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200-500 lens need a teleconverter?
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Feb 25, 2019 02:36:38   #
Pistnbroke Loc: UK
 
Lets get to some common sense here ..I have the D850 with 200-500. To get the best IQ ..Don't use a UV filter , If you shoot JPEG up the Sharpness to +9. Set the fine focus adjust ..near enough is not good enough. Shoot at 1/500min, f8.Auto iso to 3200. Use a gunsight to locate your bird quickly. AS its FX you might as well shoot in FX mode as going to DX crop will not put more POI, 3D tracking mode for BIF, add a third party grip and third party EN EL 18 for 9 FPS with charger will cost you about $120 ( see Nikon Rumors for more details)

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Feb 25, 2019 06:02:05   #
billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
 
Red Sky At Night wrote:
If I am purchasing a new AF-S Nikkor 200-500 lens to go with my D850 do I need to also purchase a teleconverter? I've been trying to read some information online but I am confused if it is something I really need? I will be using it both for animals and landscape. Thank you.


AHHHHHH. That is the question, isn't it. Should I get one? Do I need one?
I personally shoot the 500 mm f5.6 off the D850. And, it all depends on how close you can get to what you want to shoot. For me, I shoot at many Florida wetlands, and I can get close to the birds in flight and their nests, so, for me, I can fill about 60% of the frame with the 500 5.6. So, I am currently not going to add a teleconverter. IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW CLOSE YOU CAN GET AND HOW MUCH OF THE SCREEN YOU CAN FILL WITH THE IMAGE. My advice, shoot for a while with the 200-500 and then decide.
Congratulations on your purchase, I love my 200-500 and shoot it off the D500 all the time.
You might experience a little slower focusing with a teleconverter, so, see how it goes first before you buy one.

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Feb 25, 2019 06:31:27   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
I don't think "need" is the right word. How about "want"? : )

I have a Kenko Pro 1.4 which works well on my D750. Make sure you get one that will work with your camera and lens.

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Feb 25, 2019 06:37:16   #
Pistnbroke Loc: UK
 
The only one that will work with your 200-500 is the NIkon TC14 lll which costs more than half the cost of the 200-500 lens ...The Kenko 1.4 300 DGT ( not the 4 element version) slows the focus so much its useless and drops the image quality..sold it.

I suggest you check all the pointers I gave in my previous post before you spend $$$$

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Feb 25, 2019 07:06:43   #
throughrhettseyes Loc: Rowlett, TX
 
I have a Nikon 200-500mm f5.6 lens. I also have a 2.0 teleconverter. I use them on my D500 and find that with a teleconverter I lose my speed of the fast focus system and 2 f stops. You have a D850 with 44 megapexils where you can crop better than to use a teleconverter. Save your $450 and crop. Try putting your camera in the crop mode and see if that works for you. Basically a D850 in the crop mode is a D500. That is what makes a D500 so sharp all across the sensor from corner to corner. I only use my teleconverter to shoot deep space photography.

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Feb 25, 2019 07:06:56   #
shutterhawk Loc: Cape Cod
 
Red Sky At Night wrote:
If I am purchasing a new AF-S Nikkor 200-500 lens to go with my D850 do I need to also purchase a teleconverter? I've been trying to read some information online but I am confused if it is something I really need? I will be using it both for animals and landscape. Thank you.


I occasionally use the 1.4 teleconverter with a 200-500 on My D500. I'm pretty exclusively a bird photographer and have found that it produces good, sharp images in strong light with good contrast but tends to go soft in anything but bright sunlight.

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Feb 25, 2019 08:03:33   #
mas24 Loc: Southern CA
 
jerryc41 wrote:
I don't think "need" is the right word. How about "want"? : )

I have a Kenko Pro 1.4 which works well on my D750. Make sure you get one that will work with your camera and lens.


I own that same 1.4X teleconverter for Nikon F mount. When I saw the expensive prices the Nikon Brand was charging for their 1.4X and 2.0X teleconverters, I had to side step to an aftermarket one too. I believe I paid $150 for it, when purchased, about 2 years ago. Checking for lens compatibility is an absolute must. As you stated. I rarely use it though. If not at all.

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Feb 25, 2019 08:04:13   #
doclrb
 
The typical naysayers (who can afford the most expensive glass) will always trash teleconverters. That said, there is always a trade off between reach and quality with a teleconverter. In your case, the TC-14E III coupled with the 850 has received consistent positive reviews. With the 500 as well. I’m planning on purchasing soon. If your wildlife photography includes birds, I would purchase the TC.

doclrb

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Feb 25, 2019 08:43:06   #
Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)
 
Longshadow wrote:
Print a 5x7 from a full frame and print a 5x7 from an APS-C (same picture in viewfinder) with the same lens.
Now tell me it's not an effective zoom.


First of all, a zoom is a lens that has variable focal length. So I think what you mean to imply is that putting a lens on a crop camera somehow brings you closer to a subject than it does on a full frame.

So try this. Compare the results using the same lens on D850, printing an image using the in-camera APS-C crop and then print an image from a D500, then shooting the same image on the D850 but using the entire sensor and cropping in post to 5,408 x 3,600 pixel - All three images will be around 20 mp. Then tell me how using a crop sensor somehow increases the focal length. . .

It doesn't. Using any lens on a crop sensor merely narrows the field of view compared to the same lens on a full frame camera. It is not a zoom, it is not a longer lens. It's just a crop. Or you can continue to believe what you want to believe. Cognitive dissonance can be a b**ch.

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Feb 25, 2019 08:54:39   #
Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)
 
doclrb wrote:
The typical naysayers (who can afford the most expensive glass) will always trash teleconverters. That said, there is always a trade off between reach and quality with a teleconverter. In your case, the TC-14E III coupled with the 850 has received consistent positive reviews. With the 500 as well. I’m planning on purchasing soon. If your wildlife photography includes birds, I would purchase the TC.

doclrb


A TC on a 200mm F2, 300mm F2.8, 400mm F2.8, or the special paired TC provided with the 180-400mm are total pleasures to use. These lenses are among Nikon's sharpest and fastest focusing lenses. I have no hesitation using a TC with any of them. However, putting a TC, even a 1.4X, on a consumer grade zoom is going to give you a serious hit in acquisition speed and accuracy, tracking and image quality. I even see the hit using a 600mm F4. So, no, there is no reason to trash a TC. The problem is when people try to use a TC with the wrong lenses. And this applies regardless of whether you use it with a D850 or a D500. You always need to consider the maximum aperture of the lens and it's performance on a camera when the max aperture is diminished. Both these cameras "can" focus with an F8 lens, but that doesn't mean there aren't going to be tradeoffs. Unless you've actually used the combination in the field, it's hard to understand why you would recommend a 1.4 TC for the 200-500. I've tried it and it stinks. Oh, and read my other post where I showed the MTF test results of the 200-500 with a 1.4 TC. It wasn't very sharp at all. You can read more about it here.

https://photographylife.com/reviews/nikon-200-500mm-f5-6e-vr

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Feb 25, 2019 10:08:00   #
doclrb
 
From the link you have suggested:

"The Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6E VR does not have such issues, because of its brighter maximum aperture of f/5.6 at all focal lengths, which is why the lens is actually suitable to use with the 1.4x teleconverter."

doclrb

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Feb 25, 2019 10:31:15   #
cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA
 
mas24 wrote:
I own that same 1.4X teleconverter for Nikon F mount. When I saw the expensive prices the Nikon Brand was charging for their 1.4X and 2.0X teleconverters, I had to side step to an aftermarket one too. I believe I paid $150 for it, when purchased, about 2 years ago. Checking for lens compatibility is an absolute must. As you stated. I rarely use it though. If not at all.


You got exactly what you paid for. Best of luck.

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Feb 25, 2019 10:32:17   #
cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA
 
Gene51 wrote:
A TC on a 200mm F2, 300mm F2.8, 400mm F2.8, or the special paired TC provided with the 180-400mm are total pleasures to use. These lenses are among Nikon's sharpest and fastest focusing lenses. I have no hesitation using a TC with any of them. However, putting a TC, even a 1.4X, on a consumer grade zoom is going to give you a serious hit in acquisition speed and accuracy, tracking and image quality. I even see the hit using a 600mm F4. So, no, there is no reason to trash a TC. The problem is when people try to use a TC with the wrong lenses. And this applies regardless of whether you use it with a D850 or a D500. You always need to consider the maximum aperture of the lens and it's performance on a camera when the max aperture is diminished. Both these cameras "can" focus with an F8 lens, but that doesn't mean there aren't going to be tradeoffs. Unless you've actually used the combination in the field, it's hard to understand why you would recommend a 1.4 TC for the 200-500. I've tried it and it stinks. Oh, and read my other post where I showed the MTF test results of the 200-500 with a 1.4 TC. It wasn't very sharp at all. You can read more about it here.

https://photographylife.com/reviews/nikon-200-500mm-f5-6e-vr
A TC on a 200mm F2, 300mm F2.8, 400mm F2.8, or the... (show quote)


Well said and thank you. You have more patience than I.

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Feb 25, 2019 10:36:40   #
Joexx
 
LWW wrote:
Same thing.



No, reduced POV is not the same as longer focal length

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Feb 25, 2019 10:41:01   #
amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
 
Red Sky At Night wrote:
If I am purchasing a new AF-S Nikkor 200-500 lens to go with my D850 do I need to also purchase a teleconverter? I've been trying to read some information online but I am confused if it is something I really need? I will be using it both for animals and landscape. Thank you.


You would be better served simply using your D850 in it's DX/1.5X crop mode (19MP) or cropping images that way in post-processing, or getting a DX model like D7200 (24MP) for use with the 200-500. You'll get better results that way, than by adding a 1.4X or 1.5X teleconverter. On DX format the lens will "act like" a 750mm f/5.6. In comparison, with a 1.4X added, it becomes an effective 700mm f/8.

If you choose to use a teleconverter, some previous responses have mentioned "Kenko Pro".

Problem is, Kenko makes four different "Pro" teleconverters: older "Pro 300 1.4X" and "Pro 300 2X", plus newer "HD Pro 1.4X" and "HD Pro 2X". They also offer cheaper, older "MC4 1.4X" and "MC7 2X".

I have no experience with the new HD.... I've only noticed that they use less elements than any of the others and are the most expensive.

I also haven't done anything with the 2X in the two older versions. I've compared the two 1.4X closely (though I ended up buying something else).

With most lenses the least expensive MC4 1.4X is very sharp in the center, but a bit soft in the corners. It's a good choice for use with APS-C/crop cameras, which don't use the corners anyway.

The Pro 300 1.4X has better corner sharpness and is very good, but not quite as sharp in the center as the MC4. The Pro 300 is usually a better choice for use on full frame cameras.

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