Screw a Teleconverter...

[matthewo]

Well, I have always said I need more I need more. with the 300mm 2.8 I always had the 2x converter on, with the 500mm f4 I always have my 1.4x converter on. but when I go back to straight lens I really see how good optically these lens are without the converters. a lot of people say the Nikon 1.4x has little to no affect on image quality. while I agree it has little affect, but the lens works so much better alone, even if its only 100% where you see the somewhat softer images of the teleconverter, at 100% with the lens by itself images are so sharp they almost look like a full frame photo form a P/S. regardless I still think AF isn't as accurate, even with fine tuning with the teleconverter, its sometimes hit and miss and a lot more unforgiving.

So help me out and tell the birds to get closer to me so I don't have to use the Teleconverter, LOL, with the D800 and the ability to crop sometimes the sharpness of the straight lens cropped more is better then adding the teleconverter, plus you save some light...

this I really wanted to get this phoebe hovering mid air but it was just too quick, the little guys would land less then min, focusing distance from me. I could almost reach out and grab them, maybe a few feet short, but they where very friendly little birds.

 

[globeglimpser]

Here I am saving up for a 80-400 and u r telling me that 500 isnt enough

 

[SCraig]

with the D800 and the ability to crop sometimes the sharpness of the straight lens cropped more is better then adding the teleconverter, plus you save some light...

This has been my experience with my D7000 as well. The D7k doesn't have the resolution of the D800, certainly, but that trade off point is still there and it's quite elusive sometimes. The good thing is that a 1.4 TC doesn't take up much room in a pocket so I usually take it with me. When I run into those trade-off situations I shoot it both ways and worry about which one is best when I get home. Sometimes the extra magnification works better, sometimes the extra sharpness works better. I don't always know until I have time to sit and look closely though.

 

[matthewo]

Here I am saving up for a 80-400 and u r telling me that 500 isnt enough

Well that all depends on what your shooting and how close you get

 

[matthewo]

This has been my experience with my D7000 as well. The D7k doesn't have the resolution of the D800, certainly, but that trade off point is still there and it's quite elusive sometimes. The good thing is that a 1.4 TC doesn't take up much room in a pocket so I usually take it with me. When I run into those trade-off situations I shoot it both ways and worry about which one is best when I get home. Sometimes the extra magnification works better, sometimes the extra sharpness works better. I don't always know until I have time to sit and look closely though.

That is true, and while the d7000 doesn't have the resolution of the d800 it does have similar "reach" as pixel density is close to the same. I guess the d800 may have a slight advantage of dynamic range and of course higher iso with less noise

 

[Derrel]

Teleconverters penalize the user by cutting effective light transmission, lowering resolving ability, often introducing additional chromatic aberration, and slowing down autofocus. There is no free lunch. As we move forward in this era of higher-density sensors (like 24MP on the majority of the new Nikon APS-C cameras) and simply "higher" MP counts like the D800's 36-Megapixel count, using a teleconverter that will impair the quality of each and every captured shotmakes a lot less sense than simply capturing the image at the best-possible quality,with the bare lens, and then simply...cropping!

 

[matthewo]

Well put. But its still hard to not use one.


One thing a teleconverter does is give you more focal distance while keeping min focusing distance the same. Sometimes nice for small objects up close

 

[SCraig]

Teleconverters penalize the user by cutting effective light transmission, lowering resolving ability, often introducing additional chromatic aberration, and slowing down autofocus. There is no free lunch. As we move forward in this era of higher-density sensors (like 24MP on the majority of the new Nikon APS-C cameras) and simply "higher" MP counts like the D800's 36-Megapixel count, using a teleconverter that will impair the quality of each and every captured shotmakes a lot less sense than simply capturing the image at the best-possible quality,with the bare lens, and then simply...cropping!

I agree, however as I mentioned there is a trade-off point that isn't obvious to everyone because they don't run into it as much as some of us do.

You have to think birds though. Think about, for example, a duck at around 50 yards. Shot with a 500mm lens, again for example, it might cover 10% of the frame, and when cropped start showing some pixelation. Shot with a 500mm lens and a 1.4x TC the same shot might cover 14% of the frame and show less pixelation when cropped. In some cases, not all, not even most, the loss of IQ is offset by the decrease in pixelation. I've had it go both ways. Sometimes the cropped 500 is better and sometimes the cropped 500 + 1.4 is better.

It has to be evaluated on a shot-by-shot basis and not covered by a blanket "Use a TC" or "Don't Use a TC" clause. That's why I also mentioned that I usually take a shot both ways so I can later decide which works out best. Also, since I stated that I agreed with your views, the truth is that in most cases the cropped image without the TC is better.

 

[samm]

I too have the 80-400 .i will not use a tele-convertor on it at all .To me any teleconvertor on the 80-400 is lousy picture .So in all i like the glass the way it is .I do see a little distortation with convertor.

This is why i have longer glass ,so i dont have to use a convertor of any sorts

But the new 800mm nikon comes with a 1.4 also .

 

[globeglimpser]

The new 80-400?
If so r nikon teles compatable

 

[globeglimpser]

Here I am saving up for a 80-400 and u r telling me that 500 isnt enough

Well that all depends on what your shooting and how close you get

African Wildlife and birds, the former should be alright but as for the latter - I must repeat:

 

[samm]

They do work on the 80-400.I just dont like the outcome of the photo it gives with convertor .