EOS RP pics taken with RF Extender 2.0 come out blurry

[Tims32ford]

In trying to take photos of a bald eagle in the top of a pine tree…about 100 yds away, every single image was out of focus.  Absolutely nothing is in focus…the eagle, NONE of the pine branches/needles.  I’m using a Canon RP with the RF 100-400 coupled to my just acquired refurbished (by Canon…purchased direct from Canon) RF Extender 2.0.  I removed the Extender and shot the same eagle/same location with probably just a 1 minute delay to remove and cap the extender.  Using just the RF 100-400…every image is SHARP…can be blown up to see just the eagle’s head…image is still SHARP. The RF body recognizes the lens and the extender.

Yes, AF switch is on.

Is there a chance the refurbished extender is faulty?

[jrhoffman75 · Accepted solution]

Can you post the two original images to One Drive or Dropbox so we can examine them? 
Based on what you just posted it sounds like you are enlarging the image too much. I don’t know about the RF 2X extender, but the EF 2X extender image quality isn’t great; additional “enlargement “ by cropping really degrades the image. 

[jrhoffman75]

Is the problem poor focus or motion blur?  What was your shutter speed? Was the image in focus when you were viewing it in the viewfinder or rear LCD?

[Tims32ford]

ISO 6400, F18 (800mm…400mm lens +2.0 extender), 1/1000 sec shutter, in lens stabilizer on, resting on roof of non-running car.  Yes’ it looked in focus in the viewfinder (I’m to used to using a viewfinder…maybe I would notice out of focus condition more if I used the larger LCD?

I took more than a dozen images using the 2.0 extender…they are ALL out of focus the same.

As I said , without the extender…the images are tack sharp.

[Tims32ford]

Additional info with 2.0 extender on:   uncropped image=26mp, cropped to 4mp…everything out of focus.

Without 2.0 extender, no setting changes, same lens @400mm, 26mp…cropped to 2mp…image is tack sharp.

[deebatman316]

Why F/18? You will have diffraction with a small aperture and the problem made worse by the 2x extender. Also why ISO 6400?

[Tims32ford]

Actually, I didn’t pick the settings, the RP did…typical socked in, getting ready to snow, flat light western base of the Rockies weather.  Were it spring, summer, or fall weather…settings would be better.  I’m assuming the camera picked the fastest shutter speed, for the maximum ISO I set in the camera.

[jrhoffman75 · Accepted solution]

Can you post the two original images to One Drive or Dropbox so we can examine them? 
Based on what you just posted it sounds like you are enlarging the image too much. I don’t know about the RF 2X extender, but the EF 2X extender image quality isn’t great; additional “enlargement “ by cropping really degrades the image. 

[Tims32ford]

SORRY…Don’t know what I did that caused it to Identify this as a solution, or how to change it back.

Don’t know how to post an image to either one of those.  I just take photos for my own enjoyment.

[FloridaDrafter]

---

@Tims32ford wrote:

SORRY…Don’t know what I did that caused it to Identify this as a solution, or how to change it back.

Don’t know how to post an image to either one of those.  I just take photos for my own enjoyment.

---

It may be an accident, but if you want better insight into your problem, it is the right answer going forward. By examining your Raw images, with EXIF data, we can get a better handle on how to help you 🙂

The image sharing sites that John (jrhoffman75) mentioned are pretty easy to use and up to a certain MB limit, free to use. Just be sure that EXIF data is included and that after uploading the images, they are shared so we won't have to have a password to download them.

We will be happy to help you figure this out, for better or worse. Please don't hesitate to ask questions.

Newton

[Tims32ford]

Sorry everyone…just discovered a camera setting error…This RP is my first Canon…been shooting Nikon since the 70’s…and somehow missed the f-stop setting I had on the RP…should have realized that the 100-400 5.6-8 when zoomed to 400mm coupled with the extender 2.0 makes the f stop f16, NOT the f18 setting I somehow had set for the Fv mode I am using.  Hopefully the eagles will be back feeding on the roadkill deer tomorrow, so I can try a few more images with the extender, using a more appropriate f stop.  We’ll see then… I’m betting I screwed up somewhere, rather than this Canon refurbished extender being the problem.