400mm at f9 (click and view original size):

Note: both images have been saved as jpeg, so there is some quality loss.

Summary

When used correctly, the Canon EF 2x II  Extender / tele-converter with the 70-200 f2.8l, yields extraordinary results - however this requires a good tripod + cable / remote shutter release - this lens combination is not recommended for candid / hand-held photography.

Close up images work at f5.6 (within a distance of 2-3 meters max - good results require stopping down from f6.3 to f9.0 Shooting distant images with the Canon EF 2x II Extender requires stopping down from f8.0 to f11.0

Construction quality

The Canon EF 2x II teleconverter / Extender is built to L standards - it seems to be environmentally sealed, and includes a nice carry pouch. It is small, light, fits well with metal mounts on both sides, and doesn’t creak. It would probably be at home on the finest lenses and bodies.

Color/contrast

Professional reviewers state Canon EF 2x II Extender has visible contrast loss - however my tests suggested that it isn’t too bad. To my untrained mind, the colors and contrast seemed OK after 6.3, similar to original L colors. It is recommended you shoot in RAW and adjust the contrast / curves a bit, also sharpen +1 (shoot with sharpness set to absolute zero).

Auto / Manual focus

The non IS 70-200 is a very good lens - better than the IS version - however even the best lens struggles to function when zoomed 2x - which is what the Canon EF 2x II Extender achieves.

Auto focus is hit and miss on my camera (EOS Rebel XS), but you may get better results with a 40d/50d or better.

Manual focus is recommended, and a tripod is needed for anything less than midday sunlight - even then it is a good idea.

You should also use a cable shutter release or remote shutter release and self timer / mirror lockup to reduce vibration.

DOF

Shallow DOF seems to exist, no matter how much the lens is stopped down - this is due to various flaws, and the fact that any aperture setting is actually two stops wider - i.e. when you stop down to F8 you are actually at f4 with two stops of light loss. Getting f8 on your original lens = f16 with the Canon EF 2x II teleconverter / Extender.

Taking into account the focal length, it is normal to have various areas out of focus - the best you can do is focus on a prominent feature (e.g. the eye of an animal) and hope everything else isn’t too badly out.

have you heard of that lens before?

me either!

anyway, it looks like a good consumer lens - apparently it was released with the 7D

some quick thoughts:

Performance:
no major complaint - lens was sharp, worked as it should have.

pros
good build quality, solid, IS, USM for focus (FTM I think)
15mm is nice
15-85 translates to 24-135? or something like that, I think - which is (IMO) a good range… so someone buying a camera can buy this lens and be OK with it, probably wouldn’t need anything else initially..
distance scale (I think that is what it is called, at least!)

cons
high price ($799 + vat, etc)

a cheaper option would be (18-55 + 55-250)

Verdict

a bit expensive, but a convenient for someone who wants a single lens. if this drops to about $350 or $400 it would be well worth it

for the moment, for someone with $800 to blow, I recommend a 50mm 1.4 (or 85 1.8) and a 55-250

Alternatively, even better - a 50mm 1.8, 85mm 1.8 and 55-250
all should be possible under $800

Quick sample image at 15mm

I will post more samples later, but I can generally summarize by saying that, to my untrained eye, this lens seems OK - it functions well, is solidly built, has cool ‘pro’ features like ring USM and full time manual focus / distance scale - in short, it is an excellent lens, only a bit expensive

distortion
distortion at 15mm was neither good, nor bad, somewhere in the middle. Obviously a bit more than the 18mm but still in the OK range.

if you wanted to, you could fix distortion using software (DXO Labs, photoshop or something?)

Here are two sample photos:

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/5337/img5481jm.jpg

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/605/img5480b.jpg

I’m definitely impressed by this camera. I will write a detailed review soon

So, go ahead, call dialog and request this channel be added on to your subscription, as it is excellent - and at the cost of just $1 approx, a steal

They have a temp home and they are OK but if anyone out there wants to adopt them both, please post a comment here.

Speaking of birds, here are two more photos:

Thanks to Preveen of Autolanka who identified the bird as a Koha

Sample photo taken with the 50mm 1.8 - at f4 I think..

The 50mm 1.8 is an excellent lens. Its small, light, and quite sharp. At around $80 (10k here via agent) it’s also quite a bargain.

For:

• Sharp,accurate color, focuses OK in low light (at least compared to the 18-55 IS)
• Comparatively cheap - this may be the cheapest lens Canon makes.
• Fast (1.8 max aperture) so good for freezing motion, especially in low light
• Small/Light weight - means its easy to carry and does not add much size/weight to the camera
• Useful length - 50mm (or 80mm approx equiv in a 1.6x camera) is a reasonably usesful focal length.

Against:

• Autofocus is a bit slow and buzzy (somewhat louder)
• OOF (out of focus areas)/bokeh is not that good - however in carefully controlled circumstances it can take decent photos.

Anyway, this article should summarize most of what I’ve gathered over the past year. Prices are approximate.

