Ray Hennessy: Are Teleconverters Necessary for Wildlife Photography

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Brian L said:
In golf, there’s the foot wedge 😉. In photography there‘s the foot zoom. One breaks the rules, the other doesn’t.
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In the world of wildlife photography, the foot zoom is not always possible. Many times, the subject is frightened by the movement or proximity of the photographer. Frequently it is not possible or is simply unsafe.
 
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RikWriter said:
Or would be unethical.
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That is most definitely an important issue! Right now, we have Snowy Owls present in NJ, and there are way too many photographers getting waaayyyy too close for the owl's comfort. As much as I would love to get a shot this season, I will NOT participate in an activity that is clearly causing distress to the bird.
 
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I really have never cared for teleconverters until probably the last year. I recently did a loaner on the 300 GM Sony lens and I’m still astonished how well that lens performs with 1.4 and 2.0 teleconverters. My 70–200 and 100 –400 also perform very well with the 1.4. I think the 600 GM is a mixed bag. While it does perform very well with a 1.4 it does slow focus a bit and with the 2.0 you absolutely have to be on a tripod to use it unless you’re using insanely fast shutter speeds. The 300 has definitely made me rethink TC’s
 
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sh1209 said:
I really have never cared for teleconverters until probably the last year. I recently did a loaner on the 300 GM Sony lens and I’m still astonished how well that lens performs with 1.4 and 2.0 teleconverters. My 70–200 and 100 –400 also perform very well with the 1.4. I think the 600 GM is a mixed bag. While it does perform very well with a 1.4 it does slow focus a bit and with the 2.0 you absolutely have to be on a tripod to use it unless you’re using insanely fast shutter speeds. The 300 has definitely made me rethink TC’s
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My 1.4X TC practically lives on my 600GM but I rarely if ever use the 2X on it. The only time I've used it is for video, not because it's THAT bad IQ-wise but because heat distortion keeps it from being as useful at ranges where I'd want to use it.
 
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RikWriter said:
My 1.4X TC practically lives on my 600GM but I rarely if ever use the 2X on it. The only time I've used it is for video, not because it's THAT bad IQ-wise but because heat distortion keeps it from being as useful at ranges where I'd want to use it.
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I use the 1.4 on the 600 more in the winter because some places I go aren't conducive to getting really close. Just have to watch the heat shimmer whenever the sun is out
 
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RikWriter said:
My 1.4X TC practically lives on my 600GM but I rarely if ever use the 2X on it. The only time I've used it is for video, not because it's THAT bad IQ-wise but because heat distortion keeps it from being as useful at ranges where I'd want to use it.
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Not sure if you have the 100-400 but it is outstanding with the 1.4
 
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RikWriter said:
I've used it on the 100-400 before. It was pretty good. But when I think I'm going to need that kind of reach on a zoom (usually on a hike). I take my 200-600 along instead.
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I like using it for bugs and it decreases the MFD a bit more which is good already. It is also a great video setup. I wish they would make a GMii version with a smoother zoom and less creep.
 
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RikWriter said:
That'd be nice, but of all the lenses I want Sony to make, that lags far behind the 600f4 with a built in TC.
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I still really want that 300 after testing it and I am using extreme self control not to buy it :ROFLMAO: Part of me thinks they might come out with a 100-400 2 and I know I would want to buy it but certainly not both close together. I have been watching for a great deal on the 300 and might find one after the holidays
 
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sh1209 said:
I still really want that 300 after testing it and I am using extreme self control not to buy it :ROFLMAO: Part of me thinks they might come out with a 100-400 2 and I know I would want to buy it but certainly not both close together. I have been watching for a great deal on the 300 and might find one after the holidays
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I have the 300. I'm actually thinking of selling it because while it's a great lens, it's mostly useful for hiking and I can't seem to keep myself from bringing a zoom hiking instead.
 
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How useful they are depends entirely on the lens and camera body in use. My TC 1.4 IIE was excellent on my 300 F2.8 VRII on my D500. On the other hand it was unusable on the 500F4G with the D500. Too much loss of auto focus speed. Then with the Z9 auto focus with the TC 1.4 on the 500 F4G was excellent. I still use that combination.
I don’t plan to buy a TC for my 180-600. It is not the right lens for a TC. I could be wrong, but I am unwilling to spend money to find out, I would need to borrow one for a couple of weeks. It looks a lot like a good option for a Z-mount 70-200 F2.8S.
That said, it depends a bit on what other lenses you don’t have as well. Now that I own the 180-600 that is my preferred route to 600
There are many ways of getting to a comfortable focal length for wildlife and birding. It depends what you already have and don’t have yet.
 
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