question about zoom lens

[gail]

I have the Canon 75-300mm lens and was wondering if there is something I can get to even zoom in closer. Maybe an extension are something to put on the end of it? And how is the picture quality by adding an extension to it. I would appreciate any help thanks. :roll:

[photoguynorth]

I have the Canon 75-300mm lens and was wondering if there is something I can get to even zoom in closer. Maybe an extension are something to put on the end of it? And how is the picture quality by adding an extension to it. I would appreciate any help thanks. :roll:

If you mean get more magnification of distan objects, a teleconverter (TC) would help - you will lose some sharpness, but not too much. You will also lose some light - 1 stop for a 1.4x and 2 stops for a 2x (meaning you have to allow longer exposures or larger apertures).
If you want better close-ups, then extension tubes or close-up lenses will help - extension tubes sit between the camera and lens, and allow closer focusing, close-up lenses are attachements to the front of the lens, specifically for close-ups (who would have guessed?).

You will lose some quality with any additions to a lens, but depending on the quality of the attachment, it may not bother you.

[cmM]

I don't know if the TC's work on this lens, but even if they do, the picture quality will go down and you will lose autofocus.

[xuxu1]

Hi Gail!

AFAIK the Canon TC´s won´t fit on the 75-300. But there is a Canon closeup lens (type: 500 and 500D) that should fit on the front of the 75-300 lens. Now thats all about i know. Sorry that i can´t give you any detail info about quality. :(

Although i´m sure somebody else here can be of more help.

Have fun with your nice DRebel!

Regards
Ed

[msvadi]

gail,
there is 100-400 L lens that gives your more zoom power, but, it's a completely different world in in any respect: price, image quality, etc.
Besides, with 1.6 crop factor, 300mm gives you 480mm equivalent focal length. This is already considered extreme telephoto. Camera support is a must. Are you sure you want to go even further? Besides, the difference between 300mm and 400mm may be not that big. It's just framing. I know that the difference between 200mm and 300mm is not very significant.

[nosquare2003]

You may be interested in this:

http://bobatkins.photo.net/photography/tutorials/tc3.html


Edited: Oops! Closer focus?

[DaveG]

I have the Canon 75-300mm lens and was wondering if there is something I can get to even zoom in closer. Maybe an extension are something to put on the end of it? And how is the picture quality by adding an extension to it. I would appreciate any help thanks. :roll:

An extension tube would let you focus closer. There should be no reduction of picture quality at all.

You should be aware of a few things. First off, an extension tube will cost you a little bit of light transmission in what's called bellows extension factor. We beat this to death on this forum last week, but suffice to say that's it's not much and as long as you use the meter in your camera the factor will be taken into account.

The second thing is that you will lose your infinity focus while the tube is mounted. This can be a bit frustrating if you want to go quickly from the flower shot to the bird shot; but that's the way it is.

The final thing is that you won't have very much depth of field when working with a lens this long, an extension tube, and close focus settings. You'll need to use small apertures, which will result in the need for longer shutterspeeds; and then that in turn will require a very sturdy tripod to keep everything stable and the images sharp.

[gail]

Thanks to everyone for there help. I'm trying to photograph wild life. For example here's picture taking today of a hummingbird. I was like 10 feet away and zoom all the way out at 300mm and I still want to get in closer.

BTW what is a good setting for taking hummingbird pic ?
Theses little boggers are so fast..it's hard to get a good shot on them. There gone before you know it...lol
http://photos.imageevent.com/gailsgallery/miscthisandthat/websize/IMG_2013%20copy.jpg


#2
http://photos.imageevent.com/gailsgallery/miscthisandthat/websize/IMG_2037%20copy.jpg

[ron chappel]

Ah ok so you want more zoom it seems (but may also need closer focus too...)

There really aren't any easy options for this one

Longer than 300mm lenses start to cost serious $ so i guess that option is out.

