Converter help please.

[Bevb]

Probably a silly question,but i have the Canon 2x TC and i use it with both the 70-200L f2.8 IS USM and the 100-400L on either the 20D or the MKllN, with either tripod or a monopod, but still i find i have unsatisfactory images, (slight blur) nothing horrific but its there, i was wondering if its the 2x converter and is the 2X "ll" a much better optic?

My main subjects are wildlife, bird shots,either static or in flight.

[kennymc]

Presuming you are using a good strong tripod and head that won't shake when you tap the lens gently, I can only suggest using a cable release just in case pressing on the shutter release button is causing vibration... You are of course switching the IS off on the 70-200 when the camera is tripod mounted... Pro wildlife photographers have been using the MKI for years without problems so unless you have a bad copy there should be no problems...

[Bevb]

Thanks Kennymc for your reply, i will give the cable release a try as i have a good tripod and head and with the 100-400L wide open i have good images, its only when the converter is attached.
Yes I always turn the IS off with the 70-200, and its good news about the MKI (I presume this is my model as it has nothing on it apart from 2X).

[Tannin]

I'd have thought that a 2X converter on a zoom lens was really asking too much. I don't have a 2X converter, but I do have a 1.4X Canon TC, and I don't think the image quality of the converter & 100-400 is up to scratch. With the 500 prime, it's fine - very nearly as good as the bare 500, and better than the bare 100-400 at 400mm too. The differences are small, but they are there. If I was to try and quantify them, I'd say TC & 500 is one (very small) step down on the bare 500, and two of those same very small steps up above the 100-400.

It's probably worth mentioning that I generally shoot the 100-400 at f/6.7 (because I think the half stop improves the sharpness - might be imagination, but that's what I do), and do the same with the 1.4 & 500 combo, but I shoot the bare 500 wide open wherever possible.

Anyway, my feeling is that expecting ultimate sharpness out of a zoom lens (100-400 or 70-200) with a 2X converter on it is just going to lead to frustration. Too much glass in there.

But thankyou for raising this question. I've practically never used the 100-400 & 1.4 combination, only a few shots to try out when I first got it. So, just for fun, I'll have a crack at it again one day soon.

[Tannin]

By the way, speaking of the 100-400 and add-on items, the other day I tried a 13mm extension tube on the 100-400. I know that Canon says not to use the tubes with zoom lenses, only primes, but I was doing some macro work with a largish leaf hopper and wanted more working distance than I could get with the 60mm macro on a 20D. So, just to see what would happen, I fitted the tube to the 100-400. The result was pretty much what Canon said it would be - unusable.

[Saphire]

Tannin I don't understand what problem you had using the the extension with the 100-400mm I have tried it with my sigma 80-400 and my husbands Canon 100-400mm and found it brilliant. I have some examples in my gallery. Most of the macro shots were done with this combination.

[Tannin]

It wouldn't auto-focus, and the manual focus was weird, really weird. I did sort of OK by just focusing manually roughly and then moving the camera to fine-tune, but it was weird. Perhaps I was predisposed to expect it not to work and could have tried a little harder. In any case, I soon found that the leaf hopper was fairly docile and went back to the trusty 60mm macro after all. Sounds as though I had better experement some more though, Sapphire!

[Tannin]

BTW, what length of tube do you recommend with the 100-400?

[Saphire]

Tannin I have just taken two photos one with the Sigma 80-400 and 31mm Ext tube and one with the Canon 100-400 + 31mm ext tube. The 80-400 worked with autofocus so may be a tad sharper. The canon I had to manually focus. Both were F8 and 200s with on top flash. Just an example that they can be used.
For both I was 12ft away.

[Tannin]

Nothing wrong with those, Sapphire! I'll do some more tinkering. Thankyou for the tip!