I was walking home from school when I was about nine years old, and I saw a camera in the window of Whalens drug store. The price was $0.98, so I knew I could afford it. Unbeknownst to me, it was a split frame camera. Push the shutter button down, and it would take a picture. Push the button back up, and it would take a picture on the other half of the frame. I took loads of pictures with that camera until the shutter failed. I didn't keep track of shutter actuations, but I suspect it was under 200,000.

I would like to share the motivating reason of buying my first camera.
In 1965 I was a 14 year old in school and a classmate brought a nice looking camera to school. I requested him to allow me to hold it and get a feel. In short he told me to Get Lost.I decided at that moment to buy my own camera asap.
Six years later I got my first stipend in a company .I used almost the entire stipend and bought a Agfa click 3 camera which used 120 film.I got it devloped and printed from a studio close by.He charged me a bomb.A few more stipends and I bought the All in one Camera book by W D Emanuel ,a developing tank,trays , contact printer,developer ,fixer etc and I could expose the film and make prints at home.
It was fun then and still is today.
It would be nice to hear from you how you started this beautiful hobby or business
Peter

You might remember some prior posts about a few Canon EF lenses and the series III Canon EF Extenders 1.4 and EF 2.0. Both these tools are standard equipment in my kit bag.

Beechcraft Baron by Paul Sager, on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48525196206_cbd0c86418_h.jpg

The EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM entered the Canon catalog in 2011. The 300L features a third Image Stabilization mode (Mode 3) that activates IS only when the shutter button is fully pressed, giving the equivalent effect of a shutter speed four stops faster.

Wood Duck
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The Canon L-series lenses are the pinnacle of the company’s lens technology. Designed for professional use, they incorporate the latest available lens technologies. Superior optical performance is only half the story. A lens destined for professional use must also withstand the rigors of a working professional photographer. A rugged build quality is needed to endure the hard-knocks of everyday use, and weather sealing is needed to protect against adverse conditions. The L-series lenses feature a liberal use of rubber sealing at interface areas, such as the lens-to-camera junction, external switches, and around zoom and focus rings to prevent moisture from getting in and destroying the lens’ electronics.

Blue Dasher
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Canon extenders are constructed with metal bayonets, and engineered plastic ends. They have no moving parts, other than the lens latch lock. The Series III extenders have improved auto focus performance and improved image quality over the Series II models, and their front and rear elements are coated with a fluorine anti-smear coating to be easier to clean.

Coneflower
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When the EF mount was introduced in 1987, it had the largest mount diameter (54 mm internal) among all 35 mm SLR cameras. The large diameter and relatively short flange focal distance of 44.0 mm allows mechanical adaptation of EF camera bodies to many types of non-EF lenses. It is possible to mount lenses using the Nikon F mount, Olympus OM, Leica R and universal M42 lens mounts (among others) by the use of a mechanical adapter without electronic control of the aperture or autofocus.

C-130 Hercules
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All EF lenses have a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or wider, so all EOS cameras will autofocus with any EF autofocus lens. The f/8 auto focusing ability is only needed when using a lens and extender combination that reduces the maximum aperture of the lens to f/8 or smaller. The Series III extenders are designed to provide faster auto focusing and improved autofocus precision with compatible EF lenses. Both the 1.4x and 2x extenders feature a new microcomputer to increase AF precision when used with Series II EF super-telephoto lenses.

Hughes OH-6A Cayuse
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48525397487_8f0e7298fa_h.jpg

The Canon L-series lenses are the pinnacle of the company’s lens technology. Designed for professional use, they incorporate the latest available lens technologies. Superior optical performance is only half the story. A lens destined for professional use must also withstand the rigors of a working professional photographer. A rugged build quality is needed to endure the hard-knocks of everyday use, and weather sealing is needed to protect against adverse conditions. The L-series lenses feature a liberal use of rubber sealing at interface areas, such as the lens-to-camera junction, external switches, and around zoom and focus rings to prevent moisture from getting in and destroying the lens’ electronics.

F-35 Lightning II
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48525397847_78880cef97_h.jpg

Images shared in this post show the Extender 1.4x III with either the EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II creating an effective 420mm f/4 configuration. Or, with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-f/5.6 IS II, creating an effective 560mm f/8 configuration at the maximum zoom.

Green bottle fly
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49991333021_cd70a61ba6_h.jpg

Yes, they have faces only a mother could love. Thanks for your kind words on the image!

The 70-300 is not sharp enough to get good results with a TC. MY recollection of the Sigma 170-500 is that it lacked sharpness at full zoom, and was not a candidate for use with a TC. I used that lens with a 10 and 12 mp crop sensor, and a 12 mp full frame camera - and found the performance ok for a consumer grade lens, but not what I was looking for. Shortly after getting the 170-500 and getting rid of it I got the 600mmF4, confirming what I always suspected. Since then I've lightened my load and gotten a used Sigma Sport 150-600 - which was the lens I felt came closest to the image quality I had gotten used to with the 600mmF4 - and I have used it without a tripod 98% of the time. So not only did I solve the weight and baggage issue, I also opened myself up to taking it hiking, and using it for more active subjects - which is hard to do with a lens that could only really be used on a tripod or other solid support (it weighed 12 lbs). I've found the Tamron G2 to be similar in image quality, and it may have slightly better optical stabilization, and it is 2 lbs lighter. But I don't think the build quality is up to Sigma standards.

This is a sample of a female Blackpoll Warbler uncropped and cropped. I can recommend the Sigma Sport without hesitation. I have now taken over 20,000 pictures with it since 2016, and I couldn't be happier with my choice. As a participant in the Nikon NPS program I had the opportunity to borrow the 200-500 and I rejected it - it lacked the image quality, build quality and weather proofing of the Sigma, and it was not 600mm. Nor did it do very well with a 1.4X TC. Besides, I paid less for my used lens than I would have paid for Nikkor, which was selling for $1300 at the time.