A 1.4x teleconverter will turn your lens into a 105-420mm f5.6- 8 zoom
but will lose some optical quality and disable the the autofocus anytime you try to zoom in close.It will achieve what you want though

A 2x teleconverter will turn your lens into a 150-600mm f8- 11 zoom(!) and definitely lose any autofocus and a fair bit of optical quality.Even the viewfinder will be quite dark so manual focus will be tricky

The trouble with these two options is that the lens is allready at it's worst (300mm wide open)-adding a TC may not be acceptable to you in image quality loss (?)

There may still be some ways you can get the picture with that lens.....

Hiding yourself like pro wildlife photographers do may be an option for getting closer (How close does your lens focus ?)

And one that's not often talked about.....cropping.The 300D can make pretty big prints so there may be the option of just cropping the pic so the bird looks bigger in the frame
If you aren't making photo's at all but just want to show it on the web then this is a very good option as the orriginal pic straight from the 300D is HUGE compared to most computer screens

Oh one other bit of quick advice ( if you want it).I notice a fair bit of motion blur in one of the pics - but maybe both are effected.This is from a too-slow shutter speed.One way to improve this is to simply flip up the flash which helps freeze the action.
Another way is to force the shutter speed go right down under 1/200th and rely entirely on flash.If you choose this way the background will go dark though.

[ron chappel]

I just checked-
The 75-300 on the 300D can focus rather close.
Enough so that you'll have trouble fitting the little bird in the frame(!) so moving closer (if it is an option) will certainly work in technical sense

[Jon]

I have used the 75-300 for hummingbirds - I was close enough that to keep them in the frame (little suckers are fast!) I was working at 200-250 mm from 4-6 feet (inside the building) from the feeder. So, if you can get close enough, the 75-300 will do it.

[Canuck]

Gail,
I am not sure how you're shooting as in s/m/l jpeg, or RAW. I always shoot large as possible so that a) I can crop down if USM/sharpening isn't enough, 2) for the ability to crop out the bits I like and want and chuk the rest, and 3) for the really stunning pics, I can have them printed/print them myself mega huge!

Ok, back to lenses...please, if you get another one, don't skimp as well this pic was taken w/ the sold Sigma 70-300 F4-5.6 that I call absolute crap.
http://images.fotopic.net/?id=2160922

It lacks all the crispness of these 2:
Canon 24-70mm F2.8L
http://images.fotopic.net/?id=5763257
Sigma 120-300mm F2.8EX @300mm in Scotland with very little light using my Volvo for a makeshift tripod.
http://images.fotopic.net/?id=4875508

[gail]

Thanks Guys for all the good advice. I appreciate it much. And I will give that a try see if I can get in closer to theses little suckers. ha
:lol:

[ron chappel]

---Sigma 120-300mm F2.8EX @300mm in Scotland with very little light using my Volvo for a makeshift tripod.

Wow!! someone has al last found a use for a volvo :lol: :lol:

[Ed Rotberg]

Gail,

For hummingbirds, I have been using a 400mm lens with extension tubes to allow me to focus closer. I've had good luck, but it's not a grab shot kind of thing. You need to plan and set up for this. You will also need plenty of light becasue close focusing at those focal lengths means razor thin depth of field unless you stop down. The problem with the small DOF is that you will only get part of the hummer in focus.

Here are a couple of Anna's Hummingbirds I shot this spring. If you are interested, there are more on my site at http://www.edrotberg.org

http://www.edrotberg.org/images/Annas%204_5-15.jpg

http://www.edrotberg.org/images/Annas%207_5-15.jpg

= Ed =

[Ballen Photo]

Here are a couple of Anna's Hummingbirds I shot this spring. If you are interested, there are more on my site at http://www.edrotberg.org



Ed, Your Hummer shots are outstanding! I think I had better have a peek at your site. :D
-Bruce

[velvetjones]

Wow, those pictures are really good, Ed! Those are some of the most impressive shots of birds I have seen in a long time....I know how fast they move. :D

[gail]

Gail,

For hummingbirds, I have been using a 400mm lens with extension tubes to allow me to focus closer. I've had good luck, but it's not a grab shot kind of thing. You need to plan and set up for this. You will also need plenty of light becasue close focusing at those focal lengths means razor thin depth of field unless you stop down. The problem with the small DOF is that you will only get part of the hummer in focus.

