Teleconverter or not?

[grizzsden]

Being new to photography, I am still learning about different accessories that are available. I currently only have two lenses for my Nikon D5000: the Nikon DX 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6G and the Nikon 55-200mm 1:4-5.6G ED. I cannot afford a new lens right now and was wondering if teleconverter would work on my lenses. Would like to know what your opinion would be. I take a lot of landscape photos and don't know if it would be any better to use a converter or not. Thank you for your help.

[chrisnielsen]

A good teleconverter will set you back $400 or more and will not work very well with those lenses, and will negatively

affect image quality and autofocus. There are few silver bullets in photography

[nodpete]

You will lose AF with those lens. TC to work though I have a 2x and have used it on my (now broken) 70-300 f3.5/5.6. It works quite well on my 70-210 f4.

 

Please use a bigger font when typing, I had a heck of a time reading your post.

[richardsnow]

<p>As has been previously mentioned, a good AF teleconverter is going to run you somewhere in the price range of $400-$500.</p>

<p>For Nikon TCs you can check compatibility <a href="http://www.nikonusa.com/en_INC/IMG/Assets/Common-Assets/Images/Teleconverter-Compatibility/en_US_Comp_chart.html">HERE.</a></p>

<p>Your lenses are not supported and I would never recommend them if they were. Nikon's AF system relies on a minimum aperture of f/5.6, which your lenses already work at. When you add a teleconverter you are changing the f/stop of the lens by the same multiplier as the magnification.</p>

<p>Example: Your 55-200mm f/3.5-5.6 with a 2x TC would become a 110-400mm f/8-11 and your auto focus would cease to function at any focal length over 85 or so.</p>

<p>What I would look at for the cost of the TC is a used or refurbished Nikon 70-300mm VR or an equivalent lens from SIGMA or TAMRON. Make sure that you get a lens that has some sort of image stabilization if you are planning on hand holding the lens. It will make a world of difference.</p>

<p>RS</p>

[dan_south]

Avoid the teleconverter and save up for your next lens.

[neill_farmer2]

<p>I have a couple of quality converters but my experience with them has been disappointing.<br>

I find just cropping the image has given me a better result.</p>

[gary_mayo1]

<p>The trick with teleconverters is not to go big. 1.4 looses almost no quality, whereas a 2.0 always looses some quality. Always get one from the lens maker that is matched to your lens.</p>

[jon_robert]

<p>From Rockwell:</p>

<p><strong>Introduction</strong><br>

Teleconverters were popular gimmicks in the 1970s when everyone shot fixed prime lenses. Even the cheapest SLR came with a 50mm f/2 lens, and the cheapest telephoto was a 135mm f/2.8. Lenses got faster from there. <br>

With a 2x teleconverter your 50mm became a quite usable 100mm f/4 and your 135 became a useful 270mm f/5.6.<br>

Unfortunately teleconverters are almost useless for practical photography with today's zoom lenses.<br>

Popular zoom lenses are too slow. <br>

Teleconverters are most useful if you already have a fast (f/2.8) lens to begin with. <br>

When you put a 2x teleconverter on a fast, constant aperture <a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/70210f4.htm">f/4 70-210</a> zoom you wind up with a useless f/8 lens. The f/8 equivalent is useless for two reasons: 1.) The f/8 is too slow to allow autofocus to work correctly, and 2.) f/8 requires long exposure times. Longer exposures with longer doubled focal lengths almost always gives images blurred by camera shake.<br>

In order to use a 2x teleconverter you need to start off with a lens of at least f/2.8, and with a 1.4x teleconverter you need a lens of at least f/4.<br>

Avoid 3x teleconverters. They almost assure a dark, blurry image every time.<br>

Nikon realizes this, and therefore does not offer teleconverters for their AF lenses except for the fast, expensive f/2.8 AFS lenses. <br>

If you are silly enough to insist on using a TC with most of the Nikon system you'll have to use an off-brand <a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/kenko.htm">here</a>.<br>

<strong>Recommendations</strong><br>

For fast lenses of f/2.8 and faster by all means try one. <br>

If your AF lens is f/2.8 lens or faster consider it. The <a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/40028afsII.htm">400/2.8</a> works great with the <a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/tc14e.htm">TC-14E</a> or <a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/tc20e.htm">TC-20E</a>. Even the <a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/300f4afs.htm">300/4</a> works swell with the <a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/tc14e.htm">TC-14E</a>.<br>

Forget it with slower zooms like the <a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/80400vr.htm">80-400 VR</a>. I also got poor results (unsharp) with the <a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/80200afs.htm">80-200 f/2.8 AFS</a> and <a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/tc20e.htm">TC-20E</a>. I have not tried the $8,000 200 - 400 f/4 AFS with the <a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/tc14e.htm">TC-14E</a>; it might work well.<br>

The <a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/tc20e.htm">TC-20E</a> extends into the rear of the lens fitted to it. F/2.8 pro telephotos have room for it. Mid range zooms like the <a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/18200.htm">18 - 200 VR</a>, <a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/1870.htm">18 - 70</a>, <a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/1855.htm">18 - 55</a> and <a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/1755.htm">17 - 55</a> have too much junk in the trunk to allow the TC-20E to fit, even if they were fast enough for it to make sense. <br>

Generally I only suggest teleconverters for fixed lenses. Zooms, great for use by themselves, are usually unsharp or just too slow when paired with a teleconverter . <br>

<strong>etc etc</strong><br>

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/tc.htm</p>

[jcuknz]

<p>If you want reach then the inexpensive way is to get a bridge camera with a x24/x30 zoom ... trying to do it with a DSLR is how to break the bank. As a newbie you need to concentrate on using the gear you have and forget about accessories, gadgets and extra lens. For most of my life I worked, earnt my living, with less than you have, only now with digital do I have more than I really need.</p>