Nikon 1.7converter combo with 300mm f4 afs?

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jim allison
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p.1 #1 · Nikon 1.7converter combo with 300mm f4 afs?

I recently purchased a tce II 1.7 teleconverter for use with my 300mm F4 afs lens and I'm very dissapointed with the results. First thing I did was to test the lens without the converter, on a tripod with mirror up. Results were fine. Then I tested the lens with the converter, also on a tripod with mirror up.The combo didn't produce acceptable results? Do I need to fine tune the combo? If I do so, will it effect my results with the rest of my lenses. They are all working fine
and wouldn't want to effect them. The camera is a D800 and I was using static af setting. I would appreciate any suggestions you may have. Thanks,
Jim

Mar 12, 2013 at 11:01 PM

binary visions
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p.1 #2 · Nikon 1.7converter combo with 300mm f4 afs?

My combo is very good. You can absolutely fine tune it without affecting the rest of your lenses - your camera will store the fine tune settings separately, and it will not use them universally.

There is some loss of sharpness with the 1.7x, but it's far from "unacceptable" - so I'd suggest you give the tuning a try and see what results it gives you.

edit: before you go through the trouble of tuning, you might want to take a few shots with using a zoomed-in live view to focus. That way, you can be sure you're nailing the focus, and see what the sharpness of the combo gives you when you take the autofocus out of the equation.

Mar 12, 2013 at 11:40 PM

cadman342001
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p.1 #3 · Nikon 1.7converter combo with 300mm f4 afs?

I used to use this combo all the time with a D300 and it was pretty good, the lens itself is a beauty for the money, great IQ. My only problem was the TC made bif in poor light difficult as the D300 wasn't that great at higher ISOs, an issue the D800 shouldn't have. For that reason I moved onto the 300/2.8 afs, again with the 1.7TC.
I always used both hand held too so if you're saying it's no good even on a tripod then there is something wrong. Can you try the TC with another lens or the combo on another body ?
I'm interested because this is exactly the combo I'll be looking to go back to when funds permit for my wildlife shooting (had a couple of year with Canon/7D/500/4 IS) and have just bought the 800E.

Can you give details of ss / iso / aperture / hand held or tripod / AF or MF / examples etc ?

Andy

Mar 12, 2013 at 11:46 PM

trenchmonkey
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p.1 #4 · Nikon 1.7converter combo with 300mm f4 afs?

Jim, ya just gotta tweak it

It's one of my favorite combo's on the D800

All my stuff is handheld (BushHawk) and SOOC, you be the judge.

FWIW I fine tuned 'em in the field shootin' Sandhills one day.

I teach BIF (shoot me a PM if you need help dialin' them in)
more samples (I have hundreds) in this thread...
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1191517

2013 © trenchmonkey

NIKON D800 500 mm f/8.0 1/1600 sec 800 ISO -0.7 EV

2013 © trenchmonkey

NIKON D800 500 mm f/9.0 1/1250 sec 320 ISO -0.7 EV

2013 © trenchmonkey

NIKON D800 500 mm f/8.0 1/1600 sec 400 ISO -0.7 EV

2013 © trenchmonkey

NIKON D800 500 mm f/8.0 1/3200 sec 400 ISO -0.7 EV

Edited on Mar 13, 2013 at 12:28 AM · View previous versions

Mar 13, 2013 at 12:09 AM

jim allison
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p.1 #5 · Nikon 1.7converter combo with 300mm f4 afs?

Thanks for your replies! I will check focus with magnified live view tomorrow. If I need to tweak it,
I will take Mr. Monkey up on his offer as I've never messed with any of my lenses before. Thanks again! Jim

Mar 13, 2013 at 12:28 AM

84FJ60
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p.1 #6 · Nikon 1.7converter combo with 300mm f4 afs?

Works fine for me with the D300 on a sturdy tripod. Here's an example:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dyparker/5438719355/in/photostream

David - a Colorado Nikonian

Mar 13, 2013 at 01:55 AM

ja_joyce
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p.1 #7 · Nikon 1.7converter combo with 300mm f4 afs?

You didn't say at what aperture you were shooting. If wide open I'd expect the IQ to suffer. But stopped down a stop or stop and a half and it should look really good.

Mar 13, 2013 at 02:17 AM

Genes Home
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p.1 #8 · Nikon 1.7converter combo with 300mm f4 afs?

I use mine on my D300 and on my D700 (which I DID have to fine tune a bit for backfocus) all the time. In my case, no adjustments needed for the 300, only for the 500. In fact, these days I rarely take teh 1.7x off the 300.

It IS visibly a bit softer with the 1.7 on it, but that's part of the equation, and as the photos from trenchmonkey show, you can do some good work with it if your technique is sharp enough.

I will offer this for tripod work........have you changed the lens's lousy tripod base out for a Kirk replacement or something similar? And are you using a remote release. Try a test. Set up on the tripod and get everything dead still - without touching the rig - at about 1/1000 (none of the other settings matter) and trip the shutter release while watching through the viewfinder. Now you know why technique to master camera/shutter motion is so important.....especially if you are working off a tripod rig.

Gene

Mar 13, 2013 at 03:44 AM

jim allison
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p.1 #9 · Nikon 1.7converter combo with 300mm f4 afs?

Tweeked it and it's up to snuff. Wasn't that difficult to do.Thanks for the help!
Jim

Mar 14, 2013 at 04:59 PM

twistys4me
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p.1 #10 · Nikon 1.7converter combo with 300mm f4 afs?

Post more photos! My 300 tc1.7 combo is coming monday.

Mar 14, 2013 at 07:02 PM

James Markus
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p.1 #11 · Nikon 1.7converter combo with 300mm f4 afs?

Another thing to check out is the tripod collar. The stock 300mm f4 afs tripod collar is crap. Try handheld sometime....the difference can be dramatically better than on a tripod. An easy fix is to trim a wine cork and wedge it between the lens barrel and the front of the tripod foot....like here.

http://www.photomatter.com/Reviews/Nikkor300mm.html

Or, I hear Kirk makes a solid replacement.

Mar 14, 2013 at 11:58 PM

runamuck
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p.1 #12 · Nikon 1.7converter combo with 300mm f4 afs?

Good luck getting the old collar off. It is far from simply loosening and removing.

Suffice to say it involves off-center lugs on the lens and slots in the collar.

Mar 15, 2013 at 02:03 AM

QWK SVT
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p.1 #13 · Nikon 1.7converter combo with 300mm f4 afs?

Wide open 300F4+1.7TC, 1/80" on a monopod (sun had just set):

Mar 15, 2013 at 02:04 PM

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