Focal Length
Feb 4, 2016 11:36:03 #
tommckibbin
Loc: Liverpool, England.
Hello folks. I have Nikon D3200 and 55-300 lens. Shoot mostly wildlife. Is there anything out there worthwhile anybody has used to extend as can't afford longer lens at moment.
Regards, Tom.
Regards, Tom.
Feb 4, 2016 11:54:13 #
tommckibbin wrote:
Hello folks. I have Nikon D3200 and 55-300 lens. Shoot mostly wildlife. Is there anything out there worthwhile anybody has used to extend as can't afford longer lens at moment.
Regards, Tom.
Regards, Tom.
You would have to check with NikonUSA to see if a Teleconverter would be compatible. If so it probably would not have AF.
Hopefully someone else can help you more than I have.
Feb 4, 2016 12:11:15 #
I had the same problem. I bought a used Nikon 1 J1 camera on ebay for $85 with shipping and a new Nikkor FT-1 f-mount to Nikon 1 adapter for $240 on Amazon that will autofocus my Nikkor 55-300mm zoom on the J1. The J1 CX sensor has a 2.7 crop factor, giving the 300mm lens an equivalent focal length of 810mm. This is the lowest cost best solution I could come up with to extend the reach for widlife. I tried the bigma 500mm zoom lens by sigma but the J1 with the Nikkor AFS VR 55-300mm zoom gave me better results than the bigma on a DX Nikkor. I also tried other things like cheap used manual lenses (500mm and 300mm) and a used manual 2x TC that I bought on ebay for $20 to $30 each. Before I bought the J1, I bought a used super zoom bridge camera (the Fuji FinePix HS10 with a 720mm focal length zoom) for $100. The J1 with the autofocusing FT-1 adapter and the 55-300 lens was the best solution hands down. I initially bought a cheap manual f-mount to Nikon 1 lens adapter for the J1 for $20, but birds and wildlife move too fast for me to focus manually on the J1.
tommckibbin wrote:
Hello folks. I have Nikon D3200 and 55-300 lens. Shoot mostly wildlife. Is there anything out there worthwhile anybody has used to extend as can't afford longer lens at moment.
Regards, Tom.
Regards, Tom.
Feb 4, 2016 12:14:13 #
Mac wrote:
You would have to check with NikonUSA to see if a Teleconverter would be compatible. If so it probably would not have AF.
Hopefully someone else can help you more than I have.
Hopefully someone else can help you more than I have.
Sorry, I didn't notice your location.
Feb 4, 2016 12:33:18 #
I had that lens, I bought one used for about half-price. It does a good job and you can crop in the computer as well to get a little more reach. I don't believe you can use a TC with it, the rear element of the lens would mash up against it. I moved up to a Sigma 18-300 and a Sigma 150-600 as my wildlife needs progressed. Start saving your pennies and maybe buy used or refurbed to get more value for the money. Good luck!
Feb 4, 2016 15:47:06 #
I went out and took a pic with the J1 and 55-300mm lens zoomed to 300mm (equiv focal length = 810mm) so you can compare it to pics taken at the same distance with your setup.
The distance to the car license plate was exactly 400 ft. measured on Google Earth. The pic was taken handheld, with my forearms resting on my gate, f5.6, iso-100, 1/160 sec. Taken today at 2:30PM, cloudy skies.
The pic is an unprocessed jpg, out of the camera. No processing except I scrambled the numbers on the license plate for privacy.
The distance to the car license plate was exactly 400 ft. measured on Google Earth. The pic was taken handheld, with my forearms resting on my gate, f5.6, iso-100, 1/160 sec. Taken today at 2:30PM, cloudy skies.
The pic is an unprocessed jpg, out of the camera. No processing except I scrambled the numbers on the license plate for privacy.
Bobspez wrote:
I had the same problem. I bought a used Nikon 1 J1... (show quote)
Nikon 1 J1 and Nikkor 55-300 AFS VR Zoom, 400 ft. to license plate.
(Download)
100% crop of street sign at 390 ft. Tweaked shadows and highlights in PS
(Download)
Feb 4, 2016 16:32:11 #
tommckibbin
Loc: Liverpool, England.
Thanks for that. Am hoping to get the Tamron 150-600 but Santa is not playing the game.
Feb 4, 2016 22:29:19 #
tommckibbin wrote:
Hello folks. I have Nikon D3200 and 55-300 lens. Shoot mostly wildlife. Is there anything out there worthwhile anybody has used to extend as can't afford longer lens at moment.
Regards, Tom.
Regards, Tom.
No. You effectively have a 450mm lens. Extenders are intended to be used with sharp prime and a couple of sharp zooms. Trying to use one with a consumer grade zoom is not going to give you satisfactory results.
Feb 4, 2016 23:43:58 #
Suggest a used 300mm f4 with a 1.4x. Swamp Gator has used this setup although with Canon.
Feb 5, 2016 07:30:24 #
Here is Nikon's teleconverter compatibility chart:
http://www.nikonusa.com/Assets/Common-Assets/Images/Teleconverter-Compatibility/EN_Comp_chart.html
http://www.nikonusa.com/Assets/Common-Assets/Images/Teleconverter-Compatibility/EN_Comp_chart.html
Feb 5, 2016 07:32:32 #
tommckibbin wrote:
Hello folks. I have Nikon D3200 and 55-300 lens. Shoot mostly wildlife. Is there anything out there worthwhile anybody has used to extend as can't afford longer lens at moment.
Regards, Tom.
Regards, Tom.
"Worthwhile...used to extend..." I think not.
Feb 5, 2016 07:46:09 #
Kenko teleconverter.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_fb_0_10?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=kenko+teleconverter&sprefix=kenko+tele%2Cgarden%2C148
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_fb_0_10?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=kenko+teleconverter&sprefix=kenko+tele%2Cgarden%2C148
Feb 5, 2016 07:49:16 #
Bobspez wrote:
I had the same problem. I bought a used Nikon 1 J1... (show quote)
There are a few on ebay £60 for one on a buy it now
Feb 5, 2016 09:23:01 #
I've shot wild life with a D7000 and 55-300 for a few years before upgrade. Here's my two cents:
1. You can never get enough length. However cropped 300mm (450 equivalent) is decent for wild life. Today I have a Nikon 28-300 and a Sigma 150-600. I found myself using the 28-300 quite often.
2. The bigger issue for 55-300 is not reach, but focusing speed. Once I upgraded to 28-300 my BIF success rate go up drastically.
My suggestion is that instead of extending 55-300, save your money and get a better 300+mm lens in the future.
1. You can never get enough length. However cropped 300mm (450 equivalent) is decent for wild life. Today I have a Nikon 28-300 and a Sigma 150-600. I found myself using the 28-300 quite often.
2. The bigger issue for 55-300 is not reach, but focusing speed. Once I upgraded to 28-300 my BIF success rate go up drastically.
My suggestion is that instead of extending 55-300, save your money and get a better 300+mm lens in the future.
tommckibbin wrote:
Hello folks. I have Nikon D3200 and 55-300 lens. Shoot mostly wildlife. Is there anything out there worthwhile anybody has used to extend as can't afford longer lens at moment.
Regards, Tom.
Regards, Tom.
Feb 5, 2016 10:41:30 #
Cropping with well applied pixel enlargement techniques/software is another well considered option .....
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