Hi, I use canon R5mk2, with 200-800 zoom, and an EF fit 500mm prime with converter, I am thinking of buying the 1.4 extender (used) mainly for photographing distant perched birds, would they be a good combination please? I should add, I will probably use the extender only with the zoom lens, I also have a 100-500, that I occasionally us, so maybe will use that too, with the extender.
I have the lens and use on my R6mk2, I do not have the extender. The things to note are that the aperture at the long end will change for F9 without the extender to F13 with it, that is a pretty big jump. To me it seems as though that would really make it more difficult to capture birds not in bright sunlight. I shoot birds using shutter priority, and at the speeds I use I seldom usually at F10 or even F9. Now I am usually shooting early in the morning, obviously you may get more light in midday. I shot the Dunlin below yesterday about 50 minutes after sunrise, I was pretty bright and I set -1 EV, at 1/1600. I got an aperture of F10 and 1600 ISO. In the lens documentation Canon says "when an extender is attached, the AF speed will become slower to retain proper control". For me, I think it would limit the effectiveness of the lens, but that's me shooting in conditions I shoot in, maybe yours are different. Dunlin in Oyster Bed by Tom Ramsey, on Flickr
Thank you, yes I thought there would be aperture restrictions, but at times, for perched birds, I thought it might be useful, today a ringtail hen harrier perched on a fence post, I was in my car and could keep the camera steady, but the extra focal length would have been useful, but then, maybe not often, as I don't see things like perched harriers that often.
