Teleconverter Nikon Z 1.4 teleconverter. Are you happy with it?

[Mimi76]

Hi there,

I have a Nikon Z8 camera with a 180-600mm lens and I mainly shoot wildlife. I would like to know if any of you have bought the Nikon Z 1.4 teleconverter. Are you happy with it? Do the photos stay sharp and of good quality? Is it worth buying?
I'd like to know what you think as I'm thinking of buying one.
Thank you very much!

 

[Cameron T]

You can see my images in the 180-600 thread, most are with the Tc. I've been extremely happy with mine.

 

[Darrellhar]

I have 1.4TC and use it with 180-600. There is a loss of quality obviously but it still works well in my opinion. You just need to make sure you have lots of light to work with and keep your shutter speed up. Everyone has different expectations so your milage may vary. I don't hesitate to use it if I need to though.

 

[TurtleCat]

I bought it a few months ago. It's pretty much what all teleconverters are. I think the quality is a little better than the old F mount 1.4 E3 but it's best in good light. As long as you have reasonable expectations it's a handy addition. I've only used it on the 100-400 and 600pf so I can't speak to other lenses. I found it a great help on traveling as I can add a bit of reach without bringing another long lens.

 

[mosoaringwings]

I echo what Cameron said. I am also extremely happy with 1.4 tc and used 99% time with my z180-600. Below is shot I took near sunset, f9, 1/125 sec, iso 2800 handheld. I absolutely love this tc. Not only the light since I often do birds portrait and can lower my shutter speed, but the key is that you need to be in reasonable close distance to your subject. I mostly shoot small song birds. If it is more than 25-30 ft, I am not going to click.

 

[tabishshaikh]

I echo what Cameron said. I am also extremely happy with 1.4 tc and used 99% time with my z180-600. Below is shot I took near sunset, f9, 1/125 sec, iso 2800 handheld. I absolutely love this tc. Not only the light since I often do birds portrait and can lower my shutter speed, but the key is that you need to be in reasonable close distance to your subject. I mostly shoot small song birds. If it is more than 25-30 ft, I am not going to click.

That's a pretty neat handheld shot at f9, 1/125sec

 

[Mark Hauser]

I use it regularly when I want to photograph small birds like tits and finches.
Sufficient light is a prerequisite!
And as always it helps to stop down a little when using a TC but it's not absolutely necessary with the Z1.4 like with the old F mount versions

 

[fcotterill]

No experience with the 180-600 but we read positive reports of its pairing with the ZTC14. I tried my copy on the 100-400 S as a 560 f8, but wasn't impressed, compared to the quality of the 400 f4.5S + ZTC14 or 500 PF.

The caveats using a TC are to respect subject distance, minimize cropping images and be vigilant for atmospherics

The Constant Question I Get | Thom Hogan

Should you get a teleconverter?

www.zsystemuser.com

 

[maxxus46]

I often use the Z 1.4TC with my 600pf and am very pleased with it. Very difficult to see any IQ degredation. AF is minimally affected (can still track BIF with no issues). It's a no brainer .. just know you will need to work with good light

 

[BillW]

I am quite happy with the Z 1.4x TC. Of course, the results you get with it will depend on the lens you use it with and the circumstances (light, distance to subject, etc.). And you lose a stop of light/aperture.

It works very well on the Z primes I've used it with: Z 400 mm f4.5 (giving you 560 mm f6.3); Z 600 mm f6.3 (giving you 840 mm f9); Z 800 mm PF (giving you 1120 mm f9) and the Z 400 mm f2.8 TC (giving you 560 mm f4 if the internal TC is not engaged and on-par optically with the internal TC in that case)

It also works well with the Z 70-200 mm f2.8 zoom (giving you 98-280 mm f4).

It is usable on the Z 100-400, but gives you 560 mm f8 at the long end. More compromises here. If I need a zoom in that range, I prefer the Z 180-600 bare.

