Your advice on Canon R5 with RF800 lens and 1.4x Extender (Page 2): Canon is very good with converters it deems vs other brands. My EF 2X is sharp as ever on the tack sharp 100-400mm...

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

suntouched wrote:

The Extender works very well with the 100-500 mm lens-except for the added weight I wouldn’t know I had it on. Images look the same with or without it to me. Lots of complaints about the physical limitations of the extender although it isn’t a problem for me as I carry and use the lens at full zoom almost all of the time.

Canon is very good with converters it deems vs other brands.
My EF 2X is sharp as ever on the tack sharp 100-400mm MII.

Glad to hear you say this as I am saving to get the RF system and the 100-500mm and the 800mm are on my list.
Perhaps by Christmas I will have the cash, bar a medical emergency with my wife. (I do not buy on credit).

Photolady2014 Loc: Southwest Colorado

I can not attest to birds, but the 1.4 extender works well with the 800mm. You must have good light with or with out the extender. I’m not good with distance, but they were pretty far away. I was told 400 yards, but might be closer. These have a good crop as well! 800mm & 1.4. These were hand held and it was cold -10!

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Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Photolady2014 wrote:

I can not attest to birds, but the 1.4 extender works well with the 800mm. You must have good light with or with out the extender. I’m not good with distance, but they were pretty far away. I was told 400 yards, but might be closer. These have a good crop as well! 800mm & 1.4. These were hand held and it was cold -10!

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

Photolady2014 wrote:

I can not attest to birds, but the 1.4 extender works well with the 800mm. You must have good light with or with out the extender. I’m not good with distance, but they were pretty far away. I was told 400 yards, but might be closer. These have a good crop as well! 800mm & 1.4. These were hand held and it was cold -10!

Very clear images! The focus locked on well. Wouldn't it be interesting if someone took those pictures with a camera phone at a "normal" focal length and then the 800 mm lens with extender (uncropped) to see just how far away they are. I was trying it out on birds and I had extended focal points on so the focus locked on branches more often than the little bird- I need more practice :)

Walt B

I have tried the 800mm with a 2X extender and it will work. I don't use the 800 since I received the 100-500 as birds are at various distances and I prefer a Zoom. Most of the time I don't use the extender even with the 100-500 unless I'm a really long way from the birds.

My setup for Bird Photography is Custom 1 (C1) ISO 1600, Shutter 1/2000 sec, Aperture f16
Electronic Shutter at 20fps. Spot metering. You can easily change the settings as needed. The R5 is a 45 megapixel camera so you can crop way down and still have a great photo. Always shoot in manual mode as the exposure of the bird will be the same if the sky is the background or foliage is the background.

Two things that the manual doesn't tell you. The long lenses 600, 800 and 100-500 need to be fully extended in order to put the extender on. I learned last night that electronic shutters will not work with flash.

Two other suggestions: Buy the 24-240 lens. It is a great walk around lens and is just about as sharp as the L lens. I would say that 80 to 90 percent of my photos are taken with that lens. Get Topaz Denoise AI and Sharpen AI. Both work great!

If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me.

Walt B

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

Walt B wrote:

I have tried the 800mm with a 2X extender and it w... (show quote)

Hi Walt- I was very interested in your settings. I would say you are photographing your birds out in the open rather than in trees/shade/early morning and late afternoon. I find that I am using more like ISO 6400, 1/1500-2000, f 8-13 depending if it's the 800 mm or 100-500 mm lens. I don't photograph in the brightest part of the day because I don't like the shadows it creates. I have found if I use spot metering it totally washes out the backgrounds. Have you been able to overcome the obstacles ? I could use some hints.

Dickbas Loc: Southern New Jersey

I have been using an R5, RF800 F11, and a RF 1.4x Converter since November and have had many "Keepers".
I will attach two shots taken with the 1.4 Converter on the 800mm.
I have found that it is challenging to hand hold the 1,120mm depending on whether or not I'm having an 73 yr old Shaky Day. Most times I'm okay with it!
The only problem I'm having with the R5/800mm combo is it has greatly increased my workload as I have a much higher percentage of "Keepers" (70-75%) and now have many more shots to process further. Before, my problem was Trash or Keep, 80%/20%!
The R5 and 800mm has been game changer for me!

