Please advise which 1.4x teleconverter to buy: Kenko, Tamron, or Sigma

[Vivid Color]

I have both the Canon 6D and the T1i and I recently bought the 70-300L for an upcoming African photo safari. My question is: should I buy a teleconverter and, if so, should I buy the Kenko 1.4 TC or some other non-Canon brand? I know that there are other TCs on the market, such as Tamron's and Sigma's, yet I haven't been able to find much in direct comparisons to the Kenko. The comparisons generally seem to be between the 3rd party and Canon, which isn't helpful since the Canon TC won't work at all focal lengths on the 70-300L and therefore, I do not wish to buy it. (By the way, I posted a version of this question earlier, but did not receive any replies so I'm reposting it. I've also revised the subject as I realized the prior subject heading I used earlier today may have led you to think I was trying to start a theoretical debate when I'm really asking for your practical advice on what, if any, teleconverter I should buy.) Your comments about the various non-Canon brands of teleconverters and which might be best (if such a statement can even be made) will be greatly appreciated.

 

[wickidwombat]

I have the kenko 1.4TC DXG300 its a good little unit and comparable to the much more expensive canon version with the added benefit that you can use it on other lenses its a great addition to a 100mm Macro lens for example.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Tamron TC's are mad by Kenko, but might not have the same electronics, but glass is the same.
So you are down to Sigma, Kenko, or Canon.
Do you have or need weather sealing? Canon is the only one. Otherwise, I'd go with Kenko. I did buy and return a Kenko 1.4X TC, it locks up a 5D MK III with certain lenses, most noticably the 100mm L. It only seems to do this with the MK III, I have no info about a 6D.

There is always the possibility that a TC will fail to be compatible with a future camera model, so factor that in as well. There are a ton of older third party TC's that are not (fully compatible with newer cameras, meaning that they do not report information correctly, or do not work with certain lenses)

 

[wickidwombat]

I did buy and return a Kenko 1.4X TC, it locks up a 5D MK III with certain lenses, most noticably the 100mm L.

strange my first mk3 (the one i had problems with did this, but its fine on the new body I'll have to test it out on the body i just bought and see if there is anything there)

 

[J.R.]

I did buy and return a Kenko 1.4X TC, it locks up a 5D MK III with certain lenses, most noticably the 100mm L.

strange my first mk3 (the one i had problems with did this, but its fine on the new body I'll have to test it out on the body i just bought and see if there is anything there)

Please let me know your thoughts on this. I would be interested in this because I was planning to get a 1.4x kenko for using with the 5d3. I've heard that the kenko 1.4x somehow overrides the f/8 limitation for AF on the 5d3 while being cheaper.

 

[J.R.]

Tamron TC's are mad by Kenko, but might not have the same electronics, but glass is the same.
So you are down to Sigma, Kenko, or Canon.
Do you have or need weather sealing? Canon is the only one. Otherwise, I'd go with Kenko. I did buy and return a Kenko 1.4X TC, it locks up a 5D MK III with certain lenses, most noticably the 100mm L. It only seems to do this with the MK III, I have no info about a 6D.

There is always the possibility that a TC will fail to be compatible with a future camera model, so factor that in as well. There are a ton of older third party TC's that are not (fully compatible with newer cameras, meaning that they do not report information correctly, or do not work with certain lenses)

Thanks ... Which other lenses were affected?

 

[Vivid Color]

Thank you to all who have replied to my question about whether I should buy a Kenko, Tamron, or Sigma 1.4x teleconverter to use with my 70-300L lens on either my 6D or T1i. Your information is quite helpful regarding the Kenko and Tamron teleconverters.

Has anyone used a Sigma TC?

