Customer Reviews

Nikon TC-14E II (1.4x) Teleconverter AF-S for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have used both the TC-17E II and this one, the TC-14E II. This one multiplies the reach of a zoom lens by only 1.4. There are two other Nikon teleconverters in this series, the TC-17E II (1.7 multiplier) and the TC-20E II (2.0 times multiplier). The "E II" series of teleconverters is only suitable for certain Nikon lenses--check the Nikon website for compatability. I purchased this teleconverter for use with the 70-200VR F/2.8 lens, with which it is quite compatible.

All teleconverters introduce at least a theoretical degradation in image quality in exchange for the extra reach; the extent of this can range from the unnoticeable to the significant. The TC-14E II does not degrade the images from the 70-200VR to any perceptible extent. Even when shooting with wide aperture settings this teleconverter does not appear to introduce any noticeable decrease in lens image quality. Further, it only lowers the light sensitivity of a lens by one F Stop. This means that a 2.8 lens will become a 3.8 lens when using this teleconverter--still pretty fast. The TC-14E II is noticeably sharper than the TC-17E II in lower light conditions requiring wider apertures (at the cost of less "reach" or magnification). I have been extremely impressed with the combination of the TC-14E II and the Nikon 70-200VR. The magnification is significant, and the decrease in image quality is undetectable.

Most Nikon afficianados seem to think that the 17E II is the best compromise between not too much image degradation and significant magnification, and I am inclined to agree with this, generally. The charm of the 14E is that it really does appear not to exact any appreciable price in terms of image quality, and it is the only teleconverter I have ever used (or heard of) of which this can be said. The qualities of the 14E II become evident when shooting in low light conditions, such as early morning wildlife shots. When shooting flying birds, for instance, this TC is particularly useful, because it allows wider apertures, which may be required to allow the photographer to use faster shutter speeds to "freeze" the subjects and avoid motion blur. Under such conditions, one appreciates the special qualities of the TC-14E II.

Highly recommended.

I bought this converter for the Nikon 70-200mm VR lens to cover extend my range when I upgraded from a D300 to a D3 and lost the 1.5x factor I had with the D300. It works great with my f/2.8 70-200mm VR lens and the results are sharp at f/4 (the minimum aperture for the aforementioned lens with the tele, but the pictures really shine when stopped down to f/5.6. It's worth the investment, easy to carry around. I thank Ken Rockwell for advising me on this product and guiding me to Amazon's exceptional service. This product really makes a difference, less cropping needed for those hard to reach shots.

I bought this converter for the Nikon 70-200mm VR lens to cover football. I shoot free-lance for multiple publications and I have successfully covered college football with this converter and the 70-200mm VR lens. I would suggest this to any friend, photographer, pro or amateur. The 1.4 is plenty for the extra zoom and when put on a 300mm f/2.8 It is a god-send.

This item makes my photography sessions all the more pleasant because the objects appear to be so clear and precise and the wonderful feature of just "bringing the subject up so close" is wonderful. A friend recommended this item to me and I am grateful to him for that. I especially enjoy bird and wildlife photography so this teleconverter makes each session much more successful. Since I am having better luck with my photos, I seem to want to just shoot photos all the time - to heck with dishes, cleaning, and other annoying chores. More pictures.!!!

The service for the delivery of this product was good. The teleconverter it self is great. I can extend the focusing magnification to an extra 100 mm on my 70-200mm lens. This making it 300 mm. I did not notice at all a reduction in sharpness. I am happy with it.

This teleconverter was purchased for use with a Nikkor 300mm f/4 lens mounted on a Nikon D7000 for wildlife photography. The 1.4x TC II does not degrade image quality if aperture is stopped down a bit (sharpness peaks at f/8), the close-focusing distance is reduced from nearly 5' to 3', and focusing does not slow down to a noticeable degree when taking pictures of well lit subjects that aren't moving around much. However, in dim light, or when the lens to subject distance is in flux, the lens + TC have a hard time locking on. When this occurs, you have to over ride the focus manually until the subject is close to being in focus, then press the shutter button half way down again for the AF to finish the job. Needless to say, this short coming has cost me a lot of shots. Without the TC, this lens/camera combination nails the focus nearly every time when used in continuous focus mode. In view of its strengths and weaknesses when paired with the 300mm f/4, I use the TC-14E II for slow moving subjects without hesitation, but try to avoid using it for action.

I bought the TC-14E II to match up with my Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED macro lens so I could get even closer while shooting small creatures and flowers. The results have been amazing. You will always need to use a tripod to avoid camera shake at this close distance, and on top of that don't take photos by pressing the button, as any slight movement will be magnified by an extra 1.4x - especially with a macro lens, so set the timer delay or better still use a remote or release cable. It takes practise getting crystal clear focus, so don't rely on auto focus at all. I always use aperture or shutter priority so that everything can be fine tuned manually.

I contemplated getting either the TC-17E II (1.7x) or TC-20E II (2.0x) as well, but thought there was a possibility of too much image degradation. I stuck with the TC-14E II, and am really satisfied with it as there's always a trade-off between magnification and quality. The TC-14E II lowers the light sensitivity of a lens by just one F Stop, therefore an f2.8 lens turns into an f3.8 lens - which is still pretty fast for most purposes.

Another real bonus of the TC-14E II comes when shooting in low light conditions. Allowing for wider apertures and faster shutter speeds, this enables subjects to be frozen so reducing motion blur. This teleconverter now never leaves my macro lens, I love it!

I purchased this to match up with the AF 200-400mm f4 VR Nikon to give me that bit of extra reach when photographing birds. It does just that. The resolution of the image is near perfect. However when shooting at f4 in low light situations the auto focus has some trouble. At 5.6 and above it does fine. I opted for the 1.4 over the 2.0 as I shoot in low light more often than not. The extra magnification wasn't worth the light loss. I wasn't impressed by what I had heard about the 1.7 although a few pros match it with the above lens. This is a nice addition to my camera equipment. I am very pleaed with it at this point

70-200 is not so telephoto to me for D700. 70-300 has not so fast for inside.
TC-14C II makes 70-200 F2.8 to 100-300 F4, and I could use this inside and out,
and image quality is almost stays same.
It is good solution for telephoto for D700.

I am just an occasional shooter who needs this only occasionally....for me it's good to be ready so you can have it when the need arises...