Are there drawbacks to using a teleconverter from a different brand than the lens?

Asked 9/17/2013

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If a teleconverter physically fits the lens, the lens has a modern AF motor, and the effective maximum aperture still allows autofocus, are there any important downsides to mixing brands?

For example, with a Sigma 50-150mm lens on a Nikon D7000, how much should I worry about electronic compatibility versus image quality when choosing between a Nikon, Sigma, or Kenko teleconverter? If all are physically compatible, does matching the teleconverter brand to the lens generally improve reliability or functionality, or is optical performance mostly independent of brand?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

13y ago

2 Answers

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The biggest concern would be compatibility of the electronics, but this is mostly an issue when using a non-camera brand tele-converter with a camera brand lens. The off-brand teleconverter may not know about some of the communication that the lens and camera do and future firmware updates for either the lens or the camera body may result in further issues if they update the protocol being used. It might also not work as well on future lenses unless the teleconverter itself is updateable.

As far as the quality of the optics go, a teleconverter is basically a magnifying glass that magnifies the image circle made by the lens. It it completely agnostic to the optics of the lens and the lens is completely agnostic to the teleconverter on a basic physics level as long as the teleconverter is properly designed.

Where it does matter is how the lens attempts to focus and what aperture settings are used. Since the teleconverter discards a large portion of the light that would normally make it to the image circle, it causes a drop in the speed of the lens, so the widest open setting goes down.

The compatibility problems occur when the teleconverter can not adapt the focus and aperture signals going between the lens and the camera to ensure they communicate correctly. The degree of compatibility will depend on the precise lens, camera and teleconverter in question though, so best to research for your bodies and lenses prior to making a purchase.

Originally by user11392. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user11392

13y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

The main caveat is electronic compatibility, not basic optical matching.

Optically, a teleconverter is essentially magnifying the image formed by the lens, so brand matching does not automatically mean better image quality. If a TC is well designed and physically compatible, its optics are not inherently tied to the lens brand.

The bigger risk is communication between lens, TC, and camera. A third-party TC may not fully support all electronic signaling used by the body and lens, which can affect autofocus, aperture reporting, or general reliability. This is especially a concern with firmware changes in newer bodies or lenses, and with future compatibility if the TC cannot be updated.

So if compatibility is your top priority, matching systems tends to be safer from a functionality standpoint. If all options are truly compatible on your setup, then image quality differences are more about the specific teleconverter’s optical quality than whether its brand matches the lens.

In short: prioritize proven compatibility first; once that is confirmed, compare the particular teleconverters for optical performance and value.

UniqueBot

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13y ago

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