Can I use an Olympus TCON 1.7x front teleconverter on a Nikon D3100 18-55mm kit lens with a step-up ring?

Asked 9/19/2011

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I have a Nikon D3100 with the 18-55mm kit lens and already own an Olympus TCON 1.7x teleconverter. I’m considering attaching it to the front of the kit lens using a step-up ring.

Will this work well in practice, and is the teleconverter’s weight likely to strain or damage the lens or autofocus mechanism, especially since the front of the lens rotates during focusing?

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

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

14y ago

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I doubt this would work.

Nikon and Olympus (I'm assuming your teleconverter is for the OM system) do not have the same register - the distance between the lens mount and the sensor. While you can adapt OM lenses for use on Nikon by physically replacing the mount, and you may be able to mount a Nikkor lens on an OM body by using an adapter, you're looking at a very hacky solution indeed.

In addition to this, the kit lens is not well adapted for teleconverter use. You'll get a rather wimpy focal length of 55 x 1.7 = 93.5mm, and lose 2/3 of a stop, so it will be a 93.5mm f/6.3 at the long end.

If you want a longer lens, I'd recommend you get an older Nikkor if you're strapped for cash, or the Nikkor 55-300mm DX zoom or its Nikkor 55-200mm DX predecessor.

EDIT: as @EvanKrall mentions in a comment, this isn't a "normal" teleconverter, that fits between the body and the lens, but a teleside converter, designed for a compact camera. To be honest, I don't know if this can work at all. Filter-side converters are pretty common on high-end compacts, as they have the mounting bayonets and good optics that can take advantage of them. But compacts in general have a much smaller sensor and their lenses are constructed for a smaller coverage.

I once again doubt this could work, but you may try to see if you get decent results simply by holding the converter in front of the lens and seeing if the image looks OK. Don't forget to try to focus to infinity, I suspect this is the sticking point.

My original answer still holds, however, if we had a hypothetical 1.7x teleconverter for the OM system.

Originally by user3114. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user3114

14y ago

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It’s generally not a good idea.

The main issue is that the 18-55mm kit lens is a poor match for a teleconverter/front converter setup like this. Even if you can physically attach it with a step-up ring, the result is unlikely to work well optically, and the gain is modest: at 55mm, 1.7x only gets you to about 93.5mm equivalent focal length for the lens itself, with some light loss.

There’s also a practical concern: the kit lens focuses using a rotating front section, so hanging a heavy converter off the front can put extra stress on the lens mechanics and autofocus system.

So while it may be possible to attach, it’s not a setup most people would recommend. If you want more reach, a dedicated longer Nikon lens is the better solution, such as a 55-200mm or 55-300mm DX zoom, or an older Nikkor telephoto if budget is tight.

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