 

[TexinAfrica]

I have the Canon 70-300 L and I have a Kenko 1.4 TC tele-pro - and I've been to Kenya the past two August's for the Great Migration. I'm going again this year as well. The Kenko works very well. During the day on the Masai Mara you generarally have lots of light. This due to the 6000' elevation, most days are very clear. Only in the very early morning or late afternoon would I notice the lens 'searching' for focus. I'm not anywhere near as advanced as some of these participants, but when I had the normal day's light, I could see no drop off on focus speed. Hope this helps. FYI -- try and stay nearby or within an hours drive of the Mara River in the Masai. That's the best action is during the Migration.

Also, I've decided I will sell my 70-300 and move up to the 100-400L. Just want a bit more reach. Having said that, I used a Sigma 12-24 for many situations and had as many great pics with it as with the tele's.

 

[Vivid Color]

Thank you, TexinAfrica, for letting me know about your experience with the Kenko 1.4x teleconverter in Kenya. I think I will try to test out the Kenko. I'll be going on the northern circuit of national parks in Tanzania this August -- my first trip to Africa -- I can't wait! As for the 100-400L, I originally thought about getting that lens, but when I tried it out, It was just too long and heavy for me -- I couldn't hold it steady enough to get clear, sharp shots and even it's IS wasn't enough. But, I have no problem with the 70-300L, which is why I bought it. (The CR review of it was quite helpful in my decisionmaking.) Hopefully, adding a Kenko TC to my 70-300 won't throw off the ergonomics. I'll try it too before I buy it. And, your point about a wide-angle lens is noted. I don't have an ultra-wide (that and/or a macro lens is on next year's wish list), but I am planning to take my 24-105L for the 6D and maybe my 18-270 Tamron as a backup lens for the T1i.

 

[dyoon88]

Vivid Color, I know this is an old forum but how did your setup work with the Canon 6D + 70-300L IS + Kenko 1.4x TC?
I am going to Japan, Korea, and South Africa and wanted to know if I should invest in this TC.
Your help and input is much appreciated! Thank you

I have both the Canon 6D and the T1i and I recently bought the 70-300L for an upcoming African photo safari. My question is: should I buy a teleconverter and, if so, should I buy the Kenko 1.4 TC or some other non-Canon brand? I know that there are other TCs on the market, such as Tamron's and Sigma's, yet I haven't been able to find much in direct comparisons to the Kenko. The comparisons generally seem to be between the 3rd party and Canon, which isn't helpful since the Canon TC won't work at all focal lengths on the 70-300L and therefore, I do not wish to buy it. (By the way, I posted a version of this question earlier, but did not receive any replies so I'm reposting it. I've also revised the subject as I realized the prior subject heading I used earlier today may have led you to think I was trying to start a theoretical debate when I'm really asking for your practical advice on what, if any, teleconverter I should buy.) Your comments about the various non-Canon brands of teleconverters and which might be best (if such a statement can even be made) will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Kathode-Ray]

FWIW, I got a Kenko 1.4x Pro 300 DGX recently, to test it with my 70-200L 4.0 IS. I was wondering if a little more reach could stop me from buying the 70-300L in the future...

Turns out the Kenko is holding up quite well. AF is quick and without trouble on my 6D. There is some loss of contrast and sharpness & detail, which is predictable, but it's very acceptable. So I did a little comparison between a 1.4x @ 200mm shot, and a 200mm shot cropped to the same FOV, and upscaled to the original resolution.

Outcome is that the cropped & upscaled shot is looking better (sharper, better detail) than the one with the 1.4x...
So this teleconverter is going to be up for sale again!

 

[GaryJ]

Bought a Kenko for use on 7D with 70-300L worked fine ,I use it on my 6D as well,same result,expect the results to reflect that you are using a TC which will have some effect on IQ and have fun.Want 500 to 600 quality you must work hard and buy a prime :-\

 

[Vivid Color]

Vivid Color, I know this is an old forum but how did your setup work with the Canon 6D + 70-300L IS + Kenko 1.4x TC?
I am going to Japan, Korea, and South Africa and wanted to know if I should invest in this TC.
Your help and input is much appreciated! Thank you

