Use of extenders? Canon

[GVLCN]

Hi all,

Does anyone in the group use extenders to increase the magnification of their lens? I’ve recently bought a mk1 500mm prime L & was looking at adding a extender for the airshows, can anyone please share their use and experience.
I will be using it on a full frame canon 6d Mark II body.

Cheers Andy

[Gundylunch]

I've always found the 1.4 Extender exceptionally useful

[Heal1979]

Hi Andy,

I've been using the Canon 500mm f/4 IS lens with a x1.4ex iii for a few years. Adding the extender essentially makes it a f/5.6 lens, but still fast and allows centre point focussing.

For me it works perfectly with no noticeable deterioration in the image (not that I can detect anyway). I would not attach a x2.0 extender as I think this does have a negative effect on the image. I have been shooting with a 5Diii and now 5DIV.

Cheers,
Chris

https://www.flickr.com/photos/chris-heal/

[GVLCN]

Thanks guys that’s the answer I was looking for, a lot of people saying I should of kept my 7d mk 2. I just love the images from a full frame camera, and was hoping a 1.4x canon extender with a 500mm will be better than going back to a crop sensor.

Cheers Andy.

[John flightpath]

Just as a possible matter of interest, I recently used a teleplus/kenko 2 x converter on a Tamron 70-300 zoom lens and couldn't detect the difference on the shots. They were mounted on my Canon 750d.

Cheers
John 'flightpath'.

[Funtera]

I've been thinking about an Extender for mine ..
50D with 70-300mm IS USM (can't afford a bigger lens).. Yeah it's already a Crop-Body but if I got the 1.4x .. would the AF still function?

[Thunder]

If you’re asking about the Canon 1.4x specifically then I don’t think it will work at all. These extenders are designed for the L series of lenses, you’ll certainly lose AF at best.

Even if it did work the IQ would be pretty poor with you more or less turning the the lens into a 420mm f8, probably having to stop down to f11 and with no IS this would result in a bright light use only. The orginial lens is pretty soft above 200mm as it is, I think you would achieve the same results just by cropping the image at processing.

Don’t know what others think, but I would save the money towards a Sigma 150-500.

[John flightpath]

Hi Funtera, If you use the Kenko or teleplus converters I think you're ok. Check with your local dealer.They work with AF on my Tamron lens, however will not wok on Canon IS STM Lenses. To work on the latter you need the Kenko HD Converter which are a bit more expensive. Another tip, for the amount of time you use them, buy a used one as they spend a lot of time doing nothing in the bag. Also as Thunder suggested, have a look at the Sigma 150-500 lens. They work on cropped and full frame sensors.

Hope that helps a bit.
Chers
John 'flightpath'.

[XWP29]

Hi all,

Does anyone in the group use extenders to increase the magnification of their lens? I’ve recently bought a mk1 500mm prime L & was looking at adding a extender for the airshows, can anyone please share their use and experience.
I will be using it on a full frame canon 6d Mark II body.

Cheers Andy

I use them a lot, they are particularly effective in good light. If you look at the Reapers top side shots in current military some were taken with a 300mm with 2x converter on FF and others on a crop with a 100-400mm with 1.4. You lose some focusing points but good light improves the depth of field.

[Funtera]

Cheers Thunder & Flightpath