Teleconverter: Unhappy Ending: I recently asked for advice in the section on Main Photography Discussion for the possible purchase of a Nikon 1.7 teleconverter for my AF-S Nikkor...

Waterboy23 Loc: Toms River, NJ

I recently asked for advice in the section on Main Photography Discussion for the possible purchase of a Nikon 1.7 teleconverter for my AF-S Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G ED VR lens and Nikon D7100 body.

After digesting all of the suggestions and against the advice of all the well-meaning naysayers, I opted to buy a 1.4x Kenko teleconverter.

A few days ago, I visited the Cape May Zoo in New Jersey to test it out and the experience was a total disaster. I had to use manual focus and could only use F stops larger than F8. I had been forewarned but the experience was worse than I could imagine.

I'm going to return the Kenko as soon as possible but I thought I'd post a few of my shots anyway, the first three with the teleconverter on and the last two without it.

Number 1 is a female African lion, 2 & 3 is a golden lion tamarin monkey, and 4 & 5 are otters. I welcome any and all comments! Thanks in advance. Gene

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speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

Waterboy23 wrote:

I recently asked for advice in the section on Mai... (show quote)

Boy, there is some serious banding in your pictures!

Waterboy23 Loc: Toms River, NJ

speters wrote:

Boy, there is some serious banding in your pictures!

Thanks for your comment but what is banding?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

speters wrote:

Boy, there is some serious banding in your pictures!

Which pictures and where???

Bultaco Loc: Aiken, SC

I googled it, Colour banding, or color banding (American English) is a problem of inaccurate colour presentation in computer graphics. ... However, in some cases there is a risk of producing abrupt changes between shades of the same colou

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

That particular lens has decent optics for an inexpensive zoom lens but it has really crappy VR. We're you shooting with the VR turned on? Remember, a teleconverter amplifies things, good and bad. If you were shooting with the VR turned on and didn't give it an extra second or so to stabilize, you will end up with crappy results. Another thing, since Nikon does not make a teleconverter that's compatible with that lens, didn't you think they have a good reason for it?

Waterboy23 Loc: Toms River, NJ

Bultaco wrote:

I googled it, Colour banding, or color banding (American English) is a problem of inaccurate colour presentation in computer graphics. ... However, in some cases there is a risk of producing abrupt changes between shades of the same colou

Thanks, I googled it too.

Waterboy23 Loc: Toms River, NJ

rmorrison1116 wrote:

That particular lens has decent optics for an inexpensive zoom lens but it has really crappy VR. We're you shooting with the VR turned on? Remember, a teleconverter amplifies things, good and bad. If you were shooting with the VR turned on and didn't give it an extra second or so to stabilize, you will end up with crappy results. Another thing, since Nikon does not make a teleconverter that's compatible with that lens, didn't you think they have a good reason for it?

I'm pretty sure I turned the VR because they said to do that in the instructions that came with the teleconverter. I knew that Nikon did not recommend a TC for my lens but based on some of the comments I received in connection with my original post, I thought there was a possibility that it might work. I took a chance and I lost!

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

Waterboy23 wrote:

I recently asked for advice in the section on Mai... (show quote)

No comment on your photos. All I can say is “we told you so”, but you chose to ignore our warnings.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Waterboy23 wrote:

I recently asked for advice in the section on Mai... (show quote)

Sorry you were unhappy but you were repeatedly warned. I guess you must be from Missouri and had to find out for yourself. Expensive lesson.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

MT Shooter wrote:

Sorry you were unhappy but you were repeatedly warned. I guess you must be from Missouri and had to find out for yourself. Expensive lesson.

Hey there, I'M from Missouri, but I would have taken the advice given, But then I have only used tele-extender about 40 yrs ago, Once!!!!

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

Waterboy23 wrote:

I recently asked for advice in the section on Mai... (show quote)

Just curious, did you try the built-in 1.3X crop that the D7100 has, and what did you think of it? Don't feel bad about the TC (esp. if you can return it) many of us have been there, and a few have stayed with them (and you had to try, right!). In your first post on this I think I mentioned having more than a half dozen of them, and I never use them. I use (on my D71&7200) built-in crop, PP crop, and on my Sony's I use the CIZ (Clear Image Zoom) which is a variable crop from 1X to 2X.

agillot

i have the kenko 1.4 , it work well on older manual lenses . like a old 800mm nikkor film era , and others .nothing wrong to manual focus , i do nothing but that . use the camera in a basic way , and practice .the kenko 1.4 is a top of the line optic .

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

Nothing teaches so well as experience. It appears in the second image that the focus was on the animal in front of your subject. Hopefully you can return it if you're not happy with it. I'd not be tempted by anything that required manual focus. I simply don't see that well.

woodworkerman Loc: PA to FL

Waterboy23 wrote:

I'm going to return the Kenko as soon as possible but I thought I'd post a few of my shots anyway, the first three with the teleconverter on and the last two without it.

Number 1 is a female African lion, 2 & 3 is a golden lion tamarin monkey, and 4 & 5 are otters. I welcome any and all comments! Thanks in advance. Gene

I guess you Otter know which images are the best.