Stack TCs

3stones · Feb 21, 2005

I had my TC14 modified today. I just tried it with TC20 and 70-200VR on my D2H. To my surprise, I could even handhold the combo! Both VR and AF were still working.

I guess the combo has fooled the D2H and it thinks only TC20 is mounted. Therefore I'm still able to open to f5.6 and the EXIF shows focal length as 2X (400mm). Does this make sense?

greyflash · Feb 21, 2005

Does it make sense? It must we all know the D2H wouldn't lie. Would it?

hillrg · Feb 22, 2005

It depends on the order of the converters. I did a modification a couple of years ago with the same results.

Unfortunately, my stacked converter photos are very soft - much softer than some Canon examples I have seen. I am convinced that the canon 2x converter is better than the nikon one. Perhaps stacking the 1.4 and 1.7 would be okay.

Retief · Feb 22, 2005

I have both a modified TC-14E and a modified TC-20E. The stacking is order dependent, and the TC-14 and TC-17 will not stack, due to the protruding nature of the beasts.

As to softness, I decided to give this a try a bit ago and have been incredibly surpised. Here is the latest attempt:

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Perhaps I have just gotten lucky, but in the two times I have done this in the past couple of months I have gotten very good results. This image has not been cropped, nor has it had any "special" sharpening done. I shoot in NEF with sharpening off in the camera. If anyone sees "softness" here, point it out please. This was using my 500mm f4.5 Sigma, 1400mm by the time I was done. I also wanted to keep ISO down, notice the 1/80 shutter speed.

Flew · Feb 22, 2005

Pretty danged amazing Bill. I'm not usually impressed by the shots that I get with my 300mm 2.8 Nikkor and the TC-20EII. Maybe it has more to do with shaky tripod / ballhead / photographer in my case and not bad optics.

Sure bears further investigation on my part.

Thanks,

Frank

Retief said:
I have both a modified TC-14E and a modified TC-20E. The stacking is order dependent, and the TC-14 and TC-17 will not stack, due to the protruding nature of the beasts.

As to softness, I decided to give this a try a bit ago and have been incredibly surpised. Here is the latest attempt:

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Perhaps I have just gotten lucky, but in the two times I have done this in the past couple of months I have gotten very good results. This image has not been cropped, nor has it had any "special" sharpening done. I shoot in NEF with sharpening off in the camera. If anyone sees "softness" here, point it out please. This was using my 500mm f4.5 Sigma, 1400mm by the time I was done. I also wanted to keep ISO down, notice the 1/80 shutter speed.

Retief · Feb 22, 2005

To be quite frank, Frank ( that was fun :wink: ) I was about to put my TC-20E up for auction to fund the TC17E, but now that I find how well this works I think I am going to keep this one. I rarely used it until now, I guess I just got a "good" one. I have to send my 500 in for repair, so I will be trying this over the next couple of weeks with the 120-300. It will be interesting to see the results. Now that I also have the Sigma 1.4TC I have lot's of combinations to try. Just for grins I put the 1.4 and 2x on the Sigma 120-300 f2.8 and it tried to AF. I'll have to see what happens in good light.

I do agree that a solid tripod is required. I have a Gitzo 1228, and many people have said that I need something "bigger", but as far as I can tell it is working quite well.

3stones · Feb 22, 2005

Here are some tests I did today. For relatively stationary subjects, the combo is fine to use but for flirt litle birds, it's a big pain.

This one was done with AF at noon,

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This following two with MF,
View attachment 5384

View attachment 5385

3stones said:
I had my TC14 modified today. I just tried it with TC20 and 70-200VR on my D2H. To my surprise, I could even handhold the combo! Both VR and AF were still working.

I guess the combo has fooled the D2H and it thinks only TC20 is mounted. Therefore I'm still able to open to f5.6 and the EXIF shows focal length as 2X (400mm). Does this make sense?