Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II + 2x Converter

[greggf]

Well I'm getting ready to head down to the US Open this week in Pebble Beach(45min away from my house), and I was debating which lens I would bring to the practice round on Tuesday. I have tickets for the weekend, too, but you can't even bring anything electrical(no cells, pda's, ipod's...nothing!!)inside on tournament days!!


Of course it depends if they will even let me in on Tuesday with my Mark IV and lens or not??!! Practice rounds they allow cameras and such, so we'll, see.


I figured I would bring a wide angle(16-35ll), and then my 70-200 2.8ll, but then I thought, I might want more distance....I don't have the 100-400, although I have rented them and like it. I don't like my 70-200 with the 1.4 converter. To me, it just doesn't feel right?? Call me weird.


I have read on DPReview, where people are taking the 2x and getting great shots. So I figured, what the hell, I bought a 2x from Amazon, thinking I would try it, and return it or sell if I wasn't impressed.


Let me tell you....VERY IMPRESSED!! Wide open, image quality is FANTASTIC!! WAY BETTER than my 1.4x ever was. Why?? I have no Idea, but it is a great combo, that in my opinion, is as good, if not better than the 100-400!! Granted, you're stuck at 5.6 across the zoom, but it is only 2/3 stop slower than the 100-400 on the short. BUT, you gain a 4 stop IS, throughout....


I had heard that you lose a little on the autofocus, and that is a little true. It does hunt if you are completely out of focus, but if your anywhere close to the subject(focus wise, that is) it nails it fast!! Not as fast as the bare 70-200ll, but quick enough for fast action. I took it out with me for walk with the little man and dog, to try it out. I have several 5-8 or 9 bursts with Mason running towards me and it hit, notwithstanding my focus error(not a pro), 95% of the shots!!


Anyways, I will be taking this combo to the Open, and I hope(PLEASE!!) they let me in. Looking forward to getting some decent shots of the pro's(Tiger, Lefty, Westwood(UPS sponsor!!), Rory Mcilroy, Watson, and whoever else!!


I am a UPS driver full time, in case you're wondering about the UPS comment, previous.


Here is a sample shot, with crop, taken of Mason in our little plastic pool yesterday...


1D4, 70-200ll, ISO 192mm 5.6@1/2000th...something happened to the color when I resized them through VSO image resizer??


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[btaylor]

I tell you what - that 100% crop looks pretty damn good to me!Definately a testament to the quality of the 70-200mm II.

[greggf]

Here are 2 more taken at 400mm wide open.


The deer shot is cropped...ISO 800, in fact both are.


for some reason,the color is still off from LR3 export to desktop to VSO image resizer....have to work on that!!


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[mikehillman89]

Based on descriptions and talks in the forums I was thinking that even the 1.4x extender was pushing your luck but you've shown that it indeed can get some stunning photos! Great shots!

[greggf]

that's the funny thing, I didn't like the results with the 1.4x. that's why I was so shocked to see the 2x results. the lens even did well with the 2x and1.4x stacked!! Focus did hunt quite a bit, but it would be ok with static subjects!!

[neuroanatomist]

that's the funny thing, I didn't like the results with the 1.4x. that's why I was so shocked to see the 2x results.

It's very unusual for IQ to be better with the 2x than the 1.4x. The 2x Extender should result in more IQ degradation, more loss of contrast, etc. You can see differences with this lens and the 1/4x vs. 2x on Bryan's ISO 12233 charts - the 1/4x is pretty darn good, the 2x less so (but still quite usable).


Perhaps there's an issue with your 1.4x? I get wonderful images with myEF 70-200mm f/2.8<span>LIS II USM and EF 1.4x II Extender.


Did you perform an AF Microadjustment on the combo of 70-200 + 1.4x? Mine required +6, enough to result in a reasonable percentage of slightly OOF shots if I hadn't done the adjustment.

[Richard Lane]

Hey Everyone,


I also have the 70-200 2.8 II as well as the 1.4x II and 2x II Converters used in combination with the 7D and I feel that the 1.4x II is far better than the 2x II converter, and certainly the gap becomes even more noticeable as the Sun goes down, in favor of the 1.4x II.


My experiences with these combinations, echo what neuroanatomist as observed, I have personally noticed less contrast, slower auto-focus, as well as increased noise with the 2x II. In my experience, the1.4x yields consistently better results, than the 2x, and even the 1.4x degrades overall quality a bit, but certainly acceptable, but just to a lesser degree than the 2x II. I think you may have a problem with your 1.4x converter.


Is it possible that you were comparing the first edition 1.4x converter with the newer 2x II, otherwise you should try to borrow a different 1.4x II.


Rich