[Review & Sample Photos] Enjoying the 400mm World with the Canon 6D and a 2x Extender | Paired with the EF70-200mm F4L IS USM

You want to enjoy super-telephoto shooting without fuss, but lugging around a big, heavy lens is a bit much... Plenty of camera fans must share that dilemma.

In this article we review a system that makes super-telephoto shooting easy: the full-frame DSLR classic Canon EOS 6D, paired with the L-series lens EF70-200mm F4L IS USM, which we recently purchased, and the EXTENDER EF 2x II 2x teleconverter.

With this combination, a 70-200mm lens becomes a 140-400mm super-telephoto lens.

Along with sample photos we actually took, we'll introduce what kind of pictures it can produce, plus the appeal and handling of this particular setup.

A Lightweight Full-Frame Body, an L Lens, and a Little Magic Box

First, let's introduce the pieces of gear that make up this system.

Canon EOS 6D Released in 2012, this is Canon's full-frame DSLR. Its greatest feature is a body that was remarkably light and compact for a full-frame camera of its day. The roughly 20.2-megapixel CMOS sensor delivers image quality that still holds up today, along with excellent high-ISO performance. The standard ISO range tops out at 25600, and this high-ISO capability becomes a powerful ally when shooting at f/8, as described below.

EF70-200mm F4L IS USM Among Canon's L lenses, affectionately known as "white lenses," this one is especially light and agile. It has a maximum aperture of f/4 throughout the zoom range and features image stabilization (IS). Its sharp, crisp rendering is typical of an L lens.

EXTENDER EF 2x II A teleconverter that doubles a lens's focal length. By mounting this "magic box" between the lens and the body, a 70-200mm lens is transformed into a 140-400mm super-telephoto lens.

The Constraint of f/8 and the Tension of Center-Point-Only AF

When you attach the "EXTENDER EF 2x II," the focal length doubles, but the maximum aperture also becomes two stops darker. In other words, a lens with a maximum aperture of f/4 becomes a lens with a maximum aperture of f/8.

This "f/8" figure matters a great deal for a DSLR's autofocus (AF). On the EOS 6D, when an f/8 lens is used, AF works only at the center AF point. For that reason, this system basically means aiming at your subject with "center-point AF."

You don't get the convenience of the latest mirrorless cameras, where eye AF works all the way to the edge of the frame. But continuing to track your subject with a single point in the center brings the photographer a certain tension, and the joy of facing the subject head-on. There is a pleasure in "taking careful aim and firing" that takes you back to the roots of photography.

Sample Photo Review: Telephoto Compression and Everyday Street Life

Now let's look at sample photos taken with this system (EOS 6D + EF70-200mm F4L IS USM + EXTENDER EF 2x II). Using the 140-400mm-equivalent telephoto zoom range and f/8 center-point AF, we captured a variety of scenes.

Feeling Telephoto Compression with Buildings and an Airplane

The real joy of a telephoto lens is the "compression effect" that draws distant subjects closer. An airplane flying high in the sky and the antenna of a towering building: two elements that look far apart to the naked eye are tightly condensed by the telephoto's pulling-in effect. The gradation of the blue sky is rendered smoothly, too.

A slope leading down to an underground parking lot, and people walking along it. The orderly lines of the brick wall and the placement of the figures, cut out by the telephoto angle of view, turn a familiar street scene into something dramatic.

Texture and Resolution

A pigeon spotted on a street corner. The intricate pattern and texture of the feathers of the pigeon standing on a tiled surface are rendered with surprising sharpness. By focusing precisely on the pigeon's body with center-point AF, we ended up with a richly textured photo. The f/8 aperture also contributes to the sharp rendering.

Street Corner Snapshots

These street snaps, despite being true 400mm-class shooting, were taken handheld while walking through the city, which speaks to the practicality of this system.

Compared with a large super-telephoto lens, it is not ostentatious, and its size is easy to carry slung from the shoulder. A couple crossing the street, a mail carrier hauling packages, a bus driver... From a little distance, with the unique perspective of a telephoto, you can quietly capture the everyday life of the city just as it is.

On top of that, the EOS 6D's high-ISO performance and the lens's image stabilization (IS) are reassuring allies. Even in the city, where the amount of light changes easily, IS lets you suppress camera shake and shoot at somewhat slower shutter speeds, so despite the f/8 constraint, you can enjoy street snapshots with surprising freedom.

Conclusion: Enjoying the Inconvenience, Grown-Up Super-Telephoto Fun

The combination of "Canon 6D + EXTENDER EF 2x II + 70-200 F4 L IS USM."

It comes with "inconveniences" that the latest mirrorless cameras don't have, such as "center-point AF only" and "the darkness of f/8." But if you understand those inconveniences and shoot with some ingenuity, you can enjoy the world of 400mm super-telephoto in a surprisingly light and compact package.

The reliable rendering of an L lens, the tenacious high-ISO performance of the EOS 6D, and the tension of capturing your subject with center-point AF. When these come together, you should feel a joy and sense of accomplishment in photography that you can't find anywhere else.

If you want to try super-telephoto shooting easily, or you want lighter gear but don't want to compromise on image quality, and above all if you simply want to enjoy the act of taking photographs itself, please experience this "grown-up super-telephoto play" for yourself.

Canon EOS 6D product list

Canon EF 70-200mm F4L IS USM product list

Canon EXTENDER EF 2× II product list

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