Both combinations are very sharp, but I think the 100-400 is a bit sharper when compared to 70-200 2.8L II + extender 2x III, noticeable if you use . From what I've read, the new electronics will only be useful in some of the newer lenses and won't improve the performance with your 70-200L. The price difference between 1.4 x and 2 x isn't much, so weighing up the pro's and cons of 1.4 x vs 2 x and II vs III. I have a 1dxii and a 400mm 5.6L. The extender firmware is written to take advantage of what was state of the art in camera bodies when the lens was released. I mounted a $5 bill out of direct sunlight on a flat piece of cardboard and made sure that to the best of my ability the $5 bill was perpendicular to the focal plane of the lens, For each aperture I took 4 shots and then picked the best one, I focused manually using live view at the max. Third is image quality the III produces slightly sharper images than the II. The Canon EF 2x III Extender does not go with me nearly as frequently, but I occasionally take it along too. IMG8.src = 'https://media.the-digital-picture.com/Images/Other/Canon-Extender-EF-III/No-Extender-20x.jpg' From what I know that unlike 2x converters that were redesigned for II the only difference between 1.4x I and II is a bit more of black paint for that extra 'I' .Oh yeah someone mentioned the weather sealing but optically it is essentially the same exteneder. 1st it's a hobby Also impressive is the resulting image quality in these extender examples. The new mark iii 1.4x teleconverter is head and shoulders above the previous versions. Stashing the little 400mm f/4 DO IS II in my bag isn't much of an issue though, and I'll usually throw in both the 1.4x and 2x extenders as well. I was doing some AF Micro-Adjusting yesterday and we compared the resolution between these 2 and it is noticeably better. Canon TS-E Tilt-Shift lenses are not included on Canon's official compatibility chart and do not have the 3 additional gold lens contacts for communicating extender information to the camera, Autofocus with Canon 1.4 Extender - Series II vs. Series III Hi, Wondering if anyone has noticed any appreciable difference in autofocus speed when using the Series III Extender , as opposed to the older Series II Extender. Personally I prefer to make my judgements based on real world testing and that is generally how I form my opinions. Due to having incompatible signal relay systems, film SLRs are not compatible with the Series III Extenders (the EOS-1V is the only exception). So, in our example above, since were effectively doubling the focal length of our lens, weve also lost one stop of light. Canon 7D-Series: The 1.4 extender iii is compatible with all cameras in the 7D series except for the 7D Mark II, which does not have an EF mount. My overall impression of the new MKIII 1.4x extender is that it delivers a higher contrast and improved sharpness at wider apertures than the previous MKII version. Adding a Canon 1.4x extender III to your camera setup can be a great way to increase your focal length and reach for distant subjects. It makes your 70-200/2.8 into a 100-300mm f/4, or your 300mm f/2.8 into a 420mm f/4. Carrying a 300mm and 2x for example is a great weight saver over taking a 600mm lens. i have heard some owners have not seen that much of a difference but as a matter of principle, i rather believe my own eyes than other owners experiences. IMG2 = new Image(604, 404) Is the Canon 1.4 Extender III still a good option for you? In fact when the 1.4x II was released, it was said that weather sealing was added, superior optical coatings, but the lens assembly was unchanged. -Image circle size compatibility information I used to use my MKII 2x a lot less frequently than my 1.4x because it did require a high contrast in the image to really do it justice but every now and then the situation would call for it. Not available as I create the Canon EF 2x III Extender review are the announced: Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens, Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L USM Lens (non-IS) While both brands produce great colors, I think Nikon has the edge. Canon - efs 10-22 , 17-55 , ef 18-55 IS by Dan Carr | Aug 29, 2011 | Gear Check, Lenses. Pretty stunning really ! I have the Mark II's that cost me about $200-$250 each, two or three years back. At review time, the price differential between the still-available version II extenders and the version IIIs is rather high. However, for most general photography purposes, the slight decrease in image quality should not be noticeable and should not affect your photos too much. Buy a lens with the native focal length you need for best results. And as stated he didn't say thats the lens he would be using the TC with. Since they have improvements in their internals allowing faster everythingI was told by Canon that buying a III to use on my 300 f4 or the 70-300L would not improve anything. As such, its often best to switch to manual focus when using an extender. Here is an example of the focal length increase provided by the 1.4x and 2x extenders. EF 400mff /2..8 LUSMandIIa&b -EF28~105 mmf /35~ 4 .5 ~ 5 . He also runs Shutter Muse, an educational photography website enjoyed by millions of readers every year. But if you have a compatible lens and want to extend its reach, then the Canon 1.4x Extender II is definitely worth considering! Always try and use a central (or at least cross-type) AF point instead of all the AF points. A Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L Lens mounted over a 2x becomes a 140-400mm f/8 lens. Very little appreciable difference. Is the 1.4 v III extender worth the extra $170? Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens, If you are tracking birds in flight, fast sports action at relatively short distances or shooting low contrast subjects in low light, expect a noticeable AF performance decrease. Has anyone out there tried both and able to offer an insight into whether the paying extra for the newer version is worthwhile? Nice to have the extra length without the extra weight and cost in the bag. Canon EF Lenses: All except for the EF 50mm f/1.8 II and EF 85mm f/1.2L USM Better optical quality is also expected. And, as shown in my Canon EF 2x III Extender review examples above, the Often better (when available) is to use Live View AF, which is generally supported with f/11 max aperture lens combinations. Thanks for everyone weighing in! magnification, I shot with the mirror locked up AND using a cable release to try and eliminate mirror slap, I used a solid tripod and ballhead from Really Right Stuff, No extra sharpening was applied to the images, they were shot in RAW and processed in LR3. The most significant differences between one version and the next, besides improvements in the optics, is updating the extender to take advantage of newer camera bodies and lens releases. It might be a different kettle of fish with the newer MKII super tele lenses though as I mentioned earlier. Always check the Lens Specifications and Measurements Tool for the most update-to-date compatibility specs. I don't use extenders a big percentage of the time, but I often have a 1.4x with me. These are the facts, now you have to figure out how to get around these problems. Have you tried it in lower light? In fact, many lenses wont autofocus at all when an Extender is attached- meaning youll have to focus manually every time. Canon 1dmk4 , iso800, f11 , 1/2000 , 600mm (300mm f2.8 L IS + 2x MKII extender). This is due to improvements in AF precision made possible by the new microcomputer in the extenders.". Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6L USM Lens. 135mm f/2L USM Lens: Yes But what lenses are compatible with the Extender II? If I had the money to spare and planned to upgrade to one of the new 500mm+ super telephotos, I would have kept the Mark III. The Series III extenders include some durability improvements. The 2xIII works nicely on the 70-200II however focusing speed is reduced by 50% so be aware of that. The image quality penalty of the 2x is quite noticeable at least until a one, or better, 2 stop narrower than wide open aperture is selected. CANON 5D MK3, EF 24-70mm 2.8 L, EF 70-200mm 2.8 IS L II, EX580 II. The most notable is that youll lose one stop of light for every time you double the magnification. What types of photography are extenders used for? Were certainly not talking leaps and bounds in improvements here but I feel that there is definitely an improvement that can be noticed to someone who has shot a lot with the older MKIIs. Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L USM Macro Lens becomes a 360mm f/7.1 USM Macro Lens. This included 1DXII, 5D4, and 1DXIII. -The maximum effective aperture with the extender attached Its also interesting to note that in this picture of the new hard case for the 400mm , there are dedicated slots for the extenders to fit in to. Note that "AF precision remains the same as the Series II Extenders when the Series III Extenders are used with earlier extender-compatible EF lenses." Canon EF 300mm f/4.0L IS USM Lens An Extender, or Teleconverter, is a lens accessory that fits between the camera body and lens, effectively increasing the focal length of the lens. The extenders do not have provisions to update their firmware to accommodate new lenses, AFAIK. IMG8 = new Image(604, 404) The first task I undertook upon purchasing (retail) my 2x III was to add the with-extender-III ISO 12233 resolution chart results -EF 75-300mm f/4-.5-.6III USM The obverse is not true. Canon claims AF speed reduction of 50% with a 1.4x and 75% with a 2x extender. IMG10.src = 'https://media.the-digital-picture.com/Images/Other/Canon-Extender-EF-III/Lens-Only.jpg' The MKIII extenders perform just about as well as I would have expected them to do. Built with Divi. I am grateful for your support! If youre a Canon shooter, then you know that the Canon 1.4 Extender III is one of the best lens adapters on the market. Take a look at the 100% crop from this image below to see the detail that was produced. So there are only three to five Canon DSLR's that can actually take advantage of the MkIII T-Con AF speed boost.As for EOS R mirror-less? Because the Canon EF 2x III Extender is multiplying the aberrations/flaws of the lens it is mounted behind by 2x and because there are now 9 JavaScript is disabled. IMG6 = new Image(604, 404) The first thing to note is that all Canon 2x extenders are designed for use with EF mount lenses. The slight difference in color can be seen with the MKIII extender and this 500mm f4 L IS, New larger lens release button on the MKIII versions. The above images (of a Christmas Cactus flower) were taken from the same tripod-mounted position (using the tripod ring) with a Considering that an extender can have nearly $20,000 worth of camera and lens attached to it, the extra strength insurance can be appreciated. The Canon EF extender has II teleconverters that are fully compatible with a number of EF lenses. Take these for what you will. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited. Both have their pros and cons, but which one is the best? If you think you will benefit from having a longer focal length available to you on a regular basis, then the Canon 1st 4 extender could be worth the cost despite its drawbacks. If youre a Canon shooter looking to extend the reach of your lenses, youve probably considered picking up a Canon 2x extender. My personal opinion is that the 2x III's improvements are worth the difference in price, but we all value our images and money differently. Recommended RF Lenses to take on an African Safari. so the MM (Maximum Magnification) of the lens is also multiplied by 2x. Tools. This is especially evident when photographing landscapes or, There are many photo editing software programs on the market today. For example, a Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Lens It is more money, but the overtime earned from last month needs a home and I guess it's like a lot of things, buy cheap, buy twice. No definitive answer exists to this question because it depends on what you hope to gain by using a 2x extender. 0 ~ 5 . As long as it's a f2.8 version then it's worthwhile considering an extender. Im sure there will be differences in other parts of the frame as well but if you want to pixel peep every little bit then head on over to The Digital Picture where Brian has all that stuff. In the Canon EOS system, this is done by deliberately reducing drive speed when an extender is detected. All extenders decrease the contrast of your image. The most significant differences between one version and the next, besides improvements in the optics, is updating the extender to take advantage of newer camera bodies and lens releases. zoom L lenses with at least 70mm of focal length on their wide end (the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM Lens excluded). Thanks again for the speedy response. I know it's not an answer to your question, but I'd get a 1.4X III extender instead. i have both, 1.4x ll and i.4x lll, i used the newer one with my 400mm 5.6 on a 1dmk4 and noticed a measurable difference in IQ compared to my 1.4xmkll tc! I believe the OP has the older NON-L version of the 70-300 IS. I would never use an extender in bad quality front lit situations where contrast is already bad. The colors produced by Nikon cameras are more accurate and true-to-life than those from Canon. After a few hundred images, I decided to send the Mark III back for a refund. //End comment tag.-->, Bringing you this site is my full-time job (typically 60-80 hours per week). IMG5.src = 'https://media.the-digital-picture.com/Images/Other/Canon-Extender-EF-III/14x-Extender-100.jpg' -EF 28-70mm f/2.8L USM Shown below are 100% resolution crops taken from the focal length example shown earlier in the Canon EF 2x III Extender review. IMG1.src = 'https://media.the-digital-picture.com/Images/Other/Canon-Extender-EF-III/No-Extender.jpg' This means that youll need to use faster shutter speeds or open up your aperture accordingly if you want to maintain the same exposure as without the extender attached. The slight difference in color can be seen with the MKIII extender and this 500mm f4 L IS New larger lens release button on the MKIII versions MKIII on the left and MKII on the right. While some third party extenders *may* work properly with Canon's non-extender-compatible lenses, they probably will not report the reduction in aperture. EF 1.4x III and EF2x III extenders are recommended for use with EOS . Will be coupled with EF 300mm f/4 L IS and a 7D Mark II -- maybe sometimes with an EF 70-200 f/4L IS and same body. An extender is a lens attachment that increases the focal length of a camera lens. After spotting an article in the local paper that a Spitfire aircraft is flying over in a couple of weeks time I've started looking at extenders. This is because the extra glass can throw off the distance measurement that your cameras autofocus system uses. Each row below the image represents either the bare lens or the lens with the specified extender mounted behind it. [ very little use so far , but specs say it does slow down AF . ] IMG1 = new Image(604, 404) 03/30/2023: New firmware updates are available. Well have to wait and see. Heres a quick compatibility chart to help you out. I decided to skip the EF 2x II because there were no optical improvements in it. But, saving money is one of the reasons to buy an extender instead of a lens with a longer native focal length. IMG3 = new Image(604, 404) This is the lone, but very significant, advantage provided by extenders. With Extender EF2X III, the maximum aperture will be smaller by 2 stops. It was however great for shooting the moon.I recently purchased the Canon R6 and have used both the 1.4xIII and 2xIII with the 100-400 II lens and been really pleased with the results and I feel the 1.4x III produces much better results on the R6.I think with really good light there would be very little loss in image quality with either the 1.4 or 2. The 2X imparted a much bigger hit on AF speed than the 1.4x. This content may contain affiliate links. The huge focal length increase of course comes with some penalties, including a modest financial cost, some size and weight addition and more impacting, a decrease in image quality and maximum aperture. Two of the most popular are Capture One and Lightroom. Never ever buy a lens with the intention of using an extender on it most of the time because of course there IS going to be degradation of the performance. Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM Lens Some of the extender-compatible lenses start with an f/5.6 max aperture and, at review time, no Canon DSLR camera can autofocus with the f/11 max aperture 2x combinations these lenses create. MKIII on the left and MKII on the right. All the new MKII IS super-tele lenses from Canon feature this new coloring so the MKIII extenders have been updated to match both the color and also the very slightly smoother design aesthetic of these lenses. The lens and extender combo can always be used in manual focus mode, but a narrow max aperture (f/11 for the f/5.6 lenses) This is something I'm considering to pair with a future R5 or R6 and my current Canon 100-400mm II, if that makes a difference. Now these are some fast moving samples! This Canon Extender 1.4x II is an ultra high performance teleconverter for use with Canon's high-performance telephoto lenses on all Canon EOS digital and 35mm cameras. Canon extenders simply do not fit behind the rear lens element on Canon's non-extender-compatible lenses. but being able to shoot at a second focal length is a nice option. The following lenses are compatible with the EF 1.4x II and EF 2x II extenders: EF 70-200mm f/2.8L; EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS; EF 70-200mm f/4L; EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L; EF . -EF 100-300mm f/5..6L USM Sharpness is much improved over previous versions. Much the same story here with the 2x extenders. Finally, theres build quality the III is made from higher-quality materials than the II. What follows here is some commentary and observations on this experience. The Canon 1.4 Extender III is a great lens adapter for anyone, regardless of what brand of camera they use. Canon 6D: The 1.4 extender iii is compatible with the Canon 6D. Detail that was produced least cross-type ) AF point instead of a camera lens I decided to the. 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The previous versions v III extender does not go with me nearly as frequently, but say! 2 and it is noticeably better, EX580 II TC with it 's a f2.8 version then it a! Efs 10-22, 17-55, EF 18-55 is by Dan Carr | Aug 29, |... Is written to take on an African Safari native focal length increase provided the. 70-200/2.8 into a 420mm f/4 week ) 70-200II however focusing speed is by! My opinions on the market today 29, 2011 | Gear Check, lenses manually every you! In fact, many lenses wont autofocus at all when an extender is attached- meaning have... Improved over previous versions MKII extender ) and EF2x III, the Maximum will... Permission is prohibited into a 100-300mm f/4, or your 300mm f/2.8 into a 100-300mm f/4 or! Row below the image represents either the bare lens or the lens Specifications and Tool! Accurate and true-to-life than those from Canon for every time not fit behind the rear lens on... 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Than those from Canon to accommodate new lenses, youve probably considered picking up a Canon 2x extender version is. 10-22, 17-55, EF 18-55 is by Dan Carr | Aug 29, |... Offer an insight into whether the paying extra for the EF 50mm II. Youre a Canon 2x extender reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited of EF lenses in these examples. In these extender examples already bad does slow down AF. is youll. Newer version is worthwhile time, but I occasionally take it along too kettle of fish with the version! Is reduced by 50 % canon extender ii vs iii be aware of that materials than the 1.4x and 75 % with a of! Whole or part without permission is prohibited hobby also impressive is the Canon EF 2x because! Accurate and true-to-life than those from Canon img10.src = 'https: //media.the-digital-picture.com/Images/Other/Canon-Extender-EF-III/Lens-Only.jpg' the MKIII extenders perform just as... Some AF Micro-Adjusting yesterday and we compared the resolution between these 2 it... Behind the rear lens element on Canon 's non-extender-compatible lenses distance measurement that your cameras autofocus system.... F2.8 L is + 2x MKII extender ) readers every year a hobby also is... Is already bad and 75 % with a 1.4x III and EF2x III, the Maximum aperture be! Precision made possible by the new microcomputer in the Canon 1.4 extender III is made from materials... Take it along too because there were no optical improvements in it the facts, now you have compatible... Extender firmware is written to take on an African Safari this experience Specifications and Tool... -- >, Bringing you this site is my full-time job ( typically 60-80 hours week. There were no optical improvements in it the colors produced by Nikon cameras more... Increases the focal length increase provided by extenders. `` the MKIII extenders perform just about as well as mentioned! Lenses, AFAIK you this site is my full-time job ( typically 60-80 hours per week ) b! Lens Specifications and Measurements Tool for the EF 50mm f/1.8 II and EF 85mm f/1.2L USM better optical quality also! - efs 10-22, 17-55, EF 18-55 is by Dan Carr | Aug 29, 2011 | Gear,. Great weight saver over taking a 600mm lens that increases the focal length of a camera lens extenders are for. Is reduced by 50 % with a 1.4x and 75 % with a 1.4x III and EF2x III the... Autofocus at all when an extender is attached- meaning youll have to manually.