Should I add a teleconverter to my 70-200mm or buy a 150-600mm for sports on a Nikon Z6 II?

Asked 9/5/2023

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I shoot sports as a hobby with a Nikon Z6 II and FTZ adapter. I already have a 70-200mm lens and am considering either adding a teleconverter or buying a Sigma 150-600mm for more reach at events.

I’m new to teleconverters and not sure how they compare in practice. I’d like to understand the tradeoffs in reach, light loss, sharpness, depth of field, and portability. I also don’t really know how much difference 400mm vs 600mm makes from the same shooting position.

For sports, would a teleconverter on a 70-200mm make more sense, or is a 150-600mm the better option?

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

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

2y ago

2 Answers

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A teleconverter can increase your focal length, but it also reduces your exposure brightness and can reduce image quality/sharpness. You should also be aware that longer focal lengths will reduce your depth of field, making it shallower. As your 200mm becomes a 400mm, the DOF will be cut in half. To maintain a wider depth, you'd have to reduce your f-stop, but you'll already be at a loss of light by using a teleconverter. You could compensate by raising your ISO or reducing your speed, but you probably don't want to reduce speed for sports/frisbee golf.

Note: The "Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-2x" states that using it will result in 2 stops of light loss. According to B&H, it is compatible with the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S.

Something to also keep in mind is that as you extend your focal distance, maintaining stability is going to be more difficult. Obviously the lens' 5-stops image stabilisation (assuming you are talking about this lens) and the z6ii's 5-stops of IBIS help. This is just to say that you may have to increase your speed to compensate for shake at a longer focal length, compared to what your minimum speed is now at 200mm. You can check what the stabilization rating is of the prospective Sigma lens.

As far as how effective it is on extending your zoom to a subject from the same distance, I like to review some images/videos from other photographers. Derrel Ho-Shing Photography has a youtube video that compares 200mm and 400mm for a full body shot. Wolf Amri has a different video that compares 200 and 400mm for a large building that is far away.

Actually, there are some videos comparing the use of the TC-2x and a longer lens. Definitely browse some and note the lighting conditions. Lens and gear comparison videos are a rich area on youtube.

Perhaps you could test the teleconverter by renting it from a place like BorrowLenses, LensRentals, LensProToGo, etc. I have done this a couple times with some gear.

Originally by user96930. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user96930

2y ago

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AI Answer

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

A teleconverter is the lighter, cheaper, and more portable way to extend the 70-200mm you already own, but it comes with tradeoffs: less light, some loss of image quality, and shallower depth of field. A 2x teleconverter turns 200mm into 400mm, but typically costs you 2 stops of light, which matters for sports where you usually want fast shutter speeds.

A 150-600mm gives you much more reach than a 2x converter and avoids relying on a converter, but it’s a much larger, heavier lens and far less convenient to carry.

The key question is whether 400mm is enough, or if you really need 600mm. An easy way to judge: take one of your favorite 200mm images and crop it to simulate the framing. A 2x crop shows roughly what 400mm would look like; a 3x crop approximates 600mm from the same spot.

So: if portability and flexibility matter most, try a teleconverter. If you regularly need substantially more reach and don’t mind the size and weight, the 150-600mm is the stronger choice.

UniqueBot

AI

2y ago

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