Sigma 2x EX Teleconverter AFD - Compatible?

[Tobyh]

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone can advise if the Sigma 2x EX Teleconverter Nikon AFD will be compatible with my Nikon D50. Will be using it with a Tamron 90mm and a Sigma 70-300 DG lens also.

Reason I ask is that I bought a Jessops 2x converter and although technically it should have been fine, when used with the Sigma lens I couldn't manually focus - it felt like there was sand in it. I tried another and it was the same - they just didn't like each other.

Anyone advise if this is a reasonable choice for the kit I have. I do mainly macro work but would like to boost the ability of the 300 lens also. For the macro work I'm not bothered about losing 2 F stops. Is it a big deal for the long range work though?

Thanks in advance.


TobyH

[MalcolmX]

as a canon man i am not sure about the compatibility but i would not like to loose 2 stops at the end of my macro range (small stops = small depth of field ) and the light loss really mean a flash in some cases . Nikon have just brought out a new macro lens and although it is quite expensive this may be a better way to spend your cash ,reports indicate it to be very good ,i compare these lenses with the canon 100 mm macro which i think is the bench mark for these lenses,just as a matter of interest you cannot fit a 2x converter to the canon lens maybe this is for the light loss reason ?

[nightshade]

I looked into converters(no pun intended Henrya) and the one thing that I had been unaware of is that some of them can interfere with the lense elements of the prime lense or the zoom.Sigma are designed to match specific lenses apparently,just be wary

[RogerTheCat]

I have a sigma 2x converter which works with my 150mm Sigma macro but not my Sigma 18mm - 200mm Lens. My advise is try before you buy. I am unable to even attach the zoom lens to the convertor.

The loss of 2 stops will always effect your shots wether macro or at distance becuase the reduced light means that you have to use longer shutter speeds and so camera shake becomes more of a problem. Alternatley with digital you can inrease the ISO but this can lead to digital noise.

[Tobyh]

Thanks for the replies all.

Didn't realise this was so much of a minefield.

I already have a Macro lens so won't be spending more money on another. I have 2 reasonable lenses so the converter seems the way to go but finding information is pretty hard.

Try before you buy is the best idea but...Jessops are the only place close to me that will order these things in, sometimes it takes a fair few weeks just for them to arrive and then..I have no intention of paying Jessops' prices as they are high compared to online.

For macro work I'm happy to lose the F Stops as I tend to use mid range F numbers with a flash anyway. The Sigma 70-300 is an F4-5.6 which would be more of an issue i guess - not much experience of long range work yet to be honest but I can see that might cause probs.

Is there a good site out there that maybe lists compatibilities?

Also - anyone know if the order you attach can affect wether it works properly. I'm sure I read (after I took back my Jessops converter) that you should attach the convert to the lens first, then attach to the body, not the other way round?

Thanks

[eeyore]

I have a jessops 2xtc which i use a lot on my tamron 90mm macro. IMHO losing two stops on an f2.8 macro couldnt matter less - dof is so small in macro that you are likely to be using f5.6 or more anyway.

I also use the same converter on my little bigma with no problems, except that used with an f5.6 lens you lose the auto focus due to lack of light.

Edit in answer to your latter question the order in which you attach them shouldnt matter, unless you are also using extension tubes, in that case for maximum magnification you want the tc at the back attached to the camera, then the tube, then the lens