 Linda N. Mair |
Teleconverter Question Hi, I use a Nikon D70, Sigma 50-500mm lens, tripod & Wimberly head. My main interest is photographing wildlife. I just bought a Sigma 2x teleconverter and have found I have to go with a super high ISO 1600+ to get a faster shutter speed. And at that I'm still not stopping action & as you know getting lots of noise. The lens has a f/4-6.3 aperture so the lowest setting I can get is an f/13. I'm wondering if an external flash with better beamer fitting would work to help me with the lighting & speed problem I am experiencing. Or do I just return this before going any further? Thanks,
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Kip T. Berger |
Linda, 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX with the 2X converter will give you an effective range of 200-1000mm but will create aperture of f/10.4-12.6 and require manual focusing. Your beamer fitting won't provide enough output from what i've read of it's specs. Try the combination during sunny hours and look for more stationary wildlife. Best of luck.
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Linda N. Mair |
Hi Kip, Thanks for taking time to chime in on this situation for me. Do you think a 1.4x TC would be easier and more useful? It's not easy getting wildlife to sit & pose for you !!!! Take care,
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Kip T. Berger |
Hi Linda, I think you have more situations where you can really use the 1.4x effectively. Have you tried using deer stands when out of season? Better chance then of having wildlife come closer to you when your not moving. A faster lens would fit the bill, but most of us can't deal with that type sticker shock....definitley not a priority in my budget at this time. How close do you need to be? Better to sacrifice distance than light /shutter speed or you just have closer blurry images. Are you using a remote trigger? Mirror lock up? Your combination(f/4-6.3 + 2x)is very susceptable to your movement, possibly causing blurry images also.
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Linda N. Mair |
Fantastic response, thank you Kip. I agree with you on stick price for those faster lenses. Am starting to save up for one. How close???? As close as I can get but I do agree with you on image quality. Someone said I should try a self timer since I didn't have a remote trigger? Don't know about mirror lock up but will look it up. I'm still not sure this is the right accessory for me since I don't typically have interest in doing all the setup work just to get a shot. But then .... maybe if I got that fantastic shot it would be worth it. I do think you are right about 1.4x being the way for me to go and am considering making the exchange. Thanks again for your time and thoughtful answers. I think they are right on target. Take care, btw, I'm in Miami, Florida not sure if there are any deer stands around. Again, I will look into it.
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jtth hgtht |
If you can, do without any TC and work on your technique to get closer to the animals. You didnt say what kind of wildlife but places such a wildlife refuges where wildlife is somewhat habituated to people can help or a portable hide is another option. Knowing animal behaviour and patience are invaluable. Best of luck.
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Linda N. Mair |
Hi Barry, Thank you for your suggestions. Sometimes I am in the Everglades and not able to sneak up on the animals. I've been mostly interested in shooting baby Anhinga's in their nests but they are some distance away with water and alligators between us. I just received the Sigma 120-300mm with fixed f/2.8 and a 2x TC. Never used a TC or this lens before and might say, it has been a bit frustrating. Not sure if the problem is me or with the setup. Giving it a couple more days before making a final decision. Thanks again for your response and all the best,
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