2x Converter or Extension Tubes?

[sharpe]

I have a Nikon D40 and a Canon Rebel Xsi, and I want to get more detailed, close up shots. For the Nikon, do you recommend a 2x converter or extension tubes? Any advice that you could provide would be greatly appreciated, since I am in the market for either or.

Sharpe

[sharpe]

Additionally, any manufacturers would also be appreciated.

[Loupey]

For the Nikon, do you recommend a 2x converter or extension tubes?

Yes.

It depends on what you have and how you want to use it. It comes down to whether you want to use a 600mm at 5 feet or a 300mm with tubes at 3 feet.

I use both (not at the same time - although you can get drastically different results doing so and in different orders).

[Loupey]

What percentage of the time will you be shooting macros/closeups? If it is a majority of the time and you don't want to buy a dedicated macro/micro lens, I would probably steer you towards tubes if you already have a lens in the 200mm to 300mm range. Assuming you shoot animated subjects out in the wild.

If you go with teleconverters, buy the absolute best quality ones. You need the best quality lenses (main and converter) to get good quality images. My formula goes something like this:

great main + great TC = good image
great main + mediocre TC = less than mediocre image
mediocre main + great TC = less than mediocre image
mediocre main + mediocre TC = poor image

I hike with one lens and carry both a TC and tubes in a fanny pack.

[sharpe]

Thanks
Are there any manufacturers of teleconverters or tubes that you would recommned? I am probably going to purchase a Nikkor 70-300mm.

[Loupey]

Stay with Nikon for the teleconverter.

As for tubes, they're just tubes so you don't need a Nikon. I use a set made by Kenko (rebadged as a Promaster series). You should be able to get a set of 3 tubes for about $170 new.

I wouldn't recommend using a 2x on a 70-300mm lens btw.

[armando_m]

Stay with Nikon for the teleconverter.

.....

I wouldn't recommend using a 2x on a 70-300mm lens btw.

care to elaborate why you do not recommend that combination ?

I have that lens and was planning to get a 2x teleconverter

Thanks !

[Anbesol]

2x tc stops down the lens 2 stops, from 5.6 thats f/11 at long end. Its nearly impossible to use AF on this. That and 70-300's are mostly mediocre lens.

Why do you have both a Canon and a Nikon?

[Loupey]

As Anbesol mentioned, most 70-300mm lenses are mediocre in resolving performance. This mediocrity will become magnified with the teleconverter.

In addition, most of these zooms perform at their best when stopped down 1~2 stops. That means the best performance with a 2x will be at around f/16 to f/22 - not very practical.

Lastly, the viewfinder will become extremely dark and you will need to focus manually. Two extremes that most will find unbearable.

When I use my 2x with my 300mm f/4, I automatically use it at f/11 where the performance peaks with that particular lens (stopped 1 stop). So, as you can imagine, the lighting has to be extremely favorable to use it even at f/11 since it is a 600mm at that point and very prone to camera shake - even with IS.

[armando_m]

Thanks for the comments!

I have been reading about the loss of 2 f stops and also having to focus manually.

My camera is a nikon D40. The lens I'm considering for the teleconverter is a nikon 70-300AF , which was basically given away to me.

A friend of mine wanted to sell it to me , but I did not want to pay for a
lens what I will seldom use because ....
- using it on the D40 means manual focus, and I find the focus ring imprecise
- lack of VR so to get a "sharp" picture I need to use a tripod.
- high ISO on the D40 is grainy so I need low ISO , reinforcing the use of a tripod
- I did not see to much gain of the 300mm vs the 200mm of the 18-200 Vr lens I normally have on the camera.

Anyway , since it was given away I took it ...

So far I have only used it to take a couple of pics of the moon ... even at 300mm the size of the moon with this lens is fairly small, I thought a teleconverter will allow me to get a 2x gain and at least keep the IQ, considering the quality of the moon pics is already so so , and that I'm not willing to spend big bucks on a good teleconverter only to take pics of the moon... I'll pass

here is the last pic of the moon :


Thanks again :thumbsup:

[Loupey]

Here's a real-life scenario I took a few years ago. Shot with the same lens (300mm) and same camera and only 5 minutes apart. One is with a 2x and one with extension tubes. Shooting distances are about 4.5 feet and 2 feet respectively.

One is not better than the other for all occasions. Different tools for different situations require a good working knowledge of both.

EXIF data included.