Teleconverter for nikon 80-200 2.8D (auto zoom?) (Page 3): In as much as you are shooting surfers, and AF speed will be a consideration, the 1.4X will allow faster AF. I recommend...

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

ValliPride wrote:

I have a nikon ED AF Nikkor 80-200mm 1.2.8D lens, can I use a teleconverter and still have the Auto focus? I was photographing surfers last week and would like a bit more Touch! But I need the Auto Focus and keep the quality!
or go for a larger zoom lens? What Do you think of the 150-600mm tamron?

In as much as you are shooting surfers, and AF speed will be a consideration, the 1.4X will allow faster AF. I recommend Tamron SP 1.4X

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

imagemeister wrote:

In as much as you are shooting surfers, and AF speed will be a consideration, the 1.4X will allow faster AF. I recommend Tamron SP 1.4X

The Tamron 150-600 focuses much faster than the 80-200 AF-D with a 1.4X TC. In fact it seems faster than the 80-200 without the TC. Remember the Nikon lens does not have an AF motor in the lens and must depend on the body driving it. I suppose on a D4, D3S, or similar body it will focus a bit faster than a D7100 for example, but when you and even a 1.4x it does slow down considerably.

romanticf16 Loc: Commerce Twp, MI

ValliPride wrote:

I have a nikon ED AF Nikkor 80-200mm 1.2.8D lens, can I use a teleconverter and still have the Auto focus? I was photographing surfers last week and would like a bit more Touch! But I need the Auto Focus and keep the quality!
or go for a larger zoom lens? What Do you think of the 150-600mm tamron?

Look at the Kenko Pro line of converters. The Nikon converters only work with fast AF-S lenses not the D ones. I have that lens and use the 2X Kenko Pro converter, FYI.

kymarto Loc: Portland OR and Milan Italy

romanticf16 wrote:

Look at the Kenko Pro line of converters. The Nikon converters only work with fast AF-S lenses not the D ones. I have that lens and use the 2X Kenko Pro converter, FYI.

I have a Vivitar macro teleconverter, made by Kenko, that includes a helical focusing thread that will take a 50mm lens to 1:1. The optical quality is as good as or slightly better than my Nikon TC-201. Of course no autofocus because no mechanical coupling, and no auto diaphragm (which I never use anyway).

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

kymarto wrote:

I have a Vivitar macro teleconverter, made by Kenko, that includes a helical focusing thread that will take a 50mm lens to 1:1. The optical quality is as good as or slightly better than my Nikon TC-201. Of course no autofocus because no mechanical coupling, and no auto diaphragm (which I never use anyway).

Doesn't that TC also provide macro capability?

kymarto Loc: Portland OR and Milan Italy

Yes, that's what's great about it. If you have old Ai lenses with a diaphragm ring you get continuous macro capability. That is especially useful with wide lenses, where even thin extension tubes are too big. I also use it with a 50mm 1.4 and a 55mm 1.2, for macro with extremely shallow DOF. They can be had for around 50 bucks on eBay. One caution is that the collar that couples the metering tab on the body (around the lens mount) with the tab on the lens diaphragm ring sometimes gets sluggish, so make sure it rotates freely, or metering will be off. I love mine--but it cannot be used with G lenses unless you block the diaphragm tab on the inside of the lens mount open to the aperture you want.

I sometimes do that with my 14-24 for macro with extreme DOF.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

imagemeister wrote:

In as much as you are shooting surfers, and AF speed will be a consideration, the 1.4X will allow faster AF. I recommend Tamron SP 1.4X

- faster than using with a 2X .....

kymarto Loc: Portland OR and Milan Italy

imagemeister wrote:

- faster than using with a 2X .....

We still have not established that a D lens will allow auto focusing with ANY teleconverter. AFAIK it will not, unless there is a teleconverter with a mechanical coupling between body and lens that I don't know about. The D lenses do not have a motor in the lens.

amehta Loc: Boston

kymarto wrote:

We still have not established that a D lens will allow auto focusing with ANY teleconverter. AFAIK it will not, unless there is a teleconverter with a mechanical coupling between body and lens that I don't know about. The D lenses do not have a motor in the lens.

The "D" designation does not indicate a lack of a focus motor, it indicates that the lens will transmit distance information to the camera. A "G" lens does the same thing, while also getting rid of the aperture ring, so there is no "D" in the description.

The "AF-S" lens has a focus motor, so a lens with "AF" only does not have the focus motor.

The timing of AF-S and G is close, so most G lenses are also AF-S lenses. But the notable exception is the "Nikon AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4D ED-IF", it has a focus motor and also has an aperture ring.

All of my non AF-S lenses do not physically connect with the TC-14E II, so I cannot test the AF question.

romanticf16 Loc: Commerce Twp, MI

kymarto wrote:

We still have not established that a D lens will allow auto focusing with ANY teleconverter. AFAIK it will not, unless there is a teleconverter with a mechanical coupling between body and lens that I don't know about. The D lenses do not have a motor in the lens.

My 80-200 f2.8 IF ED Nikon D lens autofocuses just fine with a Kenko Pro 2x converter.

CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.

romanticf16 wrote:

My 80-200 f2.8 IF ED Nikon D lens autofocuses just fine with a Kenko Pro 2x converter.

My Tamron 2x TC does fine with AF @ f/2.8 in low light.
Where the f/3.5-5.6 has trouble with AF in low light especially at f/5.6 or higher. I use the Viewfinder Manual Focus Spot. I think you lose 1.5 to 2 f/stops with a 2x TC?
Craig

kymarto Loc: Portland OR and Milan Italy

With 2x you lose two stops.