nikon 500 mm with TC & no AF?

[bs0604]

I was looking on the Nikon web site and noted that the 500 mm lens can not utilize AF when the nikon teleconverters are used. What is the mechanism that would cause loss of AF ability with the 500 mm lens?

 

[SCraig]

The fact that there's not enough light coming through the lens for the autofocus module to work properly.

Teleconverters cause a loss of aperture comparable to their increase in focal length. A 2x TC costs two stops, a 1.4x TC costs 1.4 stops. When the aperture gets below about f/5.6 many autofocus modules will not work properly.

 

[coastalconn]

I was looking on the Nikon web site and noted that the 500 mm lens can not utilize AF when the nikon teleconverters are used. What is the mechanism that would cause loss of AF ability with the 500 mm lens?

hmmm where did you see this? The Nikon site says it is fully compatible with all Nikon TC's... A 1.4x is actually 1 stop so it would effectively be a 700 F5.6 or a 2x would make it a 1000mm F8 and it should work with the newer nikons that AF to F8...

 

[bs0604]

if you do a search for "nikon teleconverters" you can get to a nikon site which has a "compatibility table". Scrolling down to the 500 mm lens it lists AF limitations but the footnote does state that the D4, D800, D600, D7100 are ok. Since I have a D800 I would be ok. On the other hand my wife does not feel I need a 500 mm lens for 8G as an anniversary present. Thus, I guess I will get a teleconverter to use with my 70-200 mm lens.

 

[matthewo]

I have a d800 an have had the af-s ii version and now own the vr version of the nikon 500mm f4. they both AF with both the 1.4 and 2x converter. The 2x was sometimes hit and miss and i ended up selling it and now just use the 1.4, but i may try the 1.7 that i can borrow from a friend to try out.

The 2x would get decent photos sometimes, but with the d800 36mp i found it better to use the 1.4x and crop. It was more consistant