I think you may want to consider renting a modern lens instead of trying to extract extra performance from what you've got. I believe it will be an eye-opening experience. While there are some gimmicks like AI assisted resampling - both in-camera and in post processing, and other "hacks" - the artifacts are not with the investment of time and frustration to get just mediocre results. Those solutions merely increase sharpness by manipulating micro-contrast, and provide interpolation so an image with lower pixel count can look cleaner when enlarged, but upon closer inspection there are undesirable artifacts, and a lack of detail that only a longer, sharper lens (of you have a 36mp or greater camera) and, in some cases, with a 1.4X TC - can deliver.

First let me address some "photohmythology." Bigger prints, usually viewed at greater distances, do not require greater resolution. Images from 12mp phone cameras are routinely used on billboards. For a crisp-looking 40x60, which is typically viewed at around 9 ft distance, you only "need" about 32 ppi, and if you expect people to be viewing portions of the image up close, then 64 ppi would be good.

1. A lens with an extender can be quite good - and probably a great solution. But you'd need to have a fast, high quality lens to pair it with. Forget about prime lenses that are max F5.6 or F6.3, or zooms that have similar max apertures at max zooms. I've used a 200mm F2 lens with a 2X extender, and it was at least as good as the Nikkor 200-400 (the older version). The newer version comes with a 1.4X converter built in, and there is no difference in image quality, since the converter is already part of the optical formula. So if you have a 300 F2.8 - which is a very crisp lens to start out with, adding a 1.4X extender will only slightly diminish image quality, and slightly diminish focus acquisition speed and tracking. For all intents and purposes, you could leave the extender on and not worry about it. The quality and speed of a lens needs to be top shelf to get the best results.

2. Crop in camera = crop in print, with one exception. Finding a target in a wider viewfinder is easier when you are using the full sensor.

3. already covered in #2.

This image is one of a set that I shot using a 600mmF4 with a 1.4X TC and a D800, 1/400 sec, F8, ISO 200. It was tripod mounted, and the crop was substantial. The metadata shows a focal length of 850mm. It should read 840mm. The distance to the nest was about 500 ft, measured using a golf rangefinder.

The first image is unedited or cropped.

I did take a few without the extender, and a couple more with a 2X extender, and was not happy with the results - the 1.4X was a reasonable compromise. It allowed reasonably precise and fast focusing, and I only lost one stop of light. The 600mmF4 is a very sharp lens, but I think the 300mmF2.8 may be a little sharper, so it should work fine with a 1.4X. If you have a 200-500 F5.6 or a 500mmF5.6 the 500 prime will be a better choice with a TC, though it won't be ideal. Again, best TC results are achieved with fast sharp lenses. The one exception would be the Canon 100-400 F4.5-F5.6 II which is incredibly sharp and works well with a 1.4X TC.

In the second week of February my Canon EOS 1DX, Mark II started doing strange things, deleting photos, writing to two different cards when only one was selected and not recording some of my shots. As I have been a gold member of Canon Professional Services for several years, I contacted their support staff to see if they had any ideas as to why this was happening. The tech was confused as I was as to why but thought it might be a problem with the card reader. He had me take a few shots and my camera seemed to be working okay. I went out to shoot some Tundra Swans a few days later and had the same problems. At that time, I contacted Canon for a repair order and shipped the camera to them on the 14th of February and they received the camera on the 16th. I received a text from them on the 16th saying that their technicians had evaluated my camera and determined that a fee was required to complete the repairs. At that time, I called Canon and was told that the repairs would cost $185.71, and I authorized payment and inquire as to what the problem was. I was told that it was damage to the pins of the CF card. On Feb.18th I received another text from Canon stating the same thing as the first text. I contacted them again and was shocked to hear that the repairs would now be $692.72. I asked the tech how this repair went from $185 to $692. He stated that the techs probably used my description of the problems and had not actually looked at the camera. He now stated that when they went into the camera, they discovered that the pcb assembly and main pcb needed repair. I told the tech that I was upset about how this was handled and that I was disappointed in the professional service I was receiving, but I needed my camera back and authorized
payment again. The tech told me that he would have someone in repairs contact me to explain how this happened. As this was over the President's Day weekend, I did not expect to hear from anyone until the following Tuesday. On Tuesday I received a email that they were beginning the repairs at no charge. I wasn't sure if this was because I had already paid for the repair or that they were fixing it at no cost to me. I then checked my Visa account, low and behold, a return of the $692.72. On the 24th I received a text that the repairs were
done and they were shipping the camera back to me. I received the camera on the 25th. Talk about stepping up to the plate.

Taking off for a couple of years and downsizing my cameras. Just not using them enough today to keep what all I have.
I will sell the lenses individually.
Prices

85MM L II is $1080.00 --- B*H prices is 1899.00 new.
16-35MM 2.8 LII is $799 --- B&H price is 1299.00 new.
100MM f2.8L IS is $499 -- B&H price new is 799 new.
24-105MM L F4 IS is $580 -- B&H price is $999 new.


All prices include Shipping and handling(and insurance) and will be shipped via UPS upon receipt of payment.

All of the lenses are in perfect working order, I just inspected them and can't find any marks. They are like new.(I take real good care of my lenses.)
All lenses have been kept in a smoke free environment. The glass is clean on all of my lenses!

You can check out some of my images taken with these lenses at RussElkins.com.
PM me if you are interested. I did not include any pictures, because the lenses are like new, however, if anyone wants images I can take some and provide them.

I take paypal or VENMO.