Buy an 1.4 or 2.0 extender instead of another lens?

[Tintype_18]

Here's where I'm coning from. I have a Canon T7 with the 75-300 lens. Some of you will recall I had inquired about the Sigma 150-600 lens. I was browsing through Lenses and found a conversation that mentioned keeping a lens that goes to 300mm and getting a converter. Canon's converter is cheaper than buying a new Sigma 150-600 lens. Would I be better off to buy one of the converters? Right now, I'm taking photos of birds, wildlife and flowers. Would like the extended magnification for wildlife that is difficult to approach as deer. Thanks for your input.

BTW, the wife would be happy if I could buy a less expensive lens.

[ebiggs1]

"That clause should have been a red flag to "walk on by", and look elsewhere, IMHO"

And you are certainly entitled to your opinion. I am not a true eBayer but I do have a small experience with it. Not all people out there are skunks. A no return clause could just be an individual, one time seller, instead of a business. The very few items I sold were top notch and first class and no return. All eBay purchases are guaranteed by eBay to be represented as described and also Paypal if you use it.

Not all items on eBay are great deals but most are good deals if you do not act stupidly. The lens I run across for the OP was a great deal. Yes, not many do I put in that category but that one and all of mine were!

[Waddizzle]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

"That clause should have been a red flag to "walk on by", and look elsewhere, IMHO"

And you are certainly entitled to your opinion. I am not a true eBayer but I do have a small experience with it. Not all people out there are skunks. A no return clause could just be an individual, one time seller, instead of a business. The very few items I sold were top notch and first class and no return. All eBay purchases are guaranteed by eBay to be represented as described and also Paypal if you use it.

Not all items on eBay are great deals but most are good deals if you do not act stupidly. The lens I run across for the OP was a great deal. Yes, not many do I put in that category but that one and all of mine were!

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Do you read a few words, than stop reading?  AHA!

I am not knocking eBay, as much as I discouraging inexperienced photographers from buying big ticket items on eBay.  If you need to ask these types of questions, then it is probably not a good idea for you to shop for camera gear on eBay.

[Tintype_18]

I have been emailing a person at LensRental and have gotten tons of information. Seriously considering a lens rental. Sort of a test drive?

As for eBay, we have purchased some things from the site. Two stadium chairs with heavy padding for aging back. Great price and great quality. Wife buys little "fish" which are water conditioners for the humidifier. One just has to be careful.

Thanks to all for your thoughts and advice.

[ebiggs1]

"I am not knocking eBay, as much as I discouraging inexperienced photographers from buying big ticket items on eBay."

Actually you are "knocking" eBay, my friend. I am only expressing the truth and experience I have had with it albeit fairly little.

Everybody was "inexperienced" at one time.  This is how we learn.

If you had a bad experience than that is what you should report so others know to avoid that seller. Not that you should avoid it altogether. Just like Amazon has some less than desirable market place sellers, it also has some very good sellers.

[wq9nsc]

I have bought a lot of stuff via Ebay over a couple of decades and I have had to use Paypal only once to recover funds.

There are certainly "bad" sellers there but the feedback system for Ebay is very good at rooting those out.  I avoid those with significant negatives.  I generally try to avoid buying from ebayers with very limited feedback but I have done it without running into issues.  I restore a lot of vintage ham radio gear and in a typical month I probably buy maybe a dozen either parts radios or individual parts and once in awhile a rare ham radio shows up so I have a lot of experience dealing with ebay.  I have bought some photo gear there also, just look at the feedback and act accordingly.

For fragile items, the biggest issue you will find is people that don't pack properly before shipping and that is good reason to buy from experienced sellers with good shipping/packing feedback for items like cameras and glass.  Paypal will make it good if things go wrong BUT it is nice not to have to go through those issues due to seller inexperience.

FedEx just delivered an early 1960s era VHF ham radio receiver from a small and short lived manufacturer that Google can't find anything for and I wouldn't have run across it either without ebay.  Use a little common sense and ebay works well, especially for buyers who have far better protection than sellers against fraud.  Life is full of little risks...

Rodger

[ebiggs1]

"Use a little common sense ..."

How quickly this is forgotten.  Common sense, a miracle! 

[wq9nsc]

B&H currently has the Sigma 150-600 DG OS HSM with instant $190 off, this could be a good time to grab that lens.

Rodger

[ebiggs1]

"B&H currently has the Sigma 150-600 DG OS HSM with instant $190 off..."

By far the better direction to go.

This photo was with the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports Lens but it has similar IQ to the one on sale at B&H.

This is hand held on my 1DX at 600mm, f5.6, SS 1/250, ISO 200.

[Tronhard]

I second Ernie's suggestion of getting a decent super zoom like the Sigma 150-600.  I have the Contemporary verison: both cheaper and lighter than the sports version, but great IQ.  Here are a couple of sample images taken with it, both hand-held in available light.

Using the EOS 90D at 516mm

This is taken with an R6, using the EF adaptor, at 400mm

[ebiggs1]

Nice!