Stacking nikon teleconverters

Osmo

Osmo

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Hi

After a search on here I've found a few articles discussing this but they haven't answered my specific question, so here goes:

I have both the Nikon TC-14E AF-S Teleconverter III and the TC-20E AF-S Teleconverter III, that were bought for different purposes, but I was wondering if it was possible to stack them to use with my D810/800 and 300mm AF-S f/4E PF ED VR?

I fully appreciate that IQ will take a hit but if this is possible it will be most helpful as there may be the opportunity to see some wild otters next month in Scotland and having some extra reach might be really useful.

If this is possible without any modifications or risk of damage:

1. Will the lens still be able to autofocus?

2. What will be the maximum aperture I can expect?

Thanks
 
Try it..... It probably won't auto focus and you're f stop will be minute! Load up the Iso and go for it
 
Thanks Mark - happy to try it, but just checking that even gently trying to assemble wont cause any damage.

Would you happen to know how I would calculate the max aperture? What should I expect, f/11 or 16?
 
There is some info on this site HERE about adapting and stacking Nikon teleconverters
 
Thanks..if I am interpreting the information on that site correctly and assuming that it also applies to the MkIII versions of both the 14 and 20, it appears modification may be required! In which case, hello digital cropping!
 
Yeah cropping is better
 
Osmo said:
Thanks..if I am interpreting the information on that site correctly and assuming that it also applies to the MkIII versions of both the 14 and 20, it appears modification may be required! In which case, hello digital cropping!
Click to expand...

I have the D810 its 36mp will allow a heavy crop, which will produce cleaner results than stacked TC's ... the big problem with the TC's is the increase in minimum aperture, which will reduce the amount of light to your auto focus sensors, the 1.4TC is a one stop increase making your lens f5.6, the 2.0TC is two stops making your lens f8.

So with the 1.4TC you are getting half the amount of light to the AF sensor as you would with the bare lens, and with the 2.0TC half as much again, this is bound to have an effect on the response of the cameras focus system.
 
I don't have the 2x but I have a feeling that they won't fit together due to the rear lens poking out?
 
Thanks Martyn and Gramps. Cropping is the way forward I think but had to ask to be aware of all options. Seeing and photographing a wild otter is on my bucket list...it is one of those situations that I would l prefer a soft and potentially out of focus shot than none at all.
 
Osmo said:
Thanks Martyn and Gramps. Cropping is the way forward I think but had to ask to be aware of all options. Seeing and photographing a wild otter is on my bucket list...it is one of those situations that I would l prefer a soft and potentially out of focus shot than none at all.
Click to expand...

Your D800 + 300 PF + TC 2.0 should allow a pretty good opportunity for reach and crop :)
 
Thanks Gramps. I've had some nice results (to my eye) of small birds so fingers crossed that I can get physically close enough to the otters not to disturb them but to allow the 2.0TC and 300PF to do its thing! :)
 
Sell the teleconvertors and buy a hide and a flask!
 
Cheapest option is for me to get over the 'wild' otter thing and head over to here with my camera phone! :)
 
Good point but I bought the 300mm PF due to its weight as the otter photography is a part of an epic trek and didnt want a really heavy lens to carry about.
 
A mate of mine uses a 600mm f/4 and sometimes that's TOO long for otters (wild) on Mull.
 
Thanks Nod. Thats great that 600mm may be too long! Hopefully I will be fine with my 300mm +/- 2.0 x TC and if necessary flip to DX.
 
Osmo said:
Thanks Nod. Thats great that 600mm may be too long! Hopefully I will be fine with my 300mm +/- 2.0 x TC and if necessary flip to DX.
Click to expand...

IMHO, the x 2 works well with the 300mm f2.8 ..... unless you were lucky with the light, it never was too good with the 300mm f4 AFS ......... I find similar results, maybe just a little bit better with the 300mm PF

the x 1.4 works well with the 300's, 600's etc., ......... I'm just trying the x 1.7, it may be better than the x2 .... but it is nowhere near the consistency of the x 1.4

If you get near enough I would think that you are better with a x1.4 digital crop, rather than a x 2 optical image ...... if you see what I mean

Another option, (inexpensive?) is a Nikon 1, +FT-1 and if you can fill the frame you will get more MP's on the image than a DSLR crop
 
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Thanks Bill. I will have both the 1.4 and 2.0 with me, hopefully this will be sufficient for my goal of a shot of a wild otter, I know it won't be a good shot due to the chimp on the LCD side of the camera, but a shot nonetheless. I deliberately won't be trying to get close as I don't want to disturb it/them....call me soft but Tarka the Otter messed me up when I was kid!!

If I'm really lucky and I get close, I have plenty of other options but it was the ultimate reach that I was trying to achieve. Hopefully, what I have now will be sufficient, but if not I can always take another 12 hour drive up to the west Scotland coast better prepared next time.
 
A bit OT I realise, but if you want to stack teleconverters then you need to switch to using Canon equipment. Here's one of my colleagues in the office showing how it's done.
 

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If you come across Otters up here, they will usually be within range for cropping without having to stack and Mull is a great place for catching them without effort.
 
StewartR said:
A bit OT I realise, but if you want to stack teleconverters then you need to switch to using Canon equipment. Here's one of my colleagues in the office showing how it's done.
Click to expand...


Probably lose autofocus though. ;)
 
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