I have both the Canon 6D and the T1i and I recently bought the 70-300L for an upcoming African photo safari. My question is: should I buy a teleconverter and, if so, should I buy the Kenko 1.4 TC or some other non-Canon brand? I know that there are other TCs on the market, such as Tamron's and Sigma's, yet I haven't been able to find much in direct comparisons to the Kenko. The comparisons generally seem to be between the 3rd party and Canon, which isn't helpful since the Canon TC won't work at all focal lengths on the 70-300L and therefore, I do not wish to buy it. (By the way, I posted a version of this question earlier, but did not receive any replies so I'm reposting it. I've also revised the subject as I realized the prior subject heading I used earlier today may have led you to think I was trying to start a theoretical debate when I'm really asking for your practical advice on what, if any, teleconverter I should buy.) Your comments about the various non-Canon brands of teleconverters and which might be best (if such a statement can even be made) will be greatly appreciated.

Dear dyoon88,

In the end, I decided not to buy a teleconverter for my safari. I put the 24-105mm on my 6D and the 70-300L on my crop body T1i. With only a couple of exceptions (a leopard and a cheetah sitting high up in trees in the far distance), the effective 480mm was more than enough reach and my photos are tack sharp. In those instances in which it was not enough reach, another 1.4x extension would not have been enough. In Tanzania, we often got very close to the animals and the 24-105 on my 6D got a lot of use. If I am lucky enough to go back to Africa for another safari some day, I'll probably still forgo the teleconverter and just upgrade the crop body. (That is, unless the new 100-400 will be light enough for me to handhold and not hideously expensive. I tried Canon's current 100-400mm before going on safari and it was just too heavy and long for me to reliably hand-hold. That's why I went with the 70-300L and it is a fantastic lens.) Also, for a future safari, for additional reach, I'll probably get the latest version of Canon's SX50, which has an effective reach of 24-1200mm. There is a whole thread on this forum discussing its pros and cons that might be of interest to you.

Hope this helps and have a great time on your amazing trip!

Vivid

 

[meckley]

We went to India and Sri Lanka last month. Two of our activities were to see tigers and elephants (not at the same place!). I have a Canon T2i and the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM. I was afraid that it still would not be enough to get good pictures of either animal. Until we got there, I was not sure how close we would get to them. I got both the Kenko 1.4X and the 2X. I did not have enough time to play with them before we left on the trip, so I had to learn during the safaris. I had some autofocus with the 1.4X, but not with the 2X. I found I used the 2X more, because of the distance to the animals. On the pictures where I used just the 70-300, the pictures are very nice. With either of the teleconverters, the pictures seem washed out. Luckily, I took a lot (and I mean a lot) of pictures and got some that were in focus. Apparently, I need to be better with manual focus. Bottom line: I am not happy with the washed out look, but I have some nice pictures that I would not have with just the 70-300.

 

[jdramirez]

I'm going to throw in the Canon 1.4 mkii... get it used... get it cheap... and it works beautifully.

 

[Vivid Color]

I'm going to throw in the Canon 1.4 mkii... get it used... get it cheap... and it works beautifully.

I'm sure the Canon teleconverter is great on some lenses, but my understanding is that you cannot use a Canon teleconverter on the 70-300L, at least not on all focal lengths. And while you can lock the lens at 70mm to prevent lens creep, you can't lock it at 300mm. (I just checked that on mine and if there is some way of doing it, I couldn't figure it out.) As careful as I am, I would be hesitant to attach a Canon converter to my 70-300L for fear of damaging the lens if the lens retracted.

 

[AlanF]

I use TCs all the time on my very sharp telephotos, and I used a 1.4 on the 70-200 f/4 happily. However, IMHO, it's not worth using them on f/5.6 zooms because the loss of IQ and the deterioration of autofocus aren't worth the increase in focal length, though some claim to have success with a 1.4 on the 100-400mm, which I never did.

 

[RustyTheGeek]

My TC experience is this...