I've tried it a couple of times with the Z 180-600 mm lens, giving you 840 mm f9 at the long end. More compromises here. Brad Hill, the Canadian professional wildlife photographer, felt the combination was not usable for him. However, he later said that use of the DxO optics module for the lens and TC (available with DxO Photolab and Pure Raw) improved it a great deal and made it usable. I have not tried the combination with the DxO optics modules. I have noticed that the DxO optics modules improve the performance of other lenses and lenses with TCs, as Brad has noted. See Brad's website for more details.

 

[Charles Loy]

About a week ago I finally got around to using the 180-600 w/ Nikon Z 1.4 teleconverter. The horse (BeeBe) is at 85 yards, on her eye handheld - the meter is 55 yards with the set on a tripod. You decide

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[BradleyD]

It’s been a nifty tool to have in my kit when I needed that extra bit bit of reach and could afford to lose a stop. I’ve been happy with the image quality using it on my 180-600. It’s a good investment especially as you can apply it to other z lenses if you want.

 

[Anjin San]

Hi there,

I have a Nikon Z8 camera with a 180-600mm lens and I mainly shoot wildlife. I would like to know if any of you have bought the Nikon Z 1.4 teleconverter. Are you happy with it? Do the photos stay sharp and of good quality? Is it worth buying?
I'd like to know what you think as I'm thinking of buying one.
Thank you very much!

Absolutely…will use it without question. There is a very small…very small…difference to my eye at 2:1 in LR in IQ but looking at final output images I see no difference in IQ. There might be a slight difference in bokeh and BG blur due to the loss of a stop in aperture…but that isn’t in IQ difference and in any event LR BG blur filter generally handles it just fine. More exacting people will probably disagree with that sentiment…

Added later…it is better on my 600PF than the 180-600 but the 100-400 is as good as the prime…all evaluated at 2:1…but hard to see much difference between the 3 lenses with or without the TC at output resolution and web browser size display outside of bokeh based on the aperture.

 

[MrFotoFool]

I use both Z 1.4x and 2x teleconverters on my Z 70-200 f2.8 and they are excellent on that. I briefly rented a Z 400 f4.5 and tried 2x on it which was also sharp. Most recently I tried 1.4x on my 600PF which also worked well.

Before getting 600PF, I had the Z 180-600 that you have and tested it with both teleconverters (thread linked below). The 2x is essentially unuseable and the 1.4x is marginal. It works okay, but it is a tossup as to whether it is any better than just shooting the bare lens at 600 and cropping to the same amount.

Z 180-600 Teleconverter Test

BACKGROUND I started in Nikon Z system with a Z8 and Z 70-200 f2.8. Soon after got a used Z 2x to get to 400mm (a setup that works well). Eventually got Z 180-600 f5.6-6.3. Recently purchased used Z 1.4x to get closer to distant coyote pups with the longer lens. Photos and results follow, but...

bcgforums.com

 

[Mimi76]

I echo what Cameron said. I am also extremely happy with 1.4 tc and used 99% time with my z180-600. Below is shot I took near sunset, f9, 1/125 sec, iso 2800 handheld. I absolutely love this tc. Not only the light since I often do birds portrait and can lower my shutter speed, but the key is that you need to be in reasonable close distance to your subject. I mostly shoot small song birds. If it is more than 25-30 ft, I am not going to click.

thank you for sharing your picture. your picture is beautiful! . As I see you're very happy with it.

 

[ajrmd]

My experience largely mimics what other users report. It's not my favorite combination with a tele like the 186 and works better on primes (400 f/2.8 400 f/4.5, 800 f/6.3, etc.) though if one fills the frame and can as close to the subject as possible rather than using it to "extend the reach", the results are good provided atmospherics aren't in play.

