[pdackerman]

Hi
Has anyone used a Canon 100-400L lense with a x2 converter and can let me know haw easy it is to manual focus.

[LzyPhotographer]

I have used that lens with both the 1.4 and 2.0 converters. So far, I've had no luck getting a good focus, but I think it's my eyes and not the combination. My plan is to take someone else with me next time and have them manually focus to help me determine where the problem is.

You could check the Canon forum - I'm pretty sure there's pictures there taken with that combo.

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/index.php

[Art Thorn]

I have that combination and find that ease of focus varies with the subject. I don't have much difficulty if the subject is a good size. It becomes a problem if the bird is far away and there is a lot of confusing bush around it. The truth is, when I use just the straight 100 to 400 and am trying to take a picture of the 'bird in the bush', I usually have to switch to manual focus anyway, so that I don't get the twig in focus, rather than the bird. But I have been using SLRs for about 40 years, and am quite comfortable with manual focus, having had auto focus for only the last few years.

[pdackerman]

Thanks all.

[Peter Galbavy]

Originally Posted by pdackerman

Hi
Has anyone used a Canon 100-400L lense with a x2 converter and can let me know haw easy it is to manual focus.

TBH The quality is pretty crap, even at small apertures. Depending on your camera, you may actually get better results just cropping the centre of the image (remembering you get to keep the 2 stops of light too).

[eospete]

1-4IS with 1.4x to me if iffy if you want larger than A4 prints. 1-4IS with 2x okay for landscape and macroshots using manual focus but I wouldn't be confident they could go larger than A4.

It really depends on what is acceptable sharpness to you.

P

[pdackerman]

Well I have the Lense and converter now and it is great. Pictures with the x2 converter are as sharp as my old 75-300IS lense I would say.

[RonL]

Phil,
How much better are you liking that 100-400L with x2 by now? I am interested because, although I still have 75-300 IS, I'm watching where my next step might be - perhaps just like your path. Are you mostly hand-holding or tripod?

Did you get rid of the 75-300?

Originally Posted by pdackerman

Well I have the Lense and converter now and it is great. Pictures with the x2 converter are as sharp as my old 75-300IS lense I would say.

RonL

[pdackerman]

Yep I am still pleased. The 100-400 by its self is briliant and I have only hand held it. The 75-300 I have kept but not used, but I think it may come in usfull because it is so much lighter.
With the x2 converter it is good. There is a slight reduction in quality, but I would say it takes it to the same picture quality as the 75-300. The only downer is that it only manualy focuses with the x2. There are fixeses for this on the web, but the camera just hunts then. When manualy focusing I find I need a good sized object to focus on. you can see some results with the x2 at:-
http://www.watchingbirds.co.uk/langt...ngtoftgps.html
and
http://www.watchingbirds.co.uk/langt...er/Image6.html

Note you can see jpt artifacts from me compressing it for the web

Originally Posted by RonL

Phil,
How much better are you liking that 100-400L with x2 by now? I am interested because, although I still have 75-300 IS, I'm watching where my next step might be - perhaps just like your path. Are you mostly hand-holding or tripod?

Did you get rid of the 75-300?






RonL

[RonL]

Thanks, Phil! Those look quite nice. Keep them coming.
I'm getting dizzy considering all the possibilities, but I keep coming back to your setup as the most quality and flexibility for the money. I'm afraid the Sigma 50-500 would just be too big for much hand-holding and I'd hate to give up zoom and IS with the 400mm f5.6 prime. And Canon primes with more reach - well they are out of my price range. (But then again, I've just ordered at Gitzo G1548, so I can mount a tank.)

I'm even considering giving up digiscoping with my Kowa TSN2 and Coolpix 4500. As Andy Bright said elsewhere, birding and bird photography don't mix well. And I'm finding myself more interested in photography than birding. I'm hardly ever satisfied with ds quality and fussiness and I find that cropping pics from the Rebel gives me nearly the quality as digiscoping! With the reach you have, there is even less cropping to do on the long shots.

I've found the quality of the 75-300 IS to be good with enough light. So if your x2 quality is equal, that's not bad at all. Like you, I figure I'd keep the 75-300, especially for when my wife wants to take pictures as it is not too heavy for her (with Tamron x1.4 TC).

RonL

Originally Posted by pdackerman

Yep I am still pleased. The 100-400 by its self is briliant and I have only hand held it. The 75-300 I have kept but not used, but I think it may come in usfull because it is so much lighter.
With the x2 converter it is good. There is a slight reduction in quality, but I would say it takes it to the same picture quality as the 75-300. The only downer is that it only manualy focuses with the x2. There are fixeses for this on the web, but the camera just hunts then. When manualy focusing I find I need a good sized object to focus on. you can see some results with the x2 at:-
http://www.watchingbirds.co.uk/langt...ngtoftgps.html
and
http://www.watchingbirds.co.uk/langt...er/Image6.html

Note you can see jpt artifacts from me compressing it for the web

[pdackerman]

Another thing is the push/pull zoom is great. The photos of the Goldcrest I hand held the 100-400 while the bird was all over the bush. But I zoomed out to 100, found the bird and zoomed in.

Originally Posted by RonL

Thanks, Phil! Those look quite nice. Keep them coming.
I'm getting dizzy considering all the possibilities, but I keep coming back to your setup as the most quality and flexibility for the money. I'm afraid the Sigma 50-500 would just be too big for much hand-holding and I'd hate to give up zoom and IS with the 400mm f5.6 prime. And Canon primes with more reach - well they are out of my price range. (But then again, I've just ordered at Gitzo G1548, so I can mount a tank.)

I'm even considering giving up digiscoping with my Kowa TSN2 and Coolpix 4500. As Andy Bright said elsewhere, birding and bird photography don't mix well. And I'm finding myself more interested in photography than birding. I'm hardly ever satisfied with ds quality and fussiness and I find that cropping pics from the Rebel gives me nearly the quality as digiscoping! With the reach you have, there is even less cropping to do on the long shots.

I've found the quality of the 75-300 IS to be good with enough light. So if your x2 quality is equal, that's not bad at all. Like you, I figure I'd keep the 75-300, especially for when my wife wants to take pictures as it is not too heavy for her (with Tamron x1.4 TC).

RonL