tamron150-600mm & 2x teleconverter: I looked high and low for this lens, they were $1700.oo on amazon, no one else online had one.. just happened to call a couple local shops and one...

redhogbill Loc: antelope, calif

I looked high and low for this lens, they were $1700.oo on amazon, no one else online had one.. just happened to call a couple local shops and one of them had 2 of these lenses!! {$1069.oo}each . I will start shopping local again!!
so..... I digress!!
can not find any info about using a 2x teleconverter with this lens any one have any info??
I use a d800 {{ and a d3200 [kick around]}}

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

redhogbill wrote:

I looked high and low for this lens, they were $1700.oo on amazon, no one else online had one.. just happened to call a couple local shops and one of them had 2 of these lenses!! {$1069.oo}each . I will start shopping local again!!
so..... I digress!!
can not find any info about using a 2x teleconverter with this lens any one have any info??
I use a d800 {{ and a d3200 [kick around]}}

They will mount, but you will lose autofocus. It is also VERY hard to manually focus the lens with a TC as there is so little light left coming into the camera.

ecobin Loc: Paoli, PA

redhogbill wrote:

I looked high and low for this lens, they were $1700.oo on amazon, no one else online had one.. just happened to call a couple local shops and one of them had 2 of these lenses!! {$1069.oo}each . I will start shopping local again!!
so..... I digress!!
can not find any info about using a 2x teleconverter with this lens any one have any info??
I use a d800 {{ and a d3200 [kick around]}}

A UHH member, Brucew29, uses this lens with two Kenko extenders - he has posted several photos of the moon with this set-up and are excellent. I believe the new Kenko Pro extenders provide auto focus but you'll need really good light. You might send Bruce a PM.

Haydon

ecobin wrote:

A UHH member, Brucew29, uses this lens with two Kenko extenders - he has posted several photos of the moon with this set-up and are excellent. I believe the new Kenko Pro extenders provide auto focus but you'll need really good light. You might send Bruce a PM.

Your limited to F8 with autofocus. It's a camera restriction and not a teleconverter issue. As MT stated, this lens will have little light left once you have lost 2 stops of light.

Remember feather detail isn't the same as the moon. Using a long lens yourself makes you aware of differences in optics and images.

ecobin Loc: Paoli, PA

Haydon wrote:

Your limited to F8 with autofocus. It's a camera restriction and not a teleconverter issue. and as MT stated, this lens will have little light left once you have lost 2 stops of light.

Thank you - didn't know about F8 - must be a reason for that?

EZsh00ter Loc: Ottawa, On. Canada

It used to be 5.6 was the limit on Nikon cameras. (don't know about cannon) The D800 and D4 are Nikon's first F8 autofocus cameras. A good way to focus(using a tripod) is to use live view and zoom in on your subject using the + and - like you would a photo. In addition also use a loupe. to your camera screen. I don't know about the compatability of doublers on that lens. I am sure you thought about this, but you can shoot it in DX mode also, as the crop will fill the frame even more.

Cheers,
Eric

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

EZsh00ter wrote:

It used to be 5.6 was the limit on Nikon cameras. ... (show quote)

The D7100 is a F8 auto focus camera as well.

bigwolf40 Loc: Effort, Pa.

MT Shooter wrote:

They will mount, but you will lose autofocus. It is also VERY hard to manually focus the lens with a TC as there is so little light left coming into the camera.

MT>>> I have a Tamron TC 1.4 and it works on the Tamron 70-300 with autofocus so would that one work on the 150-600 lens as long as there is enough light?....Rich

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

When you use brackets in your message - [ - it messes up the "Quote Reply" system.

OviedoPhotos

You can use a TC with almost any lens (note I said almost). A lens already starting at F5 will lose a lot of light with a 2X. But in some cases it may not be very practical.

Although tamron makes a good product, I don't think they really design it to be compatible with a TX of any value. Mostly to keep the cost down. Depends on use of course.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

bigwolf40 wrote:

MT>>> I have a Tamron TC 1.4 and it works on the Tamron 70-300 with autofocus so would that one work on the 150-600 lens as long as there is enough light?....Rich

The Tamron is an F5-6.3 lens. Adding a 1.4TC makes for an F7.1 lens at 150mm. There is a chance that you could get some autofocus (depending on the body) in very good light, but its a slim chance, and the camera would likely do quite a bit of searching to obtain autofocus. Once you take the lens past 400mm with the 1.4X TC you take the maximum aperture well past F8 which is the limit of even the best AF systems on the market and the lens will NOT AF regardless of the light. I know one user here on the forum who made a boast that his Sigma 50-500mm lens would still AF with a 2X TC attached to his Canon Rebel. This is total BS as it is not physically possible, especially with a Rebel. Camera manufacturers have only recently been able to make bodies that AF at F8, and even those cameras will only do it with spot focus using the very center focusing point.

oldtool2 Loc: South Jersey

MT Shooter wrote:

They will mount, but you will lose autofocus. It is also VERY hard to manually focus the lens with a TC as there is so little light left coming into the camera.

This is true even with the 1.4X TC's.

Jim D

Swamp Gator Loc: Coastal South Carolina

Jeez that lens is dark enough without an extender, I imagine putting a 2X on there would make daylight conditions look more like dusk.

oldtool2 Loc: South Jersey

Swamp Gator wrote:

Jeez that lens is dark enough without an extender, I imagine putting a 2X on there would make daylight conditions look more like dusk.

Phil,

You are wrong this time. It turns day to night!

I tried this lens using the Tamron TC's and decided it was a waste of time. To be honest though I have a rough time with MF because of my cataract.

Jim

yhtomit Loc: Port Land. Oregon

Great thread.Thanks to all.