Page 1 of 1

nikon 2x TCIII is simply an optical miracle.

Posted: Fri 15 Jan 2010 21:55
by Stany Buyle
Just received mine. I buy most of my photographic equipment @ Audiophil, Aachen-Germany.
And I'm as enthusiast as Rudy while he wrote his first impressions.

Early findings:
This TC is simply designed for the new 70-200 AF-S VRII. This is a miracle combination.
Just like Rudy stated already:
-AF maintains very fast, also in lowlight conditions. :D
-VR transmission is exceptional. It is possible to get very decent sharpness in pictures taken @ 400mm and 1/20 sec shutter speed . :D
-Bokeh maintains unchanged. :D
-After testing my 70-200 AF-S VRII with my Kenko pro300 2xTC I got pretty decent sharpness, but quite bad vignetting and horrible bokeh. I was a little worrying about vignetting, but with the nikon TCIII, @ first view, the corner sharpness seems to be very good and vignetting, although visible wide open, much better controlled than with the Kenko TC. :)

Underneath a quite difficult thing for AF and a first try about vignetting and corner sharpness: A rough white wall in very low light... AF was instant! Wow... :D

D700 with 70-200 AF-S VRII and nikon TCIII, iso 800 and F5.6, handhold @1/30 sec.
Image

And a 100% crop of the corner left under:
Image

* I also did some early tryouts with this TC with my 105 AF-S VR:
-AF becomes very slow in lowlight conditions :(
-VR transmission is also here perfect. :)
-Sharpness is stunning (@ first view indistinguishable from pictures without TC)... :D

*I tried to mount this TCIII with my sigma 180mm with the hope to get a sharp 360mm macro lens. It doens't work, don't try it! You might break something! :!:

Tomorrow I'll go for some "Birds in flight" shooting with this magical combo. I'll post samples and findings here.
**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
:!: :idea: :?: If you have questions, thoughts, your own findings, critiques or remarks related to this or other topics on this forum: Join this forum starting by your registration now!! Everybody is welcome. :D Read about how to make a registration here.
Sincerely yours,
Rita B, site owner.
**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Re: nikon 2x TCIII is simply an optical miracle.

Posted: Fri 15 Jan 2010 22:11
by James
I feel like I should be jealous of you and Rudy - but I am very happy with my old one :)

How do you find the results of this compare with the quality of your 1.4tc

70-200AF-SVRII +TCIII the successor of 80-400VR?

Posted: Sat 16 Jan 2010 15:51
by Stany Buyle
I used to be a very enthusiast fan of the 80-400 VR. Although not very fast focusing it was (and still is) a great lens for ocassional wildlife photography and many other applications. Some members and myself posted many series of pictures taken with this lens. You can see them here, here, here and here...
The advantages of this lens against primes and much more heavy wildlife lenses like the 200-400 are compactness, portability(weight) and the versatility(focal reach).

For a quite long time though, many owners of the 80-400VR were waiting for a faster autofocusing, sharper successor of this lens. Until now, many people including myself, were speculating about a 80-400VR successor. After the very early tryouts results from Dr. Dusslierand myself, I start to doubt now if there is any need for that update after the release of the TCIII. @ least for users of nikon bodies with powerfull AF mechanisms like D3series, D700 and D300... The only "advantages" a possible 80-400 or 100-500 telezoom would still have over the magic combo would be weight, compactness and instant focal range...

So TMHO, together with the AF-SVRII and the TCIII, the 80-400VR successor has just been released by nikon: The 70-200 AF-S VRII-TCIII combo. Let me call it the "nikkor magic combo" I think, but didn't test this because I don't have my 70-200 VRI anymore, that the 70-200VRI with TCIII is also "better" than the 80-400 about sharpness, AF speed and VR.

Some people might still dream about a new nikon super zoom te be released which is compatible with this TCIII 2x converter. The loss of 2 stops light would make this combination unuseable though as the F5.6 in the end would turn out to be F11... In another article on this forum I added the link to an interesting article about "F-numbers explained". A 100-500F4 would be a +10 kg monster, so no option neither, not for handholding, not for carrying around.

