Canon EF 2.0X III Telephoto Extender for Canon Super Telephoto Lenses

I got this to pair with my 70-200mm F/2.8 IS II since I needed a bit more reach, and didn't want to spring for a 300mm or 400mm lens. I'm extremely happy with it, and have to say that on a high quality lens, like the 70-200/2.8 IS II, there is hardly any loss of functionality at all. Yes, you do lose two stops, but getting a 400mm F/5.6 is not bad at all, and the 4 stops of the IS on the IS II certainly helps a lot. And these days, with the ability to shoot high ISOs without much noise (such as on the 5D3), it's not an issue getting clear shots at 1/500s or faster during the day. There is some SLIGHT image degradation, to be expected, but it is not noticeable at all unless you are seriously pixel peeping. Only at 100% crops would you be able to tell the difference, and the gain from the extra focal length far outweighs the slight loss in image quality. You do also get slower autofocus, again, because of the reduced effective aperture size (less light passing through, so it's harder for your camera to detect focus). The 70-200/2.8 IS II has extremely quick autofocus to begin with, so the reduced speed is not too bad. On slower autofocus lenses (such as if you use this extender for macro work, like on the 180mm F/3.5L Macro), the autofocus is nearly downright impossible and you may just be better off using full time manual focus. You also won't be able to use all the focus points that you're used to using, since you'll only be able to use the points that respond to f/5.6 or slower with a F/2.8 lens. On the 5D3, this means only the center rectangle of points (about 21 cross type points). The 1DS3 and 1DX give you a bit more focus point options at f/5.6. And on lower end cameras, you may be only able to use your center AF point. On slower lenses, such as f/4 or slower, you may be limited to manual focus only. That's why I really only recommend using a 2x extender on an f/2.8 lens. On slower lenses, you're better off using a 1.4x extender. The compact size and relatively light weight of the 2x extender makes it a must-bring any time I bring my 70-200 outdoors. Plus it gives me the flexibility of having either a 70-200/2.8 or a 140-400/5.6 at any time I want. It's especially great to use for wildlife (especially birds and other animals) and sports, if you're shooting during the day. For anything more serious, or in lower light, you'll need to spring for a 300/2.8 or 400/2.8, which are prohibitively expensive unless you're using it regularly for your full time job.

The quality is diminished a little bit using this, but I can't complain about it. I photographed Yellowstone National Park in August of '13, and used my 70-200 2.8 IS. So it became a 140-400 f/5.6. When I brought the RAWs into Lightroom and Photoshop, I could tell a very slight difference in both sharpness and contrast. I ran a denoise filter and adjusted with curves, and I honestly feel like my photograph is 98% as good as the Canon 400mm 5.6. This will not attach to a 100L macro, for that you'll need the 1.4 extender, but this will attach to a 180L macro, and it does not effect the minimum focusing distance. I had a 360mm f/7.1 with a 15 inch focus distance. At 7.1, it was still way too shallow! :) That's a great thing. I mainly photograph weddings, and found myself using this on a balcony in a large cathedral. It was a little difficult as I was stopped down to 5.6, but I shoot on a 5dm3, and was able to use a high ISO, so it wasn't too bad. I would have rather have had a 300 2.8, or even a 300 f/4, but the 5d3 does great with noise, so all the photos were fine. All that to say, if you're using this to shoot outside, you'll be totally fine. I still kept my ISO outside at 400 so I could raise my shutter speed. I noticed I was at 1/125 when it was cloudy, and that was just too slow for during the daytime. I still use this at weddings and other events, and with a little editing, you won't have any issues getting a good, usable photograph with this. I would be concerned to use this indoors, (like at a graduation or concert) unless you're experienced in that genre. But if you can't afford a 300 2.8, and need the reach, this'll help you out far better than 200mm and trying to crop it in tight. I'd much rather have 400mm with high ISO, and slightly lowered sharpness than 200mm, and cropped to 1/3 of it's original size.

Being used until now. Quality is awesome as always from canon. Automatically focus. Images come out sharp and crisp. Color is perfect. Easy to use.

