Teleconverter questions
Apr 3, 2018 12:59:15 #
EdR wrote:
Looking at some of your shots in this post, you need a white suit for camouflage.😏
Yes, that's true
Apr 3, 2018 13:09:17 #
I love your country! Photographic possibilities endless! I am a Swede (born in US) so hope you don’t hold that against me! 😀 haha
Apr 3, 2018 13:18:01 #
Dr J wrote:
I love your country! Photographic possibilities endless! I am a Swede (born in US) so hope you don’t hold that against me! 😀 haha
Of course not 😂😂
Apr 3, 2018 13:59:37 #
armandoluiz wrote:
Maybe I should find a store where they have both a 150-600 and a TC so I could try them.
FWIW ...
TELECONVERTERS. Some people hate them, some people love them ...
The results you get/achieve depend on the quality of the lens to which the teleconverter is attached BECAUSE (go figure!) a teleconverter is a magnifying lens ...
Personally, knowing the limitations AND that most lenses perform better when stopped down a 2-or-3 f-stops, I find the resultant image(s) generally satisfactory ...
So, I am in the camp that loves them despite the caveats ...
Recently, I 'discovered' that VIVITAR had come out with a 2x teleconverter (~10 years ago!) whose normally static tube also has a helicoid focusing mechanism ...
... What the heck, right?
So, I bought one!
The attached picture is a hand held snapshot which I took yesterday morning with the fore mentioned teleconverter + a plebeian 50mm f1.8 Olympus Zuiko lens using an m4/3 camera body; so, effectively a 200mm lens on a FF camera ...
... Wearing a jacket (it was only a little over 40ºF at the time & I was only wearing a T-shirt) and/or using a tripod would probably have helped a bit!
ZOOM LENSES. Sometime in the past few decades, Zoom lenses seem to have become the norm for most photographers. Plastic lenses & barrels have made them less unwieldy than in the past ...
Most of MY lenses are 'prime' (single focal length) lenses ...
I find that when I have occasion to use a Zoom lens that I have it racked the focusing ring to one extreme or the other ...
So, while it may be convenient to have only one lens semi-permanently attached to the camera body being used, if you know you will probably be using only ONE focal length, then buying a 'prime' lens will be very cost-effective ...
Particularly when one considers that there are numerous, vintage telephoto lenses which can be purchased for a fraction of the cost ...
AUTO-FOCUS. It seems that most UHHers have forgotten how to focus a lens ...
Regardless, I am apparently very old school because I would generally prefer to be able to focus on a specific object ...
... Oh sure, I can tell the camera where to concentrate its focus when using an auto-focusing lens ...
... but, since I don't have arthritis and I can see well enough to focus the lens, it's not a hassle for me to focus the lens.
........ I used to shoot a lot of "sports" photography when I was in college, so pre-focusing on a spot and/or following "action" is not difficult for me to do ... and, focusing on a static object is even easier!
YOU don't need to emulate the photographers who are on the sidelines of sporting events who have HUGE lenses which are owned by the organization for whom they are taking pictures ...
MAXIMUM APERTURE. When I used to shoot a lot of B&W film, the highest relative ISO I shot at was about ASA 1600 ... typically I exposed my Tri-X at ASA 320 (it's rated at ASA 400) when I wasn't shooting indoors in very-dim-by-today's-standards arenas; so, I tried to buy the fastest lenses which I could afford ...
... One of Leica's more recent additions to their line of lenses is a 75mm f1.25 Noctilux which retails for a whopping $12,000+ ...
Now, with ISO speeds approaching ridiculous numbers, it really doesn't matter how slow the lens is OR what f-stop is being used, IMO ...
All of the preceding is a long-way-of-saying that you could consider a manual focus telephoto lens EITHER in a Nikon mount OR even a pre-set lens with a T-Mount!
Why pay more?!?
BTW. If you aren't already using a tripod, you'll probably want to buy-and-use one.
Apr 3, 2018 14:42:11 #
alfeng wrote:
Why pay more?!?
Why pay more?!?
Thanks for your answer.
And I as said at the beginning I don't want to spend a lot of money in a hobby where I will get ZERO money back.
Then I have been thinking about a TC.
About losing light: I don't know if it will affect my photos.
About AF: this is really not a problem, 99% of my shot until now I've done manual focusing.
