Much more reach

[rcarca]

I went into my new favourite camera shop today because I wanted to explore how I could get much more reach on my 5Diii without totally breaking the bank. Doh!

I had three preliminary thoughts:

• 2x extender on my 70-200 f2.8
• 400L with a 1.4 extender; or
• 300mm f2.8 with a 2x

They had the 300mm 2.8 in stock - what a beautiful lens: clicked into focus in nano-seconds, but there was a fundamental problem: the case was far, far too big and I couldn't sneak it into the house!!! Besides which, I couldn't justify something that was the size of a decent bazooka as "just something I picked up on the way!"

Then I tried the 300 f4.0 (which was not on my original list with the 2x. More manageable but quite frankly useless at finding focus.

I moved to the 2x with my existing 70-200 and it worked like a dream. And I then ran out of time to look at the 400 f.5.6 plus 1.4x.

Which of the "affordable" options would you have gone for and why???

Thanks

Richard

[Dave_S]

Re: Much more reach

I've already been through all the options for getting more reach, than I do with my 70-300L f/4-5.6, as this lens can't be used with a TC.

After looking at all the affordable options, Sigma 150-500, and Tamron 150-600, and bouncing ideas off the guys here on the forum, I eventually settled on the EOS 400L f/5.6, which I have now ordered.

The plan is to add the Series lll 1.4x TC, to give me 580mm at f/8, when that reach is needed.

The bottom line is, that having other L lenses, I felt comfortable staying with the L series, and its known IQ.

Like you, I have the 5D Mklll.

Dave

[Paulstw]

Re: Much more reach

If I could afford a 300 2.8 I'd get it :) A 400 2.8 would be the ultimate though. 1.4x TC on that and you're laughing

[Riggers]

Re: Much more reach

I have two of the options you were looking at already :)

My 14 year old step-daughter uses the 70-200 with 2x on the 6D so she has almost the same reach as me with the 300 F4 + 1.4 on the 5D3. There's not much between these to be honest but the 300 + 1.4 focuses faster. I'm not keen on the 300 F4 + 2x. It does auto focus and pretty quick if the subject is fairly stationery and there is contrast but there is a loss of sharpness.

I know Paul mentioned some drawbacks with the 400 F5.6 in a post a month or so ago - not good for anything within a few feet, whereas the 300 doubles up as a great macro lens for dragon flies, butterflies etc. So I'm personally happy with the 300 + 1.4 until I can break the bank and buy an anti-aircraft missile for £6K+ (which is not realistically going to happen).

[S_J_P]

Re: Much more reach

Richard, I'm in a similar boat to you and have just invested in a Canon 2x iii extender for my 70-200 f/2.8 as it was by far the cheapest (Canon) way to get 400mm f/5.6. It's very early days at the moment, but so far I've been very pleasantly surprised by it's focusing speed on my 6D, and the image quality looks to be good (better than my Sigma 150-500 by a fair margin).

Of course, a 400/5.6 has to be the sensible choice, but at three times the cost of the extender and meaning that I'd have to carry two lenses rather than one plus the extender, the extender won the day.

The 300/2.8 coupled with a 1.4 extender has to be the ultimate choice though, so long as money, size, and weight aren't a concern, and I'm sure it's what we'd all purchase if we had the funds and understanding spouses!

[Nathaniel]

Re: Much more reach

Have you considered using a crop camera with the long lens. It gives you an extra 1.6 and cuts down on cropping the image. For example a 200mm lens with a 1.4 convertor gives you a reach of 280mm on a FF camera. The same lens and combo on a crop body give you 448mm. In other words it gives you an image size which is like using a 448mm ,say 450mm lens.

[Paulstw]

Re: Much more reach

Using a crop camera doesn't technically give you optical reach. It's just cropping the image giving the illusion of reach. Granted it's cropping with extra pixels, to which you can crop to a greater degree later. However, that's an argument many have had for years lol

From someone who never seems to get close enough, and find myself in more and more focal length limiting situations everyday I'd opt for optical reach over cropping anyday. Unless your subject fills more than 20-30% of the frame, cropping and retaining any sort of detail is almost destroyed. In my experience, when the subject fills more than this percentage, cropping for composition and retaining, and sometimes increasing detail is met with success, however, only, and it's a big only, only if you have excellent exposure on your subject.

This is the experience I've had using the 400/5.6 shooting smaller birds. Keep to your 12ft minimum focus distance and crop. However if the histogram doesn't look good then it's no use for cropping because any shadow area noise will only be made worse by cropping into the shot.

[Nathaniel]

Re: Much more reach

I agree with you Paul but at my age and with weight restrictions/problems for me,I am looking at the crop camera option very seriously. With hind sight I am sorry I sold by 60D.

[Muscat]

Re: Much more reach

I have a 70-300L and a 400 f5.6 which I use with my 5Diii and when that doesn't give me the reach I want I add a 1.4x converter to either lens. The 5Diii focuses pretty fast with the 400 f5.6 and 1.4x converter on it. The image below was run off yesterday when at Howletts and if I had managed to get the focus on its eye it wouldn't have been too bad but it gives some idea of the quality that the lens combo will give.



Looking at the image here it looks to have a halo around part of its head, this is backlighting as there is no sharpening added to the image.

[mikep]

Re: Much more reach

Out of interest Ian, which 1.4 did you use... Canon or Kenko?

Mike

P.s. Like the shot... Very crisp!

[Muscat]

Re: Much more reach

Mike,

It was the Kenko 1.4x as I can use this with all the lenses.

[Hereford_EOS]

Re: Much more reach

My dream lens is the 300mm f/2.8L IS.
Add the x1.4 extender for 420mm f/4 or/and add the x2 extender for 600mm f/5.6.
That's 300mm, 420mm and 600mm in one lens ... that's why it's my dream lens.

The other dream lens would be the 400mm f/2.8L IS but it's far too heavy for me at 3.85kg but the 300mm at 2.4kg would be manageable.

[Dave_S]

Re: Much more reach

Out of interest Ian, which 1.4 did you use... Canon or Kenko?

I had the Kenko 1.4x, which I used with a Tamron SP 70-300 f/4-5.6 Di VC.

This particular Tamron lens was quite sharp, but to me adding the Kenko 1.4x, noticeably softened the image.

Hence now going for the Canon Series lll 1.4x TC, to add to the EF 400mm f/5.6 L.

Dave

[Paulstw]

Re: Much more reach

Hence now going for the Canon Series lll 1.4x TC, to add to the EF 400mm f/5.6 L.

Dave

Just about clicked to get one of those until I read that there. Phew lol

[mikep]

Re: Much more reach

Mike,

It was the Kenko 1.4x as I can use this with all the lenses.

Thanks Ian

Going lens shopping tomorrow, might get a 400 F5.6, and as I already have a Kenko 1.4 DGX 300 Pro, it's good to see they work together so well - hence me asking!

Cheers, Mike.