Canon 2x extender mark iii

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luthy

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Noel
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Hi folks
I'm considering purchasing a canon mark iii 2x extender. Ive read reviews and watched utube vids and just wondered if anyone had first hand experiance of one.
I know they have limitations and drawbacks but it will only be for occasional use when I need the extra reach. It would be used on a 90D with a 70-200mm 2.8 is l lens.
Which will give me the ff equivalant of a 640mm f5.6 lens for a fraction of the price.
Do you think this is a good plan or just plain stupid.
Thanks
 
My experience for what it’s worth is 2x costs you a lot of sharpness especially with zoom lenses. I only use mine when with 600mm f4 or similar and even then I continue to be disappointed.

I have found the 1.4x to better (no surprise). A Ef400mm f5.6 would give you extra reach and seem to be going for £400-£450 on eBay. Might be a better option?
 
I'm watching this with interest. I dont have an extender for my digital, but my experience with what were then called teleconverters with film, was mixed. A good x2 worked fine, a poor one or a x3 were rubbish.
 
corny said:
My experience for what it’s worth is 2x costs you a lot of sharpness especially with zoom lenses. I only use mine when with 600mm f4 or similar and even then I continue to be disappointed.

I have found the 1.4x to better (no surprise). A Ef400mm f5.6 would give you extra reach and seem to be going for £400-£450 on eBay. Might be a better option?
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This ^^^
 
It depends on the lens that you use with the extenders the MK 3 versions were specifically optimised for the big white primes
I'm not sure sorry how it would work on your lens
I use the mark 3 2x extender as well as the 1.4 on my 300 2.8 and image quality is excellent
 
I was using a 2x mkII on my 5DmkIV with a 100-400 f4 Canon lens.
It was giving me all sorts of problems and I didn't know where to lay the blame, until I paid out for a Canon video tutorial about my 5DmkIV body, done by Nina Bailey.
She explained that you don't just loose light but depending on the body, you can also loose focussing functionality, (ie what modes are available) due to that loss of light.
Having watched the tutorial, it put everything, I was struggling with, into perspective.
The outcome was, I traded both my 1.4x mkII & my 2x mkII extenders and bought the 1.4x mkIII.

So it's not just the lens you have to take into consideration it's the body as well!
Hope this helps.
 
Thanks guys Ive seen a number of conflicting view and reviews. The canon web site claims that the 90d will focus with 27 points down to f8 with some lenses. Ive seen reports saying the converter will slow the af. I was concerned about the loss of quality. Ive read that the mark 3 is consideribly better than the mark 2.
I cant justify the cost of a big prime for occasional use just wondered if the quality would be acceptable (I know that is very subjective).
 
You could hire one?
 
Hire looks like a good option just looked up the price £15 per day looks like a good try before you buy option.
 
Thanks Gav
I can live with a minor drop in IQ for the occasional extra reach.
Silly question I assume the IS still works. I only expect to use it in good light so hopefully hunting wont be an issue.
 
luthy said:
Thanks Gav
I can live with a minor drop in IQ for the occasional extra reach.
Silly question I assume the IS still works. I only expect to use it in good light so hopefully hunting wont be an issue.
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Yes, IS will still work, every lens I use it with work as normal, except for the slight AF speed drop :)
 
I used and ext 2Xiii with a 550D and Ef 300f 2.8 is .then same combo with a 1Div.then 1div 2xext iii and fiinally where I am now 1dxmark ii ext iii actulaly use both 1.4 and 2X and a 400DOii

you MFA micro focus adjust ( if the 90D allows) that's your first step. In all the above incarnates the 1.4 gives slightly better IQ than the 2x,,,,,,............but one can work on that in post

What is much harder to work with is the AF especially with a moving subject...............................Noel with my 550D it just didn't have the grunt the sheer batterypower to move Af fast but with the wind in an owls face to SLOW it and me physically taking to the combo common focus please focus.iit's doable

an old image bro and probably more to be had given my learning curve and help with PP

IMG_0312 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

Mate the above isn't furpect it's meant only as an example of whats poss with a small camera body driving a big lens.

