p.1 #1 · 2x Teleconverter on TS-E lens - RF or EF?
I have the Canon 24mm TS-E version II and the older 45mm tilt-shift lens. Lately, I’ve been thinking about upgrading 45mm to the newer 50mm TS-E, but it’s been really hard to find one. That got me thinking: what if I tried a 2x teleconverter on my 24mm to see how the image quality compares? I’m not expecting it to match the 50mm, but as long as it’s better than my old 45mm, I’d be happy.
I wanted to rent a 2x teleconverter to test this out, but here in Canada, it’s been tough to find one. I did find the RF version, but ideally, I’d want the EF version so I can also use it on my 5D Mark IV. For this test though, I could use my Canon RP, so either one would work but I’m just not sure how the image quality of the EF and RF versions compares.
p.1 #2 · 2x Teleconverter on TS-E lens - RF or EF?
If you are a Canon Canada CPS platinum member you can do equipment test drives for 3-day periods, and they'll ship it out and back on their dime, IIRC. Otherwise, gold members are able to do equipment rentals.
CPS's rental list includes all the TS-E lenses and both TC sets. The new TS-E versions are $50 for the first day or over a weekend and $150/week. TCs are $25 first day/weekend and $75/week.
I'm not sure the RF TC will mate properly with the EF-RF adapter to allow use of the TS-E lenses. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the throat of the EF-RF adapter is too narrow to accommodate the protruding front element of the RF TCs (there are probably some old posts on this board, if you can find them). But I believe some have used third party EF-RF adapters to get around this. Otherwise you can definitely mount the EF TCs to the TS-E lenses and then use the EF-RF adapter.
I only have the first-generation TS-Es and also the 17mm. The 45 has a lot of CA, as you likely know. I have used the 24 v2 from time to time, but never tried it with the 2x. The combo might have less CA than the 45, but I doubt it will outperform it by much, especially shifted. I found that the 1.4x TC v2 on the 17 increased distortion unevenly across the frame, which might also affect the other TCs. I have briefly used the TS-E 50 and it was in an entirely other league in respect to image quality. Very sharp, great contrast, zero CA. It would definitely be the way to go, IMO, for best image quality. But of course it's the most expensive option. It's unfortunate to hear that it's very difficult to find and I believe the TS-E 135 has already been discontinued... On Canon Japan's equipment support page the 135 is listed as supported until 2027 (which confirms it has been discontinued), but all the other current TS-Es don't have end dates listed, meaning they haven't yet been discontinued.
It might be worth joining CPS at the gold level membership just for access to the rental pool. Plus you receive a 20% discount on servicing in case you have some gear that needs attention.
p.1 #3 · 2x Teleconverter on TS-E lens - RF or EF?
rscheffler wrote:
If you are a Canon Canada CPS platinum member you can do equipment test drives for 3-day periods, and they'll ship it out and back on their dime, IIRC. Otherwise, gold members are able to do equipment rentals.
CPS's rental list includes all the TS-E lenses, including the 50/2.8, as well as both TC sets. The new TS-E versions are $50 for the first day or over a weekend and $150/week. TCs are $25 first day/weekend and $75/week.
I'm not sure the RF TC will mate properly with the EF-RF adapter to allow use of the TS-E lenses. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the throat of the EF-RF adapter is too narrow to accommodate the protruding front element of the RF TCs (there are probably some old posts on this board, if you can find them). But I believe some have used third party EF-RF adapters to get around this. Otherwise you can definitely mount the EF TCs to the TS-E lenses and then use the EF-RF adapter.
I only have the first-generation TS-Es and also the 17mm. The 45 has a lot of CA, as you likely know. I have used the 24 v2 from time to time, but never tried it with the 2x. It might have less CA than the 45, but I doubt it will outperform it by much, especially shifted. I found that the 1.4x TC v2 on the 17 increased distortion unevenly across the frame, which might also affect the other TCs. I have briefly used the TS-E 50 and it was in an entirely other league in respect to image quality. Very sharp, great contrast, zero CA. It would definitely be the way to go, IMO, for best image quality. But of course it's the most expensive option. It's unfortunate to hear that it's very difficult to find and I believe the TS-E 135 has already been discontinued... On Canon Japan's equipment support page the 135 is listed as supported until 2027 (which confirms it has been discontinued), but all the other current TS-Es don't have end dates listed, meaning they haven't yet been discontinued.
It might be worth joining CPS at the gold level membership just for access to the rental pool. Plus you receive a 20% discount on servicing in case you have some gear that needs attention.
