Yellowstone Trip
May 8, 2018 10:18:46 #
On our upcoming trip to Yellowstone I am considering a purchase of a Nikon Teleconvertor for my Nikon 70-200 2.8. I will be using a Nikon D7100 with this lens. Would this work for wild life shots? Which would work best 1.4 1.7 2.0. I would like to go with the 2.0 for the most reach.
I searched on the Nikon site and they are capatable with this lens.
I checked on renting a lens but since we are going to be gone for three weeks it gets a little expensive to just rent a lens. Still less than a teleconvertor, but I will always have the teleconvertor for future use.
Any thoughts or suggestions, pro's or con's?
I searched on the Nikon site and they are capatable with this lens.
I checked on renting a lens but since we are going to be gone for three weeks it gets a little expensive to just rent a lens. Still less than a teleconvertor, but I will always have the teleconvertor for future use.
Any thoughts or suggestions, pro's or con's?
May 8, 2018 10:25:09 #
The greater the magnification of the TC the greater the image degradation and the more loss of light (f stops). FWIW I prefer the 1.4 as its image degradation is minimal and only a loss of 1 stop. Be careful in your choice and understand their limits, consequences. Best luck.
May 8, 2018 10:43:14 #
I do have the 55-300 lens, would I be better off using that and cropping for wildlife, or the teleconvertor?
May 8, 2018 10:51:45 #
Mmolique wrote:
I do have the 55-300 lens, would I be better off using that and cropping for wildlife, or the teleconverter?
The teleconverter will not work with this lens.
May 8, 2018 11:01:20 #
You may want to look for camera stores just outside of Yellowstone. You may be able to rent for a shorter period of time.
May 8, 2018 11:08:07 #
mizzee
Loc: Boston,Ma
Read the reviews on B&H for the teleconverter. I think you may find that the 1.4 or 1.7 will be a better bet, you won't lose as many stops. Don't forget you have a crop sensor so you'll get more bang for your buck.
May 9, 2018 07:02:55 #
HCB iii
Loc: Delray Beach, Florida
MMolique- I was in Yellowstone last summer with my wife. My favorite part of the trip was going to Hayden Valley at dawn for wildlife. For this, you will need a tripod and the longest lens you can get. I was still "underlensed" with my olympus 300mm (600mm FF equivalent), but I did not have a tripod and had to hand hold at high ISO and low shutter speed to get shots of grizzlies and wolves in low light. In short, I would go with the larger teleconverter (if you cannot rent a 600+mm lens) and have the tripod to make up for the loss of stops. For ordinary shots around the park, of course, you do not need the length. Have fun! HenryB
May 9, 2018 07:36:32 #
Wildlife in YNP may be 5ft from your car or a mile. I take 3 lens, 18-200, 70-300 and a 150-600.
May 9, 2018 07:51:36 #
You will want to have a wide angle (10-24mm?) for many of the thermal features. You might also think about shooting panoramas to stitch in your PP. Also, SHOOT RAW. I've been there twice. I was awed by the scenery far more than the wildlife. My D7100 did an awesome job. Have fun and be safe. Do not be tempted to get too close to the wildlife.
May 9, 2018 08:05:59 #
May 9, 2018 08:46:29 #
Mmolique: everything depens on what you want to take photos. If want to take the beautiful geisers, and hot pots with the fantastic colors you need a wide angle lens. For wildlife it is a sort of luck because you can see a bear croosing a few feets of you or to see a deer one mile away and unless you have a telescope imposible to take a decent photo. So I believe you better carry a wide angle and a standard zoom lens without worry about a teleconverted.
May 9, 2018 09:26:01 #
Before you go, find every Yellowstone picture on line (or even go to a Library) that you can find. So many memorable shots to see. Now, when you go, try to NOT duplicate any of what you can remember. Get what ever unique angles and perspectives, extreme close ups, etc. that you can conceive of. Make your photo experience as different as you can from pictures you have seen by others. That way you will have some real treasures (that you will hopefully share with us). Also, in trips around the two loops at Yellowstone, sometimes you'll see a variety of animals, sometimes you will see very few. One day visits there can be joyous or very disappointing. Plan for as many days as you can. Relax, drink plenty of water. I just love the place.
May 9, 2018 09:33:09 #
Mmolique wrote:
On our upcoming trip to Yellowstone I am consideri... (show quote)
One of our members, MT Shooter, owns a camera shop just outside Yellowstone. He does rent lenses but also knows Yellowstone very well and conducts photographic trips. He may have some tips about interesting spots to visit and see wildlife as well.
May 9, 2018 09:36:18 #
mizzee
Loc: Boston,Ma
The camera store in West Yellowstone is Elk Mountain Photo, The biggest little photo store(!). However they don't seem to have a web site so I don't know about lens rentals. Based on reviews they can help if something goes wrong or you forgot something.
May 9, 2018 10:03:35 #
317tman
Loc: Indianapolis, In
Seeing certain wildlife can be hit and miss; i’ve Been there 4 times and seen 1 blackbear. Others see grizzlies on trip one. Often things are so far away no matter what you have it won’t be sufficient. I dragged a rented 500 mm f4 with on one trip and it was great to have, but I could have used more. Also it was not fun to travel with on a plane. Best viewing for wildlife is early morning or sunset and having an f4 lens’s helped. Other trips I had an old 200-400 tamron and it was just ok range wise, but not good in low light and had poor IQ. So my advice is if you don’t rent a big lense, get a 1.4 converter to get the best IQ with good low light ability and get the pictures you can. That combo should allow reasonable cropping and be easy to carry.
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