200-400 + 1.7tc test shots.

[Richard Peters]

Went to a newly discovered local nature reserve on sunday. Not the greatest weather so thought it would be good to scout it out. Did a few test shoots with the 200-400 combined with the 1.7tc in between it raining. Might be useful for anyone with this lens who is thinking about getting a TC for it - it'll either give you the confidence to get one or confirm you shouldn't depending on how you look at this lol

These were hand held from a hide:

1/500, f8, ISO 2000, 650mm

%100 crop

And same, but sharpened

No usm

usm

No usm

usm

1/800, f8, ISO 2000, 650mm

no usm

usm

This for me was a worse case scenario for this combo with poor light and hand held at high ISO but I 'think' with more favourable conditions (proper sunlight, lower ISO, decent support) it would pass in an emergency.

 

[fracster]

Interesting results Richard, I wonder what they would be like if the setup was hung on a 393 head?

 

[StewartR]

The 100% crops are horribly grainy at ISO 2000, Richard. I can't help the feeling that we're not really seeing the lens in its best light, so to speak.

 

[Richard Peters]

The 100% crops are horribly grainy at ISO 2000, Richard. I can't help the feeling that we're not really seeing the lens in its best light, so to speak.

are you serious? Its ISO 2000, grain is to be expected...especially when sharpened up on a %100 crop.

However, this wasn't a demonstration of the D3's ISO (there are plenty of tests for that out there). If you read at the bottom of my first post I said this was a worst case scenario test to see how the combination would perform, obviously these are not optimum conditions, this was about seeing what you can get away with in an emergency - and I think it shows it would work quite well in more favourable conditions.