Canon EF 1.4X II Extender Telephoto Accessory Description and Reviews.

Product Description:

Attaching this high performance Extender to a 135mm or longer lens, or to the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L boosts the focal length by 1.4 times. With five elements in four lens groups, it preserves the prime lens' image quality.

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Product Reviews:

A great way to extend the reach of compatible lenses, September 27, 2005
Reviewer: erugifog "erugifog"
The 1.4X II teleconverter is a modest update to Canon's earlier 1.4X TC. The mark II allows this extender to be stacked with another of Canon's extenders (either another 1.4X II or the 2X II) without having to separate the two with an extension tube (although the loss of sharpness from stacking extenders may not be acceptable to you). Otherwise, the quality of the newer 1.4X II is supposed to be very similar to the older model, which I've never owned.

The 1.4X II is a great way to extend the reach of compatible lenses. Note that not every Canon lens is compatible with this extender. The following is from Canon's Web site: "This tele extender can be used with fixed focal length lenses 135mm and longer (except the 135mm f/2.8 Softfocus lens), and the EF 70-200 f/2.8L, 70-200 f/2.8L IS, 70-200 f/4.0L, and 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS zoom lenses."

I use it frequently with my Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS, which turns it into a 98-280mm zoom. The extra reach it adds is not tremendous, but it's very welcome when I just need a little more than what the lens alone can give me.

I've found no appreciable loss in sharpness from using the 1.4X. Of course, any extender is going to reduce sharpness to some degree, but with normal examination, I can't distinguish photos taken with the 70-200mm that use the 1.4X from those that don't. The fact that the 70-200mm f/2.8L is a very sharp lens to begin with helps in this department.

Using the 1.4X decreases your lens' widest aperture 'capability' by one stop. With some lenses, that can be more significant than it appears on the surface; when using a non-pro Canon body (such as my 20D) the lens must have a minimum wide-open aperture 'capability' of f/5.6 for autofocus to work. The lens doesn't have to be set at f/5.6, it just has to be 'capable' of at least f/5.6 after adjusting for the one stop loss from the 1.4X. That means with some camera/lens combinations, adding the 1.4X will force you to focus all of your shots manually. (Note: There is a known 'fix' for this that restores autofocus. I've never needed to try it, but it involves taping over some connector pins on the 1.4X to fool the camera body. Proceed with caution if you try this, and do a Google search to learn how to do it right before attempting it.)

The 1.4X also reduces focus speed very slightly. I've only used it on my 70-200mm IS, which has Canon's USM and is a fast-focusing lens to begin with, but the decrease in speed is so slight I really don't notice it. And it does not affect IS (Image Stabilization) at all.

The 1.4X is built to the quality of Canon's L-series lenses, which means that it is weather sealed and will keep a Canon pro body and L-series lens weather sealed when used with them.

If you're considering this extender, you're probably also considering Canon's 2X II teleconverter. I do not own the 2X but did a lot of research on it before ultimately deciding to go with the 1.4X. The 2X decreases your aperture by two stops, and is reported to have a noticable decrease in sharpness--more than some photographers are willing to live with. On the other hand, I've never read a review that complained about the loss of sharpness from the 1.4X.

If you've already invested a lot of money in telephoto lenses, the 1.4X II is a relatively inexpensive way to get even more reach (and value) out of your investment while adding only a modest amount of bulk to your camera bag. Highly recommended.
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Super Accessory, September 14, 2005
Reviewer: Ralph E. Nordstrom "Papabear94"
I was able to use the Canon EF 1.4X II Extender for some nature photography recently in Wyoming. I shot elk in low light conditions so I was shooting pretty much wide open. The extender did not compromise the inherent sharpness of the lens at all. You could see the hairs on the animals heads. It's fantastic.
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Just a Little Extra Reach, April 28, 2006
Reviewer: Brian Koch "Aspiring Photographer"
Make sure to check the compatibility charts to verify that your lenses will work with this before buying it since only a handful of L series lenses are compatible. If you do already have one or more of these lenses though this is a nice addition. The AF only works with lenses f/4 and faster on most camera bodies. You do also give up a little image quality by putting this between your lens and camera body, but the extra reach is really nice.
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Nice accessory to get closer, April 18, 2006
Reviewer: A. Ferguson
I have used the 1.4x II extender for over a year. It gives me amazing detail with my 70-200L f/4 lens on a 20D. I use it mostly for wildlife and butterflies. Contrast is good with colors that pop. When shooting on a sunny day the shutter speeds are still quick with the f/5.6 and the background is blurred beautifully. In shade areas and low light a tripod is a must! There hasn't been any sacrifice in subject detail. I can see individual hairs on butterfly bodies even when shooting wide open. This is a great way to get closer without paying a significant amount for a supertelephoto lens.
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It's Just Not Enough, January 28, 2006
Reviewer: John T. Reynolds "fastluck"
I purchased this at a photographic store because a professional said you shouldn't go higher than 1.4x. Just keep in mind--1.4x is only "40% better". It worked really well, but didn't increase the zoomage enough. I decided to go with a 2x (that's twice the zoomage) teleconverter by kenko instead. I gave this one to my brother-in-law for Christmas.

You have to think about what you want--I want to get in really close to the birds. I have a 70-300mm zoom lens and 1.4x takes it to 98-420mm. It is an improvement, but not nearly enough! If you want to get twice as close, this isn't going to do it for you. If you want to get half-again-as close, this almost gets you there.
As far as quality, the quality is definitely there. Five stars for quality, 3 for insufficient zoomage.
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