Advise Please (Teleconverters)

[New2Nik]

I own a nikon D-80, i recently purchased a nikon 70 - 200 2.8 vr, i am new to photography, for some things it would be nicer to be a little closer. Would i be alright putting a nikon teleconverter 2.0 or 1.7 on this lens, or would i be better of using my 70 - 300vr at 300. My bag is starting to get heavy, i am looking to get a little lighter

I have owned my camera for 3 months so i have a lot to learn. My pictures have improved a lot since i started joined this site.
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Thanks for any help given.

[cannockwolf]

the advice i have always seen given is the 2x is a def no, and the 1.7x is not bad but in my experience unless its on a tripod its to soft for my liking

[cyclohexane]

Don't use the 2x with the 70-200. The AF gets excruciatingly slow in anything but the best light. I was using a D2H, and even it hunted like crazy. For small web use if you oversharpen a little the images should be usable, but I'd be vary of trying to make prints. At 400mm, the image quality really suffers; you're not mounting a TC to use the shorter end of the zoom, which actually perform okay.

You could probably get passable results stopped down to f/11-13, I can't remember the last time I had enough to light to shoot something that I also needed a long lens for at f/13 at a low ISO while keeping my shutter speed up to freeze action.

I've heard of success stories with the 1.7x, but really I wouldn't use anything other than the 1.4x with the 70-200. 280mm f/4 isn't a terrible long end, and you get a 1 stop light advantage over your 70-300 at 300mm.

[cyclohexane]

Here's a sample image from the 70-200 + TC-20E combination:



D2H, 400mm, f/7.1, ISO 320.

[Gary Mayo]

I would advise you try one from a place with a return policy. Try it on your camera and lens, then you will know.

I use em on my 80-400mm VR but I pretty much leave the 70-200mm VR alone and use it around 100mm most of the time.

[g-man]

Before I got my 300 2.8 VR I used to shoot a lot with the 70-200 and the 1.7 TC (mostly wide open at f/4.8. I liked the combination and I'd use that combo over the 70-300 VR.

Wide open...





and at f/8




Gary

[Nikonfreak]

Great shots there.

I too, would prefer the 70-200 VR and 1.7x converter over the 70-300.

My problem has always been that I don't want to compromise even when I travel... so I pack heavy. LOL

Julio

[cyclohexane]

My problem has always been that I don't want to compromise even when I travel... so I pack heavy. LOL

Heheheh, same. I unnecessarily lugged my 300 f/2.8 to a fashion show "just in case". I used it some, but with our assigned shooting position I was getting half-body shots as soon as the models stepped out. Still, I brought the damn thing, so I made some images with it.

Also, I've been known to be seen carrying my 400 f/2.8 around unnecessarily to and from class because I figure I'll stop at spring football practice in between classes to get some shots of players we don't have file footage of during the spring.