Testing the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter)

by Tom

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM @ 200MM Test With Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter)Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM with a Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter) mounted on a Canon Rebel T4i / 650D bodyCanon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM @ 70MM Test without Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter)Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM @ 70MM Test With Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter)Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM @ 200MM Test without Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter)





Moments ago (literally at 12AM Sept 1st, 2013) I acquired the flagship Canon 2x version 3 teleconverter from a friend who recently visited New York on a trip and was kind enough to purchase and bring it back for me.

These are the first test images I’ve taken to test the clarity.
The general rule is that for the best picture the camera should be at least two stops above the teleconverter, so for example my F2.8 lens automatically becomes an F5.6 lens with the teleconverter connected. I would then add two additional stops bringing the number up to ~F8 for maximum clarity.


Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM with a Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter) mounted on a Canon Rebel T4i / 650D bodyThe new extender is shorter than the version two model with the biggest difference being the ability to send data about the lens through the teleconverter while the teleconverter add it’s own data into the mix. This appears in the EXIF information in the lens model field as EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM +2x III indicating the lens is being used with the teleconverter. In the lens info field, the multiplication factor from the teleconverter appears as 140-400mm f/0. All other tidbits of data remain the same (f number, camera mode, focuz, etc etc).


Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM @ 200MM Test With Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter)


Above, this photos is the lens at it’s maximum zoom of 200mm using the teleconverter which makes it a 400mm equivalent image. Since I’m shooting on a T4i which has a 1.6X crop factor, this image would then become the equivalent of a 650mm zoom if the T4i were using a full frame sensor.

Seeing as I literally just took these test shots, I notice very little or no deterioration of the image which to me seems to be a massive step up from the poor reviews and aberration / softness that the version two extender received.

A full set of images with and without the teleconverter with the 70-200mm lens at minimum and maximum zoon are available here for your viewing.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vaughanweather/sets/72157635326592584/


I’ll post more images in the coming days once I get a chance to really test this new toy out!