5Dmk3 doesnt play with kenko teleconverters

[Marsu42]

The topic is about issues with the extender with a 5D MK III.

Well, I don't have a 5d3 either (yet :->) but if the Kenko tc won't work with my 100L and the 6d does that would be +1 for the latter. So here's some information I just discovered for you posh 5d3 owners, there are 3 versions of the Kenko dgx that are only different by the color dot next to the barcode on the box and a color dot in the tc

v1: no dot (= only the main red dot)
v2: green dot (next to the main red dot)
v3: blue dot (ditto)

So if anyone reports anything, please state which dgx version you have... maybe we'll get v4 and a yellow dot next :-o

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

The topic is about issues with the extender with a 5D MK III.

Well, I don't have a 5d3 either (yet :->) but if the Kenko tc won't work with my 100L and the 6d does that would be +1 for the latter. So here's some information I just discovered for you posh 5d3 owners, there are 3 versions of the Kenko dgx that are only different by the color dot next to the barcode on the box and a color dot in the tc

v1: no dot (= only the main red dot)
v2: green dot (next to the main red dot)
v3: blue dot (ditto)

So if anyone reports anything, please state which dgx version you have... maybe we'll get v4 and a yellow dot next :-o

They all have the issue. I had the blue dot (Latest), it hangs the MKIII and you must pull the battery to get the TC to work again (on a different lens, of course).

 

[vehnae]

I think this was already mentioned somewhere in this forum, but the culprit here is some incompatibility with AF microadjusting. To get the Kenko 1.4x to cooperate with your 5DmkIII, you must first disable AFMA and then *take one picture*. After that you can swap on your TC and everything should work normally – apart from having AFMA. You can also re-enable AFMA immediately as long as your TC+lens combo doesn't actually use it (i.e. has +0 setting).

I tested this with 100L and 200L/2.8 using the "blue dot" TC.

 

[neuroanatomist]

...the culprit here is some incompatibility with AF microadjusting. To get the Kenko 1.4x to cooperate with your 5DmkIII, you must first disable AFMA and then *take one picture*. After that you can swap on your TC and everything should work normally – apart from having AFMA. You can also re-enable AFMA immediately as long as your TC+lens combo doesn't actually use it (i.e. has +0 setting).

Before the 1D X was updated for f/8 AF, I was strongly considering a Kenko TC - in fact, I had one in my B&H cart when I got a little heads-up on the forthcoming FW update. Not sure if this issue occurs with the 1D X, but reading this makes me really happy that I can get f/8 AF with Canon extenders.

 

[Marsu42]

I think this was already mentioned somewhere in this forum, but the culprit here is some incompatibility with AF microadjusting.

Thanks for the information - if there is some workaround that's one problem less with the 5d3, and if it's really afma it might occur on the 6d as well... I hope somebody will report success or failure with this combination soon.

 

[KimH]

For record,

I did try my blue dot on 24-105 and 100 and both worked without issues - back and forth.

Did NOT do MFA.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

You can apparently make it work by turning off AFMA, but thats not a solution if your lens needs a big adjustment. Then, you have to reload all the AFMA settings after you use the TC?

 

[drjlo]

To get the Kenko 1.4x to cooperate with your 5DmkIII, you must first disable AFMA and then *take one picture*. After that you can swap on your TC and everything should work normally – apart from having AFMA. You can also re-enable AFMA immediately as long as your TC+lens combo doesn't actually use it (i.e. has +0 setting).

I tested this with 100L and 200L/2.8 using the "blue dot" TC.

I just tested this with 5D III, 100L, and Kenko 1.4x "blue dot," and nope, it still doesn't work. After the "workaround," when I press shutter, the camera STILL freezes up, with taking the battery out the only way to revive it.

 

[Marsu42]

I just tested this with 5D III, 100L, and Kenko 1.4x "blue dot," and nope, it still doesn't work

... which again brings me to the conclusion that Kenko might do silent updates to their tc line w/o changing the "spot color" designation ... they probably don't want to dump loads of tc w/o being able to update the old ones when releasing this information.

 

[HughWill]

I just tested this with 5D III, 100L, and Kenko 1.4x "blue dot," and nope, it still doesn't work. After the "workaround," when I press shutter, the camera STILL freezes up, with taking the battery out the only way to revive it.

Since this topic is still coming up, I thought I would repeat my experience, which I described in another thread.

First, I would emphasize that the AFMA I'd done had nothing to do with the lens on which I wanted to use the TC. Since there are only two lenses involved in my case, my experience is fairly simple to explain. I want to use the PRO 300 DGX 1.4x only on my 300mm f/4, which I was able to do when I first got the 5D III. Later, I bought the 40mm pancake. Eventually, I fooled around with microadjusting the 40mm. It is the only lens for which I have ever made any AFMA adjustments. Some time later, I put the 300mm+TC on the camera and experienced the lockup requiring removal of the battery. I realized after a while that the only major change to the camera settings since the earlier success was the AFMA for the 40mm, and after some experimenting I was able to get the lens+TC combo working again.

