70-200 + 2x TC

plastii · Sep 16, 2009

What would be a better deal? Get a Sigma 50-500 or buy 2xTC for my Nikon 70-200 2.8? Did anyone used 2xTC with 70-200?

Thanks.

epp_b · Sep 16, 2009

A 2x TC will make the 70-200/2.8 a 70-200/5.6 and degrade the quality quite a bit. As the Sigma is only 1/3 of a stop smaller at the long end, I would look into some reviews of that instead.

tirediron · Sep 16, 2009

If you need that much FL, then look to the Sigma, if you don't need quite as much, look to the 70-200 and a 1.7TC.

Derrel · Sep 16, 2009

I bought a TC20e and tried it on my 300 2.8 and 70-200 and 200mm lenses...I returned it for a full refund after looking at two days' worth of test images. There's nothing like compromising the output of a 70-200 at every focal length setting to make you regret using a 2x converter on a great lens. Same with the 300 and 200 primes--the 2x converter's penalty was simply too much lost quality,and two f/stops' worth of light gathering.

Nikon's 1.4x TC14e or TC14e-II are optically identical, and much better choices. If you need a long lens, or a ling zoom lens, it's probably best to get them. Given the high cost of the TC20e, and the low cost of the Sigma, buying a dedicated lens makes much more sense to me.

icassell · Sep 16, 2009

I have both a Sigma 1.4X EX and a Sigma 2X EX TC. I love the 1.4 X (use it with my Sigma EX 100-300mm f/4, my Sigma EX 50-150 f/2.8 and my Canon 100mm f2.8 macro) and don't see much image softening. I rarely use the 2X because it really softens things up. I don't know if this same difference applies to the 2X of other vendors.