Test with new TC 14E III and 300 mm PF on D500

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MikeA

MikeA

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Today I finally received my new TC 14E and made some quick test shots comparing with and without the TC and making crops to the same scale to compare. I set the camera to M 5.6 and 1/1250, auto iso only differs minimally around 1100/1200. My raised garden bed is about 30 m away. I really cannot see much difference in sharpness in the crops. Does that mean I get similar sharpness but higher resolution and if I want to make larger prints, I would only then see differences?

Best,

Mike

300 PF without TC:
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300 PF with TC
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Crop without TC:
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Crop with TC:
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Steve said:
You'll get more pixels and similar sharpness with the TC.

The issue here is that is not a very detailed target. If you have something with really fine detail (like a bird's feather) and try it again, that should show you a difference.
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Ok, thank you. I will try that on the weekend. It will also be interesting if AF also seems as reliable with the TC as without.
 
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MikeA said:
Ok, thank you. I will try that on the weekend. It will also be interesting if AF also seems as reliable with the TC as without.
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I own that same combo. It's fantastic. The AF is, my guess, about 95% as good with the TC as without. I was out this morning in some very low light and it did hunt a bit at times. In good light, I have no problem. But the image quality MORE than makes up for that, imo. This combo has been a game changer for me.
 
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MikeA said:
That makes me happy I made the right decision. I was worrying a little with these test images, that the resolution of the D500 chip might be better than the Tc + 300 combo and that is why I could see no difference with and without.
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I took this image of a Least Tern yesterday with the TC on.

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I hope this is the right place to ask a related question (if not, I'll ask it separately) - I also have that combo (D500, 300 F4 PF, TCE-14-ll). Seems fine to me, and if I use good technique, high shutter speed etc., I get sharp images. But as I always strive for something better, is the TCE-14-lll sharper or better than the ll, and if so, is the difference enough to justify spending another $500 or so to get one? Thanks, Richard
 
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I have a D500, 300PF + 1.4 TC III. My wife has a D500, 300PF + 1.4 TC II. I cannot discern any difference in any respect except the print on the barrel :D
 
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Interesting, I have the 200~500 zoom, bit too heavy for me really.

Have been thinking about the 300mm with the 1.4 tele converter as a better lightweight option with too much different in image quality.

Any real users experience welcome
 
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I have ben using the 300PF with 1.4x (and occasionally 1.7x) has TC for several years. I can carry this combo all day on my Peak Design slider strap or Black Rapid strap, whereas I can hardly lift the 200-500. I have several birding companions who have the 200-500 and I can see no difference between the quality or sharpness of their pictures and mine. I take a lot of photos of small birds, and with a reasonable crop and careful post processing in LR and more recently Topaz, I think my images are as good as any taken with a 200-500 (or a Tamron or Sigma 150-600, which are also heavy). The one disadvantage is the lack of zoom. Ultimately the final product depends less on the lens and more on the camera technique, lighting, post-processing etc. anyway. Actually there is a good video by Steve right here - https://backcountrygallery.com/nikon-200-500-vs-300pf-review-and-comparison/ which says far more than I ever could.
Richard
 
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My 300PF has always been my best lens at taking TCs. For reference my other lenses have been 200-500, 500PF and the 500E...yes the 300PF took TCs better than the 500E.
The 300PF was the only lens that I liked the results with the Nikon 2xTC (I actually had both v2 and v3...don't ask). The 1.7TC works very well on it also.

I think the 300PF with 1.4TC is better IQ than the 200-500 if both are shot wide open. I think with the 1.7TC where both are at 500mm the results are very similar when shot wide open. But as a caveat, my 200-500 really needed to be at f/6.3 or even better f/7.1 before I was consistently happy with the sharpness and micro contrast. Where as my 300PF even with TCs was tack sharp wide open.
 
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I had some time to grab a few examples of the 300mm + 1.4TC this morning. I've always been happy with the sharpness. In addition, the 300PF has a really great minimum focus distance / magnification ratio. Add a TC and it's very nearly a macro lens, great for small, close subjects like the chickadee below.

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Tomorrow I want to try mine for the first time, but we have deep winter and you can hardly see any wildlife.
 
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The 300 PF with the TC 1.4E III make an amazing combination. Focus acquisition is remarkable on the D850, D500 or the Z6 II.

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Couple of images - the first is with the combo fitted to the D500 and the second is with the Z6 II and the combo.
 
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I just purchased a Nikon 300mm PF and for three months now I’ve been looking for the TC 14 III and even on Nikons Web site they are on back order. Looking to buy used if the price is right... while waiting on Nikon Dealers waiting lists.
 
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I regularly use my D7500 with the 300 PF+TC 14ii as a light weight alternative to the D850+200-500 combo. Once it starts getting too dark I simply take off the TC and keep on shooting through the golden hour.

IQ with TC is the same as cropping without TC. The advantage is that you fill the entire frame and benefit from the dynamic range of the sensor (less noise).
 
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