What do teleconverters do

Watch this video from Niall Hampton, Editor of Digital Camera magazine, on teleconverters and the 5 things you need to know about them. A teleconverter or extender as Canon calls them is a gadget that fits between the lens and the camera body to magnify the image made by the lens. A teleconverter sounds like the ideal solution for getting closer to a subject with your lens. And you need to choose wisely, as the best teleconverters will not work well with all lenses and cameras.

At one time, they were sold as inexpensive gadgets that were widely compatible with different camera systems and lenses, but these days lens and camera designs are more complex, with sophisticated electronic data transfer and, sometimes with protruding rear lens elements.

There are few 'generic' teleconverters still on the market and these have to be chosen with care to match your lenses. But teleconverters have not disappeared. They have taken on a new role, mostly in long-range sports and wildlife photography. So what do you need to know when choosing a teleconverter for your DSLR or mirrorless camera system? Teleconverters come in three strength settings. They increase the focal length of the lens it is used with, so a mm becomes a mm — and a mm becomes a mm zoom.

So if you use a 1. This means that teleconverters work best with lenses that have a wide maximum aperture to start with. Cheat sheet: what are f-stops? Many modern autofocus systems, however, especially on the latest mirrorless cameras, now go way beyond that, so it may no longer be an issue. This is an important point. Lenses and lens mounts are far more complicated than they used to be, so you can't assume any teleconverter will fit any lens.

Teleconverters are favorite accessories of nature and wildlife photographers, because they allow them to extend the photographic reach beyond what might be safe when on safari or in an unfamiliar location. Using a teleconverter is an affordable option when you want to increase your photographic reach without having to purchase new super-telephoto lenses. Nikon currently offers teleconverters in 1. Benefits include their cost effectiveness and small physical size; drawbacks include a loss of light or lens speed and possible decrease in sharpness.

A mm lens and 2x teleconverter may not be as sharp as a dedicated mm lens. Because teleconverter compatibility is dependent upon lens use, the lenses that will work with a teleconverter are all FX lenses those that are designed for use with the larger FX format image sensor or film SLR cameras.

AF-S lenses are those with a built-in focus motor. Vignetting or other visible image defects may also occur. Due to these limitations, wildlife and sports photographers wouldn't be able to utilize teleconverters in many instances that required fast shutter speeds. When using a 1.

The distinction of II in the name of Nikon teleconverters means that the newer versions use lighter metals in their construction. There is no difference betwen the the original versions and the newer ones in terms of functionality or optical performance.

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Search Articles. Glossary Off On. What exactly are teleconverters and can I use one with my camera and lens es? Should I use a teleconverter? Amount of light lost when using teleconverters When using a 1.