About Tripod: I have one cheap that I use for my GoPro (I'm a goalkeeper and I use a GoPro behind my goal at the training) but I'll buy a better one very soon. The one at the link below I guess.
http://cdon.no/elektronikk/manfrotto-stativkit-befree-kulled-new-alu-gron-p39834259
Do you know a TC that doesn't costs more than 150$ and can be use with my Nikon D3400 with a 70-300mm?
Apr 3, 2018 14:55:49 #
Apr 3, 2018 14:57:48 #
Apr 3, 2018 16:41:29 #
armandoluiz wrote:
Amazing birds images you have there Joer.
Thank you very much.
Bite the bullet and get the correct tools if you are serious about wild life. Going the piece meal route will eventually cost more and won't provide good results. You will end up with a bunch of stuff not worth using.
Or if you want to do the inexpensive route get a trail camera. In low light or night the images will be in IR and day time shots will be color but they won't even match the quality of a cell phone. They are intended for scouting game. Some times they give interesting images.
Apr 3, 2018 17:43:41 #
I have a Canon mount, Sigma 2X converter for my Sigma lenses. The only problem is that only works in autofocus on some of the lenses. It is manual focus on the 100-500 zoom lens. I mess up the focus on half of my shots with this lens.
Apr 3, 2018 19:33:20 #
I'll go against the grain here based on my experience. I used a 70-200 f4/1.4 TC telephoto with my Canon 5D Mk3 in an African safari. Most of the images were taken in sufficient light so the loss of one stop was not significant. Many photos were from a large enough distance to necessitate the far end of the zoom where the extra reach of the TC made a big difference. I've switched since that trip to an Olympus E-M1 Mk2 since weight has become a major factor due to age. I went to the Amazon with a 40-150 f2.8 (80-300 full frame)/ 1.4 TC and got some very nice images. Again, many images were taken at the far end of the lens and TC. So my take is that you should use TCs if needed. One caveat - I used Canon and Olympus TCs, not some cheapo imitations. I also made sure that the TC works with that specific lens.
Apr 4, 2018 16:57:31 #
armandoluiz wrote:
And I as said at the beginning I don't want to spe... (show quote)
FYI. The picture was made with a very inexpensive 300mm PROMASTER lens which someone gave me several years ago + 2x VIVITAR "Macro Focusing" teleconverter lens ... the particular 300mm lens does not have a tripod socket so it was braced against a branch which I was able to manipulate (bend down) so I could frame the image ... essentially, the picture was taken with the equivalent of a 600mm lens on a full frame camera; and, 1200mm with my m4/3 camera body.
The f-stop on the lens was set at f/11 -- so, effectively about f/22 ...
The EXIF information indicates that the shutter speed was 1/500th second ...
The resolution is "okay" ... obviously, it could be worse! Again, a teleconverter is a magnifying lens, so a better 300mm lens would have hopefully created crisper edge delineation.
NB. You can buy a new Vivitar (or, equivalent) 500mm PRE-SET telephoto f/8 lens for ~$100 (US) ... so, a similar price should be true in Europe ...
... Pre-Set & Mirror lenses typically use a T-MOUNT adapter.
While I am a fan of teleconverters, I would probably opt for a Pre-Set PRIME lens (400mm or 500mm) if I planned to use a longer focal length lens on a regular basis ...
... I have never used a 500mm mirror lens.
I think that in your situation that I would consider ANY 7-element teleconverter (some of the oldest-design teleconverters apparently have as few as 3-elements), first (they were apparently around $100+/- when they introduced) ... digital photography & the lack of demand means you can probably get a USED one for between $20-to-$30 (US) if you are a wise shopper ...
AND/OR I would buy a Pre-Set PRIME 400mm-or-500mm lens ...
Again, Why pay more?
Apr 4, 2018 17:00:56 #
armandoluiz wrote:
Hello! br br I'm thinking about something and I h... (show quote)
Forget the TC with a 70-300 Nikon zoom. You will not like the results. Save up for a Tamron 150-600 G2 or Sigma. I have the G2 and its IQ blows my Nikon 70-300 away.
Apr 4, 2018 17:09:51 #
Apr 4, 2018 17:10:11 #
r.grossner wrote:
Forget the TC with a 70-300 Nikon zoom. You will not like the results. Save up for a Tamron 150-600 G2 or Sigma. I have the G2 and its IQ blows my Nikon 70-300 away.
What about the G1?
Apr 4, 2018 22:15:30 #
Bullfrog Bill wrote:
You get what you pay for. Adding cheep glass to cheep glass equals cheep glass magnified.
Cheep, cheep, cheep. Happy Easter!
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