Photo Tip
Using Teleconverters to stretch the reach of your lens,
and wallet!
November 2009 |
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If you are looking to stretch a buck I recommend looking into purchasing a teleconverter. As a nature and travel photographer, I find having a teleconverter a handy tool. This relatively small accessory is meant to sit between the camera body and your lens. It contains optics whose purpose is to magnify the focal length of the lens in front of it. Teleconverters (also known as tele-extenders, depending on the manufacturer) are typically available in 1.4x, 1.7x and 2x strengths. They are a great tool for photographers who want more telephoto "reach" for example wildlife and sports photographers, photojournalists or any photographer who wants access to longer focal lengths e.g. 400mm+ without the expense, weight and size of a long telephoto lens. Think about it, a 300mm lens is effectively a 600mm lens when combined with a 2x teleconverter. A Canon 600mm lens can cost around $8800, while a Canon 300mm lens + 2x teleconverter costs more like $5000 combined, still expensive I know, but is a savings of $3800 compared to the 600mm lens option.
Of course with the benefits come some drawbacks. Teleconverters do cut down the amount of light hitting the sensor/film plane, so they may not be appropriate for low light shooting, and the quality is not as good as a good long telephoto (then again it is an option that is thousands of dollars cheaper).
When purchasing, check for lens compatibility and always choose the better quality, 2nd or 3rd generation teleconverter (typically noted with II or III in the name). In addition to Canon and Nikon, manufactures like Sigma and Tamron make teleconverters for Canon and Nikon cameras for less money.
Canon EF 1.4X III Telephoto Extenter for Canon Super Telephoto Lenses
by Canon
Electronics 
List Price: $499.00
Our Price: $492.16 Buy Now
Nikon TC-17E II (1.7x) Teleconverter AF-S for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras
by Nikon
Electronics ~ Release Date: 2005-11-25
List Price: $660.00
Our Price: Too low to display Buy Now |
