300-4L or 70-200-2.8L with extender?

[meanstreak]

What do you guys think? I use a 6D and I need a 300mm, should I get the 300 F4L IS or just add an extender to my 70-200 2.8L IS? And if you say extender should I get the 1.4x or the 2x?

Obviously I'd love the 300 2.8 but the price means I'll most likely never get to buy it!

 

[privatebydesign]

If it is the MkI 70-200 IS get the 300 f4, if it is the MkII 70-200 IS then get the 1.4 TC MkIII.

 

[meanstreak]

If it is the MkI 70-200 IS get the 300 f4, if it is the MkII 70-200 IS then get the 1.4 TC MkIII.

Ya the 70-200 is the Mk1 IS, is there a specific reason you could offer for that? Like does the autofocus not work so well etc?

 

[privatebydesign]

The MkI doesn't take TC's very well from an IQ and AF point of view, I have owned that lens and the TC's since it came out, the 300 f4 is blindly sharp and has IS.

The MkII 70-200 IS does take TC's very well and even though the AF slows down a touch it is still pretty darn fast, especially with the 1.4, the IQ is much better with TC's than the MkI, much better.

 

[GMCPhotographics]

The MkI doesn't take TC's very well from an IQ and AF point of view, I have owned that lens and the TC's since it came out, the 300 f4 is blindly sharp and has IS.

The MkII 70-200 IS does take TC's very well and even though the AF slows down a touch it is still pretty darn fast, especially with the 1.4, the IQ is much better with TC's than the MkI, much better.

Yes that's my findings too. My copy of the 70-200 f2.8 L IS II is fantastic with a 1.4x TC. It's a lot heavier than the native 300mm f4 LIS but it's IS is better and the IQ is about the same. When I tried the 2x mkIII I found that it was just as sharp as the 400mm f5.6 L but it's AF was less accurate (and a lot slower) and very prone to camera shake....more than the 400mm prime. So it really needs a tripod and good tripod craft. If I used live view focus, it's was very very sharp. If I used the normal focus system, I got inconsistent results.

 

[PavelR]

I can hardly believe that 70-200/2.8 II + TC 2x III is the same IQ as 400/5.6:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=687&Camera=453&Sample=0&FLI=7&API=0&LensComp=278&CameraComp=453&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp=0

I do not usually use even TC 1.4x III because of loss of sharpness / contrast on contrast scene...
(on 135/2, 70-200/2.8 II, 200/2, 300/2.8 I)
If I need the longer reach, I use 1.3x cropped body. ;-)

 

[meanstreak]

ok guys thanks for the input!