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2x teleconverter?
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Feb 22, 2018 09:33:29   #
odonnellake
 
I am strictly a hobbyist and am looking for an affordable way to increase my capabilities. I mostly shoot wildlife, landscape, and macro. I would love to be able to get closer in on the wildlife and any enhancement I can do in macro intrigues me. Not sure what would happen with the wide angle. I shoot with a common 60D and the following lenses: 70-200 Cannon zoom (1:2.8), Tamron 10-24 (1:3.5-4.5) wide angle, Cannon 100 (1:2.8) Macro, and a couple of cheap Cannon kit lenses 75-300 zoom and 18-55 EFS (that I rarely use). I’m told I could use the teleconverter with both my zoom and my macro lens and that it should definitely be a cannon. I’m wondering what I give up here. Is there distortion or loss of clarity? Can someone with experience help me sort through this? Thanks!

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Feb 22, 2018 09:43:18   #
RickL Loc: Vail, Az
 
I have a Tamron 2x and it is is not clear and requires a lot of light

Rick

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Feb 22, 2018 09:45:00   #
CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City
 
Yes, you can use a Canon Extender EF 2x with your EF 70-200 f/2.8L. The extended configurations takes you to 400mm at f/5.6 with acceptable image quality. You cannot use any Canon extenders with the 100mm macro. However, if you desire longer focal length, your better options are a longer lens rather than an extended lens. Tamron and Sigma have good zooms that will take you out to 600mm. I prefer Canon's EF 100‑400mm f/4.5‑5.6L IS II, but the Canon zoom is more expensive than the 3rd party options. Although the 100-400 retains AF when used with a 1.4x, your 60D cannot autofocus this extended lens at f/8. Your longer than 400mm options are the 3rd party lenses.

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Feb 22, 2018 09:47:29   #
gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast
 
Expect less than sharp photos with a teleconverter. Expect a reduction in F stop. Expect auto-focus issues - most folks use manual focus even though they can do auto. And keep it to 1.4X instead of 2X. I get a sense that good results come with a 1.4X on a good quality telephoto prime like a 400mm.

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Feb 22, 2018 09:55:25   #
big-guy Loc: Peterborough Ontario Canada
 
First off, a cannon shoots lead balls and Canon is a camera make. As to your query, A tele-converter will add magnification but will also reduce light and quality to your shots. Not a good idea for birding (unless they're dead) or any action type shots. It is a poor mans option for the most part but almost every pro has them in their arsenal. A 2x TC will reduce the light by 2 stops and a 1.4x will reduce by 1.5 stops making your f4 lens the equivalent of an f8 or f5.6. In lower light auto focus may become an issue in that it may be slow or just give up entirely. The price on the other hand makes them easier to handle than the price of a 300 prime or other such lens. The choice is yours.

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Feb 22, 2018 10:00:21   #
mas24 Loc: Southern CA
 
It has been mentioned on this forum that the Canon 75-300mm kit lens is not of very good quality. Your 70-200mm is a quality lens. Even in some Third Party Brands. A teleconverter made by a Camera Brand can cost upwards to over $400. Not sure I would want to spend that much money for a 75-300mm lens that is just mediocre. I would not worry about using a 2X teleconverter for the rest of your lenses either. Including the 70-200mm. But, if you want a less expensive teleconverter to use, I suggest buying a Kenko Brand, which will be in the $160 range. And get a 1.4X teleconverter instead of a 2X teleconverter. Canon calls them "Extenders." If you choose to buy Kenko, please make sure it is compatible with your lens choices. Teleconverters can be quite incompatible with some lenses, especially Nikon. Good luck.

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Feb 22, 2018 10:11:26   #
CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City
 
mas24 wrote:
It has been mentioned on this forum that the Canon 75-300mm kit lens is not of very good quality. Your 70-200mm is a quality lens. Even in some Third Party Brands. A teleconverter made by a Camera Brand can cost upwards to over $400. Not sure I would want to spend that much money for a 75-300mm lens that is just mediocre. I would not worry about using a 2X teleconverter for the rest of your lenses either. Including the 70-200mm. But, if you want a less expensive teleconverter to use, I suggest buying a Kenko Brand, which will be in the $160 range. And get a 1.4X teleconverter instead of a 2X teleconverter. Canon calls them "Extenders." If you choose to buy Kenko, please make sure it is compatible with your lens choices. Teleconverters can be quite incompatible with some lenses. Good luck.
It has been mentioned on this forum that the Canon... (show quote)

Have a look at the top of the this Canon extender. See the rubbery part and the glass raised above the level of the mount. A compatible Canon EF lens will have an opening / space at the rear of the lens where the top of the lens extender "extends" into the open space when the two pieces of equipment are connected. Contrary to the statements above, only the 70-200L in the OP's identified lenses is a lens designed to connect with a Canon extender.



