300f4 and 2x converter (1 Viewer)

graham catley · Jul 29, 2006

does anyone have personal experience of the quality of this combo or can they link me to any sites with images taken with the 2x converter on the 300f4---I have the 1.4x but do not want to buy the 2x unless results are good appreciating that it will need to be on MF

UlfL · Aug 7, 2006

Hi Graham,

I use both 1.4x and 2x. I'd say image quality with the 2x is about the same as with the 1.4x (haven't seen any noticeable difference so far, anyway), but since 2x means manual focus it is best suited for very stationary birds. The IS of the 300mm is a great help for focussing, though, since it is easier to set the focus when the picture in the viewfinder is steadier.

Personally, I have the 1.4x on 98% of the time, the use the 2x only occasionally. If you are on a tight budget it's maybe not worth it. The 300mm is a great lens for short to middle ranges (and especially for flying birds, where the 2x is useless), and the little extra range that the 2x gives over the 1.4x under these circumstances doesn't make a great difference.

All the best
Ulf

graham catley · Aug 7, 2006

thanks for the reply---
Graham

UlfL · Aug 8, 2006

Graham,

saw your thread about upgrading your 30D/300mm set to 1DII/400mm. Together with the 1DII/400 the 2x will be very useful, since you retain autofocus. Don't know how fast the autofocus is with such a combination, but you will surely not be limited to shooting sitting ducks

nigelblake · Aug 8, 2006

Taping the pins on these converters solves the A/F issue.

UlfL · Aug 8, 2006

nigelblake said:
Taping the pins on these converters solves the A/F issue.

Hi Nigel,

I tried this on the 2x, but autofocus was so slow and inaccurate, that it was quite useless.

Regards,
Ulf

nigelblake · Aug 8, 2006

With my 20D and 2X used with 300mmf4 and 100-400mm IS it works well, slight difference in A/F speed, but still accurate when used with just the centre A/F point.
there is a slight (1/2stop) under exposure with the 100-400m though

UlfL · Aug 8, 2006

nigelblake said:
With my 20D and 2X used with 300mmf4 and 100-400mm IS it works well, slight difference in A/F speed, but still accurate when used with just the centre A/F point.

Sounds good, maybe I should give it another try. Or maybe you have better light in sunny England than here up in the dark North

UlfL · Aug 9, 2006

nigelblake said:
With my 20D and 2X used with 300mmf4 and 100-400mm IS it works well, slight difference in A/F speed, but still accurate when used with just the centre A/F point.

Am I doing something wrong here? I have taped the three left pins on the TC's lens side (TC held so that the pins are on the upper side), but my 30D with 300mmf4 will not autofocus. Using only the centre AF point. The lens is trying to autofocus, but is only hunting back and forth. Light conditions (tried yesterday) was a clouded afternoon. Too dark?

christineredgate · Aug 9, 2006

Having read Nigels comments ,can I ask ,should one perhaps step up the slider on the compensation/exposure when using a converter?.I keep it stopped down by one third,ie the bar which shows up on the screen,and which can can move up or down.I have not thought of doing this when using a converter,I just up the iso to 400.

nigelblake · Aug 9, 2006

christineredgate said:
Having read Nigels comments ,can I ask ,should one perhaps step up the slider on the compensation/exposure when using a converter?.I keep it stopped down by one third,ie the bar which shows up on the screen,and which can can move up or down.I have not thought of doing this when using a converter,I just up the iso to 400.

You do not need to adjust EV compensation with a converter in normal lighting circumstances, but I find the 2X causes underexposure, image to dark, with the 100-400mm, if this happens you need to move the EV compensation up on the + side, conversely if you get overexposure, image to light, you need to move to the - side of the slider, but this applies whether you are using a converter or not, and indeed it also applies at any ISO setting.
EV adjustment lets more (+) or less (-) light than the indicated 'normal' exposure would let on the sensor.

