Canon EF 1.4X II Extender Telephoto Accessory – Customer Reviews

This extender is limited to which lenses it will work with, most of them L lenses. Using this extender with any lens will eliminate one f stop and decrease sharpness.Auto-focus is possible on any EOS camera when used with an f/4 or faster maximum aperture lens. The version II extender adds enhanced weather-resistant construction, and improved anti-reflective surfaces in the barrel.

I rented this extender to use with the Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens. This lens while sharp and high in quality, is not the sharpest L lens I have used.I found adding this extender with the 100-400mm caused the sharpness to degrade too much for my tastes; outweighing the benefit of having the extra reach.This is a matter of personal preference; others may be satisfied with the 100-400mm extender combination.The minimum 6.7 f-stop limits creative abilities with this combination too.

I would imagine that using with an extremely sharp lens like the Canon 70-200mm f2.8L IS USM would better handle the reduction in sharpness with minimal effect. I didn't own this lens when I rented the extender, so I cannot say for sure.

I would suggest renting or taking your camera and lens to the store and trying this extender out before buying. I can see where certain combinations may benefit the photographer. In my case, it didn't work out for me.

PROS:
Provides extra reach

CONS:
Eliminates one or two f-stops
Decreases sharpness of the lens

7/15/2006 12:00 AM | Rating:

I have used the 1.4x II extender for over a year. It gives me amazing detail with my 70-200L f/4 lens on a 20D. I use it mostly for wildlife and butterflies. Contrast is good with colors that pop. When shooting on a sunny day the shutter speeds are still quick with the f/5.6 and the background is blurred beautifully. In shade areas and low light a tripod is a must! There hasn't been any sacrifice in subject detail. I can see individual hairs on butterfly bodies even when shooting wide open. This is a great way to get closer without paying a significant amount for a supertelephoto lens.

4/18/2006 12:00 AM | Rating:

The 1.4X II teleconverter is a modest update to Canon's earlier 1.4X TC.The mark II allows this extender to be stacked with another of Canon's extenders (either another 1.4X II or the 2X II) without having to separate the two with an extension tube (although the loss of sharpness from stacking extenders may not be acceptable to you).Otherwise, the quality of the newer 1.4X II is supposed to be very similar to the older model, which I've never owned.

The 1.4X II is a great way to extend the reach of compatible lenses.Note that not every Canon lens is compatible with this extender.The following is from Canon's Web site: "This tele extender can be used with fixed focal length lenses 135mm and longer (except the 135mm f/2.8 Softfocus lens), and the EF 70-200 f/2.8L, 70-200 f/2.8L IS, 70-200 f/4.0L, and 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS zoom lenses."

I use it frequently with my Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS, which turns it into a 98-280mm zoom.The extra reach it adds is not tremendous, but it's very welcome when I just need a little more than what the lens alone can give me.

I've found no appreciable loss in sharpness from using the 1.4X.Of course, any extender is going to reduce sharpness to some degree, but with normal examination, I can't distinguish photos taken with the 70-200mm that use the 1.4X from those that don't.The fact that the 70-200mm f/2.8L is a very sharp lens to begin with helps in this department.

Using the 1.4X decreases your lens' widest aperture 'capability' by one stop.With some lenses, that can be more significant than it appears on the surface; when using a non-pro Canon body (such as my 20D) the lens must have a minimum wide-open aperture 'capability' of f/5.6 for autofocus to work.The lens doesn't have to be set at f/5.6, it just has to be 'capable' of at least f/5.6 after adjusting for the one stop loss from the 1.4X.That means with some camera/lens combinations, adding the 1.4X will force you to focus all of your shots manually.(Note: There is a known 'fix' for this that restores autofocus.I've never needed to try it, but it involves taping over some connector pins on the 1.4X to fool the camera body.Proceed with caution if you try this, and do a Google search to learn how to do it right before attempting it.)

The 1.4X also reduces focus speed very slightly.I've only used it on my 70-200mm IS, which has Canon's USM and is a fast-focusing lens to begin with, but the decrease in speed is so slight I really don't notice it.And it does not affect IS (Image Stabilization) at all.

The 1.4X is built to the quality of Canon's L-series lenses, which means that it is weather sealed and will keep a Canon pro body and L-series lens weather sealed when used with them.

If you're considering this extender, you're probably also considering Canon's 2X II teleconverter.I do not own the 2X but did a lot of research on it before ultimately deciding to go with the 1.4X.The 2X decreases your aperture by two stops, and is reported to have a noticable decrease in sharpness--more than some photographers are willing to live with.On the other hand, I've never read a review that complained about the loss of sharpness from the 1.4X.

If you've already invested a lot of money in telephoto lenses, the 1.4X II is a relatively inexpensive way to get even more reach (and value) out of your investment while adding only a modest amount of bulk to your camera bag.Highly recommended.

9/28/2005 12:00 AM | Rating: