Nikon AF-S 70-200/2.8G VR and TC-14E

[ballroom_boy]

Hi Gang,

Took this combo for a test drive today... all shots at 280mm (200mm x 1.4TC)...

[AzRich]

wow, beautiful shots.

I LOVE that expression on the male in the first shot!

Looks like a winning (and pricey) combo.

[Igor]

Good shots Roel. I understand you lost VR with this combo.

[ballroom_boy]

Thanks everyone!

VR works *very* well with this combo, so does AF-S. The TC-14E and TC-20E (and the newly announced TC-17E) are the only Nikon TC's that maintain AF-S and VR. However, they are usually twice the price of their Kenko/Tamron counterparts.

Take care

[easternherp]

Nice shots but are let down by camera shake. They are a bit blurred.

[Igor]

Roel, you've had both Kenko and Nikon TC's, how would you compare their optical performance?

[ballroom_boy]

Hi Igor,

I think the Nikon TC's are better (optically and mechanically - my opinion), however, I do not believe they warrant 2-3 times the price of their Kenko equivalents. Fortunately (for me), I got a good deal on a used TC-14E so for another $50 more, I got the Nikon TC.

The Kenko TC's have one major advantage over the Nikon TC's... they will AF with both AF-S and screwdriver focus lenses. All my glass is AF-S... if yours isn't, then the Kenko is the way to go.

[Igor]

Thanks Roel. What is the difference between TC-14/20 E and EII ?

[ballroom_boy]

Hi Igor,

The difference is that the "II" TC has a finish that matches the newer AF-S lenses... otherwise, they are functionally the same. That is what Nikon Canada told me...

[Igor]

Thanks Roel! I think I'm gonna buy the '20 or '17 and test it against my Kenko (I'm still NOT fully satisfied with it).

[ballroom_boy]

Hi Igor,

The TC-17E really interests me too... 1.7x magnification and you lose 1.5 stops of light. That would make my 70-200/2.8 VR effectively a 119-340/4.8 VR lens! The TC-20E was better than the Kenko TC, however, the images were still too soft for me. The TC-14E yields really sharp images. Really sharp.