Nikon TC Advice Request
Jul 11, 2016 23:23:32 #
I have a Nikkor AF-S 300mm f/4 ED-IF lens. The product number is 1909. It is not the fancy PF VR version. I am travelling in September and would like some extra reach. Does anyone have experience with the TC-14E III or TC-17E II. Thanks very much for any help. The posted image is without an extender.
Jul 11, 2016 23:34:11 #
Jul 11, 2016 23:40:09 #
MtnMan wrote:
What camera?
From his byline seems like a Nikon D810. chase
Jul 12, 2016 00:12:08 #
In that case he'd do better buying a refurb D5300. No loss in image quality or speed and added flexibiliy for about the same price as a Nikon TC. It amounts to a 1.5 TC.
Jul 12, 2016 00:20:01 #
MtnMan wrote:
In that case he'd do better buying a refurb D5300. No loss in image quality or speed and added flexibiliy for about the same price as a Nikon TC. It amounts to a 1.5 TC.
Put a smiley on your jokes. Otherwise some might think you mean it and write you off as a lost cause. Others might believe you and that could be an expensive lesson.
Jul 12, 2016 06:20:48 #
billnikon
Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
Fotomacher wrote:
I have a Nikkor AF-S 300mm f/4 ED-IF lens. The product number is 1909. It is not the fancy PF VR version. I am travelling in September and would like some extra reach. Does anyone have experience with the TC-14E III or TC-17E II. Thanks very much for any help. The posted image is without an extender.
I have owned that lens and would not go beyond a 1.4 converter. It gets too slow and the results were not to my liking with anything greater.
Jul 12, 2016 06:55:10 #
Fotomacher wrote:
I have a Nikkor AF-S 300mm f/4 ED-IF lens. The product number is 1909. It is not the fancy PF VR version. I am travelling in September and would like some extra reach. Does anyone have experience with the TC-14E III or TC-17E II. Thanks very much for any help. The posted image is without an extender.
A 1.4 extender would give you good results for a lot less money than a 600mm lens. Also consider a Kenko 1.4, for a lot less money. That's what I use.
Jul 12, 2016 07:40:00 #
Apaflo wrote:
Put a smiley on your jokes. Otherwise some might think you mean it and write you off as a lost cause. Others might believe you and that could be an expensive lesson.
Not a joke. You haven't priced refurb D5300 nor Nikon TC. Quite serious.
Jul 12, 2016 07:49:36 #
MtnMan wrote:
Not a joke. You haven't priced refurb D5300 nor Nikon TC. Quite serious.
The price was not the problem. The D5300 is not even close to being a D810 with a 1.4x TC. Have you ever used a D810?
Jul 12, 2016 08:48:34 #
Apaflo wrote:
The price was not the problem. The D5300 is not even close to being a D810 with a 1.4x TC. Have you ever used a D810?
Ah.
No, I struggle through life with a D800.
But for wildlife I prefer putting my 200-500 on the D5300. When I do use it with the D800 I prefer to crop.
I considered the 1.4 TC. Even bought one from KEH before the 200-500 came but learned it didn't work with my other lenses at the time so sent it back. The D5300 works with all my lenses and provides a great alternative when I don't want to lug the heavy metal.
But I confess to using the big rig on a recent Africa trip. No TC needed because of the proximity and size of the critters. But I did bring and use the D5300 on our walking Safaries. No TC needed for that either with a 28-300 on the D5300.
Jul 12, 2016 09:19:43 #
I did own the lens you mentioned, but I never used it with a TC. On a D810, it should work with either TC, but I would recommend sticking with the 1.4 TC. Check with Nikon Tech Support to make sure of compatibility, and go for it. I would not recommend an off-brand for general use and the III is the latest version.
Jul 12, 2016 10:18:45 #
I use the TC 1.4 III on the PF version of Nikon's f/4 300mm lens and love the combo. Using it on both a D500 and D610.
Jul 12, 2016 12:32:13 #
Fotomacher wrote:
I have a Nikkor AF-S 300mm f/4 ED-IF lens. The product number is 1909. It is not the fancy PF VR version. I am travelling in September and would like some extra reach. Does anyone have experience with the TC-14E III or TC-17E II. Thanks very much for any help. The posted image is without an extender.
I have that lens, and a Nikon TC-14E.
Note: Ken Rockwell claims that the TC-14E is optically and functionally equivalent to the TC-14E II, III. I followed his advice, and purchased the TC-14E. I also purchased (new) a Kenko PRO 300 1.4X DGX teleconverter. In my opinion, judging by comparing results, the Kenko is superior to the Nikon. But you have to specify that exact model (I got mine from Adorama), as Kenko makes several versions of their 1.4X teleconverter.
I used that combo (300mm f/4 AF-S with Kenko 1.4TC) on a Nikon D7000 (DX) recently, tripod-mounted with cable release. I always shoot RAW. After PP, I obtained the first result (#1).
I was disappointed, because it is pretty fuzzy.
However, I sent the RAW file to a fellow photographer (and mentor) who has Photoshop CC and a larger assortment of plug-ins. He worked on the RAW image, and came up with #2.
The difference is night and day. In the second photo, you can see the fish's eye in the lower right corner, as well as the eyes of all three osprey.
My point is, without the guidance of someone more experienced than I, I would have written off this combination of lens and TC. However, once my friend showed me what can be accomplished through post-processing, it became obvious that the lens + TC combo is more than adequate to the task, if (and I do mean if) I can begin to master post-processing to a better level.
Jul 12, 2016 13:34:15 #
Fotomacher wrote:
I have a Nikkor AF-S 300mm f/4 ED-IF lens. The product number is 1909. It is not the fancy PF VR version. I am travelling in September and would like some extra reach. Does anyone have experience with the TC-14E III or TC-17E II. Thanks very much for any help. The posted image is without an extender.
The 1.4 is excellent. The quality drops as you go stronger to the 1.7 and then to the 2.0. For professional work, the 1.4 is used all the time; frequently the 1.7, are even less the 2.0.
Jul 12, 2016 13:41:48 #
I used that lens for many years with the 1.4 and 1.7. This was in the days of film and on the cameras I had at the time a/f became very iffy with the 1.7. On cameras that have auto focus to F8 that shouldn't be an issue.
Image results with the 1.4 were very good, with the 1.7 (used in a pinch) were acceptable.
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Image results with the 1.4 were very good, with the 1.7 (used in a pinch) were acceptable.
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