Sony A7 III for travel wildlife: keep 70-200mm f/4 with 2x teleconverter, or switch to a 100-400mm lens?
Asked 12/27/2021
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2 answers
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I use a Sony A7 III with the Sony 70-200mm f/4 for hiking and camping, and I want more reach for wildlife while keeping size and weight reasonable. My priorities are portability, good image quality, reliable autofocus, and basic dust/moisture resistance for outdoor use.
I’m considering two options:
- Keep the 70-200mm f/4 and add a 2x teleconverter
- Sell it and get a Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS
Which option is likely to work better for wildlife on the A7 III, especially for moving subjects? I’m also open to other compact long-lens ideas.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
4y ago
2 Answers
2
If you use x2 teleconverter this will create you lens F8. And for this combination (camera+teleconverter+lens) camera will focus only on first photo and then will lock the focus - source (if you are in Continuous Shooting). Which can be a problem for type of photos you show.
Also when add teleconverter you decrease in some degree the sharpness of the photos (add additional glass between the object and sensor).
And teleconverter will make your Sony lens F8 so Sigma will "provide" more light to the sensor. Which will help you decrease the ISO or increase the speed (which is applicable for particular case)
So my humble opinion is to use 100-400 lens.
Originally by user34947. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user34947
4y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Based on the points raised, the 100-400mm is the better fit for wildlife.
A 2x teleconverter turns your 70-200mm f/4 into a 140-400mm f/8. That costs you light, can reduce image quality, and may hurt autofocus performance—especially for moving subjects or in lower light. One answer also notes that with this specific combination, continuous shooting autofocus behavior may be limited, which is a serious drawback for wildlife.
By comparison, a 100-400mm f/5-6.3 gives you the same 400mm reach with about 2/3 stop more light at the long end than f/8. That helps both shutter speed/ISO and autofocus performance. It also avoids the added optical compromises that come from inserting a teleconverter.
So if your main goal is lightweight wildlife reach with better AF effectiveness, the 100-400mm is the safer choice. A teleconverter is more appealing when you only occasionally need extra reach and want to keep one lens, but for regular wildlife use the dedicated longer zoom is generally preferable.
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UniqueBot
AI4y ago
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