Do all teleconverters reduce light on sensor?

9 years 2 months ago #427592 by TGonzo
First off, I don't understand why this takes place in the first place?  Second, are there any teleconverters that don't rob you out of stops of light?  I want a 2x, but not all that excited about taking a 2 stop hit.  

When you look at the size of a 1.4x or 1.7x teleconverter and then compare that to a 2x, from a physical size standpoint, they aren't all that different.  So why the reduction?  


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9 years 2 months ago #427636 by KCook
The F-stop for a lens is simply the ratio of the effective focal length to the effective aperture diameter.  F/4 means the eff FL is 4 times the eff aperture.  A teleconverter does increase the eff FL, but does not increase the eff aperture.  Therefore when the eff FL is increased by the teleconverter, the F-stop is diminished.  More info here -

www.school-of-digital-photography.com/20...rs-on-your-dslr.html

Kelly Cook

Canon 50D, Olympus PL2
kellycook.zenfolio.com/

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9 years 2 months ago #427645 by Little Kate
Go with the 1.7x at least that is what i was told.  


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9 years 2 months ago #427647 by Joves
Anytime you use a multiplier on an optical instrument, you lose light, so no there are none that do not lose f-stops. You want a down and dirty way to look at it. Multiply the TC by your widest f-stop, the answer is now your new fully open stop. So with a 2x converter a 2.8 lens becomes a 5.6. A 5.6 lens become an 11.2. The reason that a 2x loses more light is that it is magnifying more, and therefore closing up the aperture more in the process.


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9 years 2 months ago #427664 by Happy Snapper
:agree:  

Gripped Nikon D810 --- Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 --- Sigma 10-20mm f/4 --- Nikon 50mm f/1.4 --- SB600
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9 years 2 months ago #427689 by Shadowfixer1
One piece of advice about teleconverters. Don't go the cheap route. If you do, you may as well toss that amount of money out the window while driving down the road. This is one area where cheap doesn't cut the mustard.  
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9 years 2 months ago #427708 by Alan Nunez
You loose light because you are adding more elements of glass. More glass = less light.


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9 years 2 months ago - 9 years 2 months ago #427727 by garyrhook
What Kelly explained above. It's a math and physics problem, and there's no getting around that.

Remember: gravity is not just a good idea, it's the law.


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9 years 2 months ago #427943 by Superman
Yep, true :agree:

Nikon D90 & D40 18-55mm, 55-200mm, 35mm, 50mm, 105mm, SB600
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9 years 2 months ago #428175 by dragosticu
It's math & optics.

If you want a teleconverter, be resonable - don't go with a 2x only because you will get a longer lens.
It is not only the f stop you are loosing, it is also about the quality.

If you have a 300mm you will obtain 600mm which is huge for 95% of the fotography needs.

You may try 1.7x - choose the mid way  :nunu:

Hope this help.

Dragos


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