When I stepped up to the 1Div Af got better,,,,,,honestly I'm unsure on IQ I wouldn't say I was hit by a step up in IQ

Same really when I stepped up to the 400 DO ii..........the 300F 2.8 is one hell of a lens as is the IS ii,so sharp ya can cut yourself the DO is also up there

Adding that last chink a camera body designed to work with EXTiii's to lens designed to work with EXTiii's was where the combo started to sing


all failings now became mine

Noel this is a 400DO image on the mark vi and incidentally 1.4 ext............ IQ isn't deparately different to the 2X and smaller body but Af is....plus the fact I was able to move the DOii VERY fast 'cause it's light..but back to ext's IQ not a huge upgrade AF is monster I cannot stress how much AF has changed here

_70F4463 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

honestly I doubt Ii'd have got focus with the 2X though,the above spar is screaming down a hedge it's just one of those on the edge piccies ya don't oft get



So my humble thoughts are thus.canon EXT iii's are one of the biggest bangs for the buck you will get from canon, IF you need reach. go buy your EXT's actually both

If you pair to a body and lens that canon designed to work together man they work

You are not repeat not going to get the best with a 90D..that said it is not undoable utterly not unuseable

You work with the tools you have mate, get your Ss high enough to freeze motion make sure the combo properly is as near bang on with regards to focus as you can.......IE MFA


Next is way too big a crop at 800mm IE the doii the EXT 2xiii and the DXii

_S2I3428 wing flip smj tdn add c by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

Noel I hope it's ok posting my efforts on your thread.to me it is easy to waffle on stuff I just thought if you had comparisons with camera bodies exts and the same guy shooting with ALL his failings,

it might help more than just words

Oh and I am not a raptor nut barely shoot BIF, but ya know we pays are money and takes our chances

Go buy your 2Xiii learn about it's short comings with the gear ya have now, learn how post can help buy a 1.4 too and get the combo pin sharp on somethiing static via MFA. a brick wall with a marker on is a good start...one can go further with gizmos.

Just a bit more on MFA......your camera is built with a tolerence so is lens and body,all can be plus or minus by a little tiny bit.you marry them so they work as a team

all the luck

stu
 
Gav. said:
I don't own or use a 70-200 2.8, but a 2x TC does slow AF on the 90D and causes a little more hunting in certain light, IQ was only an minor drop and I'm happy to use both 1.4 and 2x TC's
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Ok bro ya win I take hours and you do a few words.funny as :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :headbang:
 
TBF didn't know I had, I just start typing and SH*T happens:ROFLMAO:

Escapism probably ;)
 
Thanks Stuart and Gav
Great info and thanks for the photos.
Stuart I dont have a problem with you posting pics here its a photography forum after all .
Great insight into using the 2xiii I must look into MFA and see what is involved with the 90D or if its possible. Canon claim the 70-200 2.8 ii is one of the compatible lenses just how compatible may be another story.
Gav thanks for the images and info on the 90D and 2xiii combo much appreciated.
Id be well happy if I achieved similar results to any of the photos posted here.
Many thanks to all who took the time effort and brain power to post here. Its always good to get a range of views
Cheers
 
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For anyone that gives a rats ass - the AF slows down as it does with any small aperture lens - you can find the spec in buried in the manual somewhere that the minimum AF aperture is f/5.6; f/8, f/11 for various Canon AF bodies of various vintages... so you might have a 400 f/5.6 that works just fine with a 1.4x TC (because it's f/8 or below) but spends all day focus hunting with the same lens on a 2xTC (effectively f/11)

In terms of image there are people who swear by the 70-200 f/2.8L with 2xTC against a 100-400 f4.5-5.6L... not sure I'd go that far for the MkII 100-400 but for sure on the MkI 100-400.
 
Gav
Ive no idea had not heard of MFA before will have to look it up

Thanks Hunnymonster
I know the 90D will focus at F8 so withthe 2.8 and extender will give an effective f5.6 so should focus all be it slower
Cheers
 
I don't think it is just down the aperture with TC's, a f4 lens + 1.4xTC III has faster AF than a f2.8 + 2xTC III on the same body, the only bodies I know that do use a lens as if the TC isn't there are the 1 series.

I think Canon have software in the 2x TC to hold it back on consumer units.
 
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