Customer Reviews

Nikon TC-20E III AF-S 2x Teleconverter

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

 

 

I have paired this with the 70-200mm VR II on a D700 and am so far very impressed with the performance. There is some loss of sharpness, but it retains detail far more than I was expecting, and it is much, much, much better than the TC-20E II. Given that the III is also smaller and lighter makes it well worth the extra money in my book. AF with this combination is still fast and sure, about on par with the 70-300mm VR if not a bit snappier and with less hunting, and is fast enough for sports in daylight. I was also surprised by how well the bokeh holds up; there are some weird effects due the TC, but the bokeh (at least on the 70-200mm VR II) still maintains a creamy quality and the artifacts are not as distracting as they are with the previous generation TC's.

It is the only 2x teleconverter I would consider using on the 70-200 (the TC-20E II made everything too mushy). On an FX body, this combination is a very viable alternative to 200-400mm VR if the latter is just too expensive for your budget, too heavy to be practical, or both, particularly if conditions allow you to shoot at f/8 through f/16.

I gave the new Nikon TC-20 III a 5 stars..but with a warning. The lenses I used for my quick test are all professional lenses. I did not have an amateur zoom to use for a comparison. So your results may vary.

My test - done with a Nikon D3s at 800 ISO. It was during the day and overcast.

I compared the Nikon 300mm 2.8 AF VR1 to a Nikon 70-200mm 2.8 AF VR1 with TC-20 III (Actual 310mm)

F 5.6 * 1/160 sec shutter
When compared against the 300 2.8 shot, corners and center were almost as sharp as 300mm. However the color & contrast is better on the 300mm 2.8 shot than the TC-20. Less saturation and richness w/ TC. While the 300 2.8 is sharper than the 70-200 with TC-20, the TC-20 image is by no means a bad photo.

F 8 * 1/80 sec shutter
Color/contrast/saturation seems to have balanced out with both the 300mm and 70-200 w/ TC-20 photos.

F 11 * 1/40 shutter
The 300mm is still sharper, but only barely. If someone were to look at both images independently, one would probably would have never noticed a difference.

I received my TC a few days ago and tested it on my D700 and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S NIKKOR Lens For Nikon Digital SLR Cameras. The image quality with this combo suffers slightly (in terms of sharpness), but is pretty good overall. Corner sharpness is really good, given that it's a 2X TC. I have posted some samples in the images gallery (with 100% crops). I think it's definitely a great way to extend the reach of your lens. I have read in some forums that the IQ on a DX camera is not that good. So I would advise DX owners to proceed with caution and after reading up on reviews and looking at sample images online

PLEASE LOOK UP THE COMPATIBILITY OF THIS CONVERTER WITH "SELECT" NIKON LENSES. NOT ALL NIKON LENSES ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THIS TELECONVERTER.

BELOW IS FROM NIKON'S OFFICIAL WEB SITE, I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU CHECK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF.

AF-S Teleconverter Compatibility
The following lenses may be used with the Nikon AF-S Teleconverters, some with noted functional limitations. NIKKOR lenses not listed cannot be used with the AF-S Teleconverters. The rear elements of NIKKOR lenses not listed can contact and damage the Teleconverter element and must not be attached. List includes current lenses along with lenses for which production may have ceased. Lenses no longer produced are shown only for convenience as a compatibility reference!


Function Limitations

Prod. #
Lens Description
TC-14E II
TC-17E II
TC-20E II
TC-20E III

2160
AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED
AF not possible
AF not possible
AF not possible
AF not possible

2150
AF-S VR NIKKOR 200mm f/2G IF-ED
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations

2186
AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations

2154
AF-S VR NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations

1942
AF-I NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations

1909
AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4D IF-ED
No limitations
AF not possible
AF not possible
AF not possible

2171
AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8G ED VR
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations

2127
AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8D IF-ED II
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations

1949
AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8D IF-ED
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations

1948
AF-I NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8D IF-ED
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations

2172
AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4G ED VR
No limitations
AF not possible
AF not possible
AF not possible

2131
AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4D IF-ED II
No limitations
AF not possible
AF not possible
AF not possible

1937
AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4D IF-ED
No limitations
AF not possible
AF not possible
AF not possible

1941
AF-I NIKKOR 500mm f/4D IF-ED
No limitations
AF not possible
AF not possible
AF not possible

2173
AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR
No limitations
AF not possible
AF not possible
AF not possible

2133
AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4D IF-ED II
No limitations
AF not possible
AF not possible
AF not possible

1952
AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4D IF-ED
No limitations
AF not possible
AF not possible
AF not possible

1951
AF-I NIKKOR 600mm f/4D IF-ED
No limitations
AF not possible
AF not possible
AF not possible

2185
AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations

2139
AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations

1993
AF-S Zoom-NIKKOR 80-200mm f/2.8D IF-ED
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations
No limitations

2146
AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF-ED
No limitations
AF not possible
AF not possible
AF not possible

2187 AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II
No limitations
AF not possible
AF not possible
AF not possible

For additional information about Nikon Teleconverter compatibility and/or function limitations, refer to the documentation packaged with the NIKKOR lens and/or Teleconverter, information provided in Nikon product brochures, Nikonusa.com or call Nikon Technical Support, toll-free at 800-645-6689.

I bought this converter and used it with my D700 and 70-200 2.8 vrii. I was very unhappy with the image quality it produced. I ran the combo through many tests and this combination failed. The loss of sharpness was so dramatic that I did not think any of the images were usable. The auto focus had to hunt often and the 3D tracking was limited with this combination. I checked it through all f/stops and the sharpness was still poor even when shot from a tripod with cable relase. I actually tested two of these and the results were varied...but both were very bad. Eventually I tested this lens with the TC-17eii and was much more happy. The images were drastically better. Without going into details of the specific tests I ran all I can say is that in my opinion this teleconverter is for fast long prime lenses. The 70-200mm vrii works much better with the TC-17eii and TC-14eii. Skip the TC-20 if you ar eusing it with the 70-200mm.

I bought this Nikon Teleconverter to use with my Nikon 70-200 2.8 VRII Lens. It works perfectly with this lens. All the lens functions are available when using this teleconverter. It is expensive but it is Nikon glass.

The teleconverter works perfectly, and is much better than the previous model. Unfortunately, I needed it right away, so I paid a heavy premium.

It took a while but I am glad that I have this TC have used it with a 500 f4 to give me a 1000 mm lens and excellent picture quality. My only complaint is that you cannot add an extender in front of the TC because of the contraction. A valuable addition to my armetarium

Caveat I waited until it was in stock with Amazon Prime big cost savings over Ace

We buy a lot of everything from Amazon. Jeff Bezos you rock. We need a TC-20E so of course the first thought is Amazon. No doubt this is a great device (thanks for the thoughtful reviews). We love Amazon, but we're not paying sellers a $100 premium when the exact same item can be obtained for a much Bhetter price. Just saying. Peacea y'all!

Check for lens compatability before buying, teleconverters no longer work with all lenses. This only works with a very few lenses. This is applicable with all new teleconverters, no matter which brand. It does not work with any lens which comes in a standard package deal. It would be excellent for a very specialized group of photographers who use the very expensive lenses which will work with this item. My thanks to Amazon for giving me almost instant credit for my mistake in not checking to see if this would be compatable with my system.