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Archive 2012 · 5D Mark III + 100-400L + Kenko 1.4X DGX Autofocus?

danwanfur
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · 5D Mark III + 100-400L + Kenko 1.4X DGX Autofocus?

Hi, I have recently become interested in photographing raptors in flight. I just upgraded to a 5D III from the 5D II and love the autofocus. I have found a place with a lot of raptor action but don't have sufficient reach. I shoot with a 100-400L @400mm.

Has anyone tried the Kenko 1.4x 300 DGX extender with the 5D III + 100-400L? Can it be used for birds in flight? I keep reading that the extender can focus with this lens and body combination, but I am unable to tell if it is responsive enough to be used for BIF.

Oct 07, 2012 at 11:10 AM

Imagemaster
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · 5D Mark III + 100-400L + Kenko 1.4X DGX Autofocus?

IMO you will not be happy using a 1.4x TC on the 100-400, regardless of what body you use.

Oct 07, 2012 at 02:51 PM

Jeff Nolten
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · 5D Mark III + 100-400L + Kenko 1.4X DGX Autofocus?

According to the description on B&H the Kenko 1.4x 300 DGX allows AF at f4 and faster - which I take to mean that it is a reporting tele-extender. You'd have to tape the pins or some such to fool AF into working with the 100-400.

I'd be happy to learn otherwise. What is the best non-reporting 1.4x? Are they still available new? And, as the OP asks, are these any good with the 5D3 and 10-400?

Oct 07, 2012 at 03:32 PM

Imagemaster
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · 5D Mark III + 100-400L + Kenko 1.4X DGX Autofocus?

If you want a noticeable drop in AF performance and a noticeable loss in IQ, then go ahead and use any TC on the 100-400 on any body.

Oct 07, 2012 at 03:47 PM

Scott Stoness
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · 5D Mark III + 100-400L + Kenko 1.4X DGX Autofocus?

I agree with Imagemaster - likely you won't be happy with 100-400 with 1.4x, but my tamron 1.4x permits autofocus at f8. Some 1.4x do. The ones that report the fstop will not working without taping the pins. When I tried it with my tamron, it was quite vignetted. But the centre area was acceptable for a tough try of a good situation. I used my 1.4x with 100-400 and 7d for a polar bear and cub several years ago that is one of my favorite pictures from that year, even though it has some chroma distortion. But for bif, I doubt the focus would be fast enough. I will try it and report back.

Scott

Oct 07, 2012 at 04:08 PM

Scott Stoness
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · 5D Mark III + 100-400L + Kenko 1.4X DGX Autofocus?

Here you go - similarly processed.

If there is a bit of a back focus its not the camera its my carelessness in shooting a focus spot.

My observation is that the focus seems slower and the canon 1.4xiii does a better job but the 1.4x is okay.

Scott

100 - 400 Raw

100-400 with tamron 1.4x focussed with 5diii b itself (atuo works)

100-400 with canon 1.4xwith live view focus (auto not work)

Edited on Oct 08, 2012 at 02:32 PM · View previous versions

Oct 07, 2012 at 04:47 PM

ChrisRD
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · 5D Mark III + 100-400L + Kenko 1.4X DGX Autofocus?

I have not tried the 100-400 with the 5D3, but the 400/5.6 actually works very well with the Kenko MC4 1.4X attached so perhaps that is a reasonably priced option if you need more FL for flight shooting. This TC actually shows the correct aperture when attached but AF still works with the 5D3 + 400/5.6 (no need to tape pins). I would assume that it would work with the 5D3 + 100-400 too.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/674589-REG/Kenko_MC4AF1_4DGXC_TelePlus_MC4_AF_1_4X.html

FWIW...I have owned and compared the 100-400 with the 400/5.6 with regard to taking a Canon 1.4X II extender on my former 1D3 and was not thrilled with the zoom's IQ or AF in this scenario. IMO the prime was noticeably better at this (at least with my copies).

Interestingly...the 5D3 + the Kenko 1.4X linked above actually has much snappier AF with the 400/5.6 than my former 1D3 + Canon 1.4X II did. It's also much better at achieving accurate AF lock in dim conditions and with low contrast targets. I was very pleasantly surprised at this...I wasn't expecting much when I tried this combo but it has turned out to be very useable.

Oct 07, 2012 at 09:51 PM

scalesusa
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · 5D Mark III + 100-400L + Kenko 1.4X DGX Autofocus?

After hearing about many well respected users reporting that the TC worked at f/8, I ordered one from Adorama, and it arrived Friday.

I mounted it to my 100-400mm L and was very pleased to find that it autofocused very well at 400mm f/8, even in low light. AF was smooth and reasonably fast. It did hunt in extremely low light, but it was in the deep shadows after sundown where any camera would struggle to AF.

As soon as I find time, I'll be testing it with other bodies lenses, and TC combinations.

Oct 07, 2012 at 10:57 PM

CW100
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · 5D Mark III + 100-400L + Kenko 1.4X DGX Autofocus?

scalesusa wrote:
After hearing about many well respected users reporting that the TC worked at f/8, I ordered one from Adorama, and it arrived Friday.

I mounted it to my 100-400mm L and was very pleased to find that it autofocused very well at 400mm f/8, even in low light. AF was smooth and reasonably fast. It did hunt in extremely low light, but it was in the deep shadows after sundown where any camera would struggle to AF.