Dickbas

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Photolady2014 Loc: Southwest Colorado

suntouched wrote:

Very clear images! The focus locked on well. Wouldn't it be interesting if someone took those pictures with a camera phone at a "normal" focal length and then the 800 mm lens with extender (uncropped) to see just how far away they are. I was trying it out on birds and I had extended focal points on so the focus locked on branches more often than the little bird- I need more practice :)

I know the photos would not have been usable with my 100-500 and 1.4, too far away!

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Dickbas wrote:

I have been using an R5, RF800 F11, and a RF 1.4x ... (show quote)

Incredible.

Walt B

I live in South Florida. I shoot at a couple of wetlands so it is against foliage, in trees and in the sky. I have taken night shots (not of birds) at high ISO. Today's software is amazing compared to even a couple of years ago. Topaz Denoise AI and Sharpen AI have made a difference in quite a number of photos. Luminar sky replacement has really helped improve a photo when you are shooting on a dreary day. Most of the time I have been shooting late afternoon. I belong to 2 camera clubs and have had some photos that scored high. Each judge is different so one that would give a photo a 9 (highest score), another would score the same photo a 7. I put in photos I like and if the judge likes it, great. If not I still like it. If you don't belong to a camera club, you should join one. You will learn from other members and from the judges even on others photos. Our clubs are now meeting on Zoom and will continue to even when we can meet in person again. Even though we are in South Florida, we have members in Canada, upstate New York and Virginia. In a low light indoor venue, I would not hesitate to shoot at ISO 12800. You have a great camera and as I mentioned previously, get the 24-240 lens. We were visiting my son and his family in Cabo San Lucas last week. We were sitting at an outdoor restaurant having dinner at dusk and I saw a Whale jumping out of the water. I was able to quickly get a great shot of it because I had my camera with the 24-240 with me. I don't want to post the photo yet because I want to put into competition and I don't know how many judges go to this site.

Hope I've been helpful!

Walt B

zarathu Loc: Bar Harbor, MDI, Maine

billnikon wrote:

The question you have to have answered is this, will the Canon R5, auto focus with a lens at f11. Most digital camera's have a auto focus ceiling at f8, will the Canon R5 auto focus with a lens minimum of f11?
And, if it does, you can pretty much forget about shooting birds in flight before 8:30 to 9 AM.

The Canon R5 will autofocus down to F22 or beyond.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

zarathu wrote:

The Canon R5 will autofocus down to F22 or beyond.

Canon really stepped things up with the R5 and R6.
That is why those sharp and compact 600mm and 800mm are so popular.
Nothing else in the market comes close for portability and price. And add to that incredibly sharp including with TC.
At least from real reviews.

zarathu Loc: Bar Harbor, MDI, Maine

I agree. THE COMBINATION of the 800 with the R5, has raised my keeper level of humming birds from 10% to 90%. The ones I don’t keep are just as sharp; I just didn’t like the position of the bird. I have not tried an extender with it too.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

zarathu wrote:

I agree. THE COMBINATION of the 800 with the R5, has raised my keeper level of humming birds from 10% to 90%. The ones I don’t keep are just as sharp; I just didn’t like the position of the bird. I have not tried an extender with it too.

zarathu Loc: Bar Harbor, MDI, Maine

gvarner wrote:

An extender would reduce sharpness. Stay with the prime. Perhaps the behavior patterns could reveal when the birds would be closer to your position at varies times of the day or weather conditions.

Oddly, on a Canon R5, a 1.4 extender reduces almost no sharpness, and since you can shoot reliably at ISO 10000, and autofocus up to f22, the sharpness issue falls into the background. The R5 is a different world from almost any other camera made today. It's very difficult to get people who don’t have one to believe this.