Dum questions on TC's

[coolbeer6]

I have spent alot of time going through old posts to tyr to get some more info on TC's ,, And how they work ...
Do they work ? or is it directly related to the type of lense u have ?
As a cheeper alternative to another lense are they worth it - just to have some fun with ?
How much do they cost , is there a big differance in quality depending on the brand ?
Has anyone put one with an Sigma APO 70-200mm 1:2.8D , how were the results ?
What could be the biggest one that would be uesed without problems ?
As u can see i realy don't know much about lenses - i like looking through then and shooing if i thing it will look good .
I hope someone can help me - All comments will be apriciated .

thanks ....

[stubbsy]

Talking TCs before talking lenses is putting the cart before the horse. Some lenses are a much better combo with TCs than others and some TCs just aren't recommended for some lenses. As an example the Nikon TC 1.7 works a treat with the 70-200 VR (you lose about 1 stop), but is lousy with the 80-400VR (partly because the 80-400 VR is F4.5-5.6 vs the 70-200's constant 2.. SO decide what lens you want then work out if there's a TC option for it.

[coolbeer6]

Ok thanks Stubbsy..
I have a Sigma APO 70-200mm 1:2.8D ..
How would this go with the above questions ??
Any recomendations ?

[sirhc55]

Ok thanks Stubbsy..
I have a Sigma APO 70-200mm 1:2.8D ..
How would this go with the above questions ??
Any recomendations ?

I have the same lens and use the Sigma 2x teleconverter. Basically it will work but you do lose some sharpness in the lens. It is really for the situation where the extra reach is essential but not enough to warrant spending more dollars on a longer reach lens.

[stubbsy]

coolbeer - I should have read your post more closely

I defer to Chris - he's the chairman of the Sigma wing of the forum (i'm a Nikkor man )

[sirhc55]

Coolbeer6 - I forgot to add that the Sigma 2x plus the 70-200mm f/2.8 are perfectly matched and you will find samples of photos taken with this combination on the WWW.

[coolbeer6]

Thanks Chris - dose the 2x turn the lense into a 140-400mm ..?
Are they easy to fit ?
What would be a budget price as i have no idear on the cost of a TC ?

[sirhc55]

Thanks Chris - dose the 2x turn the lense into a 140-400mm ..?
Are they easy to fit ?
What would be a budget price as i have no idear on the cost of a TC ?

To answer your first question the answer is yes.

I purchased mine from B&H in New York by mail. If I remember correctly it is approx $189 US but if you go this route do not use UPS Express postage as you will most certainly end up paying gst etc.

There is another thread somewhere on this forum with regard to which postal service to choose but it is late and I have to go to bed

[sirhc55]

An example for coolbeer6 - not a great shot but shows the capability of the Sigma 70-200mm with 2x teleconverter.

Focal length 400mm - iso 400. f/8.0 @ 1/750 sec. No crop. Hand held.



EDIT: shot across a six lane road to an upper storey apartment

[coolbeer6]

Thanks Chris . i suppose the main part of the question was dose the TC work. for a hand held shot at that distance i can see that it dose with the lense i already have.. i wish i had the $ for more lenses but as this is just a hobby i think the 2x TC will give me the extra reach i am sometimes after...

Thanks all for your help.