 

[TurtleCat]

My experience largely mimics what other users report. It's not my favorite combination with a tele like the 186 and works better on primes (400 f/2.8 400 f/4.5, 800 f/6.3, etc.) though if one fills the frame and can as close to the subject as possible rather than using it to "extend the reach", the results are good provided atmospherics aren't in play.

I think that's the primary benefit people don't always think about as a rule with TCs. They allow you go get closer and sometimes that can make all the difference in a shot. Rather than giving you more "reach" you can get even closer.

 

[VinnyH]

Hi there,

I have a Nikon Z8 camera with a 180-600mm lens and I mainly shoot wildlife. I would like to know if any of you have bought the Nikon Z 1.4 teleconverter. Are you happy with it? Do the photos stay sharp and of good quality? Is it worth buying?
I'd like to know what you think as I'm thinking of buying one.
Thank you very much!

Depends on how much of a pixel peeper anyone is. I used the 1.4 TC on my 180-600 and Z8 body for my day of shooting eagles at Conowingo Dam, MD. The iso dipped at times when clouds moved in but mostly I shot at f9 1/3200 and around 1500 iso (set on auto iso). I'm happy with my images overall. I show some in the "Destination" forum.
The man next to us had a 600 Z TC lens on a gimble and probably got sharper shots overall. I can't afford that setup.
Best to All,
Vinny

 

[Calson]

Most of the Nikon teleconverters are excellent but the added image magnification will make technique shortcomings more apparent. In camera image stabilization is a big benefit but the autofocus system and animal detection works better with more light on subjects. That said the 2x TC with the 100-400mm f/5.6 providing 800mm at f11 works quite well with BIF with the Z9 which was surprising.

 

[ajrmd]

I think that's the primary benefit people don't always think about as a rule with TCs. They allow you go get closer and sometimes that can make all the difference in a shot. Rather than giving you more "reach" you can get even closer.

By that, I meant that the optical drop off is more noticeable with distance. In other words, if one uses a TC to put more pixels on target and fill the frame as much as possible, they will be more successful than someone who is using it to magnify a small subject far away. For example, if one is shooting a warbler from say 10-15' and they throw a TC on to magnify the bird to fill the frame, they are more likely to achieve a positive effect than someone shooting a hawk from 100 yards away.

 

[glsmith9823]

An image I shot with Nikon Z-8, Z 600mm F/6.3 & TC 1.4 Distance from focal plane o target 2.8 miles taken in July, 2024 @ 11:35 AM EST Location Kennedy Space Center, Weather Cloudy
Settings 1 /1250, F/8, ISO 100
2nd Image (with bush on L side) Distance 9.6 miles April, 2024 @ 6:17 PM EST Location KARS Park, Merritt Island Settings 1/800, F/11 ISO 125 Weather Dusk

 

[mosoaringwings]

By that, I meant that the optical drop off is more noticeable with distance. In other words, if one uses a TC to put more pixels on target and fill the frame as much as possible, they will be more successful than someone who is using it to magnify a small subject far away. For example, if one is shooting a warbler from say 10-15' and they throw a TC on to magnify the bird to fill the frame, they are more likely to achieve a positive effect than someone shooting a hawk from 100 yards away.

Very well said, totally agree!

 

[apakett]

I did extensive sharpness tests of the Z1.4 TC with a Z100-400 lens. I got slightly better results cropping bare lens photos than with the TC. The TC was returned.

 

[Roy]

Hi there,

I have a Nikon Z8 camera with a 180-600mm lens and I mainly shoot wildlife. I would like to know if any of you have bought the Nikon Z 1.4 teleconverter. Are you happy with it? Do the photos stay sharp and of good quality? Is it worth buying?
I'd like to know what you think as I'm thinking of buying one.
Thank you very much!

I'm not a fan of teleconverters.
That said the Z 1.4x is one of the best i've ever used.
I keep them just in case I need that extra reach.
Although I do tend to prefer TCs on primes more than Zooms ...

 

[Loupas]

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