55-300 with TCs?

Has anybody got any experience of using this lens with a TC?

Dave

Tried it with the 1.4x Tamron and 1.7x Pentax.

Only once.

Hi, I tried it with a metering but manual focus Teleplus MC4 2 X.

I concluded that you got a better image by cropping. I think TC's are only any good on prime lenses.

Dave, I've tried this and I can tell you from experience, forget it! The 55-300 absolutely hates TC's. It even hates filters (of any kind).

This lens is a stellar performer (for the money) but you have to use it 'naked'. For IQ I think it can produce images approaching those of a quality prime telephoto and beats most telephoto zooms, but for whatever reason it's not one to pair with any other glass.

Regards
David

Works well with the Pentax_A 1.4x-s but you have to manual focus,
which is easy at 420mm.

I don't notice any image degradation.

These were handheld at 420mm and 1/250th sec with SR set by
mistake to 28mm




This was against the light so not very good and I haven't
tried to improve it with PP




There's a guy on the US Forum who has got good results with a
Canon screw into the filter ring TC.

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Here's another from the same set. SR still 28mm
300mm (420mm due to TC)
400ISO 1/250th at f/8 (f/11 with TC)

No PP just reduced from the original JPG
Not sharpened.

Speedboat clubhouse taken from the other side of the
dam. Lens rested on metal fence.




I've also used the Pentax_A 2x-s TC with this lens,
there is some loss but acceptable if you need 600mm

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Some interesting replies and thanks for posting the images Algi. I was rather suprised by David's comments about the 55-300 not liking filters. I've got a Hoya Pro 1 MC protector on mine (bought from Algi) and it seems to be fine.

Dave

Hi Dave

There have been a few threads about the 55-300 and its dislike for filters, especially circular polarisers, but also UV filters. I have used mine extensively both with and without a UV filter and it performs far better without. I gave up trying with a polariser as it was impossible to focus the lens at all - every shot came out very fuzzy. I think this is fairly well documented for the 55-300.

With regard to TC's, I've also seen a fair few posts about poor performance with the 55-300, both for autofocus and IQ. I have never owned a Pentax TC, so I can't comment on this, but with my 2x 7 element (Teleplus) converter that produces excellent results with primes, the IQ on the 55-300 is best described as indifferent and I don't consider it worthy of using with this lens. You may find different of course!

Regards
David

Ditto with the Hoya Protector on my 55-300 (but not from Algi!)

It was the 55-300mm lens Dave bought from me not the filter

I can't imagine a UV or similar filter being a problem.
A Polarizer loses a lot of light so hardly any f/5.6+ lenses
are going to be happy with it.

A Tiffen Haze-1 should cut through any haze.

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Hi Algi

With the polariser on the 55-300 it was not a light issue, it was a focus issue. The lens will not focus at all with a circular polariser fitted, whether in auto or manual focus. I can't explain why, but it's true. I have tried different circular polarisers on mine and it will not produce a properly sharp image with any of them. Put the same polarisers on other lenses and there is no problem. Without filters the images are really sharp; the effect is less pronounced with a UV filter, but I still prefer it without one.

There are quite a few articles on the web about circular polarisers and long zooms, so it's not just the 55-300 that can suffer, although clearly it depends on the polariser used.

Regards
David

I tried it (once) with the Pentax F1.7 but I didn't keep the results.

I had a problem with my 55-300 and a UV filter. The lens would not focus.