Question about lenses (teleconverter for a 55-300mm Nikkor): Hi, I am looking into buying a 55-300mm VR Nikkor lens for my Nikon D5100. I also want to buy a 2x teleconverter that will...

Aquamarine

Hi,

I am looking into buying a 55-300mm VR Nikkor lens for my Nikon D5100. I also want to buy a 2x teleconverter that will go with it. Do you have suggestions? I don't want to go for the Nikon ones...I can't afford those and the other lens together. Are there any reasonably good affordable teleconverters for this lens?

Thanks,
Aquamarine

snowbear

Your lens will not work on a Nikon teleconverter, anyway. With a two-stop reduction in light, your lens will have a maximum aperture of about f/9 to f/11, which is too slow for Nikon's standards. You may loose autofocus capability in all but the brightest light.

Adorama and B&H carry teleconverters of various brands, and there are many on eBay. I can't vouch for the quality of any of them, but they're probably worth their price.

Good luck.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

The tele on that lens will be a waste of time. Spend the money on a lens with the reach you want to begin with and you will be much happier with the results. I would suggest the Sigma 150-500mm with OS and HSM, at about $1040 it will give you great results on your D5100 and yield the equivalent of a 225-750mm lens for you.

Aquamarine

Oh..I was buying this combo for moon shots, because I read online that one should get a lens that has 300mm focal length and add a 2x teleconverter to get surface details on the moon.

I'm really new to this, and even to DSLR's. So any guidance on how to get those lovely moon shots where you even see the craters will be really nice. Thank you so much...

Aquamarine

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

That post was referring to a 300mm Prime lens, not a much slower zoom lens.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Aquamarine wrote:

Hi,

I am looking into buying a 55-300mm VR Nikkor lens for my Nikon D5100. I also want to buy a 2x teleconverter that will go with it. Do you have suggestions? I don't want to go for the Nikon ones...I can't afford those and the other lens together. Are there any reasonably good affordable teleconverters for this lens?

Thanks,
Aquamarine

Everything I have read indicates that the cheap 2X converters are a waste of money. You can get good results with converters made by the lens manufacturer, but it also depends a lot on the lens and converter. As MT said, you're always better off with a longer lens, rather than trying to make it act longer with an extender.

G4 Loc: Metro NYC/Jerseyside

Aquamarine,
Another idea?
Do you know anyone with a small telescope?
I think most camera stores can fit you with an adapter(Nikon T1?)
Which allows a DSLR to be fitted to an eyepiece of a telescope.
Back in the film daze I had a buddy who did this regular like.
You would not need observatory quality optics given the relative proximity of earth to moon? Any local astronomy clubs nearby?

Aquamarine

G4 wrote:

Aquamarine,
Another idea?
Do you know anyone with a small telescope?
I think most camera stores can fit you with an adapter(Nikon T1?)
Which allows a DSLR to be fitted to an eyepiece of a telescope.
Back in the film daze I had a buddy who did this regular like.
You would not need observatory quality optics given the relative proximity of earth to moon? Any local astronomy clubs nearby?

Oh that sounds like a great idea! Thank you! I'll do that :-)))

GC likes NIKON Loc: East Greenwich, Rhode Island

I'm really new to this, and even to DSLR's. So any guidance on how to get those lovely moon shots where you even see the craters will be really nice. Thank you so much...

Aquamarine[/quote]

There is only so many shots you can take of the moon, because they all look the same !!!! You will grow tired of shooting the same image time after time !! Don't spend a lot of money on this. Borrow or rent a lens, take your shots and return the lens. Spend your $$$ more wisely than on one lens to do one thing.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

GC likes NIKON wrote:

There is only so many shots you can take of the moon, because they all look the same !!!! your $$$ more wisely than on one lens to do one thing.

Well, you can always wait for it to rotate and get some shots of the other side. Lots of patience required for that.

Aquamarine

GC likes NIKON wrote:

I'm really new to this, and even to DSLR's. So any guidance on how to get those lovely moon shots where you even see the craters will be really nice. Thank you so much...

Aquamarine

There is only so many shots you can take of the moon, because they all look the same !!!! You will grow tired of shooting the same image time after time !! Don't spend a lot of money on this. Borrow or rent a lens, take your shots and return the lens. Spend your $$$ more wisely than on one lens to do one thing.[/quote]

Oh can one rent lenses? From where? I know...there are only that many shots you can take of the moon. But right now I feel obsessed after seeing some gorgeous photos. So I'll look into renting. Thanks!

G4 Loc: Metro NYC/Jerseyside

If you "Google" Camera lens rentals you should find something in a major city nearby. Some rent nationwide. One word of caution, drop it you bought it!
Handle with care and you get to try something prior to buying.

infestation Loc: Brampton, Cumbria, UK

Will wait a very long time, the rotation of the moon is the same as its rotation around earth so the same face is always to earth, apart from a slight wiggle on its axis means over a period of time the most that is visible is around 58% or something in that region.

Personally trying to get hold of a telescope adapter then borrow the in-laws telescope always fancied trying to get some shots of Saturn and Jupiter.

jerryc41 wrote:

GC likes NIKON wrote:

There is only so many shots you can take of the moon, because they all look the same !!!! your $$$ more wisely than on one lens to do one thing.

Well, you can always wait for it to rotate and get some shots of the other side. Lots of patience required for that.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

infestation wrote:

jerryc41 wrote:

Will wait a very long time, the rotation of the moon is the same as its rotation around earth so the same face is always to earth, apart from a slight wiggle on its axis means over a period of time the most that is visible is around 58% or something in that region.

Well, you can always wait for it to rotate and get some shots of the other side. Lots of patience required for that.

But what about in Europe? They're on the other side of the earth, so wouldn't they see the other side of the moon? Or how about South America? They must get a different view, right?

I'm kidding, of course. I find two things absolutely amazing: the rotation of the earth and the rotation and orbit of the moon are such that we always get the same view of the moon; the moon is 400 times smaller and 400 times closer than the sun, so solar eclipses are possible. A million years ago, the moon was closer, so it would have blocked out the sun completely. In a million years, the moon will be farther away, so if there are still people on earth, they won't see a solar eclipse. I guess that makes us the lucky ones.

nikon d60 BILL Loc: youngstown,ohio

MT Shooter wrote:

The tele on that lens will be a waste of time. Spend the money on a lens with the reach you want to begin with and you will be much happier with the results. I would suggest the Sigma 150-500mm with OS and HSM, at about $1040 it will give you great results on your D5100 and yield the equivalent of a 225-750mm lens for you.

HEY MT DID YOU GET YOUR D8OOE YET????