Thanks for sharing your experiences - I really appreciate them. I didn't even consider that the RF TC and the EF/RF adapter might not be compatible. Unfortunately I no longer qualify for the Canon CPS program because I sold off most of my L lenses. I now only have three TS-E lenses of which only the 24mm is an "L" and a few other regular lenses that I don't use very much.
p.1 #4 · 2x Teleconverter on TS-E lens - RF or EF?
Tom Nevesely wrote:
Thanks for sharing your experiences - I really appreciate them. I didn't even consider that the RF TC and the EF/RF adapter might not be compatible. Unfortunately I no longer qualify for the Canon CPS program because I sold off most of my L lenses. I now only have three TS-E lenses of which only the 24mm is an "L" and a few other regular lenses that I don't use very much.
TBH I'm not sure they really care about the equipment. If you still have records of your previous L lenses and serial numbers, such as from receipts or insurance documentation, just use that. Other FM members here, such as Geoff (arbitrage) re-join CPS from time to time just to do the platinum test drives, yet have minimal to no Canon gear and still qualify despite the supposedly higher 'professional' qualification requirement for platinum membership. It benefits Canon to provide this kind of equipment access to existing system users because it strengthens the relationship to the brand. For me at least, CPS is a resource that definitely still keeps me with Canon despite the attractive equipment from other brands because I know CPS is a reliable support resource.
The CPS rental list also has a "creator" category that I didn't see explained on the website under the sign-up information. Apparently this is a lower than gold tier because it requires actual deposits on rented equipment. For example, the v2 TCs require about $400 deposit and the TS-Es around $1500. So there may be another way to access the rental pool without qualifying for gold membership.
If in doubt, contact them. But if this interests you, I'd just re-apply with some old serial numbers.
p.1 #7 · 2x Teleconverter on TS-E lens - RF or EF?
Even if you could manage to make it fit, I doubt it would be worth it. The amount of FC the 2x will add to a wide will make it a disappointing endeavor.
p.1 #8 · 2x Teleconverter on TS-E lens - RF or EF?
rscheffler wrote:
If in doubt, contact them. But if this interests you, I'd just re-apply with some old serial numbers.
This^...I let mine lapse for 2 years and then just contacted them and they said they still had it archived and just reactivated it after I paid. They didn't even check if I had the gear still. The alternative is to find old receipts with the serial numbers and use those. All my receipts from Canadian stores have the serial numbers on them.
p.1 #9 · 2x Teleconverter on TS-E lens - RF or EF?
arbitrage wrote:
This^...I let mine lapse for 2 years and then just contacted them and they said they still had it archived and just reactivated it after I paid. They didn't even check if I had the gear still. The alternative is to find old receipts with the serial numbers and use those. All my receipts from Canadian stores have the serial numbers on them.
I let mine lapse 5 or 6 years ago, and they were ready to reactivate it as soon as I paid - no questions asked.
p.1 #10 · 2x Teleconverter on TS-E lens - RF or EF?
Tom, if you can't figure anything out closer to you and there's an inexpensive way for me to get mine to you, I'll ship you my 2xIII and you can use it for a while.
For anyone who doesn't know Tom he's a great guy who offered to fix one of my lenses that no other shop was comfortable (or confident) doing. So I shipped my stuff to Tom and he absolutely nailed the repair on one of my unobtanium lenses. Thanks again Tom.
And like others said, CPS won't care as long as you pay the fee.
p.1 #11 · 2x Teleconverter on TS-E lens - RF or EF?
The 1.4x III degrades the 24 TSE II enough on the 5DsR that I never considered using my 2x III.
The 5D IV is lower res, so maybe a 2x is acceptable for some purposes.
p.1 #12 · 2x Teleconverter on TS-E lens - RF or EF?
artsupreme wrote:
For anyone who doesn't know Tom he's a great guy who offered to fix one of my lenses that no other shop was comfortable (or confident) doing. So I shipped my stuff to Tom and he absolutely nailed the repair on one of my unobtanium lenses. Thanks again Tom.
And like others said, CPS won't care as long as you pay the fee.
Oh yeah, I remember that!
If they won't let Tom join CPS, maybe they'll hire him. Apparently they're always looking for new techs (from what a manager once told me).
p.1 #13 · 2x Teleconverter on TS-E lens - RF or EF?
artsupreme wrote:
Tom, if you can't figure anything out closer to you and there's an inexpensive way for me to get mine to you, I'll ship you my 2xIII and you can use it for a while.
For anyone who doesn't know Tom he's a great guy who offered to fix one of my lenses that no other shop was comfortable (or confident) doing. So I shipped my stuff to Tom and he absolutely nailed the repair on one of my unobtanium lenses. Thanks again Tom.
