Did I already say why Im willing to suffer through such pains to take pictures? Its to get close. Completely, 100% of the reason is to get close. Even a 600mm f/4 AF-S isnt enough and youll wish you had more lens. More lens?! Yup, there will be times you will wish you had more if youre anything like me. Fortunately theres a solution without taking a third mortgage on the house and while maintaining most of the quality youve come to expect from paying such big bucks. Teleconverters are the solution. The matched set of teleconverters designed specifically for the Nikons AF-S style telephoto lenses includes the TC-14e and TC-20e. Nowadays, the most recent models are mk II versions. Although they are cosmetically different on the outside, these models are optically identical to the original TCs on the inside. These accessories provide 1.4 and 2.0 focal length extensions respectively for relatively reasonable prices. Thats 840 and 1200 millimeters with a 600mm f/4 AF-S lenswow! There is a tradeoff using these. Remember, you cant get something for nothing here. A 1.4x and 2.0x converter will reduce by one-half or one-quarter the amount of light coming through the lens, which in photographic terms represents a one or two stop reduction in the lens maximum aperture. Add to that, the optical quality of your combination is certainly reduced. The contrast isnt as great and the sharpness is reduced with these things. This is more obvious with the TC-20e than its little brother, the TC-14e. Why would anyone want to deal with these drawbacks? Well, as I said before, the point of this is to get closer and that desire may outweigh some of the drawbacks. Honestly, while some shooters will absolutely look sideways at a 2x converter like the TC-20e and resist the urge to use a 1.4x converter like the TC-14e in the name of maintaining optical quality, I totally believe using these can produce completely acceptable images if you apply your best long lens techniques when shooting under good conditions. They arent perfectespecially the TC-20ebut you may get a shot that otherwise wouldve been impossible. The key here is to use Nikons matched teleconverters versus another manufacturers. The quality is significantly different between the two.

You long lens, close-up fanatics out there may consider one other thing if youre on the fence about purchasing a digital camera. All of Nikons digital SLRs have sensors with smaller surface areas than regular film. Youre essentially cropping the image without adjusting the optical formula of your gear. This characteristic results in a 1.5x equivalent magnification factor of your lens. A 600mm f/4 AF-S mounted with a Nikon D1h is a 900mm f/4 equivalent lens. Thats huge! Now add on your teleconverter, and youve got something really big. Thats the same as a 1260mm or 1800mm lens with the TC-14e or TC-20e respectively. For those who understand things in terms of magnification, these focal lengths are effectively magnifying your subjects by 635 and 1295 times.Where are we now? So far, I think weve determined the 600mm f/4 AF-S is a highly specialized piece of photography equipment well suited to bring faraway things to you when you cant get to them. As a result of such unique qualities, the lens can be quite challenging to properly employ. Also, additional costly equipment is required to effectively support this huge piece of glass. What else does anyone need to know? How about out how fast this lens is. Im not talking just how quickly you can set the thing up, but how fast is it at taking picturesits basic ability to see a subject and focus.

One of the beauties of the Nikons AF-S series lenses is their built-in focusing motor. The camera only provides the power, while the little motor provides the motive force to focus the lens on what the camera sees. The lens is super quick as a result. I think with the right conditions it can be quicker than normal human eyes at focusingthis isnt always the case, but it can be quicker based on my experience. This ability to focus quickly is huge in the wildlife photography department, especially with flying birds. In many respects, its kind of magical how you can point the lens toward an out of focus subject, press the shutter, then immediately it pops into tack sharp focus. Another cool thing is this capability isnt lost when using the TC-14e. Conversely, the TC-20e isnt advertised by Nikon as an usable Auto Focus (AF) configuration with the 600mm f/4 AF-S. The aperture is simply too small. In practice, the AF does work under the right conditions with this lens. Bright, contrasting situations are necessary. While this isnt perfect, it is useful when you consider how hard it is to focus a 1200mm lens in the first place, let alone auto focus such a monster.

The real reason anyone wants to buy the 600mm f/4 AF-S is to get Nikons best at getting close to a subject. Sure, its size is imposing. OK, maybe living in the poor house is kind of less than perfect because you spent all your money on this thing. On the other hand, after learning how to manage such a beast, think of what you get: super-sharp images, incredibly close subjects, amazing speed. The end result is a winning combination.

Cheers

Tom