Canon EF 2X II Extender Telephoto Accessory film camera Reviews

Canon EF 2X II Extender Telephoto Accessory

Very Impressed 2008-04-24

I was very impressed with this Canon 2x extender. I use it with my Canon 70-200 2.8 IS lens. I previously used a Kenko Pro 300 2x and it was OK but the Canon unit is significantly sharper. Autofocus is fast and accurate - I hardly know the extender is on the lens (other than the length and weight).

2wice the fun 2008-03-22

Canon EF 2X II Extender Telephoto Accessory
I was completely blow away by the quality of the resultant images. ... Yes, I lost 2 f-stops, but I gained twice the reach of the telephoto, and a doubling of the macro. ... And I liked it. ... My 180 mm 1x macro is now a 360 mm 2x macro. ... Cool!

Which Canon lenses are compatible with the 2X Mark II Extender 2008-03-11

I'd like to elaborate on the review posted by LT Beasimer wherein he said,

"I would imagine that using with an extremely sharp lens like the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM telephoto zoom lens would be able to handle the reduction in sharpness with minimal effect. I didn't own this lens when I used the extender, so I cannot say for sure."

I own the Canon f/2.8L 300mm prime lens and use it in conjunction with the Canon 2X Mark II extender. I cannot detect any loss of picture quality when shooting at 600mm. Yes my largest opening is then f/5.6 but I won't tell a soul. If you were to call Canon Tech Support and ask specifically for the extender compatibility chart most of your questions will be answered. It lists all the Canon lenses and the features available and not available when the extender is used.

Fantastic add-on 2008-02-21

It should be obvious - this extender really needs to be used with a tripod. That alone will increase your image quality. It's also designed for the higher quality Canon lenses - the EF series. 90% of the complaints about this accessory ignore those two facts. The next biggest complaint - autofocus. Again, Canon is clear that you need a lens with an aperture of 2.8 or faster in order for autofocus to work. Basically, so what! If I'm on a tripod shooting my subject, I'm going to pre-focus . The depth of field is in such a compact area and you're zoomed in so much, autofocus is really not that important. What did people do before autofocus? Skip the photo?

So if you understand what you are purchasing and know how to use it - well, like with any great tool - you'll produce fantastic results. If you don't know how to use it, try and do a hand-held 400mm zoom, or attempt to catch that bird as it swoops past, forget it. This is not a $5,000 lens. It's a $300 add on that extends your current lens.

If you could afford that 10 lb, 800mm telephoto lens - at $12,000 - you would not be looking at this accessory. I'm not trading in my car for a lens any time soon - and this little accessory does the job just fine. I've tried it on action shots freehand - even though I knew better. Forget it. Handheld when it's added on to my 200mm? Almost as bad. On a tripod? Fantastic. Even better if you have the remote trigger.

The bottom line is that if you are looking for an affordable alternative, know how to use it, and are willing to spend the half hour it takes to master this multiplier, you will get great results. If you expect to point and shoot, then buy a point and shoot camera.

a must have 2008-02-09

This is a must have for most anyone who likes to shoot. It really kicks the lens up when you need that something extra. The cannon quality as always the best!!

Does what I needed. 2008-01-20

I purchased this to use with my Canon 300mm f2.8. There is some loss of IQ, but not noticeable enough to off set having a 600mm f5.6. I can't comment on using with other lenses.

READ THE FINE PRINT 2008-01-18

I recently purchased the canon 100-400mm L series with auto focus and image stabilazation. Amazon had the extender come up as a recommended buy. The problem is that the extender requires a lens with a 2.8 f stop for the auto focus to work. I tried using the extender withou the auto focus and found it almost impossible to get a clear picture. I'm sure the extender would work well with any of the canon $7000-$10,000 professional telephoto lenes, but not with the 100-400 L series zoom.

A great addition to your bag 2007-12-27

I recommend this extender but only for occasional and situational use. I use this on occasion with my Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8"L" IS USM and Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6"L" IS USM with good results (manual focus on a tripod). Its a nice cost saver over buying more glass for those times you need just a tad more reach. However, If I get the longer prime I am after, I will likely sell this.

