Teleconverters?

[Jimbo924]

Hey guys, this is my first post so hope its not too bad (I know its a Canon forum but looking at the motorsports shots I had to sign up, they're awesome, lol)

My problem is I'm a student working on a tight budget and can't really afford a fancy new telephoto to get me closer to the action (eg: Le Mans) and I was wondering what experience anyone has had with teleconverters to get the extra length. As my dad tells me to keep well away from them, as they just aren't any good, mind you he hasn't been in photography for a while now so I'm sure they've improved. Are they a realistic alternative to a bigger lense for a man on a budget?

Thanks for any help, James

[gjl711]

Welcome to the forum. Though I do not have one, many here get very successful results using a teleconverter. Anyway, read "this link" (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=41922) in the lenses sections. It will answer your questions much more completely.

[wonny]

I don't know about Nikon stuff, but I have a Canon 1.4x (you lose one stop of light). I think it's a great investment for a bit more reach. The 2x teleconverters degrade image quality a bit more so I would caution using those with lesser lenses.

Quite a few people also use the Kenko and sigma teleconverter with great results.

The link that gjl provided has some good info and general guidelines. It was a good reference for me before I bought mine.

Good luck.

[Woolburr]

TCs have come a long way over the years. They do degrade image quality to some extent, but for a person on a budget they are a viable solution to your reach issues. They have their limitations, but they can also can you images that you otherwise might not get.

[StealthLude]

I dont own a TC yet... but I plan on buying the Canon 1.4x TC or a Sigma/Tamron/Kenko version of the 1.4x if I can find a good deal on them.

I am also looking for a used 2x for a good price. I saw a Kenko sell for $120 bucks in Sell forum and figure for that price, I might as well have some fun with it. The search is on, but I agree, I plan on using TCs, I just hope the image quality does not suffer TOO much.

From what I see and read, the 1.4x Canon is a pretty safe purchase.

[Woolburr]

Just be aware that the Canon 1.4x TC only works with certain lenses. I use the Tamron SP PRO TCs with pretty decent results.

[Pete]

As above, that can give pretty good results if there's enough light.

One of the downsides that that unless you have a fast (f/2.8 or so) lens, you'll lose the ability to autofocus. Having said that, you could manually focus on a part of the track and take shots of the cars as they pass through that sweet spot.

[Jimbo924]

Thanks for that guys, theres some really good info there. Going for a 1.4x sounds like the better option, just got to decided if 420mm is going to give me enough now, Booked my tickets for Le Mans today, its got me all excited and wanting to spend some money, lol, my poor student loan. Thanks, James