Background

Some time last year, I decided to take up a hobby. I wrote a list and narrowed it down to photography or smoking. Detailed analysis led to the following conclusions.

Photography:
For: Fun, and you have a visual archive of some things you saw.
Against: very expensive and likely to kill you.

Smoking:
For: makes you look cool.
Against: expensive, kills you slowly. This too leaves a visual archive but it will consist of photos of your blacked lungs taken by med students.

Since I have allergies, I decided to go with photography

What Camera?

If you just need something small and pocketable, get a simple point and shoot digital camera. A basic P&S camera from Canon or Panasonic can be got for about $150. I recommend the Canon A series.

Why DSLR?

In my case, I switched to dSLR’s from point and shoot because of the following:

1. Flexibility to use different lenses, swap lenses between cameras. Why is this important? Because the photo mostly depends on the lens (and technique/skill obviously!) - the camera sensor only has to function OK. And so far nobody has managed to make a lens that covers normal, wide angle and telephoto without compromises - so being able to use different lenses makes better quality photos possible, than could be got with a single all-purpose lens.
2. Good glass retains value: an L series lens purchased for $800 in 1999 probably costs the same today. A dSLR purchased for $5000 in 1999 is probably worth $170 today.
3. Bigger sensor - a P&S sensor is much smaller than an APS-C or full frame. See those tiny cubes at the bottom of this image? now compare with the APS-C or full frame. And unlike megapixels, sensor size DOES make a huge difference in image quality, low light performance, etc.

Step 1: choosing the brand of dSLR.

You have a choice of Nikon or Canon. (Yes, there’s Olympus, Sony, etc.. but lenses are rare so I’d stick with Nikon/Canon).

Which to choose? I can’t say either is better but I personally chose Canon due to lens availability where I live. Also Canon tends to have on-lens autofocus so most canon lenses autofocus regardless of the body, whereas many Nikon lenses wont autofocus on low end Nikon dSLR’s.

Once you have decided the brand, it’s time to pick the body and lenses:

Step 2: Choose body

Where body refers to the camera body without lens. Get the cheapest body for that sensor size - dSLR’s are generally available as 1.6 crop, 1.3crop (rare) or full size.

Why do I say this? because, ultimately, what matters most is the sensor size. Forget about megapixels for now, just get the biggest sensor size for the lowest cost. At the moment, for 1.6 size, that would be the 1000d, and for full frame, that would be the 5d (for Canon). You can upgrade from the 1000d to the 50 D for $500 - $1000 more approx, but is it worth it for a few minor features like faster burst modes? Personally I’d spend more only to upgrade to the 5d with 2x the sensor area.

Note - if you buy a 1.6x sensor, you can use EF-S lenses - these are budget lenses designed to fit that smaller sensor size. These lenses won’t work properly on full frame cameras

Recommended cameras:
EOS1000d or d40/40x/60 for Nikon
If you can afford it, go for the 5D :). If you extremely rich and slightly crazy, the 5D mkII

Lenses

Once you pick a body it’s time to choose lenses. This is where the fun begins. Which lenses are right for you? it depends on your requirements.

Lenses are usually categorized according to the focal length:

Wideangle
10mm, 12mm, 17mm, 22mm etc.. these lenses give you nice wide photos. For example, here is a wideangle photo taken at 18mm (35mm equivalent 27mm perhaps?) What do I mean by 27mm equiv? well if I has a full frame sensor I could have taken that photo with a 27mm lens

You can get a variable wide angle lens (something like the 18mm - 55mm kit lens that’s included with most cameras for $150 or so), or you can purchase individual lenses

Normal

Normal lenses are 50mm, 85mm etc. A 50mm 1.8 prime costs as little as $100, which is incredible value for money.

Telephoto / super telephoto:
85mm upwards.. these include prime (fixed) lenses such as the 100mm f2, and variable lenses (e.g. 70-300mm)

Recommended Lenses:

Budget:

Wideangle - 18-55IS($160), usually included as kit with your camera
Normal - you can get a 50mm 1.8 ($100)
Telephoto 55-250IS ($220)

the IS lenses are image stabilized so they try to stabilize the image despite wobbles caused by your hands

Not so budget:

Wideangle - 17-40L this is a professional wide/zoom lens. (Costs around $600-$800)
Normal - 50mm 1.8, 50mm 1.4
Telephoto - 70-200 f4 l ($800) or upgrade to the IS version ($1200), als consider primes like the 85mm 1.8 ($450) etc.

Aside from this, you may need:

Filters (to filter UV, protect your lenses, and hoods, to prevent lens flare and make you look cool. Also a sealed case with silica gel for storage (Humidity creates fungus in cameras and lenses). Lastly, an insurance policy could be useful.

In retrospect, you may want to consider taking up smoking instead. After all, it is cheaper.

PS: please note any errors in this post, as comments, and I will update it. Thanks!

If the slideshow does not work, you can see the photos here