A Poor Man Tele Lens

I have always envy all those nature photographers who own the top of the range telephoto lenses such as the 500mmf4 or 600mmf4. These lenses are the best for capturing small birds and wildlife from a distance. The price range of $12000-18000 is way too expensive for me so I have to settle for something more within my budget.

Well, since I already own a 100-400mm zoom, I went and got myself a 1.4x tele-converter so I could have a 500mm lens at a fraction of the cost! Off course, there will be some draw back like the f-stop becomes f8 and the autofocus is gone on my 40D camera. I could not do much about the small f8 stops but I managed to find an article on the Internet that helps to restore the autofocus function on my lens. Although I could only use the center focus point and the autofocus becoming slightly sluggish with the 1.4x tele-converter, it beats having to manually focus the lens with the dimmed viewfinder due to the small aperture!

Following is a series of photos taken last Saturday at the Botanic Garden after I purchase the tele-converter. I was focusing the lens manually because I have yet to discover the article on restoring the autofocus. Although it is quite difficult to get a precise focus with the dimmed viewfinder, I really enjoyed myself throughout the session with the extra reach of my lens!