Its OK but with compromises 2007-12-26

I returned mine mainly because I couldn't go down to f2.8, which I love, any more. Also I noticed a little the photo quality went down just a little when comparing shots with and without the extender.

Don't buy if you have a Digital Rebel and use Auto Focus 2007-11-05

I have a Canon Rebel XTi with a 70-200mm telephoto lens. The extender does its job but doesn't operate the telephoto lens' auto focus.

Canon Extender 2x 2007-10-30

Canon EF 2X II Extender Telephoto Accessory

I purchased this item to expand the telephoto range of my 70-200 2.8 IS lens. Although I have to surrender two stops, the extender works great--so long as you use a tripod. The image stabilizaton is not enough to compensate for using a solid tripod.

Does job right at right price 2007-09-12

This is a high quality piece of glass, and it's not a coincidence that its color is white, since it is by all means an L series glass and L series only compatible (more on Canon website). A reviewer here underrated this lens for not working as well as he expected on a 100-400 F/4.5, well, I thought it was common knowledge that a 2X extender will remove 2 f/stops and the quality of the final image will somehow suffer, it's called... what you pay for. Otherwise no one would be buying the much more expensive 500mm, 600mm, etc. lenses. I demoed this extender in Yellowstone for a few days with a Canon 70-200 L f/2.8 IS lens and even after I added a polarizer the autofocus was still very fast. All the Canon people I met told me that with a 100-300mm f/4.5 you should use a 1.4X extender and that the 2x is not for that lens. Guess it's useful to do a little bit of homework before investing in expensive technology.
As for the quality of the images taken with the 70-200 above coupled with the 2X I can tell you that you could see it in lab tests but not with a naked eye (Unless you're an eagle maybe).

* Update October 19 2007
I bought the 2X with a Canon 70-200 F/4 non-IS lens and been playing with it for the past 2 weeks. Just as I previously stated the quality remains high; on the f/4 lens the autofocus stops working (as I expected and stated previously) although a friend told me that by blocking one of the pins the autofocus will work although only the central sensor. It's not a big deal to me since I often use manual focus and at the minimum f/8 you get there's still room for error. With my Canon 30D (1.6 crop factor) the image quality is high, surprisingly high, just as I experienced up in Yellowstone at the Canon workshop. So, let's do a bit of math: 70-200 * 1.6 factor makes for a 112-320mm effective range, add the 2X extender and it becomes 224-640 at f/8. So yesterday I took photos of a Bull Moose at 640mm effective with a cheap tripod ($20 BestBuy, horrible, but better than nothing) and the quality of the photos is much better than using my Tamron 70-300 ( effective 112-480) f/3.5 lens which I'm definitely going to get rid of.
This piece of glass definitely deserves 5 stars and not a bit less. Now I can't wait to take it to my trip to Costa Rica's jungle.

2X extender EF 2007-07-14

The extender lives up to the Canon reputation. The only thing I do not like
about it is the fact that the autofocus only works with lenses that open up to 2.8. The pictures I have been taking with my L-series lenses are sharp and crisp.

Caution advised, but excellent 2007-06-29

If you put this on a big lens with a small aperture, you're not only going to lose a F-Stop, you're going to lose the brightness some of us need for focus. There's going to be a point at which you won't be sure whether it's you or the lens at fault.

I was sold one of these by a dealer for a non-L Canon telephoto. It was refunded, but you need to do the research.I've since had cause to use one, but decided against it. I may eventually buy another, but I'm mostly sticking for now with a 1.4. I think it's probably best suited for the f//2.8 L telephotos where the loss of speed can be tolerated and the focus problem eased. They are great lenses anyway.

A comment on Adorama. I've bougt a lot of things from them over the years, most of it new. Not long ago, I bought a used Leica advertised as working. It was from external appearances. But the film advance slipped. I wish they had offered to repair it, but they didn' want to do that. But they volunteered to take it back and make a full refund -- which they did. I find them good people to do business with. Every company has slipups, but I don't think Adorama has a policy of doing this. They are one of the companies I would recommend. They also don't exaggerate the conditionof a used camera (tricker than new). I've been screwed by sellers, but they are not one of the firms. Give them a chance if they make a mistake.