Adusting the ISO is entirely different, it is not a way of compensating for over or underexposure, the ISO dictates the speed at which the sensor responds to the light falling on it, the lower the ambient light, the higher you will have to set the ISO.

UlfL · Aug 10, 2006

Tried again yesterday with a taped 2x converter in bright sunlight, togehter with my 30D and 300mmf4, but the camera can't autofocus. Anyone else having problems with this combination?

nigelblake · Aug 10, 2006

UlfL said:
Tried again yesterday with a taped 2x converter in bright sunlight, togehter with my 30D and 300mmf4, but the camera can't autofocus. Anyone else having problems with this combination?

Interesting, on my 100-400mmwith 20D it works ok, but slower.
It might be that the subject lacks the contrast needed by the AF's phase detection, or maybe the 30D has an issue with the lens/converter arrangement.
The latest (july-sept) Canon EOS mag has a feature on using converters on pages 54/5 and describes the tape method of cheating the system, it also states that it works best on bright contrasty subjects.

UlfL · Aug 10, 2006

The contrast was there alright, I was focusing on a Lapwing standing in a field. Autofocus just keeps hunting. But switched to manual focus, the camera will give a beep when it thinks the subject is in focus. Sounds as if there could be an issue with the arrangement, just as you said.
Will give it a try with my 350D.

UlfL · Aug 11, 2006

Didn't work with 350D either. Maybe my 300/f4 has a problem. But how do I file a complaint to Canon for something that is not supposed to work anyway?

gmax · Aug 11, 2006

UlfL said:
Am I doing something wrong here? I have taped the three left pins on the TC's lens side (TC held so that the pins are on the upper side), but my 30D with 300mmf4 will not autofocus. Using only the centre AF point. The lens is trying to autofocus, but is only hunting back and forth. Light conditions (tried yesterday) was a clouded afternoon. Too dark?

Hi UlfL,
I have tried the taped pins' trick on my 350D both with a 300mm f/4 (non IS) and a 400mm f/5.6 and it works on both (I do use the centre AF point and centre-weighted metering); yes, AF is obviously not as fast as with the naked lens, it hunts a bit in poor light or with rather small subjects, but I learned to prefocus first and now it's ok. Perhaps it should be worth trying with better light conditions on larger subjects, and remove and replace a different tape on the pins, just to check
Hope you sort out a solution,
cheers,
Max

Latho · Aug 21, 2006

Any comments from anyone on the performance of the canon 300mm f4 is with the canon 1.4x converter. I have read the converter slows the lens down quite a bit - any experience anyone?

Many thanks in advance
Matt

UlfL · Aug 23, 2006

graham catley said:
does anyone have personal experience of the quality of this combo or can they link me to any sites with images taken with the 2x converter on the 300f4---I have the 1.4x but do not want to buy the 2x unless results are good appreciating that it will need to be on MF

Graham,
here is an "in vivo" comparison of the two TCs, an eider I photographed in early summer. She was swimming placidly with here chicks on about 15 - 20 m distance. Both pictures where exported from raw with more or less the default settings in Camera raw. In Photoshop the pictures where cropped and moderately sharpened.
The 2x picture is definitively softer, but would on the other hand accept more sharpening in PS before it would start to look crumbly. I also think there is a DOF issue on the 2x picture, the tip of her beak seem to be outside of the DOF. But so it is when you have to do manual focus, the center of the DOF is not always where you want it.
Equipment: 350D, EF 300/f4
Settings:
2x: ISO 400, 1/400s, f/9
1.4x: ISO 400, 1/500s, f/9

graham catley · Aug 25, 2006

2x

made the jump and bought a 2x but also made a bigger jump for a 1D Mk II---first images with the 2x on the 300f4 attached---not the best of light but it seems that results should be reasonable in good light

Keith Reeder · Aug 25, 2006

I'm liking the look of those, Graham!

300f4 and 2x converter (1 Viewer)

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