Poll - Super ZOOM IQ

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

I just wanted to toss this up to see what people thought. Do you think you would get a better quality image ( at 400mm ) using a

Sigma 120-400mm

or

Canon 70-200 2.8 IS w/2x Kenko TC


If you have images as examples or have experience with either of these two set ups, let me know. I was thinking of buying a used BIGMA 50-500, but figured a TC would be cheaper and 2.8 with a 2X should AF just as well the BIGMA would ( and I also heard the IQ isn't great at the far end on the BIGMA ) Plus I would have IS, no extension when zooming. So to make the comparison more fair, I went with Sigmas 400mm lens.

 

[clanthar]

Like asking if you'd rather have stewed okra or mashed turnips for dinner, or maybe the brussels sprouts.

I'd go for the meat and potatoes: EF 400mm f/5.6L USM it's a little more cash but it tastes a lot better.

Joe

 

[fokker]

Hosted on facebook so quality isn't the absolute greatest, but this was taken with my 70-200 2.8 IS and 2x extender - seems sharp enough to me.

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

Like asking if you'd rather have stewed okra or mashed turnips for dinner, or maybe the brussels sprouts.

I'd go for the meat and potatoes: EF 400mm f/5.6L USM it's a little more cash but it tastes a lot better.

Joe

Well obviously, but thats why I am asking about the 2x TC. The next cheapest thing would be the Sigma to get to that range.

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

Hosted on facebook so quality isn't the absolute greatest, but this was taken with my 70-200 2.8 IS and 2x extender - seems sharp enough to me.

Thanks fokker, that looks pretty good. Was it cropped at all or is that the full sized native file? Shot with your 40D?

 

[Overread]

I used a 70-200mm f2.8 IS L for a long while and found its performance with a 1.4TC to be very good - optically it remaind very strong and its AF speed was still fast enough. It was a combo I was happy to use for the majority of the time.
Hoever dispite owning the 1.4TC and 2*TC at the same time I only ever used the 2*TC a handful of times because even in good conditions its performance was noticably poorer.

You can see some examples here - the 100% crops remember to click and view all sizes to see them without resising
little birds photos test - a set on Flickr

My own opinion is that the only zoom that can really take a 2*TC in canons lineup is the 70-200mm f2.8 IS L M2 which once combined with the 2*TC acheives image quality very similar to the canon 100-400mm L

I'm not sure how things measure up to the sigma 120-400mm - but feeling is that the zoom plus 2*TC is not the most ideal rout (and yet I know photographers happy to use that combo)

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

Well one thing I also heard ( not sure if anyone else has heard this ) that 2-1.4x TCs stacked gives better IQ at 392 than a 2x TC?? I have one 1.4x already and it would be cheaper to get another.