My Wish List for Canon: 100-400mm XL lens

[Ashok Mansur]

Due to EF adapter problem, I found it's very difficult using EOS lens. If on the consignment in remote places if EF gives up. What you are going to tell the clients, God only can save us. The stock lens is 5.4mm~108mm. If we add XL100~400mm( not EOS) to it, it will cover every thing, Birds as well as Mammals in the wild. I hope all nature Birders will second me.
That's why I strongly appeal to you all; put pressure on Chris Hurd in turn he will do it on Canon.
May be I'm asking too much, but I'm forced to do so.

Ashok

[Andrew M Astbury]

Ashok, I am a bird photographer and I can tell you for certain, an XL format 400mm will get you nowhere.

Wearing my stills hat I can tell you this, at XL400mm you are going to have to get within FEET of your subject for a decent image.

Common bird stills lenses are 500 - 600mm, sometimes with x1.4 teleconverters, and these are used on 1.3x or 1.5x sensor cameras, I myself shoot Nikon with an 800mm which equates to 1200mm - and it's still not enough!

Using 35mm lenses on your XL2 is THE way to go - if you are dubious about the EF adaptor then try a Nikon fit lens via an Optex adaptor, there's no electronics, no glass and no worries!

I use both Nikon fit and Canon lenses on my XL2 without any problems at all - the EF adaptor works fine. BUT REMEBER to turn the lens AF OFF - according to Canon using the lens AF will cause many tears and great bouts of gloom!

The only problem with the EF adaptor for me is it's another bit of glass to get dirty.

Nikon fit and plain mount adaptor is a far easier way of working I find.

The whole beauty Ashok of using stills lenses is that the sensor only sees the center of the lens's image circle - the 'sweet spot' - which is always the best part of the image being free of any edge distortion, contrast fall-off or colour aberation, and the best resolution - giving images vastly superior to the 20x video lens.

[Ashok Mansur]

Thank you Andrew,
How you are going to use EOS lens with Optex adapter, b'cos they are electronically controled iris. If it' possible then I'll leave the super tele XL lens dream.
As for as my knowledge, only FD lens can be used.
When we use EOS lens on XL2 the magnification will be 7.2X.
Ashok

[Andrew M Astbury]

Ashok - the optex adaptor is, as I said, for NIKON FIT lenses!

FD lenses?? Who told you that then?? The EF adaptor is, believe it or not, for EF LENSES and FD lenses will not physically fit.

If you could mount FD lenses the magnification factor would still be the same, as both the newer EF and older FD lenses are built to throw a 35mm full frame 36mm by 24mm image.

I think you are getting either some bad info from someone Ashok, or you are not understanding your equipment properly.

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Ashok Mansur

put pressure on Chris Hurd in turn he will do it on Canon.

Just for the record, I have absolutely no influence upon Canon whatsoever.

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Ashok Mansur

The stock lens is 5.4mm~108mm.

Add the Century 1.6x teleconverter to the front of that lens, and the Canon XL 1.6x extender to the back, and you've got 13.8mm~276.5mm, which is already more than half of what you're looking for.

[Ashok Mansur]

Have EOS lenses, so I should think in that line. I can’t invest on Nikkors. So plz keep concentration on Canon only.
Chris no hard feelings, I done that just to have some long lasting solution from Canon not any thing else. The agony I'm facing b'cos of this ****ing EF adapter, plz don't think otherwise.
You all tell that using 1.6X extender will soften the picture & suggesting another Century 1.6X TC to it. That will make the pictures in haze. I prefer sharper pix.

Ashok

[Andrew M Astbury]

Ashok - you gotta give yourself a reality check here matey!

Canon WILL NOT MAKE another XL mount lens - so guess what, you're either going to have to stick with the 'effing' adaptor, or trade a Canon lens in for a second hand Nikkor and an Optex mount - mine was only £50 so an awful lot cheaper than the EF adaptor - that and a nice 80-200mm, manual everything, what more could one ask for?

Those are your ONLY options Ashok - sorry but that's the truth of the matter.

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Ashok Mansur

You all tell that using 1.6X extender will soften the picture

I have never found the 1.6x extender to be exceptionally soft... even so, you can adjust the image sharpness within the XL2 Custom Preset menu in order to compensate. At any rate you should always make this evaluation for yourself and not rely too heavily on what others say, because it is a relative thing, only you can judge what is acceptable to you, etc.

I must firmly agree with Andrew, the XL lens that you want is *not* going to happen.