Will I Notice Much of a Difference? Will I notice much of a difference in image quality between the Nikon 18-300mm AF-S 3.5-6.3 VR vs the Nikon 18-300 AF-S 3.5-5.6 VR lenses on a D7500...

leftyD500 Loc: Ocala, Florida

Will I notice much of a difference in image quality between the Nikon 18-300mm AF-S 3.5-6.3 VR vs the Nikon 18-300 AF-S 3.5-5.6 VR lenses on a D7500 camera? Is the 3.5-5-6.3 f-stop over the 3.5-5.6 F-stop enough of a drop off the not get it?

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The introduction section of Rockwell's review covers it all: https://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/18-300mm-vr.htm

leftyD500 Loc: Ocala, Florida

CHG_CANON wrote:

The introduction section of Rockwell's review covers it all: https://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/18-300mm-vr.htm

Thank you for the helpful link.

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

Many cameras do not autofocus past f8. There is one f stop from f5.6 to f8. A 1.4x teleconverter will add an f stop. At 300mm you will be at f5.6 or f6.3 with these lenses before adding a teleconverter. So with the f6.3 lens you may not be able to autofocus with a 1.4x teleconverter. You may not be able autofocus with a higher magnification teleconverter (1.7x or 2x) with either lens.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Bobspez wrote:

Many cameras do not autofocus past f8. There is one f stop from f5.6 to f8. A 1.4x teleconverter will add an f stop. At 300mm you will be at f5.6 or f6.3 with these lenses before adding a teleconverter. So with the f6.3 lens you may not be able to autofocus with a 1.4x teleconverter. You may not be able autofocus with a higher magnification teleconverter (1.7x or 2x) with either lens.

Neither version was designed to be compatible for any form of teleconverter. Similarly, neither lens will mount to a Canon EOS camera. There's probably several examples of incompatibilities that are not part of their intended use-cases.

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

CHG_CANON wrote:

Neither version was designed to be compatible for any form of teleconverter. Similarly, neither lens will mount to a Canon EOS camera. There's probably several examples of incompatibilities that are not part of their intended use-cases.

Why Canon? The OP asked about Nikon lenses. According to Nikon some cameras "including the D4/D4S, D5, Df, D800/D800E, D810, D850,D750, D600/D610, D500, D7100, D7200 and D7500 allow you to use slower
lenses with the teleconverters with the ability to utilize autofocus functionality when stopped down to f/8." That would be an f5.6 lens stopped down one step to f8 with a 1.4x teleconverter.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Bobspez wrote:

Many cameras do not autofocus past f8. There is one f stop from f5.6 to f8. A 1.4x teleconverter will add an f stop. At 300mm you will be at f5.6 or f6.3 with these lenses before adding a teleconverter. So with the f6.3 lens you may not be able to autofocus with a 1.4x teleconverter. You may not be able autofocus with a higher magnification teleconverter (1.7x or 2x) with either lens.

Apparently not all cameras are that way. I just now set my A6300 with the Sony 18-135 f/3.5-5.6 set to f//22 and it auto focused just fine.

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

Wingpilot wrote:

Apparently not all cameras are that way. I just now set my A6300 with the Sony 18-135 f/3.5-5.6 set to f//22 and it auto focused just fine.

I think it may have to do more with the teleconverter than the camera. I just autofocused with my Nikon D7000 and 55-300mm lens at 300mm and f22 and iso 1600. I have read the teleconverter doesn't work with autofocus on Nikon cameras past f8.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Bobspez wrote:

Why Canon? The OP asked about Nikon lenses. According to Nikon some cameras "including the D4/D4S, D5, Df, D800/D800E, D810, D850,D750, D600/D610, D500, D7100, D7200 and D7500 allow you to use slower
lenses with the teleconverters with the ability to utilize autofocus functionality when stopped down to f/8." That would be an f5.6 lens stopped down one step to f8 with a 1.4x teleconverter.

You don't seem to understand that teleconverters are designed for specific lenses, not all lenses. The camera's ability to autofocus is a secondary issue, only after finding a lens designed to be physically connected to a teleconverter.

https://cdn-5.nikon-cdn.com/Assets/Common-Assets/Images/Teleconverter-Compatibility/EN_Comp_chart.html

Note the compatible lenses tend to be prime lenses along with some zooms, none of the 18-xxx variety. Regardless of focal length, none of the compatible lenses are DX designs, another demonstration that identifying an issue about teleconverters and these lenses is irrelevant.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

Wingpilot wrote:

Apparently not all cameras are that way. I just now set my A6300 with the Sony 18-135 f/3.5-5.6 set to f//22 and it auto focused just fine.

Focusing is done with the lens at its widest Aperture, it returns to f/22 ( or whatever it is set to) when shutter is clicked, but focuses at its widest.

Unless you have a manual Aperture or fixed Aperture.

If you start with an f/8 as your only or widest Aperture then focusing is done at that Aperture, so it will be either iffy or not at all possible to auto focus.

Add a teleconverter and your Aperture is further changed, making it smaller.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Dngallagher wrote:

Focusing is done with the lens at its widest Aperture, it returns to f/22 ( or whatever it is set to) when shutter is clicked, but focuses at its widest.

Unless you have a manual Aperture or fixed Aperture.

If you start with an f/8 as your only or widest Aperture then focusing is done at that Aperture, so it will be either iffy or not at all possible to auto focus.

Add a teleconverter and your Aperture is further changed, making it smaller.

Gotcha. Thanks for the explanation.

User ID

Bobspez wrote:

Why Canon? The OP asked about Nikon lenses. According to Nikon some cameras "including the D4/D4S, D5, Df, D800/D800E, D810, D850,D750, D600/D610, D500, D7100, D7200 and D7500 allow you to use slower
lenses with the teleconverters with the ability to utilize autofocus functionality when stopped down to f/8." That would be an f5.6 lens stopped down one step to f8 with a 1.4x teleconverter.

Dirt simple:
If the TC doesn’t fit, it doesn’t fit.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

User ID wrote:

Dirt simple:
If the TC doesn’t fit, it doesn’t fit.

I thought that was the glove???

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

User ID wrote:

Dirt simple:
If the TC doesn’t fit, it doesn’t fit.

Not simple enough for me I guess. No one said the TC didn't fit, just that the 18-300 f3.5-f5.6 is not on a list of compatible lenses for teleconverters with autofocusing. In fact it does work with the Kenko Pro 2x teleconverter as reported by this user on dpreview. https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3570905
And this was the 2x converter, losing two stops of light. The summary was:
"SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION
I would not recommend this lens + [2x] TC combo for everyday spontaneous photography
due to the reasons mentioned above, unless one shoots only test charts and flowers.
On the other hand, for video, I found it to be a good combination, with no discernible
loss in quality over the lens alone."

Sometime you have to think out of the box of dirt.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Bobspez wrote:

Many cameras do not autofocus past f8. There is one f stop from f5.6 to f8. A 1.4x teleconverter will add an f stop. At 300mm you will be at f5.6 or f6.3 with these lenses before adding a teleconverter. So with the f6.3 lens you may not be able to autofocus with a 1.4x teleconverter. You may not be able autofocus with a higher magnification teleconverter (1.7x or 2x) with either lens.

Moot point. You don't use a TC with an 18mm lens, which is why Nikon doesn't list it on its TC compatibility list. There is the danger of breaking a front element on the TC or the rear element on the lens.