Here are a couple of Anna's Hummingbirds I shot this spring. If you are interested, there are more on my site at http://www.edrotberg.org

http://www.edrotberg.org/images/Annas%204_5-15.jpg

http://www.edrotberg.org/images/Annas%207_5-15.jpg

= Ed =

Wow wow...what some awesome shots very lovely photos.
hope one day I can get some shots like yours. They are beautiful... :D

[Ed Rotberg]

Here are a couple of Anna's Hummingbirds I shot this spring. If you are interested, there are more on my site at http://www.edrotberg.org



Ed, Your Hummer shots are outstanding! I think I had better have a peek at your site. :D
-Bruce

Bruce,

Thanks for the kind words. I realized that I just gave the URL for my main domain, but my gallery is acutally a little bit hidden on the site and there is no direct link from that URL. This will take you straight there
http://www.edrotberg.org/gallery

Sorry about that...

= Ed =

[Ed Rotberg]

Velvet: Thanks for the kind words. These guys do move fast. They will hover for a second or two, but then when they move it's blazing fast.

Gail: I'm sure with practice and patience you can take hummingbird photos every bit as good as these if not better. The images I posted above were the culmination of a 6 week long project to get full-frame hummingbird images. I learned an awful lot along the way. I'll be happy to share some tips but I don't want to come off like a know-it-all. I'm certainly no expert and I've seen hummer photos that are better than those I've taken.

I'll say this however. I believe you have enough focal length. The next time I try this, I'm planning on using a 100mm (Macro) or 200mm lens. This just means I'll have to get closer, which in turns means that I'll have to be more patient. With those lenses, I would not need to use the light-robbing extensions tubes. It will be easier to maintain sufficient depth of field AND high shutter speeds.

Of course, my photos are an attempt to do all this with natural light as my primary light source. Using flash makes it easy - you'll just wind up with frozen wings, black backgrounds, and a very flat looking image. That is not what I have been after. YMMV :D

= Ed =

[gail]

Ed, took a look at you site ...very lovely photos. The humming birds are just beautiful. You did a very good job Indeed...That is a hard thing to photograph them little things are so fast. They are just amazing to sit and watch I love there little feet. They are so tiny. Thanks for the info.
And again your photos beautiful.. :P

[Ed Rotberg]

Ed, took a look at you site ...very lovely photos. The humming birds are just beautiful. You did a very good job Indeed...That is a hard thing to photograph them little things are so fast. They are just amazing to sit and watch I love there little feet. They are so tiny. Thanks for the info.
And again your photos beautiful.. :P

Thanks for the compliments Gail. It's a labor of love. I just hope to keep learning and improving and that's why these forums are so great.

= Ed =

[ron chappel]

Damn awsome pics Ed :)
Last w'end i shot a whole bunch of motocross that mostly turned out to be out of focus :oops:
...and that was with a MUCH bigger DOF :lol: :oops:

[Canuck]

---Sigma 120-300mm F2.8EX @300mm in Scotland with very little light using my Volvo for a makeshift tripod.

Wow!! someone has al last found a use for a volvo :lol: :lol:

Yes and it has 143K miles on it and still runs great too! What do you have against Volvos? It sure beats the crap made American cars!

[Ed Rotberg]

Damn awsome pics Ed :)
Last w'end i shot a whole bunch of motocross that mostly turned out to be out of focus :oops:
...and that was with a MUCH bigger DOF :lol: :oops:

Thanks Ron! I have to tell you how much my wife and I are in love with your country. We were there about 10 years ago and had the best time - we very much want to return soon. We spent almost 4 weeks over there and, as you can image, only scratched the sruface of all that we wnted to see.

The last trip was Fuji Velvia and my old Pentax Equipment. I still have a number of photos from that trip hanging on the walls here. Next trip will be all digital :D

= Ed =