Canon 400mm f2.8 MKII lens with a 1.4x or a Canon 500mm f4?

[Austin Thomas]

Hi all,

I am wondering if anyone on here uses the new Canon 400mm f2.8 MKII with a 1.4x attached?

I have used a MK I 500mm f4 for the last 5 years and I am now thinking about upgrading to a MKII lens. The question is which one?

When I purchased my 500mm lens I ruled out the 400mm MK1 f2.8 because it was 40% heavier then the 500mm f4. That made it a non starter.

The new MKII version of the 400mm f2.8 is actually lighter than my original MKI 500mm f4 so I am now wondering if the MKII 400mm f2.8 with a 1.4x attached would perform just as well and give me some flexibility.

If anyone has used the new 400mm lens with a converter and can comment on its performance and AF speed, I would be very interested to hear your views.

Thanks in advance.

Austin

[Morkel Erasmus]

I have seen very impressive results with the 400mm f2.8 mk2 coupled with the new generation 2x TC so I can only deduce that the performance with the 1.4x will be as good or even better?? :)

[Alan Stankevitz]

I have seen very impressive results with the 400mm f2.8 mk2 coupled with the new generation 2x TC so I can only deduce that the performance with the 1.4x will be as good or even better?? :)

I have used the new lens with the 1.4x and 2x (III) TCs and found that no matter what TC, the sharpness is incredible. I did not however like using it with the 2x TC for birds-in-flight. The autofocus was too slow for me. I missed shots while the lens attempted to gain autofocus. Once locked onto the bird, it was fine but while it is hunting to gain initial focus, it is just too slow for me.

With a 1.4x TC, it was fast enough to gain focus...similar to the 600mm with a 1.4x as far as responsiveness and accuracy. It's only problem was with the 2x.

Alan Stankevitz
www.iwishicouldfly.com

[Austin Thomas]

Hi Morkel, Hi Alan,

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

@Alan, How does the AF speed compare between the 400mm with 1.4 attached and your straight 600mm ( i.e. no 1.4x attached) ? That is the comparison I am most interested to understand.

Thanks again for your help and guidance. Much appreciated.

Austin

[Alan Stankevitz]

Hi Austin,

"How does the AF speed compare between the 400mm with 1.4 attached and your straight 600mm ( i.e. no 1.4x attached) ?"

There was a slight difference in which the 400mm + 1.4xTC seemed a little less responsive when compared to the 600mm (straight) but it was not a big deal. It wasn't as if I felt I were missing any shots.

I really loved the lens but after doing serious soul-searching I decided to return it and wait for the new 600mm. It was great to be able to hand-hold that lens!

Alan Stankevitz
www.iwishicouldfly.com

[David Stephens]

With the reduced weight and improved IS, I think you have to consider the Series II 500 and 600mm lenses combined with the Series III TCs in any kit where you're replacing a Series I 500mm. I'm thinking that a 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II and either a 500mm or 600mm (can't decide yet) and the Series III TC would be an incredibly versatile kit. I'm also waiting to see what happens with the 5D MkIII before deciding whether to buy a 1D MkIV while I can, buy the 1D X or go with the 5D3. We'll know a lot more before the year is out. Since you've got a good kit now, I'd suggest waiting several more months before deciding.

[mikeojohnson]

The 400 f/2.8 is incredibly sharp. It is also very sharp with both the 1.4 and 2x t/c's. But I agree with the comments above. With the t/c's birds in flight auto-focus is not as good as the f/4 super tele's.
Mike

[Pao Dolina]

I've used the 400mm II with a 2.0x III hand held at 1/800 with a 1D4 and it was very sharp. Wasn't shooting in burst either. :)