Anyone know if a Sigma 2x teleconverter can be used on 70-300mmVR Nikon lens?

raybug

I want to find out if anyone knows for certain if the Sigma2x teleconverter will work on a Nikon 70-300mmVR lens. I know they will fit together, but I am reluctant to try it on my D7100.

Thanks

manhattanboy

Why would you want to? It will become a manual focus lens with poor IQ. You are better off just using the 70-300 in 1.3x crop mode

tcole1983

No.

tcole1983

From Nikon "The rear elements of NIKKOR lenses not listed can contact and damage the Teleconverter element and must not be attached. "

also see their page...for the Nikon 2x, but should be the same for Sigma. http://www.nikonusa.com/en_INC/IMG/Assets/Common-Assets/Images/Teleconverter-Compatibility/EN_Comp_chart.html

Also light for focusing is an issue. I assume if it works at all it will only be limited use.

raybug

The Sigma and Nikon teleconverters are totally different.

raybug

How do you know it will become a manual focus?

raybug

Maybe my question should be, has anyone ever used or tried the Sigma 2x teleconverter on the 70-300mm Nikon lens?

PB_PM

The Sigma TC's do not play nice with Nikon lenses. AF only works intermittently.

Paperman

Let's not forget even a Nikon TC2x will not work with the 70-300mm ...

haroldp

I would not use any TC on that lens.

.. H

Msmoto

I think the question has been answered, but it does remind me of using a Soligor Auto Teleconverter 3X on a Nikon F body with a 300mm f/4.5 Nikkor…. in the 1960's. This was a very long lens in those days…900mm, f/13….and the image produced….at 8"x10" print…soft is the kindest description, fuzzy soft or just plane blurry is more accurate….. Yet, the effect of the foreshortening was so dramatic, the image had an acceptable quality from an art standpoint.

As an advocate of TC's, I would suggest the only TC's I might recommend would be those specifically designed by Nikon for Nikkor optics. The others would produce results tending towards my old Soligor.

raybug

Thanks men for all the great information. I use it mainly on a 50-500 Sigma lens which it is difficult to
get tack sharp photos at 1000mm. I wanted to use it on the 70-300 Nikon though for possibly better shots.
I shoot mainly wildlife and as you know it is difficult to get close most of the time.

raybug

No one so far has said they have tried it. One man said it would become manual focus, does he know from trying it? I have asked Sigma and they do not know either. I would think it would advantageous for Sigma to know which lenses it would work on so they could sell more TC's

WestEndBoy

Sigma probably knows it is junk but doesn't want to tell you. You will then buy one and try it.

That is how they will sell more TCs.

haroldp

No one so far has said they have tried it. One man said it would become manual focus, does he know from trying it? I have asked Sigma and they do not know either. I would think it would advantageous for Sigma to know which lenses it would work on so they could sell more TC's

At 300mm the lens would be f11, no current Nikon DSLR claims to aoutofocus at f11, only the last generation (D4, D800 etc.) will even do so at f8, and will then only use the center point, I have tried this.

I use the 70-300 VR when traveling, and it is soft at f5.6 even without TC. Closed down 1 stop where the lens is acceptably sharp without TC is f8, with 2X TC it becomes f16. Good luck shooting wildlife at f16, or the f22 you would probably need to get some kind of sharpness.

Given the experience level of some of the folks on this forum, everything does not have to be tried.

Regards ... Hl

WestEndBoy

No one so far has said they have tried it.

Given the experience level of some of the folks on this forum, everything does not have to be tried.

Regards ... Hl

Well said!!!

raybug

I would hope this site would be for all, so called experts and amateurs. There are not too many people who know everything about photography and every situation.

heartyfisher

Since the 70-300 is not compatible with the Nikon TC.. its also likely to be incompatible with the Sigma TC unless it explicitly states so. It will likely damage both the lens and the TC if used together. however I know Sigma does not recommend that their TC to be used with other non sigma lenses and it is only compatible with most but not all sigma lenses just like nikon... I guess they don’t have the time or interest to test all nikkor lenses with their TC. also I belief that sigma TC are designed and optimised for some of their lenses just like the nikon TC were designed specifically for the 70-200 F2.8. So it is very likely that it is not compatible with the 70-300 and will break both the lens and TC if used together..

