Need advise: 180 mm macro + teleconverter + extender

Hello all,

I own a Canon 180mm macro. What's the best combination I can add to this lens? Is the combination of 1.4 teleconverter and 1.4 extender will do good? Will the auto focus work? Need advise. Thanks all!

Adrian

Stand closer

I take it you want to get more magnification than life size.

Tubes probably give better IQ but will not add as much magnification as they would with the EF 100mm macro for example. Using tubes will reduce your working distance.

You could use either the 1.4X or 2X, which will give you 1.4 or 2 times as much magnification at any given working distance. The image will be softer but it works well with the 100 macro as long as you avoid diffraction softening, by all accounts the 180mm should fair better.

Either solution will result in additional light loss.

If you really want to get high magnification then the MP-E 65mm will deliver stunning results but you will find the working distance a shock after the 180mm.

The best results I have had with my Canon 180 macro is with a 1.4 teleconverter. AF is retained and I cannot see any image degradation. You lose a stop of light but most macro shooting is done at small apertures to retain depth of field so I don't consider this a problem. I have heard the lens works well with a 2X TC but I have never tried it and I am bot sure if you would lose AF but again this is not really a factor as most focusing will be manual at that magnification. I sometimes screw a Canon 500D on the lens. It is a high quality two element closeup lens with no IQ or light loss. I have tried extension tubes on this lens but find them hard to work with due to major light loss.

Thanks all for your advise. I think I'm going to buy 1.4x teleconverter.