Canon Ef 400 2.8 EF 500 4.0 or EF 600 4.0

[marcelloromeo]

Is there anybody having experience with these lenses in combination with an extender EF1.4xII or EF 2x II ??
Will the autofocus (AF) still do work properly in this combination ?
I do use a 30D body now but want to step over to the Eos 5D Mark II. The combination (focal-lenght) of the EF 500 is for my body 30D perfect, will I have the same using the EF 600 4.0 by using the 5D-II body ??
What will be the best option? I only can buy one time a lens like that.
Please advise.

[moffetb]

I believe the 5D mk II will autofocus on the center spot only at f.8. So, that means that the 500 and 600 with the 2x teleconverter will only auto-focus on the center spot, where the 400 with the 2x will autofocus as expected. They should all autofocus with the 1.4x.

I have looked at a 300mm f2.8 with 1.4 and it autofocuses beautifully.

[dougj]

I haven't used the mentioned lenses, but from what I've read the image quality with a 1.4 TC is excellent and very good with a 2.0 TC.

The sensors in these 2 cameras are different sizes, and there will be a significant difference in the field of view - what you see through the viewfinder - this is sometimes called the crop factor for cameras that have sensors smaller than a 35mm full frame camera, and lens focal length is sometimes called effective focal length when the crop factor is applied. The 5D Mark II has a sensor that is the same size as a 35mm film camera, that is 36 x 24mm, while the 30D sensor size is 22.5 x 15mm and the ratio of the 2 sizes is 1.6. All this means is that a 500mm lens mounted on a 30D will appear to be about the same as an 800mm lens (500 x 1.6) mounted on a full frame body when looking through the viewfinder or images on a monitor. Put a different way, photos taken with the 500mm on a 5d II will have approximately the same field of view as a 300mm lens on a 30D.

The 5d II has a lot more pixels, however the pixel density is very similar to that of a 30D, 24.4k vs. 25k pixels/mm2, so cropping the final image to regain effective focal length also results in a loss of pixels of resolution. Most of the birders I know prefer the smaller-sensor xxD bodies (or other manufacturer equivalent) due to the effective focal length the cropped sensors provide. Full frame bodies are capable of producing some excellent photos, wide angle lenses actually behave as wide angle lenses, etc., but there is a trade off with long focal length lenses.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crop_factor

I don't know what your plans are for types of shooting, but I hope this helps.

[imagenation]

I have found the 500mm f4 to be reasonably effective with the 1.4 TC. In my experience the 2.0 TC softens the image too much.

Garry
http://www.birdphotograph.com

[ecopix]

If 500mm is perfect for you on the 30D, then, as mentioned, you'll need 750-800mm to get the same angle of view with the 5D, so you will need either:
the 400mm with a 2x (800mm f5.6),
the 500mm with 1.4x (700mm f5.6), or
the 600mm with 1.4x (840mm f5.6).
I would guess image quality would be best with a longer lens and 1.4x, as 2x converters do push a lens to, and often past, its limits. But I have no experience with these particular ones.
You also will lose depth of field, which is critical at these focal lengths.
If I were you, I would be using the 5D for your other types of photography, and keeping the 30D for your long-lens work. Using a bigger camera and bigger lenses to get the same result is making life hard for yourself. The 5D's extra pixels may not mean much with long lens work, as sensor resolution is usually not the limiting factor (movement, lens res, atmosphere - there are many devils in tele work).
If you already have a 500mm lens, and its working well for you, why upset your system? I have the 500m f4 Nikkor, but do my best work with slower, handier gear by picking the light, upping the ISO carefully, and just getting closer. Remember, you have to carry this stuff!
Wayne Lawler
http://ecopix.net