topic Re: 600/800MM lenses vs RF 2x Extender for Kenya Safari in EF & RF Lenses

600/800MM lenses vs RF 2x Extender for Kenya Safari

ke_12 — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 19:57:10 GMT

Hi community,

I'm new here, I'm glad to join this community. I just bought a Canon R8 with new Canon RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM and used Canon RF 24-105 mm f/4-7,1 IS STM. I would say that I'm somewhere between beginner and intermediate level in photography. Being doing it for years and years, but basic stuff. I travel 2x times a year. It's not always wildlife photography, but when I got the occasion, I really like doing wildlife and bird photography.

I will be going in Kenya for a 14 days safari in one month. I'm afraid that 400mm won't be enough for reach for far away animals. I don't have a huge budget so I can't afford 100-500mm lense or the new 200-800mm lense. So I'm hesitating between the 600MM F11 (400$ used) and/or 800MM F11 (625$ used) VS. Using a Canon RF 2x Extender on my RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS (550$ used).

Your advices would be really appreciated and thanks in advance for your generosity

Re: 600/800MM lenses vs RF 2x Extender for Kenya Safari

ebiggs1 — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 15:49:41 GMT

I would buy the 600mm, not the 800mm and I would never use a tel-con. All these choices are slow lenses and a tel-con will make them even slower. Perhaps not a huge issue if you have bright sunshine all the time but what if you don't?

Re: 600/800MM lenses vs RF 2x Extender for Kenya Safari

ke_12 — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 04:02:27 GMT

Many thanks!

Re: 600/800MM lenses vs RF 2x Extender for Kenya Safari

shadowsports — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 06:37:07 GMT

+1 What Ernie said.

You are correct the RF 100-400 will not reach far away animals. Other considerations. The RF 600 is not weather sealed and is slightly more susceptible to dust and moisture. If you want a lens hood, the ET-88B is what fits. A lens collar is not included. The lens has to be extended to take images. Its not very heavy, but you may not want to hang it off the front of your R8, so a bracket or monopod might come in handy while you are waiting for animals to appear. Its also a good stabilizer.

Re: 600/800MM lenses vs RF 2x Extender for Kenya Safari

ke_12 — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 13:52:32 GMT

Many thanks Rick, those are great advices too!

Re: 600/800MM lenses vs RF 2x Extender for Kenya Safari

kvbarkley — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 14:21:29 GMT

You can look into renting a lens (I also suggest the 600 mm!) for the trip. Lens Rentals is an excellent company to work with, just make sure to tell them you are taking it out of the country.

Re: 600/800MM lenses vs RF 2x Extender for Kenya Safari

wq9nsc — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 14:37:50 GMT

I agree with Ernie and the 2X is particularly bad. I have some of the sharpest fast primes that Canon builds and even with those the image quality takes a huge hit with the 2X. I guess the images aren't that bad with the 2X UNTIL you compare the quality of the image from the bare lens.

With a high quality fast lens, the 1.4X is useful but I have yet to capture an image with the 2X that I really liked.

Rodger

Re: 600/800MM lenses vs RF 2x Extender for Kenya Safari

kvbarkley — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 14:48:10 GMT

Is this where I chime in and quip that the two happiest days in a photographers life are, first, the day when he gets his 2X teleconverter and the second when he sells it?

Re: 600/800MM lenses vs RF 2x Extender for Kenya Safari

ebiggs1 — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 16:20:08 GMT

"... the two happiest days in a photographers life are, first, the day when he gets his 2X teleconverter and the second when he sells it?"

😁Or they sit on a shelf next to the wall of my formerly stop bath stained darkroom converted to storage room!

Man, I walk in there and see all the gear that once was and now is no more. Several tel-cons, numerous filters and several flashes, bags, etc. Junk.

Re: 600/800MM lenses vs RF 2x Extender for Kenya Safari

ke_12 — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 17:00:39 GMT

Many Thanks Rodger. With the other advices too, I’ll drop the 2x TC project

Re: 600/800MM lenses vs RF 2x Extender for Kenya Safari

ke_12 — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 17:01:41 GMT

Thanks. Never thought about rentals since I’m going for 14 days and the used price is quite good but I’ll check for sure!

Re: 600/800MM lenses vs RF 2x Extender for Kenya Safari

Nitro54 — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 23:11:19 GMT

I have the F11 800 lens and it will take decent pictures as long as you have good lighting. The 1.4 extender works good also if you have good lighting. Cloudy days produce alright pictures, but most are still usable for personal use.

Re: 600/800MM lenses vs RF 2x Extender for Kenya Safari

johnrmoyer — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 16:05:24 GMT

DISCLAIMER: I do not have EOS R8, nor RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS nor Canon RF 2x Extender and I have never been to the continent of Africa.

I have a much better opinion of 2x extenders than some of the others who are giving you advice. You might be able to rent the extender.

For a bird at the same distance, there will be 4 times as many pixels on the bird with the 2x extender than without it. I often use EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +2x III for wildlife. Sometimes one cannot get closer to wildlife so it does not matter if the bare lens has better image quality than the lens with extender.

There will be more small aperture diffraction blur with a larger F number, but Canon DPP digital lens optimization can fix most of that if the ISO is not too high. Canon DPP knows how to correct Canon extenders.

A faster shutter speed may be needed with a longer focal length to avoid blur.

If photographing wildlife at a greater distance, there will be more blur from the light passing through more air with varying densities.

There will be less contrast for small details with the extender than without. Much of that can be fixed by carefully choosing the radius for unsharp mask.

A recent example:

LensModel : EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +2x III
ISO : 1250
FocusDistanceUpper : 24.09 m
FocusDistanceLower : 18.82 m
FNumber : 11.0

American Coot (Fulica americana) at Lake Thunderbird in Norman, Oklahoma, United States on December 6, 2023

Re: 600/800MM lenses vs RF 2x Extender for Kenya Safari

ebiggs1 — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 15:07:20 GMT

That photo is about what I would expect from a tel-con and why I still don't like them or use them.

"Sometimes one cannot get closer to wildlife so it does not matter if the bare lens has better image quality than the lens with extender."

You have a good point there, I admit. Sometimes any shot is better than no shot for sure.

Re: 600/800MM lenses vs RF 2x Extender for Kenya Safari

DKPhotography — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 15:17:50 GMT

Agree the 2x TC is only good if you won’t get any photo otherwise even with the 100-500mm image quality and tracking ability go way way down even with enough light. I use the 800mm F11 when there is enough light and I need more reach and it’s decent. And will add the 1.4x to my 100-500mm if needed but honestly the sensor crop is about the same and easier to change back and forth.

Re: 600/800MM lenses vs RF 2x Extender for Kenya Safari

ke_12 — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 20:43:40 GMT

Thanks! I think I’ll give it a try!

Re: 600/800MM lenses vs RF 2x Extender for Kenya Safari

ke_12 — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 20:48:32 GMT

Many thanks everyone. I have decided to try the 600mm or 800mm solution.