It's little sibling scores slightly better in my eyes. 2007-06-14

In a nutshell, results from the 2x Extender are not quite in the same class as those from the 1.4x version, but that is often (if not always) the case when comparing converters/extenders in these two variations, no matter what the brand. Stick the 2x on a 300mm f2.8, (600mm f5.6 EFL), and then compare it to a 1.4x on a 500mm f4 (700mm f5.6). No comparison.... the 1.4x wins hands down. As the 1.4x has less effect on the magnification, it is quite natural to expect that it will always come out ahead in a direct comparison, as any optical flaws in the lens will only be exaggerated by the 2x. However, the AF speed is still very fast, and not noticeably different to the smaller version. That is a definite plus.

I'm using both of these lens/converter combinations on a Gitzo 6X GT5530S tripod with a Wimberley head (a rock-solid setup), and the image quality difference (to me) is incontrovertible. With the added "benefit" of the digital factor thrown in, and if you only want to purchase one, then I feel that you're better off investing in the 1.4x.

Although others may disagree, I don't think that it delivers the image quality we've come to expect from the phenomenal 70-200mm f2.8L IS, when attached to either a film or digital body. I've tried a few different samples, so I do feel justified in making this judgement. I can't speak for its performance on the longer zooms, but it does appear from other reviews that there are some folks who are not too happy with their results.

Although this may sound contradictory, I still feel it is worth having in your bag, even if you do lose some AF sensor variation capability when paired with L Tele lenses of f4 or less.

(please take a look at my attached picture of the egret to get some idea of the definition the 2x can produce when combined with a 500mm f4L IS).

In summing up, I have to say that, in the usual Canon L Series tradition, it is beautifully made, weather-sealed and designed for years of use in the field.

I love this thing! 2007-04-29

I purchased this item to use with my 70-200mm F/2.8L lens and I just love the results I get with it! Very sharp and very high IQ. The auto focus is still very fast, too.

I cannot praise this accessory enough.

And my thanks to Amazon for their amazing delivery service. I had this accessory delivered on Saturday in plenty of time for my shoot!

Telextender a great purchase 2007-02-22

I am using the EF 2X II Extender on a Canon 70-200mm telephoto lens and am getting great results. Getting closeups of birds, etc. that were not possible before.

A Small Improvement 2007-02-16

For me the big question is "does it give better results than just cropping and resizing the results from my existing lens"? After some careful testing the result in my case was "just barely".

As a test I photographed a distant object with my Canon 70-200mm 2.8 L IS lens, and again with the extender, using a tripod to keep conditions comparable. I then doubled the size of the non-extender image in PaintShop Pro and displayed the two images on my computer screen. The image with the extender captured only slightly more detail than the one without. Testing with smaller apertures sharpened the images but did not change the conclusion. To find my test shots and those of at least one other person, search for canon extender test on Flickr.

That said, it's a nicely made piece of equipment. Having spent the money I use the extender quite a bit for photographing birds. For anything larger I remove the extender to get a clearer result.

A Chris Rock quote comes to mind.. 2007-02-07

You can use the 2x TC to double your reach, you can also drive a car with your feet, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea.

In a nutshell, there is no cheap magic bullet that will give you high quality photos of distant subjects at half the distance, and still provide AF. (lookup digiscoping).

PROS : Well built, does what it promises, brings objects twice as close.

CONS: makes your images dark, and soft that no amount of Photoshopping can adequately correct.

I basically out foxed myself by buying this one. I spent $300 to learn why people spend $6,000 on those big Canon telephoto lenses.

The 1.4 TC is much better.

Great accessory... 2007-01-10

Another fine Canon L series product. Now I don't have to carry around another lens to reach 400mm focal length... I just use this with my 70-200. Amazon did an wonderful job in the sale & shipment of the lens. I'm totally satisfied with!!!

Good but really dims 2007-01-09

the overall workmenship and for what it is designed for is good but the AF and fstop adjustments take some getting used to. the AF stops working on my 75-200mm which is annoying still working on that issue.