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Feb 22, 2018 10:20:56   #
CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City
 
big-guy wrote:
First off, a cannon shoots lead balls and Canon is a camera make. As to your query, A tele-converter will add magnification but will also reduce light and quality to your shots. Not a good idea for birding (unless they're dead) or any action type shots. It is a poor mans option for the most part but almost every pro has them in their arsenal. A 2x TC will reduce the light by 2 stops and a 1.4x will reduce by 1.5 stops making your f4 lens the equivalent of an f8 or f5.6. In lower light auto focus may become an issue in that it may be slow or just give up entirely. The price on the other hand makes them easier to handle than the price of a 300 prime or other such lens. The choice is yours.
First off, a ca color=red nn /color on shoots lead... (show quote)

Although I would prefer to own a $10,000 lens at 500mm or 600mm at f/4, using a 2x with a compatible lens and camera can produce quite acceptable results. Below is 600mm with a 300 f/2.8L and 2xIII.

Sandhill cranes

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Feb 22, 2018 11:32:57   #
mas24 Loc: Southern CA
 
CHG_CANON wrote:
Although I would prefer to own a $10,000 lens at 500mm or 600mm at f/4, using a 2x with a compatible lens and camera can produce quite acceptable results. Below is 600mm with a 300 f/2.8L and 2xIII.

Sandhill cranes


That's a very sharp photo of the Cranes from a Canon 2X Extender. I own a Kenko Brand 1.4X teleconverter for a Nikon DSLR. I don't use it often. I almost bought a 2X, but didn't, because many on this forum advised against using a 2X. Canon's Extenders are obviously quality. Just as their "L" Series lenses are.

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Feb 22, 2018 11:40:24   #
amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
 
odonnellake wrote:
I am strictly a hobbyist and am looking for an affordable way to increase my capabilities. I mostly shoot wildlife, landscape, and macro. I would love to be able to get closer in on the wildlife and any enhancement I can do in macro intrigues me. Not sure what would happen with the wide angle. I shoot with a common 60D and the following lenses: 70-200 Cannon zoom (1:2.8), Tamron 10-24 (1:3.5-4.5) wide angle, Cannon 100 (1:2.8) Macro, and a couple of cheap Cannon kit lenses 75-300 zoom and 18-55 EFS (that I rarely use). I’m told I could use the teleconverter with both my zoom and my macro lens and that it should definitely be a cannon. I’m wondering what I give up here. Is there distortion or loss of clarity? Can someone with experience help me sort through this? Thanks!
I am strictly a hobbyist and am looking for an aff... (show quote)


You would be able to use a 2X teleconverter on your f/2.8 lenses... The 70-200mm would "become" a 140-400mm f/5.6 and the 100mm macro would "become" a 200mm f/5.6.

Your 60D is able to autofocus an "f/5.6" combo such as these... but not any less (newer models such as 80D and 7D II can autofocus a combo a stop slower.... f/8.... with some limitations).

Likely the "dimmer view" will cause AF to slow down and hunt more in situations with less light and/or lower contrast.

Image quality will "take a hit". But it depends upon which 70-200mm f/2.8 you have. If it's the current Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM "II", that works pretty well with the Canon EF 2X "III" teleconverter. Some people find the image quality acceptable for their purposes.

I have the earlier versions of both lens and teleconverter... and will not use them together because image quality takes too big a hit. I have occasionally used the weaker 1.4X II teleconverter, though and the result are "okay". Not great, but usable for modest purposes. I have three 300mm and a 100-400mm lens, so don't really need to use the 70-200 + 1.4X... but you might consider that as an alternative, since 1.4X teleconverters do a lot less "damage" to images. I have never tried using either teleconverter on my Canon 100mm macro lens.... that really serves no purpose since I have several lenses that give me 200mm focal length (as do you).

Canon's own teleconverters are very high quality... but they all use a protruding front element that needs to fit insider the rear barrel of any lens they are used upon. This prevents them from being used on some lenses that either aren't large enough diameter and/or have rear elements that move during focusing and would interfere with the teleconverter. For example, you could not even fit the Canon teleconverters to your 75-300mm (I assume it's the "III" without IS or USM that's often sold in kit with cameras... and isn't a particularly great lens to begin with, so would likely be awful with any teleconverter magnifying it's short-comings).