I've never used a Canon TC because Canon seems to limit their use quite a bit. Someone needs to convince me that a more expensive and limiting Canon TC is a better choice and why. (I guess the IQ could be better but how much?) So far I haven't figured it out or purchased a Canon TC.

Tamron 1.4X SP 140F-CA (Japan) (White Color) - This was my first TC purchased years ago and it works fine EXCEPT when I tried to use it with my new 70-300L last year! The 70-300L did some strange clicking and the AF/IS was jumpy and erratic. So I took it off and didn't use it with the 70-300L again.

Kenko 1.4X C-AF Teleplus Pro 300 DGX (Japan) (Black Color) - I purchased this last year for use with the 70-300L after the Tamron demonstrated the weird behavior on that lens. It works great and seems to be a favorite on this thread. I also use this TC with my 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM -II lens with good results.

In general BOTH teleconverters work great but get the Kenko to avoid the problem I had with the 70-300L. They both cost a stop of light but other than slight AF delay when the light gets weak, they have always worked as good as one can expect on the following bodies... 40D, 60D, 6D and 5D3.

WARNING: I almost had a lens fall off of a camera using the TC because the release is very easy to bump when you carry the camera off to the right side of your hip hanging upside down the way I do on a black rapid type of strap. I now use a bit of gaffer tape over the release button and across the lens+TC+camera to keep the lens from turning. I also have some gaffer tape over the switches on the lenses for the same reason, they tend to rub on my leg and get changed. Then I pull the camera up and the AF is turned off or something. Grrr! Aaaargh!

 

[dyoon88]

Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences on this forum. I know when I posted it was outdated but I'm glad I got a lot of responses.

I've decided to just use my 70-300L IS with my 6D and maybe later get a APS-C body for my secondary.
It would've been nice if Canon made their teleconverters compatible with the 70-300L IS (in all focal lengths) but they didn't and I've heard so many negative or "not-so-good" reviews on the 3rd party teleconverters.

I'm an amateur photographer just getting into photography. I like taking pictures of landscapes and wildlife but also like doing portraits. Don't really know if I want to become a "semi-pro or pro" but I love taking pictures and been investing in one piece of gear at a time.

Anyway, thank you for all your input! I love the 70-300L IS and picked it over the 70-200 f/4L IS and f/2.8L IS because of its weight and focal length. Also, the AF system is super fast and I love the updated IS system. I travel a lot and like to take my gear with me so my 70-300L IS with my 24-70L f/2.8 are my go-to if I only have limited space or need to pack lightly.

Wherever I go these two lenses are with me!

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences on this forum. I know when I posted it was outdated but I'm glad I got a lot of responses.

I've decided to just use my 70-300L IS with my 6D and maybe later get a APS-C body for my secondary.
It would've been nice if Canon made their teleconverters compatible with the 70-300L IS (in all focal lengths) but they didn't and I've heard so many negative or "not-so-good" reviews on the 3rd party teleconverters.

I'm an amateur photographer just getting into photography. I like taking pictures of landscapes and wildlife but also like doing portraits. Don't really know if I want to become a "semi-pro or pro" but I love taking pictures and been investing in one piece of gear at a time.

Anyway, thank you for all your input! I love the 70-300L IS and picked it over the 70-200 f/4L IS and f/2.8L IS because of its weight and focal length. Also, the AF system is super fast and I love the updated IS system. I travel a lot and like to take my gear with me so my 70-300L IS with my 24-70L f/2.8 are my go-to if I only have limited space or need to pack lightly.

Wherever I go these two lenses are with me!

For a 70-300mmL at 300mm with a Kenko 1.4X TC, its possible that your 6D will be manual focus only. I did have some luck using a Kenko 1.4X on my 5D MK III with a f/5.6 lens. (It becomes a f/8 lens, which is out of spec for the 6D). In spite of that, it might work, but it may also hunt or be slow and erratic, a lot depends on the subject and the lighting.

If you want to use a 1.4X TC, a f/4 or faster lens is the way to go, or get a 5D MK III which has AF at f/8.