 tele is just not enough. I can't imagine dropping the cash on a long lens though since really it will be used infrequently.

That lens with a 5.6 aperature would put you at what like F11? That would be tough. I've seen people comment that with that lens it just didn't work that well. Hopefully with the prime lens it'll be better like you said. Anyone else with hands on experience?

 

[BlueCorn]

Sorry - no experience with the 2x on that lens. I borrowed one to use on a 100-400 once in a pinch and wasn't at all happy with it.

Why not rent one and try it before you commit to purchase?

http://www.rentglass.com/itemdetail.aspx?showitem=125

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

I have used the 2x extender on a 300mm f/2.8 and I thought it preformed as well as could be expected. The experience made me question everyone's disdain for the extender. For me the extra 300mm gained far outweighed the slight IQ lost.

 

[IPT]

Doug - yeah, that would have been a good idea.... I wish those places rented more serious telephoto lenses.

TS - That is what I was hoping. I suspect I will not use it primarily but there are times I would really like the reach. For sure I'll nab some shots with the 1.4x first, for insurance. I should have it next Friday.

 

[ahuxman58]

I had the 2 X and used it for about a week and traded it for the 1.4 X I did not like the slow focus and IQ loss. It all comes down to personal preference and for me the 2X was not for me. Some like it and some dont. Its always best to get the reach without stacking more glass on top of other glass. I dont even use my 1.4 X often but always have it with just in case.

 

[IPT]

Wow, it arrived sooner than expected. Here’s the comparison.

Both images were taken at F8 (meaning the shot taken with the 1.4X was closed down 1 more stop than the 2x). I wanted to compare the quality as I would be using it. When I am shooting outside I will stop down as much as conditions allow to get maximal lens performance. Tele’s eat light up and it doesn’t matter if I am using the 1.4 or the 2x I’ll still be stopping down as much as conditions allow. For this situation I assumed I would go to F8 and wanted to see how they compared (realizing the DOF will be slightly different due to the true apertures).

In this rudimentary experiment I determined that if I am shooting an animal that is far away or just plain small, the sharpness lost from using the 2x was negated by the sharpness lost by having to push the 1.4x almost 50% more to get the object to be the same size in the frame. Thus I could get a larger overall enlargement without too significant of a quality loss.

Two things I did notice though. The 2X shots were without a doubt a little softer when examined at the native 100% resolutions verse the ones with the 1.4x (both were monted on a 300mmF2.8 non-IS lens). Also, I had a few more softer shots with the 2X than the 1.4x. I think due to the longer focal length and larger magnification. Even tripod mounted the extra focal length means technique and the minimization of any vibrations are imperative. Mirror lock up and a cable release will probably be in order if at all possible when shooting with this combination to achieve 600mm.

All this being said , I will probably use the 2x tele-convertor at times. I will usually grab a few insurance shots with the 1.4x first, but there is a place for the 2X. As TS said, the little bit of softness that occurs is worth the extra reach as far as I am concerned. After all that I’ve read I expected it to be worse. It’s noticeable, but with a little PS to enhance the contrast and sharpness the overall quality was not bad at all. The crops below end up being 100% for the 600mm and about 150% for the 420mm. No post processing was done at all and the in camera sharpness was set to 4.

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

I am pleased to see you agree that the flack the 2x converter gets isn't necessarily warranted vs. the benefits it offers. It brings me great pleasure that you are happy with you're choice and I would like to wish you happy shooting! And a happy St. Patrick's day!

 

[IPT]

Tip of the hat to ya' Lad

Thinking about going to look for some Eagles this weekend to give this thing a real test run.

 

[IPT]

Well, I used this thing in the real world this weekend. All I can say is I am pleased with what it can do. I had quite a few shoft shots but I also had some dang sharp ones. This combination is certainly capable of quality images. My keeper rate was down but that is due to my long lens technique. At 600mm I think even doing everything right will result in a few soft shots. It's nice to know I have a longer reach now without having to spend 5 grand.

100% crop

 

[Reef Bass]

Love that first one! Great expression on the eagle's face.

I can see the softness / lack of ultimate feather detail and the super shallow DOF in these but they are still definitely keeper shots. Way to save $5k.

Nice job with the 2x v. 1.4x test b.t.w.

 

[IPT]

Lol - I just looked again - the 600mm lens is $7600! The carrying case is almost $600 (twice the price of my 2x tele!). I'll take a little softness in the finer details.....