And like others said, CPS won't care as long as you pay the fee.
Thank you, I truly appreciate your offer. You're very kind but I'm now thinking of ditching this project.all together. From what I've read so far, it doesn't seem like it would be worth it - getting the 2x teleconverter that it. I think I'll still get a 1.4x so that I can have a 35mm focal length which I think will be handy because I'm now finding that I prefer to shoot landscapes a bit tighter now and even the 24mm sometimes is too wide.
p.1 #14 · 2x Teleconverter on TS-E lens - RF or EF?
rscheffler wrote:
Oh yeah, I remember that!
If they won't let Tom join CPS, maybe they'll hire him. Apparently they're always looking for new techs (from what a manager once told me).
I actually think I'd really enjoy that job and I'd learn more about cameras and lenses! Years ago, Canon had a service center in Calgary where I live and I actually went there to drop off a lens that needed warranty repair. Unfortunately, I guess Canon decided to consolidate their repair centers and closed this one down.
p.1 #15 · 2x Teleconverter on TS-E lens - RF or EF?
Tom Nevesely wrote:
I actually think I'd really enjoy that job and I'd learn more about cameras and lenses! Years ago, Canon had a service center in Calgary where I live and I actually went there to drop off a lens that needed warranty repair. Unfortunately, I guess Canon decided to consolidate their repair centers and closed this one down.
Send in a resume!
From what I remember about the soldering job you did for artsupreme, it seemed like a near impossible feat for mere mortals.
Yes, and there also used to be a service centre in Montreal in addition to the main one in Mississauga (now Brampton). The space in which the techs work at the new(ish) headquarters building is modern and quite nice (I have been fortunate to tour it a couple times over the years). Surprisingly (or not), there are not that many techs! And I think they have only serviced Canon's higher-end products for a while now. The rest are outsourced to a third party service centre, which I believe is also true for other brands. IIRC some brands outsource all of their servicing, including pro-level, which is an aspect I value about CPS. Also the loaners during repair periods (at least for platinum level)...
Tom Nevesely wrote:
Thank you, I truly appreciate your offer. You're very kind but I'm now thinking of ditching this project.all together. From what I've read so far, it doesn't seem like it would be worth it - getting the 2x teleconverter that it. I think I'll still get a 1.4x so that I can have a 35mm focal length which I think will be handy because I'm now finding that I prefer to shoot landscapes a bit tighter now and even the 24mm sometimes is too wide.
That makes sense to me because Canon never released a 35mm TS-E for some reason. And I think a reason was you still got pretty decent results with the 1.4x TC. If you'll notice, other than the 17 and 135mm, the 'core/traditional' TS-E focal lengths were multiples of two - 24, 45, 90. And those gaps can be filled with the 1.4x, though maybe not such a great idea with the old 45 and its strong CA.
p.1 #17 · 2x Teleconverter on TS-E lens - RF or EF?
rscheffler wrote:
From what I remember about the soldering job you did for artsupreme, it seemed like a near impossible feat for mere mortals.
Yes, Tom absolutely nailed it on the repair when other "professional" repair centers were not very confident to tackle the job. Thanks to Tom, my 85 continues to chug along and capture great portraits. I can't post photos of the people I shoot but I can post one of the dog up against a very busy BG. Canon should hire Tom and let him work remote
Canon EOS R5m2SAMYANG RF 85mm F1.4 lens85mmf/1.41/2500s100 ISO0.0 EV
It's a tank of a lens, but it has a couple of nice features versus the Canon; it goes to 1:1 and the bellows is behind the tripod foot, so, instead of moving the lens's IC around the camera's stationary sensor, you're moving the sensor around inside the stationary IC. It makes using the lens for panos and using the camera in portrait orientation a much simpler matter. I haven't used it or even watched a review of it (I use a Cambo Actus mini for PC) but it presents an interesting alternative. It might be worth a look.
It's a tank of a lens, but it has a couple of nice features versus the Canon; it goes to 1:1 and the bellows is behind the tripod foot, so, instead of moving the lens's IC around the camera's stationary sensor, you're moving the sensor around inside the stationary IC. It makes using the lens for panos and using the camera in portrait orientation a much simpler matter. I haven't used it or even watched a review of it (I use a Cambo Actus mini for PC) but it presents an interesting alternative. It might be worth a look....Show more →
Thank you for the tip - I'll definitely keep it in mind. Too bad they don't come in the EF mount as ideally I'd like to lens to fit on my 5Div which I still use quite a bit. It's not their fault though for not supporting what's basically an obsolete mount now.
