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My single image review of the Sony 100-400GM + 2.0TC

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MedicineMan999

MedicineMan999

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Not many words need be said except to thank Sony for keeping me in the game with a lighter overall kit for BIF and wildlife-my joints and muscles sincerely thank you. The IQ surely won't please all but luckily I'm not everyone.







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MedicineMan4040

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Magnar, if you hover over the image (at least it does for me) the EXIF will appear and show it is with Sony a9 with 100-400GM at 800mm. Thanks for comment :)

LBJ, are you not in Florida??? They made that state for this combo! Here where I sit today in the temperate rain forest of the eastern Appalachains (4000 feet up and with 4-5 inches of snow cover) at F11 my IS would be through the roof for any decent shutter speed. Thanks for the kind words.

Nevertheless when I shoot this combo the chances are the weather would be better or I'd be traveling.

I forgot to place the Flickr link for better quality (sadly) than is represented here-

https://flic.kr/p/22zS5HP

Also, all swans, ducks, eagles (with one exception via the RX10iv) are in this album. Some better than others but all taken at great distance and most with heavy crop. At the dam the days I was there it was either 2.0TC or me simply watching.

Loading…

www.flickr.com
 
Ross, sorry, I took the A7Rii on the trip but only use it for landscape. I took an a6500 but sadly never thought to use it (and I could have used the effective reach). Honestly I was just happy that the IQ from this combo was ok for me....coming from way heavier Canon kit I needed emotional justification! OK teasing a bit but I just don't want to suffer the weight any more. An a7Riii is bought but I won't see it for several weeks. We're schduled for some minor birding in Florida in February and I'll give the Riii a test there.
 
For those with no desire to visit the album linked here is another, more typical of the IQ I was getting with the 2.0TC







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I have also been using the same combo A9 + 2X + FE100-400 for shooting BIF for several months. In fact, when light is strong enough, I use f16 which will get better contrast than using f11.
 
^Thomas are you as impressed as I am that this 100-400GM is so sharp that it can actually take a 2.0TC ??

Rare that I ever have the light for F11 where I leve, much much less F18.....and I'm not one to worry about diffraction....but if I lived in Florida/southern Cali/Arizona I don't think I'd ever take the 2.0 off.

Well that said, in a couple of weeks the A7Riii will be here and I'll have to get used to the 1.4TC since it won't AF-C at F11.
 
MedicineMan999 said:
^Thomas are you as impressed as I am that this 100-400GM is so sharp that it can actually take a 2.0TC ??

Rare that I ever have the light for F11 where I leve, much much less F18.....and I'm not one to worry about diffraction....but if I lived in Florida/southern Cali/Arizona I don't think I'd ever take the 2.0 off.

Well that said, in a couple of weeks the A7Riii will be here and I'll have to get used to the 1.4TC since it won't AF-C at F11.
Click to expand...
 
Thomas KP Lee said:
After I received the FE 100-400, I then tested the resolution of this to my Canon EF 100-400 IS L II and found (both added their 2X TC) the contrast of Sony is slightly not as good as the Canon combo, unless close the aperture by 1 stop to f16.

Another thing I noticed is when the FE100-400 + 2X is used on the A7rIII, the AF tracking is not as good as with A9. Somehow, it seems the A7rIII's AF speed and tracking speed is not as good as A9 in general, not just the frame rate is less. I also saw similar finding in a Chinese forum.
Click to expand...
If someone is interested here is a comparison between them, only one sample of each though:

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www.the-digital-picture.com

More CA on the Sony, fortunately it is the easily correctable type. Other than that the Sony actually looks sharper to me.

The A7RIII is only supposed to have phase detect autofocus down to F8 so I am surprised you can track at all with the 100-400 + 2X with it. But regardless, I find that autofocus is better with the A9 in general.
 
MedicineMan999 said:
Not many words need be said except to thank Sony for keeping me in the game with a lighter overall kit for BIF and wildlife-my joints and muscles sincerely thank you. The IQ surely won't please all but luckily I'm not everyone.



--
https://www.flickr.com/photos/medicineman4040/
Click to expand...
Impressive for the use of the 2.0 TC - That's all I can say! ;)

...Congratulations and thank you so much for sharing this great photo example with us - Really stunning! ;)

All the best,
Pedro
 
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Sorry I'm late getting back to this thread/study. I have a7Riii on order, but doing it the Greentoe method is slow :)

I don't plan on using the Fe100400GM + 2.0TC with the a7Riii, only the 1.4TC and honestly the a7riii will be little brother to the a9 when BIF'ing unless the bierds remain distant and I need the cropability of the bigger sensor.