Here is my comparison between the 80-400VR and the "nikkor magic combo":

Advantages for the 80-400VR:
-instant focal reach of 80-400mm
-weight and compactness.

Advantages for the "nikkor magic combo":
-improved sharpness
-F2.8 from 70 until 200mm
-Extended focal reach from 140 to 400mm
-Very significant improved AF speed
-improved VR

Thanks for your attention, comments and thoughts are welcome.


Nikon TC-20 E III is in stock @ Audiophil, Aachen-Germany.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PS If you would like to participate in this discussion you have to join this forum first. How to join this forum you can read here.
"Everybody is welcome on this forum, but not anonymous."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Re: nikon 2x TCIII is simply an optical miracle.

Posted: Sat 16 Jan 2010 15:55
by James
Have you tried it with your 1050 yet Stany? If so what kind of results are you getting at 2:1? I am still trying to work out if I should get this new tc or the 1.4 or wait to see if they release a new 1.4 :)

First real life samples...

Posted: Sat 16 Jan 2010 16:18
by Stany Buyle
Went out shooting a bit near to the sea. Weather conditions were bad, it was cloudy and raining.
My camera, lens and TC converter got quite a bit drops of rain, water sealed or not I was drying if off every couple of minutes...

While weather conditions were so bad, I had little other choise than to go to iso 1250 to get reasonable fast shutter speeds.
Camera I used was D700(have only one DSLR) with my 70-200 AF-S VRII and nikon TCIII.
Exif per sample is above the picture.

D700 with 70-200VRII + nikonTCIII, iso 1250, handhold @400mm, 1/320sec, F5.6
Image

and a 100% crop of a detail:
Image

Some more seagulls...

D700 with 70-200VRII + nikonTCIII, iso 1250, handhold @400mm, 1/800sec, F5.6
Image

And another one...

D700 with 70-200VRII + nikonTCIII, iso 1250, handhold @390mm, 1/250sec, F8
Image

and a 100% crop:

Image

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PS If you would like to participate in this discussion you have to join this forum first. How to join this forum you can read here.
"Everybody is welcome on this forum, but not anonymous."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About the AF speed of this magic combo...

Posted: Sat 16 Jan 2010 17:12
by Stany Buyle
One of the most amazing things of this combo is the AF speed and accuracy, next to the exceptional sharpness for a telezoom+TC combo.
The AF is fast, even in lowlight conditions, and uncomparable faster than the 80-400 VR... Which includes that I personally don't need a 80-400VR replacement anymore...

but...
Much slower than the 200-400 AF-S VR F4 on its own...
You get what you pay for... Unfortunately I can't afford a 200-400 AF-S VR...And I want a lens that I can handhold easily and carry around all day long.

My photography mate Dr Rudy Dusslier is actually testing the 200-400F4/TCIII combination on his D3s and D3x. I hope he can post his impressions and findings soon...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PS If you would like to participate in this discussion you have to join this forum first. How to join this forum you can read here.
"Everybody is welcome on this forum, but not anonymous."

I am preparing a new section on this forum(operational by end of this month), -and only visible and accessible for affiliated forum members-, where you can download the original NEF files posted in Dr Dusslier's and my users reports.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Re: nikon 2x TCIII is simply an optical miracle.

Posted: Sun 17 Jan 2010 02:20
by allibert
do you think the combo 70-200 AF-S VR with the TC 20-E III will be as magic as with the 70-200 AF-S VRII??

I have also the 200-400 and I am planning to connect it with the TC 20-E III. Any advice?

Thank you

TCIII -lens compatibility list from Nikon website...

