2x teleconverter and a rattling sound / freely moving part – normal?

Howdy,

 

I just got myself Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III and am wondering whether this rattling sound that comes out of it when I move / shake it is normal (?) – there's a piece I can see (it's more visible on the lens side, but also sticks out on the camera side) that moves freely; looks like it's meant to move, just not sure whether all by itself...

...attaching the teleconverter to a lens makes no difference; only attaching the whole thing to the camera stabilizes it, so it goes quiet.

 

Thanks (hopefully for putting my mind at peace ;-)

It's probably a transfer bar to couple the camera with the diaphragm. Electronic aperture control is a very recent "innovation" by Nikon.

I have had exactly the same experience first time with a Tamron and was even more surprise, when it also appear on Nikon 1.4 and 2.0.

I do not know what it is, but they are all 3 functioning very well.

Ed is correct, it's the lever that transfers motion from the aperture coupling lever in the camera (#12 here) to the aperture stop-down lever on the lens (#11). It's spring-loaded on the lens side, and driven by the release mechanism (or possibly a motor) on the camera mount side - in a teleconverter, it just flaps around unless it's being held in place by the two ends. You should be able to poke it with a finger and see the other end move.

 

Having come from Canon to Nikon, the concept of a teleconverter that rattles freaked me out. I'm guessing the TC800-1.25E ED doesn't have a flappy lever because it's designed to work with the 800mm, which is an E-aperture lens (and doesn't have a mechanical aperture lever itself).

 

Of course, if you want to be freaked out by a teleconverter, there's the TC16A, which has its own screwdriver autofocus system that works with manual focus lenses. Not if you want sharp images, but they'll be in focus. :-)

As long as after you mount the TC-20E III onto a (telephoto) lens and the teleconverter onto a Nikon camera body, there is no rattle, you should be fine. A Nikon teleconverter may have a mechanical aperture control coupling, the aperture follower tab coupling, and the EE servo coupling post coupling. When those are not spring loaded, they may rotate freely and rattle.

 

 

I picked up a dirt cheap, sorry, modestly priced, TC-16A to 'convert' to drive an AF -motor dead 600mm f4 AFS ED II.

 

I've also got a TC-14E.

 

Interesting to note the 'female' bayonet lugs different position and dimensions.

 

Sadly, a cunning thought of transferring the 5/5 lens group from one to the other looks impossible...:(

 

They both rattle when not attached to body or lens.

 

Shun inspired me to jiggle my TC14 a bit. I believe the aperture follower tab connector is spring loaded, and definitely doesn't rattle; the EE post is free-moving, but is light enough and has enough resistance that it doesn't move when you're just examining the converter. The coupling for the aperture control lever is absolutely loose, though, and does rattle.

 

I believe the TC800-1.25E likely has none of these movements (the other recent teleconverter updates still, I think, have the aperture control lever, but not the aperture follower or EE post - I don't have one to check). I assume if all lenses eventually go E aperture, we'll get a full set of solid teleconverters to match.

See the image for the TC-14E III above. That teleconverter is intended for G (and E) lenses only, such that there is no mechanical coupling for the aperture follower tab or the EE servo coupling post.

 

For E lenses, even the mechanical coupling for closing down the aperture diaphragm is unnecessary. Such a TC should not rattle at all. :)

I have older 2X converters, and ShunCheung et al. are exactly right, there should be no rattle when one of these units is attached to the lens and camera.

I've blithely asserted that the TC800-1.25 teleconverter probably doesn't have a rattly aperture lever because it's designed to work on an E-aperture lens that doesn't need one. Out of interest, can anyone confirm that? I don't have much experience with $10k+ lenses...

I've blithely asserted that the TC800-1.25 teleconverter probably doesn't have a rattly aperture lever because it's designed to work on an E-aperture lens that doesn't need one. Out of interest, can anyone confirm that? I don't have much experience with $10k+ lenses...

Andrew, you surmised correctly. The 1.25 TC does not rattle the way the others do.

A friend of mine has the 800mm/f5.6 E AF-S VR. I just saw him in the field and borrowed his 1.25x teleconverter to take a couple of quick pictures. I placed the TC in my camera back to keep it safe.

 

Needless to say, since the 800mm is an E lens, there is no mechanical linkage in this TC. This is what I would expect from future Nikon TCs for its mirrorless cameras. Mechanical linkage is very much technology from before the 1980's.