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- Paul
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After pining for a 2x extender for a while, to pair with my RF 100-400, I found one used on eBay that was the least expensive I'd seen yet, and I went for it. So far, I'm enjoying it, though I haven't had that many circumstances come up in the couple of weeks since I got it where I really wanted to use it. I've attached a couple of photos taken with this combo on my R8, one of the moon (a significant crop from a wider field of view, leaving a 1500x1500px image) and one of a woodpecker that briefly hung out on a hydro pole on my street (I'm definitely not a wildlife photographer). Both of these were shot handheld. The combo handles nicely, as the densest part of the setup is the extender itself, which makes balancing the whole thing pretty comfortable. I'm adapting to the reduced AF area in the viewfinder, and autofocus in general is not as fast or confident as without the extender, but that was all expected as predictable compromises when using a teleconverter.
The quality, to my hobbyist eye, is totally acceptable! I'm really happy with the images I've been creating and the freedom of that level of reach. Can't wait to try it on a sunny day at an airshow.
One other benefit is the macro performance of this combo. I've gotten into using the 100-400mm for pseudo-macro photography, as its minimum focus distance at 400mm allows one to get pretty close to the subject, giving a 0.41x magnification level. With the extender maintaining this same minimum focus distance, the magnification level is 0.82x, as I understand it. Granted, maximum aperture is then f/16, so light is a problem, but if it's a stationary subject and you have it well lit with the camera on a tripod, you can get some really great results, especially with the R8's built-in focus stacking function. Here's a focus-stacked closeup of a piece of driveway gravel (don't ask - it was a joke for a friend) that turned out great, in my opinion. I didn't even have to use full magnification - it would have been too close to fit the entire stone comfortably in frame.
So, I hope you've enjoyed or taken something positive away from my impressions of this lens/teleconverter/body combo. It's one I was interested in for quite some time after acquiring my R8, but I wanted to wait until the right deals came along. There wasn't much in the way of useful user impressions of the lens and extender, aside from "buy a WAY more expensive L-series prime instead" or "just get closer." Not everyone's life lets them spend as much as they'd like on their gear, and nor can you necessarily get closer to certain subjects (such as objects in flight, or I dunno, THE MOON). I'm really pleased with the performance and versatility offered by this combo at a relatively modest, though still substantial, price point. I'll certainly have more interesting or polished images to share in the future, but I felt like sharing my excitement now, so
.
The quality, to my hobbyist eye, is totally acceptable! I'm really happy with the images I've been creating and the freedom of that level of reach. Can't wait to try it on a sunny day at an airshow.
One other benefit is the macro performance of this combo. I've gotten into using the 100-400mm for pseudo-macro photography, as its minimum focus distance at 400mm allows one to get pretty close to the subject, giving a 0.41x magnification level. With the extender maintaining this same minimum focus distance, the magnification level is 0.82x, as I understand it. Granted, maximum aperture is then f/16, so light is a problem, but if it's a stationary subject and you have it well lit with the camera on a tripod, you can get some really great results, especially with the R8's built-in focus stacking function. Here's a focus-stacked closeup of a piece of driveway gravel (don't ask - it was a joke for a friend) that turned out great, in my opinion. I didn't even have to use full magnification - it would have been too close to fit the entire stone comfortably in frame.
So, I hope you've enjoyed or taken something positive away from my impressions of this lens/teleconverter/body combo. It's one I was interested in for quite some time after acquiring my R8, but I wanted to wait until the right deals came along. There wasn't much in the way of useful user impressions of the lens and extender, aside from "buy a WAY more expensive L-series prime instead" or "just get closer." Not everyone's life lets them spend as much as they'd like on their gear, and nor can you necessarily get closer to certain subjects (such as objects in flight, or I dunno, THE MOON). I'm really pleased with the performance and versatility offered by this combo at a relatively modest, though still substantial, price point. I'll certainly have more interesting or polished images to share in the future, but I felt like sharing my excitement now, so
.