As soon as I find time, I'll be testing it with other bodies lenses, and TC combinations.

interesting, I've always heard the Kenko 1.4 was not good on the 100-400

Oct 08, 2012 at 05:32 AM

abqnmusa
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · 5D Mark III + 100-400L + Kenko 1.4X DGX Autofocus?

Tamron SP AF 1.4x Pro Teleconverter for Canon Mount Lenses

This is the best 1.4X TC I have tested for the 5D III to focus at F8. I am getting images with excellent sharpness in the center, and very good sharpness accross the frame.

The 5D III focus with the 400mm F5.6 is quick with single point focus, and IS Servo or single point focus.

I have no issue focusing birds or birds in flight with the Tamron SP AF 1.4x Pro TC.
Vignetting and CA have not been an issue with this TC.

Tamron SP AF 1.4x Pro TC

Tamron SP AF 1.4x Pro TC

Edited on Oct 22, 2012 at 08:20 AM · View previous versions

Oct 08, 2012 at 07:53 AM

Imagemaster
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · 5D Mark III + 100-400L + Kenko 1.4X DGX Autofocus?

I thought this thread was about the 100-400 with a TC, not the 400 f5.6 with a TC

As for getting good to fantastic results when using a TC on a f5.6 lens, I guess that all depends on one's interpretation of good. Canon specifically disabled the ability of certain bodies to AF with a TC simply because they believed the performance and IQ was not good enough, and therefore too many owners would complain about the poor AF.

Oct 08, 2012 at 09:36 AM

abqnmusa
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · 5D Mark III + 100-400L + Kenko 1.4X DGX Autofocus?

Given Canon has finally update the 1DX for focus at F8

Maybe Canon will update the 5D III

then we can use the excellent Canon 1.4X III TC

Edited on Oct 22, 2012 at 08:18 AM · View previous versions

Oct 08, 2012 at 11:01 AM

danwanfur
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · 5D Mark III + 100-400L + Kenko 1.4X DGX Autofocus?

Thanks for all the comments!

Imagemaster wrote:
IMO you will not be happy using a 1.4x TC on the 100-400, regardless of what body you use.

This is probably true, though I've been very happy with the bare 100-400 @400mm f/5.6 (I could not tell the difference between it and a 300mm f/4 IS + 1.4X II, or just the bare 300mm, except in the extreme corners). I am hoping to get a little extra resolution near the center with the teleconverter. I have looked at other options that are <$3000 but haven't found anything that will get me more reach on my 5D III and be acceptable for BIF (other than perhaps a used Sigma 500mm f/4.5, which I'm considering).

scalesusa wrote:
After hearing about many well respected users reporting that the TC worked at f/8, I ordered one from Adorama, and it arrived Friday.

I mounted it to my 100-400mm L and was very pleased to find that it autofocused very well at 400mm f/8, even in low light. AF was smooth and reasonably fast. It did hunt in extremely low light, but it was in the deep shadows after sundown where any camera would struggle to AF.

As soon as I find time, I'll be testing it with other bodies lenses, and TC combinations.

Thanks. This is the kind of feedback I'm looking for. I think I'm going to try and give the teleconverter a chance.

Oct 08, 2012 at 01:56 PM

kevindar
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · 5D Mark III + 100-400L + Kenko 1.4X DGX Autofocus?

I have a kenko 300 dg with taped pins. It focuses well with my 100-400 on the 5d3. focus is fast, as I dont think the non reporting tc slows down focusing.
results are certainly not as good as the bare lens, but better than uprezzing and image without the TC. However, you do loose a stop of light in the process.

Oct 08, 2012 at 02:21 PM

Imagemaster
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · 5D Mark III + 100-400L + Kenko 1.4X DGX Autofocus?

kevindar wrote:
I have a kenko 300 dg with taped pins. It focuses well with my 100-400 on the 5d3. focus is fast, as I dont think the non reporting tc slows down focusing.
results are certainly not as good as the bare lens, but better than uprezzing and image without the TC. However, you do loose a stop of light in the process.

Since any TC will reduce the light input, and loss of light decreases AF speed, I'm pretty sure all TC's slow down focusing.

Oct 08, 2012 at 02:33 PM

kevindar
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · 5D Mark III + 100-400L + Kenko 1.4X DGX Autofocus?

Imagemaster wrote:
Since any TC will reduce the light input, and loss of light decreases AF speed, I'm pretty sure all TC's slow down focusing.
it is certainly an interesting theory. according to canon the 1.4 x decreases autofocus speed by 50% and 2x by 75% (canon white papers). I am pretty certain that my lenses focus at about the same speed in direct sunlight and indoors where there can be more than 8 ev of light difference, so I would be surprised if the difference in light intensity is the reason. I dont fully understand the intricacies of Phase detect autofocus, and the way the sensor works, but as I understand, it is just a lot easier to get a good phase detection result with larger f stops. What I am not sure about is if the camera purposefully slows down the autofocus with a tc in favor of a more accurate focus, or if its the change in f stop and ray patterns that necessarily slows down the autofocus. However, I am fairly certain its not the one stop loss of light.
btw, this is also the reason some af points are rated to f8, some or to f 5.6. its not the amount of light. its intrinsic to the design of autofocus sensor.

Oct 08, 2012 at 04:26 PM


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