How do I know if this works with my lens?

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Hi everybody.

Kind of a newbie question, but I'm unsure as to how to select a telephoto attachment for my lens... I want to just buy a cheap one to experiment with. (I like to take pictures of birds, so 200mm zoom isn't always enough.)

I intend to use it on my 55-200mm lens. Do I need to select the piece for 55mm, or for 52mm, which is the size of the lens cap?

Pictures of the item I'm looking at are below. Thanks!
Screenshot_20180215-105219.jpg
Screenshot_20180215-105236.jpg


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I'm unsure as to how to select a telephoto attachment for my lens

DONT get a attachement that goes onto an existing lens. Get an actual telephoto lens.
I would but I don't have the money. I'm just doing this as a hobby, so a cheap attachment is fine for me.

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The size of the thread is 52mm but I agree, it's a waste of money.
 
here's what you do: cut the bottom of a plasic water bottle off and stick over your lens. congrats you just saved yourself $25
 
The inside of your lens cap usually has a number on it which identifies the diameter of the threads that you need for any screw-on attachment.

But I agree the cheap attachments are really a waste of money. You will probably have focusing issues too.
 
The size of the thread is 52mm but I agree, it's a waste of money.
Do you know what else I can do? Within a reasonable price range? (Like under $300 because I seriously cannot afford more for a lens)

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here's what you do: cut the bottom of a plasic water bottle off and stick over your lens. congrats you just saved yourself $25
Lmao, really? Same effect? Ouch

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These cheap attachments are not worth it. They are cheap because they are very low grade glass; chances are you'd get better results just cropping your photo than you will from using one of these attachments.

I'd save your money- even a modest 70-300mm lens would suit you. Also as you shoot Nikon there might be some older, manual focus, prime lenses that might suit your budget - though i don't know the Nikon range well enough; but someone like Derrel would be good to contact and ask. Derrel


The other option is bird feeders, a hide and getting closer. Even a simple bird feeder just outside a house window would work and you can then open the window and many birds will quickly get used to it.


So either a better lens or get closer; though I appreciate both can be expensive/tricky
 
Look for a used lens in good condition.
However, a used 400mm with autofocus, would be hard to find.

Cheaper but more difficult to use, is to get an older used MANUAL focus lens.
Problems:
#1 - It is manual focus, so YOU have to focus the lens. This is not particularly easy with a dslr's screen. If you have never manually focused a lens before, this can be difficult for some people to learn.
#2 - You have to set the aperture and shutter speed manually. If you have a reasonable understanding of exposure, this is easy. And with digital, you shoot one shot, then adjust the exposure up or down based on that 1st shot, and repeat until you get the correct exposure.
#3 - You MUST check the compatibility charts and look up the lens and your camera. Some combinations will not work, others can damage the camera.

Caution. For lenses over 200mm, especially on a DX body, you need to use some sort of STEADY camera support, usually a tripod. The longer the lens, the greater the magnification, and the harder it is to hold steady.
 
I just bought a used, in mint condition, AF-S 70-300 VR for 230 USD. I was really lucky, here they usually go for twice that price, but I imagine that both prices and availability are better in most other places.

In my opinion this is a great lens for the price. You could also sell your 55-200 unless you really need 55 - 70mm (wich you don't), or you really need the light weight of the 55-200.
 
These cheap attachments are not worth it. They are cheap because they are very low grade glass; chances are you'd get better results just cropping your photo than you will from using one of these attachments.

I'd save your money- even a modest 70-300mm lens would suit you. Also as you shoot Nikon there might be some older, manual focus, prime lenses that might suit your budget - though i don't know the Nikon range well enough; but someone like Derrel would be good to contact and ask. Derrel


The other option is bird feeders, a hide and getting closer. Even a simple bird feeder just outside a house window would work and you can then open the window and many birds will quickly get used to it.


So either a better lens or get closer; though I appreciate both can be expensive/tricky

Thanks for warning me. I would rather put the money towards a nice lens.

Would that extra 100mm make a big difference in my range? I'm having a bit of trouble envisioning it. I have considered that though. And thank you for the contact!

I do plan on installing a bird feeder and getting the local birds used to me. Here's to hoping they get used to the shutter sound...

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Look for a used lens in good condition.
However, a used 400mm with autofocus, would be hard to find.

Cheaper but more difficult to use, is to get an older used MANUAL focus lens.
Problems:
#1 - It is manual focus, so YOU have to focus the lens. This is not particularly easy with a dslr's screen. If you have never manually focused a lens before, this can be difficult for some people to learn.
#2 - You have to set the aperture and shutter speed manually. If you have a reasonable understanding of exposure, this is easy. And with digital, you shoot one shot, then adjust the exposure up or down based on that 1st shot, and repeat until you get the correct exposure.
#3 - You MUST check the compatibility charts and look up the lens and your camera. Some combinations will not work, others can damage the camera.

Caution. For lenses over 200mm, especially on a DX body, you need to use some sort of STEADY camera support, usually a tripod. The longer the lens, the greater the magnification, and the harder it is to hold steady.

I almost exclusively search for used lenses, as long as it's in good condition I have no issues with a used lens.

I actually prefer manual focus, just because I like the control and the challenge it can be, so that's not an issue. I've gotten fairly good at judging my surroundings and adjusting my settings accordingly. I have 20/20 with my glasses, so the screen and/or viewfinder are both easy for me to use. Do you have any suggestions???

Oh no worries there, I've learned on my own that my hands are too shaky to use long lenses without aid. Also I baby my camera and always hold the lens so that's also not an issue haha

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Here you can see the difference between 200 and 300 mm in a real world situation. It's not a big difference, but it is something. Both are shot with the Nikon 70-300 VR, no cropping.
DSC_6564.jpg DSC_6588.jpg
The 200 mm was somewhat of a fail, but it's one of the few shots I have where I shot the same subject from the same distance at both 200 and 300 mm.
 
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Would that extra 100mm make a big difference in my range? I'm having a bit of trouble envisioning it. I have considered that though. And thank you for the contact!

Here is an old trick
  • Set lens to 200mm.
  • Look at a scene through the camera
  • Divide the screen in half, vertical and horizontal, so you have 4 quarters.
  • What you see in one of those quarters is approximately what you would see with a 400mm lens.
If you want to see what a 300mm lens looks like.
In the above procedure, set the lens to 150mm and look at a quarter of the screen.
 

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