Rent, adapt or tele-convert?

[Zv]

Hey guys quick question. I'm going to an event where I'll be sitting a bit far away from the main goings on. The longest lens I have is my 70-200 f/4L IS.

Was thinking I could probably do with a bit more reach. Here's my Q -

Rent - 300mm f/4L IS (f/4 because the performers aint movin much and I wanna keep a lowish profile) ~ $50

Adapt - I'd have to buy an adaptor for the EOS M but then I could use the 70-200 on it. ~$80

Tele-convert - again I'd have to buy a tele-convertor (thinking Kenko). ~$150

Option 4 - crop. $0

I kinda wanna try out the 300 just to see what's it's like. It would also be my first time renting a lens, could be fun.

I have a T2i lying around but carrying 3 bodies plus all the crap along with them is not my idea of a fun time. I wanted to go with the 5D / tele and EOS M / 11-22 for the occasional wide shot. Light and easy.

Thoughts?

(This is totally non urgent btw and I'll prob rent but just wanted to see some of your thought processes).

 

[Zv]

Rental shop is closed on the Monday (national holiday) when I would like to return the lens so I'd have to return it Tuesday, a workday. Too much running around and hassle so I opted for plan B - adapt. That gives me 320mm with the EOS M plus I get an EF adaptor which I wanted anyway!

 

[Loswr]

Hope the event is well lit, at high ISO the FF is better.

 

[Random Orbits]

Glad you were able to decide on a solution. The thing to keep in mind with 3rd party TCs is possible incompatibility esp. if you use AFMA. You might find yourself picking up a TC in the future to use with your 5D/70-200. Are you using a monopod/tripod? I've tried an EOS-M + 70-200 + 2x TC and can get unweildy without support.

 

[Zv]

Glad you were able to decide on a solution. The thing to keep in mind with 3rd party TCs is possible incompatibility esp. if you use AFMA. You might find yourself picking up a TC in the future to use with your 5D/70-200. Are you using a monopod/tripod? I've tried an EOS-M + 70-200 + 2x TC and can get unweildy without support.

Thanks for the tip! I was just gonna rely on the IS. A monopod would be a great idea! I don't have one but I think I might be able to borrow one from a friend. The event is in a baseball field with benches and chairs. It's it a sort of fireworks display with these special giant handheld roman candles. Light levels will be low but I want to capture some of the sparks falling so I'll prob have to drag the shutter a bit.

The M is just a backup. I'll be shooting mainly with the FF, cropping in post if needs be. If there's time I'll make the switch to the M and get a couple of tight shots of just one person holding the firework. It will also help me decide if I should think about investing in a 300mm lens or not. (Any excuse to buy gear, eh?)

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I took my 70-200mm f/4 l to a night time rodeo. It was light when it started, so I could use a fast shutter and low ISO. There were lights, and as it got later and darker, I found myself increasing ISO until I was at 3200 on my 7D. So I switched to my 85mm f/1.8, and soon, I was at ISO 4000. On a 7D, that's too high. My shutter speed was already too slow, so I finished with under exposed shots that were pretty bad.

I could have taken my 5D MK II and had no problem, but I had just bought the 7D as a Canon refurb and wanted to make sure it was working right.

I think your idea of using the 5D and cropping is the way to go. I expect that you will struggle with the M when the lights go out for the fireworks. The fireworks part will be fine, but photographing the person setting them off may not work. I use a wide angle and about 5 sec exposures for fireworks.

 

[Zv]

This is what I'm aiming for.

 

[Zv]

Update - for anyone who is interested in the result. As it turned out I was much further away than I anticipated. Not only that, peoples heads were in the way of a clear shot. This was the best I could get. It was a crop from 200mm on the 5D II. I did actually get to try out the 70-200 on the EOS M while I was there and it worked OK but auto focus took forever.