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Canon EF Extenders / Teleconverters

The range of Canon 1.4x and 2x lens extenders

The teleconverters (TC) will multiply the focal length of any EF lens used with them by either 1.4x or 2x.

So, a 300mm lens beomes a 420mm with a 1.4x TC and a 600mm lens with a 2x TC.

Sounds great, but it comes at the cost of reduced maximum aperture and slowing of AF performance (typ. 50% for 1.4x and 75% for 2x). The latest versions of the extenders are designed to reduce this, but there will always be some performance cost with an extender.

Maximum available aperture is reduced by 1 stop for 1.4x and 2 stops for 2x, so an EF 300/2.8 becomes 420/4 or 600/5.6

There are several versions of the converters in circulation, with the MKIII versions exhibiting the best optical characteristics, and lowest degradation of image quality (the extra glass in the lens unit will always have some effect)

Not all lenses can work with an extender. The list below shows suggested lenses that will work.

Note that apart from specialist lenses such as the tilt-shift TS-E range, teleconverters are designed for use with longer telephoto lenses. They also have the 3 extra electronic contacts for proper electronic communication with the extender. [See more details in the article about the EF lens mount]

EF extender at Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

EF Extender versions

1.4x EF Extender

Version	Date	Groups	Elements	Size (mm)	Weight	Construction	Photo
Canon Extender EF 1.4x	10/1988	4	5	67.6 x 27.3	200g
Canon Extender EF 1.4x II	03/2001	4	5	72.8X 27.2	220g
Canon Extender EF 1.4x III	12/2010	3	7	72.0 x 27.2	225g

2x EF Extender

Version	Date	Groups	Elements	Width	Weight	Construction	Photo
Canon Extender EF 2x	10/1987	5	7	67.6	240g
Canon Extender EF 2x II	03/2001	5	7	52	265g
Canon Extender EF 2x III	12/2010	5	9	72.0x 52.7	325g

MkII versions improved lens coatings, optical design and added environmental sealing

MkII versions updated electronics, optical design and coatings to minimize ghosting, flare and chromatic aberration. Added 'Fluorine coating' to aid cleaning.

