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View Full Version : I hate this question as much as the next guy: 2xtcon on 120-300


Specialhawk
28th of March 2006 (Tue), 12:40
Ok, so I don’t "hate" any question...all questions have some validity to them I guess. I just get annoyed with broad questions that have had no previous research.

So with that out of the way let me tell you, I have done a lot of research on this but now I am left to ask you fine group of photographers.

Recently I acquired a 120-300 and am pleased to say the least. I also have a 70-200 which at one point I threw a 2x (canon) tcon on there. Though I got some great shots with it (one of which actually won me an award, who'da thought it?) I was generally left rather unhappy with its performance.

The images were far less sharp, though I could deal with that in most cases. The amount of CA was simply unacceptable as was the amount of flare and loss of contrast I constantly encountered.

I learned a few things:

1. 400mm f/5.6 works just fine
2. 400mm f/5.6 works fine so long as the images are reliable
3. in most cases, the 2x tcon on the 70-200 was not reliable
4. This is most likely due to the fact that it is a zoom lens and not of great sharpness

Fast forward to now, I’ve gone through a 300mm f/4 (GOD I LOVE THAT LENS!), 50-500, and now with both of those sold for various reasons I have acquired this 120-300 and have been pleasantly surprised with its performance.

Would I be a fool to go and buy another 2x tcon (I sold it). The performance of the 120-300 is at least as good as the 70-200 but far less then say a 400 f/2.8 which I would think would be just fine throwing a 2x on there.

Ideally I would eventually own both 1.4 and 2x tcons....but I’d rather not waste the time/money if the 2x is going to yield less then satisfactory results.

Anyone ever used the combo, have any results to share?

600mm f/5.6 sounds just fine to me for soccer and the like!

PS: I did find a gallery on pbase with pictures just from this setup, but many were cropped and some looked just plane out of focus rather then soft due to the tcon.

Specialhawk
28th of March 2006 (Tue), 15:20
On page 2 already :-(

BigBlueDodge
28th of March 2006 (Tue), 22:28
Specialhawk, I can't comment on the 2x TC, but will say that my 120-300 worked very well with a 1.4x TC. The IQ and AF did not appear to suffer with it being on the lens. I have read others in this forum that have tried the 2.0x TC on teh 120-300 and said the IQ was quite usable, but the AF was slower and couldn't track moving subects as well.

wiselion
28th of March 2006 (Tue), 22:41
This was shot with a sigma 120-300 with a 2X canon converter. The camera was a 20D. This pic could have come out better if I knew how to post process when I first started shooting.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v37/wiselion/GB21.jpg

Specialhawk
28th of March 2006 (Tue), 23:55
Apreciate the feedback guys. I have no doubt that a lens that works as well as the 120-300 can handle a 1.4tcon. It amazes me how well the 1.4's all work and how suspect 2x's are. It is kind of amazing what such a minute difference in magnification can do to the optics of a lens.

I apreciate the image. I can see what i would expect to see, it is a tad soft, but as you said perhaps some better PP could have helped. And dare i say that the grass makes it seem as though the DOF is actually slightly behind the deers face?

No matter. I looked at the EXIF data and it is not there. Do you happen to remember at what f/stop this was shot at?