Nikon 300mm f2.8: Do any members have experience with the Nikon 300mm f2.8 coupled to 1.4 and 1.7 teleconverters? I'm especially interested in image quality and how it compares with...

oregonfrank Loc: Astoria, Oregon

Do any members have experience with the Nikon 300mm f2.8 coupled to 1.4 and 1.7 teleconverters? I'm especially interested in image quality and how it compares with 500mm and 600mm lenses without teleconverters. I'm not sure I want to spend $10-12k for or carry the weight of the really long lenses. Your experiences will be appreciated.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

oregonfrank wrote:

Do any members have experience with the Nikon 300mm f2.8 coupled to 1.4 and 1.7 teleconverters? I'm especially interested in image quality and how it compares with 500mm and 600mm lenses without teleconverters. I'm not sure I want to spend $10-12k for or carry the weight of the really long lenses. Your experiences will be appreciated.

I have a Nikon 300 2.8 and have coupled it with the 1.4 and 1.7. On that lens there is not too much difference, speed of focus is amazing. I no longer use my Nikon 300, it is in Mint condition with the travel case. If you get interested send me a private message and I will get you more info.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

oregonfrank wrote:

Do any members have experience with the Nikon 300mm f2.8 coupled to 1.4 and 1.7 teleconverters? I'm especially interested in image quality and how it compares with 500mm and 600mm lenses without teleconverters. I'm not sure I want to spend $10-12k for or carry the weight of the really long lenses. Your experiences will be appreciated.

I've used a Kenko 1.4 TC - no complaints. There is no way I would spend $12,000 on a lens. I took a night sky photo course, and one of the people had the Nikon 600mm, and he loved it. Then he said that the new 600mm was so much better. I bought a car for the price of those two lenses!

DaveHam Loc: Reading UK

Provided you use the latest iteration of both lens and teleconverter the 1.4 works extreemly well. So does the 2.0 tc. I don't think the 1.7 has been optimised for use with the lenses in the same way the 1.4 and the 2.0 have, and it always was a soft item.

The 'mark 3' teleconverters were designed by Nikon to work with the fast F2.8 primes; the results with the 300, the 400 are very good all things considered. However the difference between the 300 with the TC and the 600 F4 is still clearly noticeable.

oregonfrank Loc: Astoria, Oregon

Billnikon, jerryc41, and DaveHam, thank you much for your feedback on my question. It was helpful as I consider the nikon 300mm.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

The Nikon 300 2.8 with 1.4 TC and 2.0 TC is my main bird shooting lens system. With my two crop frame cameras, D300S and D500 my throw can be up to 900mm. In addition it will close focus to 8 ft. Results are top notch for any small bird that falls within that range if I get lucky.

In addition, the lens will fit in a shoulder bag, with the camera attached (I don't like or use back packs). Very handy and relatively light for air travel.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

BTW, it effectively shoots at f 5.6 with the 2.0 TC. No issues with autofocus or VR, at least with the D500.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

In other words, 900mm f5.6 with full autofocus and VR on the D500.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Fotoartist wrote:

The Nikon 300 2.8 with 1.4 TC and 2.0 TC is my main bird shooting lens system. With my two crop frame cameras, D300S and D500 my throw can be up to 900mm. In addition it will close focus to 8 ft. Results are top notch for any small bird that falls within that range if I get lucky.

In addition, the lens will fit in a shoulder bag, with the camera attached (I don't like or use back packs). Very handy and relatively light for air travel.

I like how the subject contrasts with the back ground in the second image. Nicely done.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

Lens with Teleconverters about $6000.
Also, hand-holdable for a decent amount of time.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

You have to scale back your sights a little next to someone shooting a 500mm or 600mm. But, this system gives you the tools to nail the ones that come in your range and you have to just be content to get them.

But don't dismiss the close-focusing advantage over a 600mm. That's a compensating value too.

oregonfrank Loc: Astoria, Oregon

Foto artist, thanks for your comments. The two example shots are impressive

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

Those are small birds. They could fit in your palm.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

oregonfrank wrote:

Do any members have experience with the Nikon 300mm f2.8 coupled to 1.4 and 1.7 teleconverters? I'm especially interested in image quality and how it compares with 500mm and 600mm lenses without teleconverters. I'm not sure I want to spend $10-12k for or carry the weight of the really long lenses. Your experiences will be appreciated.

I had the Nikon 300 2.8 VR II for a couple of years and used the TC14E II on FF with excellent results. Almost no loss in IQ or Performance. Never worked with the 1.7 but tried several copies of the 2.0 and was not satisfied with the results.

I think there are better options that are less expensive than this lens an TC combination.

oregonfrank Loc: Astoria, Oregon

joer wrote:

I had the Nikon 300 2.8 VR II for a couple of years and used the TC14E II on FF with excellent results. Almost no loss in IQ or Performance. Never worked with the 1.7 but tried several copies of the 2.0 and was not satisfied with the results.

I think there are better options that are less expensive than this lens an TC combination.

joker, thanks for your feedback.