Canon extender v Extension tubes.

Phil Wood

Phil Wood

Suspended / Banned
Messages
181
Name
Philip wood
Edit My Images
Yes
Is it worth spending the extra cash to buy an extender as against extension tubes. I am hoping to use my canon 70-200 f2.8 for bird photography and wondering the best what to get extra reach. Have both full frame 5D mk3. And crop sensor 60 D any ideas as how to best utilise my cameras and lens. See 60D 1.6 crop. 200 MM. lens. 2x extender. Makes 640.
 
Extenders and Extension tubes are two different things. An Extender increases the effective focal length of your lens by 1.4/2 whereas an extension tube just moves the lens forwards and reduces the minimum focus distance (for macro photography). If you want more reach, you need an extender.
 
Be careful using an extender as it also changes effective Max aperture, so a 2x fitted to a f4 lens becomes f8. Can both your cameras auto focus at an effective f8, I know the 5d can, but the 60d?
Matt
 
stevelmx5 said:
Extenders and Extension tubes are two different things. An Extender increases the effective focal length of your lens by 1.4/2 whereas an extension tube just moves the lens forwards and reduces the minimum focus distance (for macro photography). If you want more reach, you need an extender.
Click to expand...
This!
They are 2 different items for 2 different purposes.

But also, if you're going to start doing bird photography regularly - it might be worth saving up and getting a dedicated longer zoom lens.
 
Thanks guys got the message with regard to differances. Already have the Sigma 150-600 but thought may get better image quality with canon extender and canon 70-200 is usm Which is a really sharp lens.
 
Though I never had the problem of being to close to birds the idea of using an extender for closups is not that bad since your minimal focussing distance remain the same. That said youll have to do a little calculating re magnification, focussing distances etc.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
soeren said:
Though I never had the problem of being to close to birds th<snip >
Click to expand...
I went to Inner Farne last week with my Sigma 150-600 lens. There were so many birds so close it was difficult to focus. I would have been much better off with my 70-300 lens.
 
A 2x teleconverter would work on the 70-200 f2.8 making it 140-400 f5.6. I'm not sure if the 70-200+2TC+60D would better the output of the 5D3 and sigma 150-600. Although I don't know for sure as I'm not a canon user I've never been 100% happy with the Nikon 70-200 with 2x TC (i was only ever impressed with the 2x TC on the 300mm f2.8). It partly depends on the conditions you are out in, if it's gloomy the 2x TC would likely struggle. My gut feeling is the 5D3 and 150-600 would be my go to combo for birds (by birds I'm guessing you mean owls or small birds rather than say puffins on farmed or Skomer. If it was Skomer then your 70-200 on 5D3 would be perfect, they get so close they can be within minimal focusing of the 70-200 which is around 1.4m on the Nikon).

Teleconverter are tricky above the 1.4TC, one persons 'it's great/ok' can be very different to another persons. It's best to try it for yourself. One option would be to hire one, another is to purchase used at the right price allowing you to sell on with little loss if it doesn't work out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top