mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Which camera, which lens and which teleconverter? Using the right teleconverter with an appropriate lens is critical if you're interested in good image quality.

Steve3265 Loc: Fulton, IL

I will be using my Nikon D7200 with an 18 to 140 and 55 to 300 DX lenses. Most of the time the adapter would be on the 300mm lens. I have also thought about taking my Cannon A1 with me for a backup and maybe shooting some B&W shots with that. I just don't feel I get the quality of B&W with my 7200 that I get with a film camera if the film is developed with chemicals used for B&W only. I have a company near me that will develope and process with B&W equipment and not color equipment so it doesn't leave so many grey tones.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

The 55-300 is a competent lower end lens. I assume you would get the inexpensive Kenko 2X teleconverter. While I have no experience with this combo, I'm guessing the results will be mediocre at best and very likely poorer than that.

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

Your 7200 is both capable and demanding; rent a good lens.

ORpilot Loc: Prineville, Or

Yes , rent a fast, good long lens. The price will be about the same or less than a long zoom bridge camera. Renting is a great way to go since it is not likely that you would use a poor TC much or a $6000 lens. Most rentals start the day it arrives and ends the day you ship it back. From a Cruise ship you need a fast long lens. Bridge cameras have great long zooms as well as very good stabilization. Do not be surprised if half or more of your trip is overcast or rainy. Happy Shooting.

mdalbertson

Thanks for your thoughts, Bill. Love the pics. After pretty extensive travel, I "mostly" agree with you. I used to carry way too much with me, but just returned from Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and all I carried was my Sinpaid photo backpack, my "go to" Tamron 28-300mm, my Canon 16-35mm and my Tamron 150-600mm. Truth is, 90% of my pics were not on tripod and were with the 28-300 (great travel lense). I have found that all of that fits in the backpack, along with flash, my Canon D1 Mk11, my tripod, and misc like extra batteries and filters. At one point I had about 10 lenses, and realized I could get pretty much any shot I needed with that, and it fits on my back. I do find that when I'm able to use the tripod, even with an extender, I do get much more crisp pics, and of course, can shoot at slower speeds to get those great landscapes and water pics.

I've taken plenty of pics from boats, and with a fast enough lense, as you've proven, you can take crisp pics. I love the debate and difference of opinion! I've found that if anything, photographers have plenty of opinions, and I've learned quite a lot from that diversity of opinion!!

Steve3265 Loc: Fulton, IL

mwsilvers,

I hate to say it but for those of us that are "for fun" photographers what you refer to as a "lower end lens" is an expensive lens when we are not shooting for professional results, but for our own enjoyment. I'm sure you would be happy to tell me that my 7200 is also a lower end camera, but again for someone that shoots for their own enjoyment it is far from inexpensive. Please try to remember that though there are professional photographers here, there are also many of us that do it for our enjoyment and to share with family and friends. If we all tried afford what you think is good or quality equipment a lot of us would be deep in debt.

I don't mean to be an idiot here but telling me, and other users of this lens and camera, that it will produce mediocre results is clearly an insult that is not appreciated or needed. I'm sorry that we can't all afford equipment that you would find to produce quality results, but if you "have no experience with this combo" please don't berate the rest of us for using the best equipment that we can afford and/or like.

Also I joined UHH to learn more about how to become better at what I do, as many others have also, and comments like these do not encourage us to try to become better but only make us feel like there is no reason to learn more because we will never produce the looks that we want with "lower end" equipment.

Aeneas Loc: Somers, NY

Bill: Is your 300 mm a Canon lens and if so is it a L lens?

ORpilot Loc: Prineville, Or

Right on.... 99.9% of my students shoot for pleasure like you. I'll bet more than 75% of camera and equipment sales are to non professionals. At one time 50% of all photos shot in the world were shot at Disney Land, Disney World, and Universal Studios Orlando. I would guess that 99% of those shots were not taken by professionals. There is a big difference in my classes for future professionals and for the casual shooter.
Keep on asking those questions. Ignore those that berate your efforts. We improve day by day. If you like your shots, then they are all great. You are the final judge and jury. Happy Shooting

cthahn

Stating that the 4 statements you just wrote about are wrong is nonsense. Someday you will learn the hard way. The picture you took were staged just to make you look correct. If you had been a photographer for any period of time, you would not have made a fool out of yourself the way you did.

moonhawk Loc: Land of Enchantment

Maybe you could tell the rest of us who or what you are referring to?

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

a "great" photo doesn't always have to be tack sharp. I.Q. may be made up from many factors. we all like an attaboy now and then, but accept that some will pan our some of our work. I like my tc's and am including a few samples. I deleted quite a few to get to my keepers. I used a Sony slt a-77 a Minolta maxxum 200mm 2.8 apo G hi speed with a Minolta 2x tc. i'm ok with those who don't think they are sharp enough.

ORpilot Loc: Prineville, Or

Look good to me too. Glad that you are also showing that older "film" lenses do quite well with digital cameras. I, like you, use my older film lenses. With very acceptable results. Happy shooting

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

it was 3 or 4 yrs after buying my a-200 that I discovered Sony owned Minolta lenses. with KEH as my main source I found myself in fat city.
I have two Sony lenses and the monolta 500mm af mirror lens, a surprisingly good and fun lens.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

I use the term "needle sharp" because many people seem to be so addicted to sharpness. It is said that Pentax's main lens designer intentionally pursued characteristics other than sharpness at times.