Canon 400mm and extender question

[leon]

Hi guys, just a question on the Canon 400mm F/5.6 L lens, please.
Has anyone here owned and also used the Canon 1.4 extender, with this lens and if so, how do you feel it went .:shrug:
Thank you

Leon :thumbsup:

[Dennis]

Hi Leon

I have used the Mk II x1.4 Extender with the 400mm F5.6L and under good conditions, I have been very pleased with the results.

My experience has been that I have to very mindful of good technique and need good conditions to get reasonable results. With the 400mm F5.6L at its native focal length I am confident of getting a reasonable set of keepers, but when I fit the x1.4 Extender my keeper rate goes down. In my opinion, this is due more to environmental conditions (thermals, poor seeing, etc.) rather than the quality/sharpness/contrast of the combo itself.

On all occasions, the 400/x1.4 combo has produced better results than just up-sizing the naked 400mm in post.

On those occasions when I have used it for day time (distant) bird photography, the image quality is usually affected adversely by ground/air currents rather than the lens/extender combo itself.

Here is a selection of photos using this combo.

Cheers

Dennis.

[leon]

Dennis, wow :eyepop: and I hate you, hate you :lol: I am a airport junky, and I said to my dear Alice, just the other day, I have photos of every plane in the sky, except that big bugger which we saw on TV a few days ago.

And here it is, that is just awesome.

Thank you indeed for your info on the Canon 400mm F/5.6 L.

Dennis may I copy that picture for a screen saver photo ??

Leon :thumbsup:

[sil]

I've never used Canon, But I have used Nikon and old soviet telephoto lenses and extenders for terrestrial photography. I've used x1.4, x2.0 and x3.0 extenders (and yes all at once just because). The x1.4 is almost unnoticable image quality loss and the 2.0 is very usable though slight hazing and chromatic aberations. 3.0 is moreso and not so great for "keeper" shots but useful on occassion. the 1.4 and 2.0 extenders tend to be fairly compact and solid but the 3.0 have obvious flex.

Certainly worth having if you often need a little extra length and cant afford a bigger lens. Stick to a x1.4 if image quality is a must, especially if you have good lenses to use it with and stick with quality extenders (canon, Nikon etc for your gear). A x1.4 in the camera bag is there when you need it and takes little space. A x2.0 is good too if you dont mind the slight quality loss. If you're using kit lenses just save for a proper lense first as any extender will just amplify the deficiencies of the kit lens.

[Dennis]

Hi Leon

Your B52 trumps my A380 any day!

The A380 overflies our suburb at approx. 2,500/3,000 ft every day, usually around 6:30am so I get to see her most mornings out of the study window.

Here is a 1920 x 1200 pixel image for your desktop; it should have better IQ at that size.:)

Good luck with whatever you decide on.:thumbsup:

Cheers

Dennis

PS – you probably already know this, but the 7D Mk II and 5D Mk III bodies which I use all AF at F8, so make sure you have a body that will AF at F8 for the 400mm F5.6L with x1.4

[leon]

Thanks Sil and yourself Dennis, your information has been most helpfull.

Leon

[Derek Klepp]

Leon my experiences have been similar to Dennis,s it's a great lens.I have even used it with the old 2x ext for moon shots.It is a very sharp lens for the price.I compared it with the new 100-400 and it is marginally better. The 100-400 version 2 from Canon may also be worth a look.What I really like though is that being 77mm in diameter I can use filters with a lot of lenses such as the 24-105 and the Sigma 24mm which makes it versatile for travel especially when weight is a consideration.And with today's cameras having better low light capabilities than when I purchased the 400 it really is a keeper.

[leon]

Thank you indeed for your response.

Leon