Lance B wrote:
AF speed seems a tad faster and accuracy better on my D810 and 500 f4 VR.
Also on a D810 + 500/4 G I am seeing a tad better accuracy and a definite edge to 14.III on acquiring AF quicker. I just finished running a drill with both TC's where I have two AF targets one at about 50 feet and the second about 100 feet. I would alternate AF between the two, shooting in CH, by pressing both the AF on button and shutter release at the same time. The 1.4II hit AF with the first shot about 60% of the time and the 1.4III hit AF with the first shot about 70% of the time.
Lance your image looks pretty awesome at ISO 3200... can you give me any hints regarding your work flow? I don't seem to get that good regarding noise with ISO 400 on my D800E... so I'm doing something wrong!
goomadeer wrote:
Lance your image looks pretty awesome at ISO 3200... can you give me any hints regarding your work flow? I don't seem to get that good regarding noise with ISO 400 on my D800E... so I'm doing something wrong!
Thank you Goomadeer.
I am surprised your ISO400 files are not so good. I don't usually even apply noise reduction up to about ISO1600 depending on light levels. This means I might have been shooting ISO1600, but at a shutter speed of 1/1000sec f5.6 to stop motion of birds, which is still reasonably bright and therefore not need noise reduction, whereas you might be shooting at ISO1000 1/100sec f4 which is starting to get dull and may need noise reduction. Also, you may need noise reduction if you are cropping more severely.
My workflow is:
I shoot uncompressed 14bit RAW. Convert to 16 bit TIFF in Capture One Pro 7, and where applicable, I adjust saturation, WB, exposure, highlight/shadow, keystone, level horizon, layer mask for exposure, lens corrections like aberrations.
I then open the 16 bit TIFF files in Photoshop CC. In Photoshop, where applicable, I use Noiseware Pro plug-in for noise reduction if required, and maybe a few other minor adjustments that are a little easier in Photoshop than Capture One, then adjust size for webview and last of all I use Power Retouche plug-in for sharpening.
Thanks Lance I might check those products out.. I suspect my problem is just going with PS default import settings with my RAW files... i seem to get a lot of noise and pixel clumping even at lowish ISO levels..
So I ended up grabbing a new 1.4xIII from Adorama and it showed up today. won't have tons of time to try it out for a few days but it looks pretty good from a quick testing on my 300 2.8
Hey - was hoping someone could answer a question. I just received my TC and when I unboxed it, it was just wrapped in bubble wrap. All the other Nikon TCs I've had in the past had some cardboard forms where the TC rested.
I don't so much care about the packaging, just want to make sure I didn't get a return or something. Can anyone verify that's just how the packaging is?
Okay, so mine definitively works for its intended purpose, i.e. for portraits of animals you don't want to get too close to - though Algonquin's "Three-Legged Lucy" and her cubs kept coming closer and closer looking for the season's remaining blueberries. Image quality is on par with the bare lens.
I sure had fun this mornin' 
