New addition to the kit bag.

For a while I have been looking for a longer reach with my equipment. With a maximum focal length of 420mm a lot of shots can be missed. A prime lens in the 400 to 600mm range is quite an investment, with used pieces selling from $1500 - $9000. A new 600mm lens will set you back close to $11,000!
For a long time I have supplemented my 300mm f4 with a Nikkor 1.4 x teleconverter, which gives me 420mm f5.6. I looked at a 1.7 or 2 x teleconverter to add to the set, but had always been dissuaded by the thought that the automatic focus would be affected (as warned in all the literature). At $400, that would be an expensive mistake... and I don't really want to become such a purist that I only use manual focus!
So this week I was perusing eBay, as you do, and found a seller with a 2 x teleconverter that had been bought in error. Although it is not a Nikkor item, it is aimed to fit Nikon AF lenses. The seller wanted $50, I offered $35 and won the item! Not such an error in purchase if it fails to work!
Today I tried it with my 300mm f4. The teleconverter stops me down significantly, so I get 600mm f8, but at least I have the reach that I wanted... and in the bright Arizona sun f8 is not a horrific aperture to work with.

I tried my new kit this morning from 6:30am to 7:30am, taking pictures of the house finches at the back yard feeder. All were taken using the teleconverter (all at 600mm), and the aperture ranged from f8 to f11. The backgrounds all came out on the dark side, but the subjects were exposed satisfactorily. Here is a selection:

House Finches (click to enlarge)





















Exif: 1/500", f8, ISO 400, 600mm, Manual mode

This one has some eye damage - Mycoplasmosis (click to enlarge)


Exif: 1/500", f8, ISO 200, 600mm, Manual mode



Exif: 1/500", f10, ISO 200, 600mm, Manual mode





















Exif: 1/500", f8, ISO 400, 600mm, Manual mode