The Nikkor 200-400 f/4 ED and the Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 APO are in my opinion the best and sharpest zoom lenses in that range.

Of the slower zoom lenses, the old Nikkor 50-300 f/4.5 ED is a gem.

(I still prefer the fixed prime telephoto lenses though).

Max weight -XL2+ EF adapter + lens ??
 

Hi guys.

Just wondering what people would consider the max weight for XL2+ EF adapter + lens ?? without supporting the lens...can't get hold of my manual at the mo.

I've just upgraded from a Canon 100-300 F4.5-5.6 (about 500grams) to Sigma 100-300 F4 (1.3 Kg without collar), which works great and doesnt seem to cause the joint an issue but I'm sure its too heavy with no support.......just wondering what people think and what canon recommend!

I'm going to be sorting out a support but unfortunately just don't have the funds at the mo!

Canon EF Lens with XL2
 

Hi!

I have a few questions about using Canon EF lenses with the XL2.

First, would there be any advantage to using a RedRock 35mm adapter over just using Canon's EF adapter?

Second, which Lens/Lenses would you recommend? I'm considering this one.

Third, I'll be wanting to use a follow focus. Which follow focus units work with Canon's still lenses and where can I find a focus gear ring for the lens? What about a matte box?

Thanks,

Dale

Hi Dale. These 2 options are for different applications and are not really comparable. The EF adaptor magnifies the image so that the 24-70 zoom lens becomes highly telephoto. Suggest you do a search on this subject as it has come up many times in the past.

Richard

Autofocus in Canon EOS series
 

Hi, I`m thinking about buying xl2 (I own xm2) the main reason is telephoto which I can achieve with Eos series - I`m mostly filming wather sports competitions, which very often take place 200-300m from shore and 20 x zoom in xm2 is not enough. I`m wondering about autofocus and folow options in eos lenses are they work with xl2???

thanks for reply

OK, I dig the whole forum with "ef adapter,wildlife, eos, sport, lenses and many more"tags and find many answers for my question, but still have doubts.

How works zoom in 100-400 L IS - can I make smoth zoom from wide to full tele?


I` wondering between Canon 100-400 L IS and Sigma 70 -200 2.8 and 1.6 extender ? any other sugestion about chosing the righ lense

And wich zoom control I will have to use - camera or lense ?

thanks

Hi Lukas. The EOS lenses do not have motorised zoom, so you will have to do it manually. It is unlikely that you will be able to zoom smoothly with a super-telephoto lens, because all the judders will be magnified, but I suppose if it's an action shot with fast zooming it might be OK.

Richard

Hi Lukas,

the 100-400mm is a push/pull type zoom and it's not intended for zooming while you are filming. So, no, you will not be able to do smooth zooms with that lens.

Thanks a lot!
OK now I`m wondering about using canon ef adapter? Is it necessary -couse on Ron sight (http://www.ronsrail.com/gallery.html) I can see than not every lense have (white-square)canon ef adapter, are there any lenses that fit to xl2 body without adapter ???

Very often I work in strong wind like 25-30knots and even with small camera like xm2 at full tele on manfrotto hdv tripod I have a little shakes.
So I thik I need lense with Image Stabilizer - from what I read on this forum I have to use canon ef adapter to have " control " with any IS lens (I know that it doesnt work as well as in still cameras, but it`s better than nothig), without canon ef adapter IS system won`t work, m`I right ???

My main question is- do I have to buy canon ef adapter and canon lense to have IS (what about Sigma and other... )???

best regards
Lukas

Lukas

You should try the XL 1.6 Extender with the camara's 20X stock lens. It increases the focal length of the 20X lens by 1.6. It might be able to get you close to 200mm. from the shore and be able to use the IS, MF, AF, smooth zoom and also have different zoom speeds. You will encounter a little bit of Judder. A very good tripod will help.

But is it true that with extender at the end of telephoto the image makes soft and lose quality???

And what about XL 2.0 Extender - worse/better than 1.6 ?

thanks for reply

May be a little.
The XL2 is a very sharp camera. Its a sharper than most DV cams in $2k - $5k prize range. You can also up the sharpness level inside the Preset menue.

XL 2.0 Extender will be better .

Take a ride to the Pro video store and perform some tests. Use a monitor when performing tests. The XL2 viewfinder is not so great.

100-400mm Lens
 

Lukas,

I have used the 100-400mm lens on my cam for the last 3 years. It is impossible to zoom with this lens, and, do it smoothly. It should really be labeled a vari focal length lens. It gets me wonderful wild life shots.

As to the auto focus: I turn it off. All it does is eat the battery; and, if nothing in the picture is moving, it starts "hunting" (moving the picture slowly left to right, or up and down, depending on the lens setting). Most annoying. With practice, I find that manual focus is the way to go.

As to extenders: Any glass that is added to a lens, including filters, will degrade the image to some extent.
You will have to make your own test to determine how much degradation occurs.

I hope this post helps you.

Canon EF Adapter XL for Canon XL-2
 

Before I buy this expensive $450 adapter I have a few questions.
I'm planning on filming sports events like track&field.
1. Does it zoom in/out the lens automatically. No manual work.
2. Is there a degradation in the lens quality.
TIA.

Hi Carl. I suggest you do a search on what this adapter actually, and then decide if you need it or not.

Briefly, it allows you to fit any Canon EF lens to the XL2 body, instead of the stock zoom lens. The EF lenses are for still cameras and do not have zoom motors, in fact I'm not sure if you can even control the lens aperture from the XL2 body.

There is also a tremendous crop factor or magnification when you fit an EF lens to the XL2. This might be what you want for some shots, but only you can decide if it is useful for your situation.

Richard