The shallow DOF really was because the Eagle was on a log and background was pretty far off. The beach dropped away behind him and the water/beach visible was pretty far back. If I remember correctly I shot at F11 (minus 2 stops from the tele) would have put the lens aperature at F5.6. The thing about the comparison that got my attention was the text in the bottom of the street sign. In the 600mm version you can almost read it where as in the 420 you can't. That was enough right there to tell me in the right situation this will get me a shot I otherwise couldn't get. It ain't always easy (or safe) to get close to these critters.

here are a couple of other shots from the day. Quality is lower due to the format I saved it in.

http://www.greene-art.com/large_image_pages/blog_pages/blog_page_3.html

 

[Reef Bass]

Astute observation with the small print on the signs. I enjoyed the polar bear images on your blog. The bear lumbering towards the camera (1st one?) and the bear "sitting in the bushes" were my favorites. There is a wildlife photographer trapped in my populated subdivision dwelling body and I can totally relate to your comments about your feelings when shooting the polar bears.

It seems as though you have some unique opportunities for photographs by keying in on the seasonal patterns of these creatures, like knowing when and where they gather in numbers to feed, for example.

I have a lot of respect (fear?) for polar bears, as they are one of the few creatures which view reasonably view humans as food. We as a species have wiped out most of the critters which would like to eat us. Some could say this is a survival advantage for us, and while that is true I still can't help from being sad for the loss of those marvelous and powerful creatures (not that I want to be lunch, just to be clear!). From what I understand, the polar bear's existence is coming to an end with the melting of the arctic ice pack, a condition which is not likely to change any time soon.

Do you have any insights / thoughts on the polar bear living so close to them (relative to me in California!)?

 

[IPT]

The Polar bears in Alaska are way far North of me (barrow, I'm in Anchorage). Brown (Grizzly bears) on the other hand are local and always a present and real threat. Last year Alaska had an alarming number of bear encounters and maulings. In fact I stayed off trails I usually use a lot because of the multitude of incidents in the area. So, what’s one to do? For me, if the stakes get to high I just fold my hand (like I did last year with some specific trails I just avoided). Other than that I take bear spray with me and hope for the best. Make noise and use common sense. Those pictures you see of people fishing the rivers with a bear fishing 50ft away are the real deal. It is my deepest belief that when it comes down to it, if your number is up it’s up. Whether it’s a bear or a car accident doesn’t matter really. I refuse to live in fear and actually give up “living” because of “what if’s”. That being said, I am not a fool with reckless abandon like Treadwell (lol). I take precautions, and use common sense. Still, people have been killed by bears even when doing all the right things. Life is funny like that and as I said, if your number is up it’s up.

The Polar bears…strangely enough the guides up in Churchill (Canada) where I took the Polar Bear images had a different story to tell. They said the local Inuits and native folk were seeing more numbers, and healthier looking bears than they’ve seen in a long time. The opposite of what the media and science is telling us. So who knows the truth. It would be sad of course to loss such a magnificent creature. They are beautiful beyond the scope of words in my opinion.

You owe it to your inner self to bust out of the subdivision and get to the wild places . It has changed my life for the better in so many ways it’s hard to explain. Hailing from NY I am a long way from home!

 

[Reef Bass]

I was born in NYC and grew up in NY, NJ and CT. I've been to your great state once and enjoyed it very much. I would like to return with my kids and to give them a taste of it.

Part of the joy I experience fishing is being out on the water with deer on the hillside and eagles and osprey overhead. The contrast with my suburban life behind a monitor in a dark office is delightful. So easy does it! You're tugging on some long / large heartstrings there.

I saw numerous brown and grizzly bears while up your way, including the footprints of those that had been in our camp while we all slept. We have mountain lions here though I suspect many many fewer than you have bears. One hears of encounters frequently but of an attack only every decade or so.

I hear your points about not living in fear and when your number is up, you're done. I think it's also prudent to not be naive or plain stupid by arguing with a bear over a stretch of river. As much as I love to claim a fishing hole, I'd give it up to a bear every time! Treadwell crossed the line between living in harmony and being an idiot.

Hmm. You mean there's a difference in opinion between the locals and the media thousands of miles away? That's so weird... (not)

One possible explanation for the more numbers being sighted would be the lack of pack ice provides less habitat so the remaining bears crowd into less space. But I wouldn't expect them to be healthier as a result.

At least you got some pictures of the real thing while they still roam! Capturing a picture of a wild polar bear would do good things for me internally.

Thanks for your insights!

 

[IPT]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14679703#post14679703 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reef Bass
Capturing a picture of a wild polar bear would do good things for me internally.

No doubt - it is an amazing experience, really . Life changing.