70-200 f4 L with 1.4TC

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stupar

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Has anyone used this combination?
I keep reading mixed reviews about canon TC's and certain L lenses.

I know that the 2x is out the equation as it turns it into a manual focus F8 lens and the quality degrades quite a bit.

But what is the 1.4x like, I know it becomes a F5.6 lens and auto focus remains, but does it hunt more, does the IQ drop a lot and whats it like when not being used wide open?

What are your experiences and do you have any examples of the latter combo.

Cheers!
 
I have this combo. Give me 20 mins or so and I'll sort some samples.

Here we go.

Camera settings are ISO 100, AI Focus, AWB, shot in RAW and exported to jpg, no PP done. Oh and shot on a 40D with 70-200mm F4 IS. TC is a Canon 1.4 x II.

@200mm F4 full size here
IMG_1138.jpg


@280mm F5.6 (TC attached) full size here
IMG_1140.jpg


@200mm F8 full size here
IMG_1142.jpg


@280mm F8 (TC attached) full size here
IMG_1144.jpg


Hope this helps some.
 
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I occasionally use mine with a Kenko Teleplus Pro 300 1.4x DG on a 5D2 and 7D. So occasionally, that I only have 12 photos with that combination! Speed of focus goes down and you do lose some image quality, but it is still perfectly acceptable - I was photographing bees on the wall with it the other day and the biggest issue I was having (apart from handholding a lens with an effective 450mm focal length on the 7D) was getting anything more than a part of the bee in focus even at f7.1!

If you need the extra reach, it is a very cheap way of getting an extra 80mm (I picked mine up second hand for £75 which may have been a bit much).
 
I'm running this lens with a kenko 1.4x tc and it works well, the problem I tend to have is that I have to get the iso up to keep the shutter speed up (1/300+) as it's not a stabilised lens I get quite a bit of shake through the viewfinder. Depending what you photograph having to run a high shutter speed to stop camera shake can limit some of the types of shots you take (for me, panning moving objects is near impossible to get any usable results as slow down the shutter speed and you induce camera shake to the shots)

Andrew.
 
Some shots:

5D2:
5633732289_a88192dce8_b.jpg


5634314654_d29a868eeb_b.jpg


5633733453_6eea277d41_b.jpg


7D (at near 100% crop):
5634315442_99ac4e5bf6_b.jpg
 
And the snowdrop at 100% crop:

5633741899_c8bdf521ff_b.jpg


and 100% crop of deer

5633747809_256be1a598_b.jpg


Note these have been flikr'd and are slightly duller and slightly more blurred than the set in lightroom.
 
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i'm actually pleasantly surprised at just how good those images are with the TC. i'd say that unless you were pixel peeping you wouldn't even know and even then the 100% crop of the deer is sharp.

the snow drop shots also prove that whilst colour/contrast might take a hit if you're measuring it in a controlled way on a chart, on a real photograph with good pp it has no noticeable effect.
 
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cuthbert said:
i'm actually pleasantly surprised at just how good those images are with the TC. i'd say that unless you were pixel peeping you wouldn't even know and even then the 100% crop of the deer is sharp.

the snow drop shots also prove that whilst colour/contrast might take a hit if you're measuring it in a controlled way on a chart, on a real photograph with good pp it has no noticeable effect.
Click to expand...
Yes, I agree. And thank you (I'm taking the last sentence as a complement - even if you didn't mean it ;) :D)
 
I've used this combo a fair bit in the past - it works very well. AF speed is still very fast, slightly lower contrast / sharpness but I'd recommend it highly.
 
Cheers guy for all the info, it certainly helps when you can see the results in the flesh rather than just reading textual versions of peoples opinions.

I have though about getting one for a while and this certainly goes a long way in assisting my decision.

I take it I would be better to look for a Mkii over the original?
 
stupar said:
Cheers guy for all the info, it certainly helps when you can see the results in the flesh rather than just reading textual versions of peoples opinions.

I have though about getting one for a while and this certainly goes a long way in assisting my decision.

I take it I would be better to look for a Mkii over the original?
Click to expand...

Mk2's are getting hard to find new (Kerso might be a good place to go, he supplied mine double quick a few weeks back). The Mk3 is now replacing the 2 and making it hard to find, the 3 is a lot more expensive and for me not worth the money, nothing wrong with it as far as I know just a bit too expensive. So if you're thinking about a new one I'd get your skates on pronto.

I've only taken a few shots with mine (on a 70/200 f4IS L) but am mightily impressed so far.

Matt
 
stupar said:
I take it I would be better to look for a Mkii over the original?
Click to expand...
The photos I took above use a Kenko Teleplus Pro 300 1.4x DG. Cheaper than the Canon and whilst I haven't compared them directly, it's a reasonably good combo IMHO.
 
I've got this combo and was using it extensively with my 5DII until I got the 60D.
My own tests showed no detectable loss in fine detail, and a measurable (but tiny) drop in overall contrast that cannot be seen in a real image. Even pixel peeping I can't tell whether the TC was being used. Focussing is as crisp as ever.

I've now got a great 2 camera setup for covering gigs and festivals which doesn't need the 1.4TC, but I still carry the 1.4TC in case of emergencies. 5DII + 24-105 and 60D + 70-200 f4 IS L giving continuous coverage from 24 mm to 320mm at a constant f4.
 
Ok next question!

I use a lens coller with my 70-200 just to balance the weight a little better on the tripod.
IF i use the lens and TC on the tripod, does the collar mount stay on the lens?
 
stupar said:
Ok next question!

I use a lens coller with my 70-200 just to balance the weight a little better on the tripod.
IF i use the lens and TC on the tripod, does the collar mount stay on the lens?
Click to expand...

In what way do you mean?

I have a genuine Canon tripod collar and it feels very secure and has never come loose. The collar that came with the lens when I bought it before Christmas was awful, it felt like it wouldn't support a feather hence the reason I bought a genuine one.
 
The collar can stay on the lens with the kenko tc, it doesn't obstruct or get in the way, or are you asking about the attachment and security of the tc holding the weight of the body if the lens is mounted via the collar to a tripod?
 
Sorry what I was trying to say was do you keep the collar on the lens.
Question was to do with placement of it rather than reliability of it.

Thinking about it now the tc can't take a collar so it would have to stay on the lens anyway.....doh!
 
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