Canon 70-200 2.8 IS MK2 & 2X Extender MK3 or 100-400L

Hi there, Have done a little search on this but can't seem to find anything.
Basically I already have a Canon 100-400L. I will be upgrading my body from a 7D to a 5D MK3 very shortly & am wanting also the 70-200 f2.8 IS MK2 to go with it. Question is, Would it be worth my while getting the 2X extender & using it with the 70-200 then selling the 100-400?? Or, would it be advisable to keep both? Does the 2X work with the 100-400? If so, are they any good mated up or would I be just wasting my time?

Many thanks & Kind regards, Kevin

This might help you with that decision

http://www.the-digital-picture.com …omp=0&FLIComp=7​&APIComp=0

I had the 70-200 2.8 mkII and tried a 2x TC on it. Didn't like it. I went for the 400mm 5.6L

The 2X on the 100-400 will render it a MF lens only and be so dark in the view finder you'll be eating carrots for the rest of your life

Heya,

It's very simple. If you want a 400mm lens, keep the 400mm lens. Don't bother with teleconverters. The 2.0x on the 400mm is really not going to work well, you'll have to manually focus, and it's image quality is not excellent (it's good, but not excellent). The 200mm F2.8 II that you're going for is great, with a 1.4 converter. But not superb with a 2.0x. If you want reach, use a lens with base reach. Don't try to convert up.

As it is, going from crop to full frame, you're losing a lot of natural reach. So it's going to sting when you see how short 400mm is (or how it will feel) as you're dropping from what is effectively 600+mm to do this. Converters will not bring it back with enough quality. I find that most people who need long reach, unless you're doing landscape or something, manual focus is just not fast enough. Just depends what you're doing with those long lenses.

Start saving up for a 600mm lens.

Or just keep the 7D and get the 5D3 too. For your reach lens, use the 7D. For everything else, use the 5D3.

Very best,

The 2x TC won't render the 70-200 2.8 MF only since they enabled f/8 AF on it sometime last year. That being said, I would use the 100-400 for the longer shots and the 70-200 for closer range stuff. My own experience with the 70-200 and TCs was extremely abysmal, even though others have pulled reasonable results out of the combo.

When you see how much shorter 400 appears on the 5D, you might consider selling the 100-400 and picking up the new Tamron 150-600; it's turning out to be a pretty nice lens, and the price difference ought to be close to a wash between its cost and what you can sell the 100-400 for.

Snydremark wrote in post #16621882
The 2x TC won't render the 70-200 2.8 MF only since they enabled f/8 AF on it sometime last year. That being said, I would use the 100-400 for the longer shots and the 70-200 for closer range stuff. My own experience with the 70-200 and TCs was extremely abysmal, even though others have pulled reasonable results out of the combo.

Just wondering if you tried to do the MA on the lens with the TC? I did, with the 70-200 f/4 and 1.4x TC, and the results are very good. The 70D allows separate MA for a lens and for a lens plus the TC. Yes, I can detect a slight IQ degradation, but one has to look very closely to see it.

Lbsimon wrote in post #16621998
Just wondering if you tried to do the MA on the lens with the TC? I did, with the 70-200 f/4 and 1.4x TC, and the results are very good. The 70D allows separate MA for a lens and for a lens plus the TC. Yes, I can detect a slight IQ degradation, but one has to look very closely to see it.

Fair question, and no, I did not. The best results I could get in Manual focus were abysmal, so worrying about the AF wasn't worth it.

after using some kinds of zooms like the 70-200 f/4 , 70-200 f/2.8 , 70-300L and 100-400L
i can say the best way for image quality is using extenders 1.4x not the 2.0x
i always use the kenko pro 300 DGX 1.4x
i think the big extender 2.0x is good for big monster primes with f /2.8 or f/4 because they are very sharp and in one focal length

Sell the 100-400 and the 2X. Or keep the 2X and buy a 400 prime. Your 70-200 is better with a X1 1/4. That's my view on where you need to be.

Thank you all for your replies. I wasn't really planning on using the TC with the 100-400, only with the 70-200. The idea is, to see whether the combo of the 70-200 & TC matches the 100-400 as I am not sure that I would be needing both??
I am kind of thinking now that I will forget the TC & just use the lenses as are for the better IQ etc.

Kind regards, Kevin

Frosticles wrote in post #16623341
Thank you all for your replies. I wasn't really planning on using the TC with the 100-400, only with the 70-200. The idea is, to see weather the combo of the 70-200 & TC matches the 100-400 as I am not sure that I would be needing both??

lots of comparisons between the 100-400 and 70-200 with teleconverters / extenders, here's one
https://photography-on-the.net …p?p=15006715#po​st15006715

the 70-200 2.8 IS MK2 with a 2x doesn't match the 100-400 in sharpness but if it's close enough for you then it may be worth it

Frosticles wrote in post #16623341
Thank you all for your replies. I wasn't really planning on using the TC with the 100-400, only with the 70-200. The idea is, to see weather the combo of the 70-200 & TC matches the 100-400 as I am not sure that I would be needing both??
I am kind of thinking now that I will forget the TC & just use the lenses as are for the better IQ etc.

If you don't need the F/2.8 then I would just go 100-400, or can live without a zoom in that range then the 100-400 + 135 F/2 or similar would be my pick. The Sigma 150 F/2.8 is another very nice option and can give you OS (not to mention macro). Whether you can do something like that comes down to what and how you shoot.

Yes, I have three of these lenses so..both 135/150 works great for me. The beauty of 135L is its light weight

Another option Consider the Tamron SP 24-70, 70-200, and 150-600 lenses. The first 2 are fast lens and all 3 have VC. No need for any TC from 24-600. The set will cost lots less than a Canon 24-70 (or 24-105), 70-200, 100-400 and a 1.4TC (needed to get to 560). Tamron lenses have 6 year warranty. It is always good to have options.

http://www.tamron-usa.com …vcusd_a007.asp#​ad-image-0
http://www.tamron-usa.com …00_vc_a009.asp#​ad-image-0
http://www.tamron-usa.com …00_vc_a011.asp#​ad-image-0

I have started my migration with ordering the 150-600.

MCAsan wrote in post #16623410
Another option Consider the Tamron SP 24-70, 70-200, and 150-600 lenses. The first 2 are fast lens and all 3 have VC. No need for any TC from 24-600. The set will cost lots less than a Canon 24-70 (or 24-105), 70-200, 100-400 and a 1.4TC (needed to get to 560). Tamron lenses have 6 year warranty. It is always good to have options.

http://www.tamron-usa.com …vcusd_a007.asp#​ad-image-0
http://www.tamron-usa.com …00_vc_a009.asp#​ad-image-0
http://www.tamron-usa.com …00_vc_a011.asp#​ad-image-0

I have started my migration with ordering the 150-600.

Funnily enough I have just been trawling through the 150-600 threads. Sounds an interesting lens indeed.