Posted: Sun 17 Jan 2010 07:45
by Stany Buyle
While Rudy just reported me that his 200-400 F4 does not autofocus with his TCIII I checked the Nikon TCIII compatibility list. :(
It says:
from the [url=http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/lens/af/teleconverters/af-s_tc-20e_3/index.htm]Nikon website[/url] wrote:
Compatible Lenses
The following AF-S and AF-I NIKKOR lenses can be used with the AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III

AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED*
AF-S VR Nikkor 200mm f/2G IF-ED
AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II
AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED
AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED II
AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED
AF-I Nikkor 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED
AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4D IF-ED*
AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8G ED VR
AF-S Nikkor 400mm f/2.8D IF-ED
AF-S Nikkor 400mm f/2.8D IF-ED II
AF-I Nikkor 400mm f/2.8D IF-ED
AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4G ED VR*
AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/4D IF-ED II*
AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/4D IF-ED*
AF-I Nikkor 500mm f/4D IF-ED*
AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR*
AF-S Nikkor 600mm f/4D IF-ED II*
AF-S Nikkor 600mm f/4D IF-ED*
AF-I Nikkor 600mm f/4D IF-ED*
AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED
AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D IF-ED
AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G IF-ED*


* Autofocus cannot be used.

•Other lenses cannot be used. Do not attach other lenses since the rear elements of the lens will touch and may damage the elements in the teleconverter.
•Vibration reduction function can be used with the VR (Vibration Reduction) lens used with the Nikon digital SLR (Nikon FX/DX format) cameras, F6, F5, F100, F80-series/N80-series**, F75-series/N75-series** and F65-series/N65-series** camera body.
** Sold exclusively in the U.S.A.

Re: nikon 2x TCIII is simply an optical miracle.

Posted: Sun 17 Jan 2010 07:57
by Stany Buyle
allibert wrote:do you think the combo 70-200 AF-S VR with the TC 20-E III will be as magic as with the 70-200 AF-S VRII??
As I don't have the VRI anymore I can't report any findings on this but I think it will work fine.
TMHO the main difference between the VRI+ TCIII combo and the VRII+TCIII combo will be sharpness wide open which is for me personally very important while I will use the VRII+TCIII combo as my 80-400VR replacement.
allibert wrote:I have also the 200-400 and I am planning to connect it with the TC 20-E III. Any advice?Thank you
According to the updated report from Rudy and according to the Nikon compatibility list the 200-400F4 is not autofocusing with the TCIII. :( :( :(

Real life AF and VR tests with this combo...

Posted: Sun 17 Jan 2010 22:34
by Stany Buyle

Re: nikon 2x TCIII is simply an optical miracle.

Posted: Wed 20 Jan 2010 22:20
by arthur
Congratulations with your new toys and thanks for the comments.

Re: nikon 2x TCIII is simply an optical miracle.

Posted: Sat 27 Nov 2010 11:12
by roar
Brilliant...

This was just the sort of factual data I was looking for!

Thank You...all the best,

105AF-S VR+TC-20 E III on FX camera, some samples...

Posted: Sun 20 Feb 2011 13:13
by Stany Buyle
105AF-S VR+TC-20 E III on FX camera, some samples...

http://www.fotografie.fr/fotoforum/view ... =54&t=1093

2xTCeIII with 70-200VRII on D7000 (DX) (link to samples)

Posted: Fri 1 Apr 2011 20:44
by Stany Buyle
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read. ... e=38062769

And some excellent (I mean outstanding) images from birds in flight with this combo:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read. ... e=38070797

nikon 2x TCIII + 70-200VRII compared to top lenses...(link)

Posted: Fri 1 Apr 2011 20:46
by Stany Buyle

One more sample of the nikon 2x TCIII optical quality

Posted: Thu 28 Jun 2012 10:15
by Stany Buyle
The scene:
(picture taken handhold with D800, 105AF-S VR with 2xTCIIIe, auto iso-iso 1250, F11, 1/800 sec. To my own surprise, VR was off!!!)
Image

And a 100% crop:
Image

Kindest regards,
Stany
http://www.nikonuser.info" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
:!: :idea: :?: If you have questions, thoughts, your own findings, critiques or remarks related to this or other topics on this forum: Join this forum starting by your registration now!! Everybody is welcome. :D Read about how to make a registration here.
Sincerely yours,
Rita B, site owner.
**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************