This is not a test! I repeat: This is not a test!

I am just comparing some lenses and TCs that came to my hand one afternoon.

It is interesting to compare an old 400 f/3,5 with the 70-200VR +TC20E (at the

same focal length =400mm) to se what a TC does compromising image quality.

Even abusing the whole thing (stacking two TCs together) the 400 mm prime

still does it better.

You can make your conclusions for yourselves.

Regards, Miha.<div></div>

First picture - Nikon 70-200VR<div></div>

Second picture: sigma EX 70-200 mm APO HSM (old version) at 200 mm

Secon picture again.

 

P.S. All pictures were shot at the largest aperture - wide open.<div></div>

Nikon 70-200 VR + TC 14E<div></div>

Nikon 70-200 VR + sigma 1.4x EX TC<div></div>

Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX + Sigma 1.4x EX<div></div>

Nikon 70-200mm VR + TC20E<div></div>

Just see the difference !

Nikon AI-S 400 mm f/3.5 EDIF<div></div>

Nikon AI-S 400 mm f/3.5 EDIF + TC14E<div></div>

Nikon AI-S 400 mm f/3.5 EDIF + TC20E<div></div>

Nikon AI-S 400 mm f/3.5 EDIF + TC 301<div></div>

Second cut-out for Nikon AI-S 400 mm f/3.5 EDIF + TC20E<div></div>

Second cut-out for Nikon AI-S 400 mm f/3.5 EDIF + TC 301<div></div>

Now 'abusing' the whole stuff: Nikon 70-200 VR + TC20E + TC14 E

I don't want to discuss the image quality - but my D200 DID autofocus with this combo.<div></div>

The old 400mm EDIF did it a lot better with stacked TCs.

Nikon AI-S 400 mm f/3.5 EDIF + TC20 + TC14<div></div>

Another cut-out for Nikon AI-S 400 mm f/3.5 EDIF + TC20 + TC14.<div></div>

I hope this is enough - make your own conclusions. I can not judge what level of quality is enough for you so you must decide it yourselves.

I made this practical comparison with Nikon D200, set on ISO 100, aperture priority, all photos shot with the lens wide open.

Hope you had some fun looking at this post.

Regards, Miha.<div></div>

Nice series. Actually, what impresses me is that until you get to the last few photos with the wildly "stacked" teleconverters, the differences in quality would not matter all that much to me in "real world" situations, save perhaps if I were photographing a small bird at a great distance (for example). Slight losses in contrast, as for example in the Sigma photos, could largely (completely?) be remedied in PS. It's even more impressive that the photos were taken with a wide-open aperture. Sometimes people get overly concerned, I think, about very tiny differences in resolution/contrast.

This is all pretty interesting and the sharpness on the 400 is pretty amazing. But if you don't mind me saying, you are comparing apples and oranges here: you have a fixed length, prime telephoto, compared to a telezoom with a 3X magnification. It is obvious that a telezoom will have to make some compromises. Also, I think you should have also tried stopping down to say f8 or f11 to get a betteridea on how they stack up against each other. Just my 2 cents...

A couple of years ago I did my own comparison between a Nikon VR 80-400 ED AF IF zoom which I had recently acquired for use on my D100, and an old (manual focus, manual diaphragm) Leitz 400 f5.6 Telyt. They were pretty close, but in the end I sold the Nikon and kept the Telyt due to my perception of sharper, slightly contrastier, images with the older lens. I wouldn't hold my comparison up to scientific scrutiny, but it helped me pare down the lenses to what worked best for my uses.

This is not a test ether, photo shot yesterday morning with a 400mm 3.5 EDIF MF Nikkor, and a TC-301 shot wide open at F8, Full frame on a D70s.<div></div>

I did some similar testing with my d200 and my 70-200 2.8 and my 300mm AF f4. My conclusion was basically the same as yours - you are better off (usually) just cropping the picture from the lens shot without the TC.

 

I just ordered the 80-400 and will save my pennies, lots and lots of them, for a 500mm or 600mm somewhere down the road.

 

Great job!

Miha,

 

there is nothing new about the 70-200 VR. It is known that you get acceptable quality with this lens and the TC14 but you shouldn't use it with the TC20.

 

Regards

Franz