Tele-extender question :- Kenko Pro 300 DG 1.4X or canon 1.4X?

Ok, as part of my kit gathering ( which has now got to STOP!) for my upcoming

trip to Kenya, I have decided to add a teleconvertor to my kit bag.

 

Trouble is, I don't know which extender to go for.

 

The lenses I own ( but not necessarily taking with me on safari) are..

 

1. 70-200 mm F4 L series

2. 18-55 mm kit lens

3. 28-135 mm IS lens

4. 50mmF1.8

5. 90-300 mm non usm,non IS,non-everything.

 

Clearly, the canon extender is branded and would ONLY fit my 70-200 mmF4 L

series lens, and takes away by one f stop, whereas the kenko *might* work with

the other lenses in my bag?

 

I don't know if the lenses I own are compatible with 'extenders', except for

the 70-200 mm L series lens.

 

Also, is there much of a difference in Image Quality between the canon and

kenko extenders?

 

so far i am lead to believe that both are equally good, but the kenko is

cheaper and compatible with the other lenses I already own.

 

For what it's worth, It isn't practicle for me to take a tripod on safari as I

will be in a very full safari truck with people moving around all over the

place.

 

I will, however, take a bean bag with me and make similar 'improvisations', as

well as using higher ISO settings to compensate for Image stabilisng the best i

can..

 

all answers sincerly appreciated.

 

Ohh...as a footnote, there is no way on *earth* I can buy 400 mm prime lenses

etc ( or even hire) for this trip and nor am I looking to buy more lenses..

 

 

thanks :-)

Kenko will work with the 28-135 and the 50, NOT with the 18-55 which is an EF-S, probably with the 90-300 since it fits an EF mount

 

Kenko quality is excellent

As above. You may find some of this discussion on autofocus interesting:

<a href="http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=29503">Canon and Tamron</a>

and <a href = "http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=284408">Kenko</a>

Note that the Kenko also "takes away by one f stop", except that it might not tell the camera that it does so.

We just got back from a Tanzania safari - what a great experience! Our 12-year old says, "Best vacation ever!"

 

With your set-up (including extender), you'll get some great photos. You'll often wish for more length as well. I had a 300mm f4.0 IS + 1.4 Canon tele-extender. If I were to do it again, I'd rent a 400mm or larger. Your 70-200mm will work great with the extender and be fine for large or close game. The kit lens and your 28-135mm should be good for landscapes, sunsets, close-ups. etc.

 

I'd suggest bringing a back-up pocket camera. We brought a Panasonic TZ-3, which was just fantastic. 10x zoom, a nice movie mode, and a lot easier to carry around than a DSLR and lenses. It's an amazingly fun and versatile camera.

 

You won't miss the tripod. I brought a monopod (which I used mostly only for landscapes and sunsets) and a beanbag (which I used extensively).

 

Finally, if your itinerary includes any interactions with local folks, I suggest you learn a few phrases of Swahili. The appreciation you show by doing so will be paid back many times by the people you'll meet. And don't let yourself get so busy taking photos that you forget to enjoy the moment-to-moment experience.

 

Best of luck and have an outstanding trip!

Speaking of losing a stop with a 1.4 extender, does that only apply to the available light, or does it affect the depth of field, too? I.e, does the 1.4 turn an f/5.6 into the deeper f/8, or merely darken it to f/8 while keeping the DOF of f/5.6?