Jump to content

Welcome to NikonForums.com
Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!
Photo

What is the downfalls to teleconverters?


  • Please log in to reply
8 replies to this topic

#1
lutn

lutn

    New Member

  • Forum Member
  • Pip
  • 2 posts
  • Country Flag
  • LocationNew Hampshire

I have Nikon D5600. I also have a Tamron 150-600 lens. I am looking into maybe getting a teleconverter 1.4 or 2.0, looking for input on likes and dislikes of the idea. Thank you.



#2
Merco_61

Merco_61

    Nikonian

  • Premium Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 10,589 posts
  • Country Flag
  • LocationUppsala, Sweden

Site Supporter

Teleconverters on already slow lenses make for glacially slow autofocus, if it works at all. A maximum aperture of f/6.3 at the long end becomes f/9 with a 1.4 TC and f/13 with a 2.0 as they increase the focal length but the physical aperture stays the same.


  • TBonz likes this

#3
mikew

mikew

    Forum Veteran

  • Forum Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 798 posts
  • Country Flag
  • LocationNorth East Lincs

My guess would be you would only have center point focus with the D5600 and thats ,with the 1.4, converters only magnify the image so they will magnify any faults, cropping and upscaling may give just as good results.

Converters can be used with varying degrees of success, the right lens and converter can work.

 

Ok i cant show a Nikon sample but this is with a 1.4 and then upscaled from a 40-150 f2.8

 

42495638275_0e9f369af4_o.jpgP6180106up by electric.mike, on Flickr

 

This is the upscaling i use

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=4dfJWqklrGY



#4
TBonz

TBonz

    Sportz Guy

  • Forum Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 3,652 posts
  • Country Flag
  • LocationOn A Field Somewhere...

Site Supporter

I think there are a few folks here who have that lens and I know several others outside of this forum who have used it.  As far as I know not a one of them has even tried to use even a 1.4x Teleconverter on it.  I seriously doubt that the autofocus would work at the long end.  I have used the Nikon 1.4TC on my Nikon 200-400 for some testing.  The lens has a fixed f4 aperture and it was not as fast to focus as it is without the TC attached.  Luckily I wasn't shooting anything where focus speed was critical, but it still missed a few times...

 

Honestly I wouldn't even try either TC on that lens unless I happened to have one available to test.  I don't think I'd even risk renting one for a weekend to test it...  Hopefully some of the folks here who have that lens will chime in...



#5
morticiaskeeper

morticiaskeeper

    Forum Veteran

  • Forum Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 343 posts
  • Country Flag
  • LocationTewkesbury, Glos
Be careful about the mechanical fit when looking for a teleconverter. I was offered the use of a Nikon TC on Sunday. It had glass sticking out of the front. My Sigma zoom had glass sticking out of the back.

If we hadn't have taken measurements, it could have been a costly mistake if the zoom was pulled back.
  • TBonz likes this

#6
fallout666

fallout666

    Nikonian

  • Forum Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 1,098 posts
  • Country Flag
  • Locationcfl area of space coast

i have first gen tamron 150-600 on my d5300 and i get about 220 to 222 short end and long end 900mm so why would want to make long then 900mm and higher f/stop to get longer reach. i been told only add teleconverters if using full frame since dx all ready add 1.4 to full frame lenses. i too would like to see what pictures would look like with a teleconverters for crop sensor body too. but not sure if 3000  or 5000 series body can use teleconverters do to fact we do not have motor in side body of camera



#7
mikew

mikew

    Forum Veteran

  • Forum Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 798 posts
  • Country Flag
  • LocationNorth East Lincs

i have first gen tamron 150-600 on my d5300 and i get about 220 to 222 short end and long end 900mm so why would want to make long then 900mm and higher f/stop to get longer reach. i been told only add teleconverters if using full frame since dx all ready add 1.4 to full frame lenses. i too would like to see what pictures would look like with a teleconverters for crop sensor body too. but not sure if 3000  or 5000 series body can use teleconverters do to fact we do not have motor in side body of camera

 

You have been miss informed to some extent

 

The DX crop is 1.5 not 1.4,sensor size has nothing to do with if you should use a converter, i use one on a smaller sensor than DX.

The main factors to consider are, is the lens good enough to have decent IQ after adding a converter, will the body still focus with the loss of light you would get from putting a converter on say a f6.3 lens,the inbuilt focus motor only determins which model of converter you can use not if you can use one. 


  • Merco_61 , TBonz and Jerry_ like this

#8
fallout666

fallout666

    Nikonian

  • Forum Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 1,098 posts
  • Country Flag
  • Locationcfl area of space coast

You have been miss informed to some extent

 

The DX crop is 1.5 not 1.4,sensor size has nothing to do with if you should use a converter, i use one on a smaller sensor than DX.

The main factors to consider are, is the lens good enough to have decent IQ after adding a converter, will the body still focus with the loss of light you would get from putting a converter on say a f6.3 lens,the inbuilt focus motor only determins which model of converter you can use not if you can use one. 

thanks for tip might pick one up for it then or one for my nikon 70-200mm nice to have one just in case i need it



#9
Oric Man

Oric Man

    Member

  • Forum Member
  • PipPipPip
  • 43 posts
  • Country Flag

I used a teleconverter on a different camera with fairly standard quality lenses and found that the quality of the images were reduced so much that I got better results taking the shot without the TC and cropping.

Extra glass is meant to reduce quality, so a TC tends to reduce image quality. I think the proper brand TC are better than the third party stuff.

Back in the film days I used to use TCs and prime lenses to good effect. 35mm, 50mm and 200mm gave me 70mm, 100mm and a not very usable 400mm.(Too dark to tell when it was in focus and too tricky to hold still.) Quite a useful range. But these days a reasonable zoom can be got to cover most ranges.

After spending money or more recent equipment and being disappointed I'd want to try a TC with my lenses before handing over my hard-earned cash.

 

My brother does wildlife photography with top of the range NIkon gear and he uses Nikon TCs  to good effect. The quality is not noticeably compromised - but with the hugely expensive gear the quality is top notch to begin with. If you want the extra reach with a quality long zoom then it seems a worthwhile option.


  • TBonz and ScottinPollock like this