High quality product 2007-01-04

The 2X II Extender by Canon approximately doubles the reach of your Canon "L" lens. I used it today to capture some American Goldfinches while attached to a Canon "L" series 70-200mm, f2.8 lens I am using. You can really reach out and "touch" the subject at 400mm. You loose a few f-stops and you need more light by adding the Extender but you make up for some of it with IS (Image Stabilization) available on a 70-200mm lense. The AF features still work as does all features on the main lense I used. This is a great accessory to make your investment in a lense do a lot more for a little money.

Twice the reach at what price? 2006-07-15

This extender is limited to which lenses it will work with, most of them L lenses. The II model features a new seven-element weather-resistant design, and improved anti-reflection internal construction. Auto-focus is possible with any EOS body if an f/2.8 or faster maximum aperture lens is used. Image Stabilization lenses maintain the IS feature when used with current EOS cameras. Using this extender with any lens will eliminate one or two f stops and decrease sharpness to some degree.

I rented this extender to use with the Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM telephoto zoom lens. This lens while sharp and high in quality, is not the sharpest L lens out there. I found adding this extender with the 100-400mm caused the sharpness to suffer too much for my tastes outweighing the benefit of having extra reach. The minimum 7.6 f-stop limits creative abilities with this combination too.

I would imagine that using with an extremely sharp lens like the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM telephoto zoom lens would be able to handle the reduction in sharpness with minimal effect. I didn't own this lens when I used the extender, so I cannot say for sure.

I would suggest renting or taking your camera and lens to the store and trying this extender out before buying. I can see where certain combinations may benefit the photographer. In my case, it didn't work out for me.

PROS:
Provides extra reach

CONS:
Eliminates one or two f-stops
Decreases sharpness of the lens

Only acceptable on big glass 2006-07-09

This is a good accessory with a 300mm f/2.8 or above. The problem comes when you try to use it with the Canon L zoom lens like the 70-200L or the 100-400L. You lose so much sharpness that it not acceptable for a pro or advanced am, which would be the people buying this accessory. If you have big glass then you should get this, otherwise stay with the Canon EF 1.4X II Extender and get publishable photos.

Double Your Reach for a Cost 2006-04-29

Make sure to check the compatibility charts to verify that your lenses will work with this before buying it since only a handful of L series lenses are compatible. If you do already have one or more of these lenses though this is a nice addition. The AF only works with lenses f/2.8 and faster on most camera bodies. You do also give up image quality by putting this between your lens and camera body. When using longer telephoto lenses with this, you will want to use a tripod, cable release, and mirror lockup in all but the brightest of conditions. If you need this much extra reach you may be better off getting a 1.6X camera body or saving up for a longer lens.

Must have for sports and nature shooters. 2005-10-18

If you have the big lenses (400mm f/2.8L IS USM or even the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM) this is totally worth the addition. The 2x does NOT kill the autofocus on the f/2.8 and effectively doubles your lens with very little distortion around the edges. Check compatability on Canon's website. You won't be disappointed!

Effective 2005-06-01

What a great little piece of kit. It's great with my EF 70-200mm f/4L. The only drawback is you've no AF. You are forced to use manual focus. Now this isn't a big problem, unless you're photographing wildlife or moving objects. Well worth the price though and very useful.

Adorama is selling used product as new. 2004-12-22

Just received Canon EF 2X II from Adorama. Paid $279.95 plus $17.95 shipping. Len has been previously used and placed back in the pouch and sold as new. Len cap is marred with several scratches. Looks to have been handled rough. My advice is bypass Adorama as a third party vendor and buy directly from Amazon. Adorama refunds within 14 days less shipping. Thats $17.95 for me to return a used product sold as new. Won't go there again!

Great addition to my EF 70-200 L f/4 !!! 2004-04-08

This high quality extender is a great addition to my Canon EF 70-200 L f/4 !! With a top-notch build quality and a tough, weather resistant design equal to that of their highly respected line of "L" lenses, Canon has produced a great product for its unbeatable zoom lens !! Although the 2X extender renders the A/F function useless on many Canon cameras, I found this to be a Very small drawback overall ( I prefer to manually focus under many of my shooting conditions). This extender is more suited for a low f/number lens due to the 2-stop change in brightness, but it is still VERY effective with my f/4 in normal lighting. A lightweight and fairly inexpensive way to double your focal length, while maintaining the incredible optical quality of the main lens...My backpack will always contain my 2X and 1.4X extenders !!