EF extender compatibility guide

Lens	Lens with 1.4×	AF with 1.4×	IS with 1.4×	Lens with 2×	AF with 2×	IS with 2×
135 mm f/2L USM	190 mm f/2.8	Yes	—	270 mm f/4	Yes	—
180 mm f/3.5L Macro USM	252 mm f/5	Yes	—	360 mm f/7.1	No	—
200 mm f/1.8L USM	280 mm f/2.5	Yes	—	400 mm f/3.5	Yes	—
200 mm f/2.0L IS USM	280 mm f/2.8	Yes	Yes	400 mm f/4	Yes	Yes
200 mm f/2.8L II USM	280 mm f/4	Yes	—	400 mm f/5.6	Yes	—
300 mm f/2.8L USM	420 mm f/4	Yes	—	600 mm f/5.6	Yes	—
300 mm f/2.8L IS USM	420 mm f/4	Yes	Yes	600 mm f/5.6	Yes	Yes
300 mm f/2.8L II IS USM	420 mm f/4	Yes	Yes	600 mm f/5.6	Yes	Yes
300 mm f/4L USM	420 mm f/5.6	Yes	—	600 mm f/8	f/8 only	—
300 mm f/4L IS USM	420 mm f/5.6	Yes	Yes	600 mm f/8	f/8 only	f/8 only
400 mm f/2.8L USM	560 mm f/4	Yes	—	800 mm f/5.6	Yes	—
400 mm f/2.8L II USM	560 mm f/4	Yes	—	800 mm f/5.6	Yes	—
400 mm f/2.8L IS USM	560 mm f/4	Yes	Yes	800 mm f/5.6	Yes	Yes
400 mm f/4 IS DO USM	560 mm f/5.6	Yes	Yes	800 mm f/8	f/8 only	f/8 only
400 mm f/5.6L USM	560 mm f/8	f/8 only	—	800 mm f/11	No	—
500 mm f/4L IS USM	700 mm f/5.6	Yes	Yes	1000 mm f/8	f/8 only	f/8 only
500 mm f/4.5L USM	700 mm f/6.3	f/8 only	—	1000 mm f/9.0	No	—
600 mm f/4L USM	840 mm f/5.6	Yes	—	1200 mm f/8	f/8 only	—
600 mm f/4L IS USM	840 mm f/5.6	Yes	Yes	1200 mm f/8	f/8 only	f/8 only
800 mm f/5.6L IS USM	1120 mm f/8	f/8 only	f/8 only	1600 mm f/11	No	f/8 only
1200 mm f/5.6L USM	1680 mm f/8	f/8 only	—	2400 mm f/11	No	—
70–200 mm f/2.8L IS USM	98–280 mm f/4	Yes	Yes	140–400 mm f/5.6	Yes	Yes
70–200 mm f/2.8L IS II USM	98–280 mm f/4	Yes	Yes	140–400 mm f/5.6	Yes	Yes
70–200 mm f/2.8L USM	98–280 mm f/4	Yes	—	140–400 mm f/5.6	Yes	—
70–200 mm f/4L IS USM	98–280 mm f/5.6	Yes	Yes	140–400 mm f/8	f/8 only	f/8 only
70–200 mm f/4L USM	98–280 mm f/5.6	Yes	—	140–400 mm f/8	f/8 only	—
100–400 mm f/4.5–5.6L IS USM	140–560 mm f/6.3–8	f/8 only	f/8 only	200–800 mm f/9–11	No	f/8 only
100–400 mm f/4.5–5.6L IS II USM	140–560 mm f/6.3–8	f/8 only	f/8 only	200–800 mm f/9–11	No	f/8 only
200–400 mm f/4L IS USM (without built-in extender 1.4×)	280–560 mm f/5.6	Yes	[unsure]	400–800 mm f/8	f/8 only	[unsure]
200–400 mm f/4L IS USM (with built-in extender 1.4×)	400–800 mm f/8	f/8 only	[unsure]	560–1120 mm f/11	No	[unsure]
TS-E 17 mm f/4L	24 mm f/5.6	No	—	34 mm f/8	No	—
TS-E 24 mm f/3.5L	35 mm f/5.0	No	—	50 mm f/7.1	No	—
TS-E 24 mm f/3.5L II	35 mm f/5.0	No	—	50 mm f/7.1	No	—
TS-E 45 mm f/2.8	65 mm f/4.0	No	—	90 mm f/5.6	No	—
TS-E 90 mm f/2.8	125 mm f/4.0	No	—	180 mm f/5.6	No	—
Notes
Autofocus:	Yes - AF works. f/8 only - AF works only with EOS bodies that can AF at f/8. No - AF does not work.
Image stabilization:	Yes - IS works. f/8 only - IS works only with supported EOS bodies (typically EOS bodies from after 1995).

Note that not all camera bodies AF systems work with f/8 lenses. These ones do:

Canon EOS-1D X (with firmware version 1.1.1)
Canon EOS 5Ds and 5Ds R
Canon EOS 5D Mark III (with firmware version 1.2.1)
Canon EOS 7D Mark II[11]
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III
Canon EOS-1D Mark III
Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II
Canon EOS-1D Mark II
Canon EOS-1D Mark II N
Canon EOS-1Ds
Canon EOS-1D
Canon EOS-1V
Canon EOS 3

An extender (2x) and shift lens

The photo is from some testing of the TS-E17 lens at Northlight Images.

TS-E17mm lens and 2x extender

The 34mm focal length is not mentioned in the image EXIF data and the original (incorrect) aperture is recorded.

The 1.4x III version is best with the TS-E17 and TS-E24, with a useful 34mm on the TS-E24.

The loss of image quality with the test above suggests that even with the 2x III extender, results will not satisfy critical work at any large amount of shift.

Used Canon Lenses
• UK: MPB | Park
• USA: B&H | Adorama

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