Teleconverter advice please

[SilverSurfer]

Hi,
I may have been very naive in a recent purchase. I have a Nikon D90 and a 80-200mm AF-D f2.8 lens. In order to try and get a little more reach, I bid for and won a 1.4x Kenko Teleplus Pro 300 DG teleconverter (marked Kenko N-AFD) on a well known auction site.

On receipt of this teleconverter, I attached it to the zoom lens and then to the D90. It neither auto focuses nor can I get any form of automatic exposure. Should I have expected this? The instruction leaflet with the teleconverter suggests that it should auto focus and should be able to auto expose in aperture priority, shutter priority and program modes.

So, is it me, or is the teleconverter possibly duff? :(

Any advice gratefully received.

Cheers.

[pete.rush]

The 80-200mm AF-D f2.8 lens is one of nikons older lenses, and I assume it works ok on your body as the compatibility chart says it does.

http://www.nikonians.org/nikon/slr-lens.html
http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=146

Did you get the right version of TC? check out link below, not sure it helps, but it may

http://photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/004Fnw

Peter

[SilverSurfer]

This teleconverter is the black one (but does have the 10 contacts) but on reflection it might be because I'm trying this inside (with all the lights on though). I'll try again in the morning when there is more light, just in case it is too dark to activate the AF sensors, but the camera's display is indicating "F--" suggesting all is not well ....

[Edit:] Sorry Pete, I should also have said that the lens works fine on the body without the teleconverter.

[hyakuhei]

If the display is indicating F-- then there's a problem. It might be an older TC or a faulty one.

I use my Kenko 1.4TC with my D300 and 300 AF-S with no problems.

[acs]

Just checked a Kenko 1.4x Teleplus Pro 300 DG (N-AF) on a D80 with an AF-D lens and it works fine, so your setup should work.

[HoppyUK]

Clean the contacts?

[SilverSurfer]

Clean the contacts?

I don't think I have contact cleaner buried in the garage but I will check. That's a good shout. They all look bright. I've just noticed that while there are 10 contacts on the lens side there are 8 on the camera side. Two of those are not as springy as the others but they all look as if they should be fine. Good shout though and I'll have a go in the AM before heading out to work.

Thank you all so far. :clap:

[neil_g]

i bought a canon fit sigma t/c off ebay last week and it did what you describe to me. tried it with all of my zooms and had the same problem, i sent it back turns out one of the pins was damaged and i got a refund.

[puddleduck]

This should work for you - I have a Kenko 1.4x Pro 300 DG and it'll drive AF-D lenses just fine.

[dalex_257]

To OP, when you get it working, would you mind posting/sharing a few samples taken with the combo (and perhaps some 100% crops) at 200mm? I have this lens and was thinking about TC for occasional use but find it difficult to get any samples on a web.

[SilverSurfer]

Thanks all, I tried it with my Sigma Macro lens this morning as well as the AF-D lens and it simply shows the same error. Looks like it's defective. :thumbsdown: Oh well, let's see what the seller says ....

Many thanks again folks for taking the time to respond and support my suspicions.

[puddleduck]

Thanks all, I tried it with my Sigma Macro lens this morning as well as the AF-D lens and it simply shows the same error. Looks like it's defective. :thumbsdown: Oh well, let's see what the seller says ....

Many thanks again folks for taking the time to respond and support my suspicions.

Sounds like it, although if your Sigma lens is an HSM these never work well with Kenko.

If its a screw driver non-HSM, this also should work fine.

[dalex_257]

Sounds like it, although if your Sigma lens is an HSM these never work well with Kenko.

If its a screw driver non-HSM, this also should work fine.

Does it mean that Kenkos won't work with AF-S either? Or is it just Sigmas they have problem with?

[Messiah Khan]

Does it mean that Kenkos won't work with AF-S either? Or is it just Sigmas they have problem with?

Mainly just the Sigma HSM lens - Kenko TC - Nikon Body combo. Made my camera crash when I tried it. Bought the Sigma TC for the Sigma lens instead.

[puddleduck]

Does it mean that Kenkos won't work with AF-S either? Or is it just Sigmas they have problem with?

Fine with AF-S, AF-D, Sigma AF-D, Tokina AF-D, Tamron AF-D and "built in" motor.

Just Sigma HSM is problematic.

[singlespeed]

I was looking at this compatability chart yesyerday, which lists the issues with different combinations. Theres bound to be some lenses which don't physicaly fit due to the rear lens position, but its a start>>>

Nikonians teleconverter chart (http://blog.nikonians.org/archives/Nikonians%20Teleconverter%20Table.pdf)

[SilverSurfer]

Just as an update, the tele converter has been returned and my refund received. The seller was very honourable and helpful.

So, I'm a tad disappointed ,but not dis-heartened. I just need to find another one - that works. However, I can't seem to find the "grey" one that was recommended in an earlier post. Has it been replaced by an updated "black" one?

Can anyone also illuminate me on the difference between DG and DGX versions?

[hyakuhei]

Just get a new one from onestop-digital about £95 inc postage iirc

[acs]

I can't seem to find the "grey" one that was recommended in an earlier post. Has it been replaced by an updated "black" one?

Must have got mine a couple of years ago and it is black. The pictures from the Kenko catalogue shows them as black.

http://www.kenko-tokina.co.jp/e/P.8_9.PDF

Can anyone also illuminate me on the difference between DG and DGX versions?

As far as I can see, the catalogue just lists a DG version.

[SilverSurfer]

Hmmmmmmm.

Well, I've seen this:
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-kenko-teleplus-pro-300-dgx-1-4x-nikon-af-teleconverter/p1032183

and:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kenko-Teleplus-Extender-Pro-300-Nikon/dp/B000KZ5ZZU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1250888314&sr=8-3

It was the latter that I got which didn't work but I think that was just my bad luck.

Ah-hah!!
http://www.microglobe.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?pName=kenko-pro-300-af-14x-teleconverter-for-nikon-afs&cName=teleconverter-kenko-teleplus-teleconverter&osCsid=a1507e549c1a2dc292a884281e3b8446
But do the AF-S specifics mean it won't work with the AF-D lens I really want it for ...? It doesn't seem to say that, so maybe I'm just a pessimist? I didn't think such a simple thing could get so complicated!!


Confused of Lanark.

[acs]

Hmmm... the one on Amazon looks like mine.

The one at WEX does look like a more recent design. I wonder:

What's more, the DGX converters will also display the effective focal lengths in your viewfinder, so if you're using the 1.4x converter on a 200mm lens, a focal length of 280mm will be displayed.

Have a feeling that is a new feature, which could explain the X suffix.

[puddleduck]

What's more, the DGX converters will also display the effective focal lengths in your viewfinder, so if you're using the 1.4x converter on a 200mm lens, a focal length of 280mm will be displayed.

They do that anyway... at least for Nikon AF-S.

My 300mm f/4 AF-S shows up as a 420mm f/5.6 with my Kenko? :shrug:

[acs]

Yes does seem to be the change -- just checked the EXIF of the photo I took last night (with an AF-D) and the lens focal length rather than the fl x 1.4 is stored.

Looking at the Jacobs site, they have a similar quote for the DGX but not the DG.

[acs]

Interesting :)

Tried the DG (non X) with an 18-35 AF-D and the native focal length is recorded in the EXIF, yet with a 70-200 AF-S the multiplied focal length is reported. How odd.

Update: looks like the DG variant could be passing the native figures for variable aperture lenses as the focal length on a AF-S 70-300 VR is limited to 300mm with the DG.