I too am surprised of the above report of AF-C using the a7riii with 2.0TC.
 
While I'm thinking about it.

Here is a different eagle imaged that same day, similar pose even. This is a case where I really could have used more pixels on the bierd/more detail...but would the A7Riii have AF-C tracked as well?? I'll know in February, I'm taking the a9 and the A7Riii to Florida to some know BIF'ing venues to have a play side by side. I can read all the reviews in the world but until I do it with my own hands and see it with my own eye......









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MedicineMan4040

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MedicineMan999 said:
Not many words need be said except to thank Sony for keeping me in the game with a lighter overall kit for BIF and wildlife-my joints and muscles sincerely thank you. The IQ surely won't please all but luckily I'm not everyone.



--
https://www.flickr.com/photos/medicineman4040/
Click to expand...
Great shot!

I recently got the Sony 2x teleconverter for my own 100 to 400 GM on my A9.

I must confess I was tempted to return it when I saw just how much slower it made things but the images from it were nevertheless tack sharp.

Its a keeper for that reason. I’m not sure how often I will actually use it (the 100-400 alone is amazing) but when I do need it I really need it and there is nothing else that reaches out quite like it.

It’s worth mentioning.. that A9 focus tracking never ceases to amaze me. What an incredibly fun camera ! People don’t (yet) realize just how important the zero blackout is when you are tracking fast moving objects. The inevitable A7r4 will include zero blackouts!

That realization amongst the professionals is coming soon.
 
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Ross Warner said:
MedicineMan999 said:
Not many words need be said except to thank Sony for keeping me in the game with a lighter overall kit for BIF and wildlife-my joints and muscles sincerely thank you. The IQ surely won't please all but luckily I'm not everyone.



--
https://www.flickr.com/photos/medicineman4040/
Click to expand...
Very impressive! Have you compared the IQ with this lens on an A7RM2 or A7RM3?

-Ross
Click to expand...
Not likely, I seriously doubt that you’d get it in focus fast enough or even be able to track it at 800mm with those blackouts.
 
MedicineMan999 said:
While I'm thinking about it.

Here is a different eagle imaged that same day, similar pose even. This is a case where I really could have used more pixels on the bierd/more detail...but would the A7Riii have AF-C tracked as well?? I'll know in February, I'm taking the a9 and the A7Riii to Florida to some know BIF'ing venues to have a play side by side. I can read all the reviews in the world but until I do it with my own hands and see it with my own eye......



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https://www.flickr.com/photos/medicineman4040/
Click to expand...
Although eagles have much better/accurate eyes/vision than we have, one thing is clear:

To these eyes of mine - Again another great shot with the 2.0TC&SEL100400GM! ;)

... As for Reviewers&Reviews I do agree with you - Nothing better than our own judgement&experience to come to conclusions and verdict! :)

Wish you a Happy Christmas and all the best,
Pedro
 
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Pedro thanks and Merry Christmas to you as well.

Well I admit the shots could be sharper, but in my life it appears all my shots could always be sharper! The trade off from carrying a 500 or 600mm is well worth the difference to me but as I's mentioned in prior posts I understand not everyone.

Something else. The better-half and I also shoot Oly. She has the 300/4pro and I have the PL100-400mm. Many times I've gotten a shot when she missed it looking for the animal that I've already zoomed in to....yet when when she does nail it the 300/4pro is admittedly sharper. Life is always a trade off :)
 
Amazing indeed and coming from Canon/having had both a9 and 1DXii both for a while I really think the a9 is superior in AF-C tracking; but that's just an old man's opinion.

Now putting the 2.0TC on the 100-400GM, in good light I've not seen the slow down mentioned. I'm still using a Canon 400DOii + Metabones V and in that case yes, everything slows down; but that's slowing down compared to the a9 with native Sony glass and is still quite fast enough for me not to hesitate to do BIF with.

Here's an example from the a9 + 400DO + EOS 2.0TCiii





Personally I prefer the FE100-400GM except when the light is really crummy. F4 is just a nice thing eh and when pushed with the 2.0 F8 is a pleasure against F11.

Speaking of. I was wishing Sony would have announced a new 400/4 or 400/4.5 instead of what I can't afford nor carry/2.8

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MedicineMan4040

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