PhotoCamel - Your Friendly Photo Community - View Single Post

Nikonfreak · 06-18-2006

There's a lot of questions and speculation about the use of teleconverters.* It is generally accepted that the use of teleconverters will degrade your images to some degree.* How much is a question of a number of factors such as the quality of the optic, your technique, the quality of the original lens it's being added to, and how much magnification you are adding to the original lens.

Generally speaking, using a 1.4X teleconverter will have minimal impact on a decent quality lens.* The 2.0X teleconverters will have a greater impact on image quality.

Some examples from shots I took today are below.

Conditions were less than optimal, with darkening skies due to threatening storms and high ISO being the rule of the morning shoot if you wanted anything more than very slow shutter speeds (flight shots were not to be had this morning for me).

So here are a couple of shots of Least Bitterns.* One shot with the 300 f/2.8 AF-S VR with the 1.7X teleconverter and the second with the 2.0X teleconverter.

http://www.pbase.com/image/62044765

And now the 2.0 teleconverter

http://www.pbase.com/loansharkx/image/62048367

Images were cropped and resized to 800 X 600 and sharpened at 20%, 1.7, and 2.* No other post processing was done.

My initial thoughts are that it's nice to be able to get to 600mm, but there's a reason Nikon makes a 600mm lens.* The 600mm shot is a little softer, the colors are a bit more muted (not as clean or crisp) and the feathers are not as pronounced as in the image shot with the 1.7X TC.

Would that mean I wouldn't use the 2.0X?* Nope.* It simply means that it's something to keep in mind if the conditions are as they were today.* If so, I'd probably reach for the 1.7X.* I want to do more shooting with the 2.0X over the next couple of days if the weather gets a little better so that I can see what happens under optimal / sunny conditions.

Tripod used was the Manfrotto 3021 with the Markins M10L ball head and the Wimberley Sidekick.* A very stable platform for a 300 f/2.8 lens.

Thoughts?

Julio

www.pbase.com/loansharkx

06-18-2006	#1 (permalink)
Nikonfreak F1 Camel Location: South Florida Posts: 2,564 CamelKarma: 294 Editing OK?: Ask first Gallery \| Blog	The use of a 2X teleconverter There's a lot of questions and speculation about the use of teleconverters.* It is generally accepted that the use of teleconverters will degrade your images to some degree.* How much is a question of a number of factors such as the quality of the optic, your technique, the quality of the original lens it's being added to, and how much magnification you are adding to the original lens. Generally speaking, using a 1.4X teleconverter will have minimal impact on a decent quality lens.* The 2.0X teleconverters will have a greater impact on image quality. Some examples from shots I took today are below. Conditions were less than optimal, with darkening skies due to threatening storms and high ISO being the rule of the morning shoot if you wanted anything more than very slow shutter speeds (flight shots were not to be had this morning for me). So here are a couple of shots of Least Bitterns.* One shot with the 300 f/2.8 AF-S VR with the 1.7X teleconverter and the second with the 2.0X teleconverter. http://www.pbase.com/image/62044765 And now the 2.0 teleconverter http://www.pbase.com/loansharkx/image/62048367 Images were cropped and resized to 800 X 600 and sharpened at 20%, 1.7, and 2.* No other post processing was done. My initial thoughts are that it's nice to be able to get to 600mm, but there's a reason Nikon makes a 600mm lens.* The 600mm shot is a little softer, the colors are a bit more muted (not as clean or crisp) and the feathers are not as pronounced as in the image shot with the 1.7X TC. Would that mean I wouldn't use the 2.0X?* Nope.* It simply means that it's something to keep in mind if the conditions are as they were today.* If so, I'd probably reach for the 1.7X.* I want to do more shooting with the 2.0X over the next couple of days if the weather gets a little better so that I can see what happens under optimal / sunny conditions. Tripod used was the Manfrotto 3021 with the Markins M10L ball head and the Wimberley Sidekick.* A very stable platform for a 300 f/2.8 lens. Thoughts? Julio www.pbase.com/loansharkx __________________ __________________ Members don't see this ad. Register your free account today and become a member on PhotoCamel - Your Friendly Photo Community, gaining access to posting privileges, contests, free plug-ins and other downloads, unlimited online storage for your photographs, reviews, free marketplace listings, and much more.
	__________________ The world is full of dreamers. And rightfully so, God created us that way. But at some point in our lives, we have the choice: to keep the dream for sleeping, or to wake up and live it.