I use a Kenko TC that is specifically designed as a generic TC and which has the required clearance to be compatible will all nikon lenses and probably sigma too..

WestEndBoy

I would hope this site would be for all, so called experts and amateurs. There are not too many people who know everything about photography and every situation.

That is true Raybug, but there are some basic principles backed by theory that given our experience with a variety of real world situations, can be applied to situations that we haven't tried.

Has anybody tried driving a Ferrari into a brick wall at top speed? I am sure a few have, but I don't have to find a relative of the deceased to predict that it is a bad idea.

Let's stipulate that it will technically work. If the elements don't rub against each other even after moving the focus and zoom rings from one extreme to another, you probably won't "break" anything (but you may not want to try the experiment - one wrong move........).

Now let's pick some of the comments. Haroldp made a good comment about the F-stop. We all know from everyday experience that auto-focus at greater than F8 is pretty iffy even on a D4, and you are shooting a D7100 (which is a great camera, but it is not a D4). In the real world you will be using manual focus with the teleconverter.

We also know that image quality is often iffy when combining a teleconverter with Nikon's professional quality lenses. It is a pretty good bet that it will be iffy with a variable aperture zoom lens.

We would provide the same advice to an amateur or a professional. Pardon my "comment earlier", as it was probably a little off base. I should have been more specific and said the teleconverter will be "junk on x lens". But even that comment, though perhaps not entirely accurate or fair, has a grain of truth to it, which is useful to both amateurs and professionals.

proudgeek

Raybug, this is a really great article and should explain why a teleconverter will not work on a 70-300.
http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2009/01/teleconverters-101

This is a guy I've rented equipment from (and purchased equipment from) multiple times in the past and his opinion is pretty solid. I had to admit that prior to reading this article I hadn't fully understood the relationship between a TC and a camera body's ability to autofocus. At the time it was written no body could autofocus stopped down more than f/6.3. Now, with the ability of newer bodies to AF at f/8, I suppose it is technically feasible to put a TC1.4 on a 70-300, but you're probably not going to be thrilled with the results.
Aside from the technical constraints, I'd be very careful about the physical compatibility issues. The last thing you want to do is force pieces to fit together that weren't meant to.

Cheers.

tcole1983

I will lastly say I don't think anyone has tried this combo for many reasons stated. If you don't care for anyone's advice the I say by all means give it a go and let us know...maybe we will learn something. Of course if you damage your lens I doubt you will come back to tell us you did so. Also you said you have the 50-500 what good is another slow aperture 100 mm going to do you? Off the bat you lose two stops. Shoot 1.3 crop on your 50-500 and ditch the tc.

tcole1983

The cheapest somewhat working 600mm combo is going to be the 300 f4 and the 2x that I know of. Going to put you at the f8 I believe so af probably isn't going to be stellar for moving wildlife.

raybug

Thanks men for all of the great information.

spraynpray

All I know is that my 70-300 is soft wide open and zoomed out above about 240mm. Last thing I'd want to do is magnify those failures AND lose a couple of stops - especially for wildlife shots which have to be tack sharp as a minimum these days.

manhattanboy

I will lastly say [ ] Shoot 1.3 crop on your 50-500 and ditch the tc.

Agreed!

The cheapest somewhat working 600mm combo is going to be the 300 f4 and the 2x that I know of. Going to put you at the f8 I believe so af probably isn't going to be stellar for moving wildlife.

While many do use the 300 f4 with TCs I've found the best performance for me is at 5.6, 1/2000 with the bare lens. The af on the 300 f4 is not that fast (e.g. not instantaneous like some of the more expensive e.g >$2K glass), but is not slow or hunting either, with quick (albeit noisy) shifts between focal objects. It needs the cross type sensors though, as PB PM's suggestion of using only cross types for focus nearly tripled my keeper rate with that lens.