Most teleconverters cannot even be fitted to Canon EF-S lenses.... Not that many of them would be good candidates to use with one, anyway.

There are teleconverters from Sigma, Tamron and Kenko, too. Those are a lot less expensive than Canon's and may be usable. But it's a bit of a gamble, if one of those 3rd party TCs would give you usable images. I know the Kenko 1.4X "MC4" is sharp in the center on most lenses and can be a good choice for use an APS-C crop camera like your 60D, in particular. The slightly more expensive Kenko 1.4X "Pro 300" has better corner sharpness, so might be a better choice for full frame cameras. (Though, to be honest, some softness in image corners often is no problem with using telephotos.)

I don't know anything about Kenko's 2X in either of those series.... I haven't used them. And Kenko has a new "HD" series with both 1.4X and 2X, which I haven't used and can't compare. More expensive, the "HD" are the only TCs I'm aware of that can mount an EF-S lens (still, I'm not sure why, with the current EF-S lenses... but some future EF-S lens may benefit). I notice that the Kenko HD teleconverters use fewer elements than either or the other series. I also have no experience with Sigma or Tamron TCs.

In the end, you almost have to give it a try and decide for yourself if any particular lens/TC combo will serve your purposes adequately. In general, TCs work best on extremely high performance lenses, which produces such excellent image quality they can tolerate a bit of loss.... lenses like Canon's 300mm f/2.8L, 400mm f/2.8L, 500mm f/4L, etc. They also usually work best with prime lenses, as opposed to zooms. But you'll never know if some combo might work for you, unless you try it for yourself.

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Feb 22, 2018 11:42:26   #
imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida
 
odonnellake wrote:
I am strictly a hobbyist and am looking for an affordable way to increase my capabilities. I mostly shoot wildlife, landscape, and macro. I would love to be able to get closer in on the wildlife and any enhancement I can do in macro intrigues me. Not sure what would happen with the wide angle. I shoot with a common 60D and the following lenses: 70-200 Cannon zoom (1:2.8), Tamron 10-24 (1:3.5-4.5) wide angle, Cannon 100 (1:2.8) Macro, and a couple of cheap Cannon kit lenses 75-300 zoom and 18-55 EFS (that I rarely use). I’m told I could use the teleconverter with both my zoom and my macro lens and that it should definitely be a cannon. I’m wondering what I give up here. Is there distortion or loss of clarity? Can someone with experience help me sort through this? Thanks!
I am strictly a hobbyist and am looking for an aff... (show quote)


This question is asked about once a week.

Yes you can use a 2X with your 70-200 - and it can be a Tamron SP, a Kenko PRO, or a Canon 2x, 2XII, or 2XIII. In my experience, there is very little difference between these with THIS lens. Your AF speed will slow down a bit and your ISO will go up.

The Macro is another matter. I have tried a Tamron SP on the Canon L macro and it does not want to AF properly. Better to get a 12mm extension tube for your 70-200 for close/not macro work.

..

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Feb 22, 2018 14:15:39   #
TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC
 
I’d tend to be a bit more conservative and choose a Canon 1.4X of the latest model you can afford (MKII or MKIII). MKIIS can be picked up used in the $200 range. I recently did a controlled test with a Canon 1.4 MKII on a 135 f2L vs a 70-200 f2.8 L IS (MKI) and the 135 + the EX was actually sharper at 200mm, so as Amfoto says, it depends on the combination and your judgement as to whether you find the results acceptable. I do think there’s no question that a 100-400L is a better solution, but there’s that little matter of $ 😢.

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Feb 22, 2018 18:12:45   #
odonnellake
 
Thank you so much everyone. It looks like I need to be more patient and save my pennies for a better lens. The auto focus issues will be a problem when I'm shooting wildlife. It is seldom still enough to allow for decent manual focus and what I really want is to be able to get in closer and get the detail.

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Feb 22, 2018 18:17:19   #
rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA
 
When I had a Canon Rebel I had a 2X TC; I suppose a 600mm lens would have given even better images, but there was no money in my budget for that, and 2X 300mm did auto-focus giving me better images than cropping 50% in each direction {i.e., throwing away 75% of my pixels}

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Feb 22, 2018 19:10:37   #
odonnellake
 
Exactly what I find I am doing now ...

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