What I found I had to do: With the 40mm (the only microadjusted lens, in my case) on the camera, I turn AFMA to "Disable." (As far as I know, you do not lose registered AFMA values by doing so.) Then I take a shot with the 40mm and the new setting (disabled AFMA) before turning off the camera and switching to the 300mm+TC.

I included the step of shooting a frame with the new setting. To be honest, in the middle of writing this I put some wear and tear on the lens mount by doing a series of tests to doublecheck the procedure, and I was able to get it to work without that extra step. But there were times in the past when it seemed necessary, so it wouldn't hurt to include it. Now that I think about it, maybe there were times when I tried to go between a third lens and the 300mm+TC, and for some reason it was necessary to put the 40mm on and take a shot in order to make the disabling "count."

As I've said before, I have no idea what happens if there are AFMA values registered for multiple lenses. I don't know if it would work to disable AFMA with any one of the lenses on the camera, or maybe to take a shot with each of the microadjusted lenses.

In any case, for anyone looking to get this combination to work, I hope this helps.

 

[vehnae]

What I found I had to do: With the 40mm (the only microadjusted lens, in my case) on the camera, I turn AFMA to "Disable." (As far as I know, you do not lose registered AFMA values by doing so.) Then I take a shot with the 40mm and the new setting (disabled AFMA) before turning off the camera and switching to the 300mm+TC.

Taking this extra shot with AFMA disabled seems to be the key. I also tested some more, taking a shot with a lens having +0 adjustment is not enough, you have to set AFMA to Disable. Doing this doesn't lose the registered values.

Now I feel lucky that my tele and macro lenses are fine with +0 .

 

[Francis L]

I have the lock up issue with my 5D3 and Kenko 2x DGX. In order to make it work, I have to disable AFMA and then press the shutter half way to trigger the AF (you can also shoot a single frame, which triggers the AF). This step is required to properly disable AFMA.

Interestingly, my friend's 5D3 had no issues with the Kenko with AFMA on. Both our cameras have 1.1.3 firmware. I bought my 5D3 in Sept and he got his recently. Weird.

 

[Francis L]

I also noticed that with the Kenko 2x DGX, my 5D3 overexposes by a stop so I need to dial in -1 compensation.

 

[qwRad]

My 5D3 (FW 1.1.3) works fine with the Kenko 1.4x PRO 300 DGX (blue dot) even if I have AFMA enabled. Lenses tested so far are 70-300L and 24-105L and both had AFMA adjustments by lens on both tele and wide ends.

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

I canon report on the new 6D that neither the 100L or 135L (ouch) work with a blue dot Kenko. I have not tried the AFMA workaround. The loss of the 100L was no big deal as I never use it with the teleconverter, but I definitely use the 135L with the 1.4x.

70-300L works fine.

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

P.S. I have now tested the AFMA workaround (disabling it before mounting the teleconverter), and can report that the 135L combo does work under those conditions. Here's hoping a future update eliminates this issue. I do intend to write Kenko and get a response from them.

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

I am very thankful to whomever posted about the AFMA workaround. Getting my 189mm f/2.8L back is big plus ;D Here was the first test shot with the combo on the 6D after turning AFMA off - natural light, in my office, of my daughter about four feet away reading:

P.S. I have uploaded a larger image (2000 px on the long side) for you to examine it. BTW, this is ISO 1000 - the 6D outputs such clean images. This is SOOC

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

Look at how nicely the detail holds up with this combo (although some additional CA is introduced). This was handheld at 1/160th.

This is a crop from the picture above:

 

[wickidwombat]

wow pretty increadible considering thats WITH a teleconverter

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

I had a pretty quick response from Kenko about these issues:

Dear Mr. Dustin Abbott,

Thank you for your inquiry to Kenko International Division.

We are so sorry for this late reply.
We are sorry to hear your negative experience with KENKO TELEPLUS PRO 300 DGX series.
We have recognized some Conon Lens with EOS Mk III or EOS6D does not work properly, and they are still under investigation.
The combination with some lenses might work, but we have determined to ask customers to refrain from using KENKO TELEPLUS PRO 300 DGX series with Mk III or 6D.
We are sorry for your inconvenience.

Yours sincerely,

Ted Numata
Kenko International Division

I would assume that they aren't going to stop selling tele-converters, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them release updated versions of the teles not too far down the road. I wonder if this is a Digic 5 issue?