Want help with Orcas: I have a Canon 80D and use N 18-135 SUM as my usual lens. I also have a EF-S 55_250 kit telephoto. Each summer I spend ~two months on my sailboat in the San Juan...

skipro Loc: Eastern Washingtion

I have a Canon 80D and use N 18-135 SUM as my usual lens. I also have a EF-S 55_250 kit telephoto. Each summer I spend ~two months on my sailboat in the San Juan and Gulf Islands. Every summer I see Orcas and the occasional Humpback. Now I just crop the heck out of my Orca photos. I'm wondering if I would get better PQ if I got an extender, either 1.4 or 2.0. I don't think the Canon extenders will work with my lenses and I'm not ready to spend the $$ for the Canon L 100-400.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

skipro wrote:

I have a Canon 80D and use N 18-135 SUM as my usual lens. I also have a EF-S 55_250 kit telephoto. Each summer I spend ~two months on my sailboat in the San Juan and Gulf Islands. Every summer I see Orcas and the occasional Humpback. Now I just crop the heck out of my Orca photos. I'm wondering if I would get better PQ if I got an extender, either 1.4 or 2.0. I don't think the Canon extenders will work with my lenses and I'm not ready to spend the $$ for the Canon L 100-400.

The canon extenders don't work with either of those lens so your choice is the Kenko Pro 300 or Teleplus HD (made just for Canon) line, don't expect great results with either of those lenses. And the 2x will lose AF so I would recommend the 1.4x. Both the Pro 300 and HD lines are about the same price, $150 plus or minus 10-20 depending on sales etc.

I have both the 1.4 & 2 in the Pro 300 line and use them on everything but my 100-400 for which I have the Canon 1.4x III. I have gotten pretty good results with the 70-300 and the Tamron 150-600 (manual focus for the moon with the 2X), never tried them on a 55-250.

I would recommend saving your money for a 100-400, mark I s are available used around $700-$800. On the 80D you will only use the sweet spot of the image so IQ will be almost as good as the mk II, but of course you don't get the other improvements. I actually own a mk I and a mk II, the mk II is better but if I had to shoot all day with the mk I it would work out pretty well. I got a good many great shots with that lens.

skipro Loc: Eastern Washingtion

robertjerl wrote:

The canon extenders don't work with either of thos... (show quote)

Thanks for the information.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

skipro wrote:

I have a Canon 80D and use N 18-135 SUM as my usual lens. I also have a EF-S 55_250 kit telephoto. Each summer I spend ~two months on my sailboat in the San Juan and Gulf Islands. Every summer I see Orcas and the occasional Humpback. Now I just crop the heck out of my Orca photos. I'm wondering if I would get better PQ if I got an extender, either 1.4 or 2.0. I don't think the Canon extenders will work with my lenses and I'm not ready to spend the $$ for the Canon L 100-400.

Canon's 200mm f/2.8L II USM sells refurbed for $600. Any Canon extender will work with this lens. Both are available on the used market. The lens is well regarded by the people who review such things. 200mm at f/2.8 isn't such a bad set of numbers for L quality build and glass. It's an option.

skipro Loc: Eastern Washingtion

davidrb wrote:

Canon's 200mm f/2.8L II USM sells refurbed for $600. Any Canon extender will work with this lens. Both are available on the used market. The lens is well regarded by the people who review such things. 200mm at f/2.8 isn't such a bad set of numbers for L quality build and glass. It's an option.

Thanks for the thought.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

skipro wrote:

Thanks for the information.

Oh, for more than a used 100-400 but less than a new one you can get the Tamron 150-600 G2 which will also get you 200 mm more reach. There are also Tamron 150-600 G1s still available and on the used market for the same price or a bit less as the used 100-400 mk I.

skipro Loc: Eastern Washingtion

robertjerl wrote:

Oh, for more than a used 100-400 but less than a new one you can get the Tamron 150-600 G2 which will also get you 200 mm more reach. There are also Tamron 150-600 G1s still available and on the used market for the same price or a bit less as the used 100-400 mk I.

Thanks for your quick reply.

cthahn

If you want to do all this exotic photography with kit lenses you are mistaken and disillusioned. Ask a professional photographer.

skipro Loc: Eastern Washingtion

cthahn wrote:

If you want to do all this exotic photography with kit lenses you are mistaken and disillusioned. Ask a professional photographer.

I just did.

Bultaco Loc: Aiken, SC

[quote=cthahn]If you want to do all this exotic photography with kit lenses you are mistaken and disillusioned. Ask a professional photographer.[/quote

Thats what he is atempting to do.

skipro Loc: Eastern Washingtion

[quote=Bultaco][quote=cthahn]If you want to do all this exotic photography with kit lenses you are mistaken and disillusioned. Ask a professional photographer.[/quote

Thats what he is atempting to do.[/quote]

😊

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The older 100-400L is a great idea as are the 3rd party super zooms. But, if all the lens are shot at their maximum because you're not that close, you'd be better off going with a prime and possibly an 1.4x as your 80D will support f/8.

The EF 400 f/5.6L doesn't have IS that might not matter in bright light on a boat. The EF 300 f/4L IS used with and without an extender might be a better idea. These are all older lenses with plenty of copies available in the used market.

Haydon

cthahn wrote:

If you want to do all this exotic photography with kit lenses you are mistaken and disillusioned. Ask a professional photographer.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

If you want to get up close shots of Orcas, take a vacation to Whidbey Island. Get a decent waterproof camera with a flotation device attached to it. Tie 56lbs of rice to your back and jump into Puget Sound. It's called 'Orca Sushi'. With luck someone will find your camera and retrieve the images!

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

We should all put cthahn on our ignore lists. It's an imperfect and slow process, but it will drive this A-hole to the attic.

Better still we should make him our chum. Take him to shark infested waters, load him down with fresh bleeding fish, cut him a little bit and throw him overboard.