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Canon Extenders II vs III

Started Jun 13, 2011 | Discussions thread
CameraCarl Veteran Member • Posts: 9,204
Re: Canon Extenders II vs III

I own a first generation Canon EF 2x. I decided to skip the EF 2x II because there were no optical improvements in it. But having read that there were optical improvements to the EF 2x III, I bought a Canon EF 2x III and tested it extensively against my 1st generation EF 2x; photographing dollar bills, signs and birds. After a few hundred images, I decided to send the Mark III back for a refund. While I could see a minor improvement in sharpness and barely perceptibly less vignetting, I decided my $500 was better spent toward a new lens or new body. 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. Yours is a slightly different issue. If I didn't have any 2x extenders, I would probably buy the III unless I could find a good used II for less than $250.

On the question of 1.4x vs. 2x, the image quality of my 1.4x is far superior to either the EF 2x or EF 2x III that I tested at comparable focal lengths. But I wonder if the 280mm you get with a 70-200 + 1.4x will be long enough for your needs. Most of my airshow photos of planes in flight are done at 400, 500 or longer focal lengths.

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