I bought this extender with the Canon 100-400 f4.5-5.6L lens, which is listed as a compatible match. It does work, and compared to the $14k for an 800mm lens I can't complain. But Canon should really be a little more clear in their description of what they mean by "compatible". The auto focus does not work when looking through the viewfinder, but it does work in Live Mode, which I find very odd. I have the set mounted on a T2i (550D). Anyway, so long as you are prepared to manually focus on your subjects, this is a very cost effective way to get the long reach for wildlife shots, etc. Others have already commented on the quality, which for a novice like me, I did not notice any quality degredation from adding the extender From Canon's support website for those considering this extender: "If an Extender (sold separately) is attached and the maximum aperture of the lens is f/5.6 or smaller (larger f/number), AF will not be possible (except Live mode/u Live mode AF)." So why couldn't they print this in the product description? And I still don't get why AF will work in Live Mode, but not otherwise--if anyone knows the reason I'd love to hear it :)

On my first outing to try out the 2X III (on my 70-200 2.8 lens), it worked great when focusing on relatively still birds (flamingos) but not so great when trying to track flying birds. It was slow to focus in AL Servo mode and created softer images compared to the exact same type of shooting using the 1.4 extender. All my keeper shots of flying birds were with the 1.4, but many of my still shots from a distance were tack sharp. It's nice to have but good to know its limitations.

My review is based only on the combination of this extender with the 70-200 2.8 is ii that I have. Camera was a 5d2. I compared pictured taken with and without the extender at 400mm and 200mm handheld ...my subjects being cars in a intersection at about 100 yard (meters) from me. The reason for that is because these are the only realistic situations I would really use the extender: wildlife, sports or subjects in general that are really far from me and there's no way I can get closer. I can definitely say it helps. I can see more details and more contrast on the subject then by just cropping the picture. My settings were 400mm f5.6 iso 800 1/800s (lens + extender) vs 200mm f5.6 iso 800 1/800s (lens alone) and the second round 400mm f8 iso 800 1/400s (lens+extender) vs 200mm f8 iso 800 1/400s (lens alone). Auto focus worked great..there was really very little slowing down. I'm not a professional so I may have done some things wrong, but so far I'm really happy with this combination and I can't wait to use it on my next trip to Yellowstone. I can't say anything for other combinations but if you own the new 70-200 2.8 ii and don't have the budget for the 400mm prime lens, this is a great option. I hope this helps somebody out there.

I have not been able to use this extender extensively yet but so far I like it. I use the extender on a Canon 70-200 f2.8 ISM lens with no auto focus issues. I have been using f8 as most reviews said this was the "sweet" spot. I do a lot of local high school sports photography. As I do more I will update this review. I have attached some photos...I think the labels are self explanatory but basically I took the same shot at 70 and 200 and then added the extender for shots at 140 and 400. So it looks like it didn't add the photos in the correct order but I think you can tell the difference. Update: I was able to use this extender today while taking photos at a local high school soccer game. WOW!!! I have added two more photos. The picture with the goal in focus is 120 yards at f8 and ISO 2000 at 400mm. There were absolutely no auto focus issues and no slow downs as many other reviews list. I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark IV and Canon 70-200 f2.8 ISM. I know it was 120 yards because the game was on a football field and the goals are at the end of the end zone area which ads 10 yards to each end, totaling 120 yards. The picture with the people in focus is about 100 yards away. I highly recommend this product to anyone needing additional distance from their lens. Be sure to check compatibility for your lens.

I bought the 2X III to go along with my Canon 500 f4 coupled with the Canon 5D Mark III. I use this primarily for bird photography. The 2X works really well with this combination. My 500 mm lens is the 1st series lens but since the glass is so sharp it still works great. If you have good light it will produce very good photos. The sharpness is very good considering there is a 2X extender mounted. The Canon 5D Mark III produces good shots even with high ISO. I don't mind shooting at 3200 or even 6400 if needed and it will clean up very well with editing in Lightroom or Photoshop. One caution, naturally the autofocus is much slower with the 2X attached. You will probably not want to use it for things like birds in flight or quick action shots. Overall, I am happy with the results I get and feel it is worth the price for the combination that I use for birding. I have a 70-200 f2.8 but have not tried it with that combination yet nor do I foresee a situation where I would do so since I have other lenses that would be better on autofocusing. Also, I don't think it would work very well with other lenses that are not Canon L series quality, but I really can't comment on that since this is the only combination I have tried.

I've gotten beautiful photos with this extender. Didn't want to spend the amount but if it works without any defects guess it's worth it. I use this with an Ef adapter with my Canon M50 and using the sigma 150mm - 600mm. Works well enough.

Very Handy and Useful. Clarity is as good as Prime Lenses, but it depends on the Light condition.

preis,qualität sehr gut

It arrived 4 days early - great excitement. But wasn't abler to use it until 2 days after arrival. Tried it with my 70-200 L series zoom on a Canon 7D2. 1. Very easy to fit onto the lens and camera, Felt solid and as if it belonged there. 2. shooting at f5.6 as lost 2 stops (expected) and at various settings. The quality was, to me, entirely acceptable. A ood purchase, to be recommended.

It's a great product. But one thing to know is that it reduces the light by 2 stops hence some older DSLR may not be able to use the autofocus with this extender on.