Customer Reviews

Nikon TC-17E II (1.7x) Teleconverter AF-S for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a very good teleconverter, which of course gives a 1.7 times magnification to your lens. It is said to have been specifically been designed to go with the Nikkor 70-200 VR lens (and it also is compatible with certain other Nikkor lenses; see the Nikon website for a compatibility chart).

Nikon makes three teleconverters in this series, the TC 14E II, the TC 20E II, and this TC 17EII. The former two teleconverters give a 1.4 times, and 2 times magnification, respectively.

After considerable research, I went with the TC17E II on the theory (which is the common impression of many Nikon photographers) that this teleconverter is the best trade-off between image quality and extra reach. Of course, the more magnification that a teleconverter affords, the more degradation of image quality it will introduce.

After several shoots using the 70-200VR, the TC17E II, and the Nikon D200, I have been able to form some pretty good impressions, most of them favorable. All teleconverters will adversely affect image quality, which degradation will range from the imperceptable to the significant. My impression of this TC is that if you stop the lens down to around F8, the degradation is imperceptible, i.e. essentially nonexistent. With the lens wide open and at maximum zoom, there is some degradation of sharpness, although it is still possible to produce acceptible images under those conditions. Bottom line is that the TC 17E II is fine under reasonable light conditions. I have used it to shoot fast-moving birds under early morning light conditions, and the 70-200VR/TC 17E II combination has produced some extremely satisfactory images--and giving the lens the extra reach that was necessary to produce these images at all. Accordingly, in my opinion the TC 17E-II fulfilled its purpose--to give extra reach to the zoom without significantly degrading image quality.

The TC is beautifully and solidly built, with the same level of durability that went into the superb 70-200VR. I use this TC with my 70-200VR most of the time.

A fine teleconverter for those who need extra reach for some of their applications and this is a viable and economical alternative to buying a second, longer lens.

I bought this TC to go with my 70-200/2.8. I needed something with some more reach in medium light situations on my DX body (D90). The 70-200 w/TC is still very sharp. Occasionally, if the focus is on the wrong end, it hunts a bit. Focus with the TC is a bit slower than without, but not by much. In those very few situations where this matters, I roughly pre-focus with the 70-200's excellent focus ring.

Overall, I am very happy with the 70-200 & TC combo. As an added bonus, the TC17 also works great with my 105/2.8 AFS micro. This lens is slower focusing to begin with, and I don't notice any significant slowing down of focus or reduction in IQ with this combo for portraiture and other medium distance work. Some reduction in quality at far distances/infinity, but a great combo in macro work.

Always wanted a bit more punch from my 70-200 2.8 VR. I could get an off brand 200-5-- zoom or add the teleconverter. I added the teleconverter and never looked back. Very little given up in sharpness. Small and easy to use. F stop loss is manageable. Great choice and enabled me to stay with Nikon Brand

The 'Key Features' from the Nikon site state that this 1.7x teleconverter is not compatible with the 300mm f4 lens or the 105mm f2.8 macro lens.

[...] Amazon deleted the URL to the Nikon web site.

I own both lenses and the auto-focus works just fine with the 1.7x teleconverter. I included two sample pictures in the gallery.

For the price, it's quite a bargain to nearly double the reach of a 300mm lens and lose only about 2 fstops.
From everything I read, the 2x isn't that sharp (but they just came out with the AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III).

On a DX body, the reach is increased another 1.5 times making a 300mm lens an effective 750mm lens (according the EXIF header). You just need a lot of light and/or a tripod since even your heartbeat makes the subject jiggle.

With my 70-200mm 2.8 lens with VRII, the lose of 2 fstops isn't such a factor. If you have the D700 or D3/D3s, you can crank up the ISO 2 stops with little to no reduction in picture quality.

The Vibration Reduction and Auto-focus works perfectly with the 1.7 TC and the 70-200mm 2.8 VRII lens.

I have not noticed any lose of picture quality with the 1.7 TC.

After owning this for a month, the size and weight is a factor to be reckoned with.

Works great with my 70-200 vr, but is a little soft wide open at 320mm. Excellent performance at f7.1, so it needs plenty of bright daylight for optimum results. It is a good compromise for extended telephoto performance but rather slow for low light, evening and "magic hour" photography.

Works very will with the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens. Used it for photographing eagles in Alaska, polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba, and penguins in Antarctica with great success. Maintains the outstanding image quality of the lens.

I purchased this teleconverter before a 2-week trip to Africa. It was hard swallowing the cost (hence 4 stars instead of 5) but in the end it was well worth it. My AF-S 70-200mm f2.8 VR1 lens Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras essentially became a 119-340 f4.8 (corrected from previous review stating f4 which would only be 1 stop - the f4.8 accurately represents the 1.5 stop difference this TC gives) while being much smaller and lighter (not to mention much cheaper) than the 200-400 f4. We had very strict size and weight restrictions on our bags so size was very important not to mention the weight of carrying this around for days at a time.

The fact that the VR function of your lens will still work with this attached is vital since the farther out you zoom the more VR matters. I was able to shoot at full zoom at 1/60 shutter speed hand-held with no problems.

Other than the price, the other detractor is that it needs a special body cap since a standard Nikon body cap won't fit. I imagine they couldn't make the design work any other way but it's still an annoyance.

Overall though the teleconverter was spectacular and made the wonderful 70-200 lens even wonderfuller. :)

I was looking for a way to increase my reach for aviation photography. As an owner of the Nikon 70-200 f/2.8, I was concerned about the degradation in image quality (IQ) as a result of additional layers of glass. Having used this t/c now for the past several months, there is no visible degradation in IQ even at maximum zoom. Sharpness and color rendition are A+. True that I lose 1.5 f/stops, but all my shooting is done in brigh outdoor lighting. Therefore, the loss of 1.5 f stops does not impact me. I have not taken it off my 70-200 since I purchased it.

The TC-17E II is a nice way to add additional reach to a 70-200 2.8 vr.
I can see not loss in image quality with the teleconverter in place and even when using a D80 the autofocus does not seem to slow or hunt more than usual.

I bought this TC to be matehced with my 70-200 VR Nikkor lens. They are a perfect couple. I reached 340 mm focal length, and all the functions of my lens are reproduced by the TC. I made the right choice!