Attention Nikon users... AF question

[Harv]

Canon non-1 Series bodies will only AF with lenses f/5.6 or faster and the 1 Series bodies will AF with lenses f/8 or faster.

Are there such limitations with Nikon bodies? Specifically, the D300. I have not seen this information posted anywhere.

[viewfinder]

Hi Harv,

I believe the official statement from Nikon is f/5.6 or faster for TC, all the AF capable TC are classed as not compatible with any lens slower than f/5.6 (apart from physical clearance restrictions), though there are reports that AF would work with these TC to various degree.

I believe the slowest lenses from Nikon are f/5.6, e.g. at the longer end of the zoom. I haven't come across anything slower (bar the mirror type tele). And yes, D300 will work with any Nikon or Nikkor AF lens way back to the first generation. Works with all Nikon or Nikkor manual focus lens too.

Hope these help.

Regards,
Jonathan

[Harv]

Thanks for the info, Jonathan. Much appreciated.

[viewfinder]

No problem Harv, but I have to correct what I mentioned above - AF on Nikon SLR is possible for lenses with an effective aperture of f/5.6 or faster, i.e. with or without TC.

In other words, f/2.8 is the slowest lens you need if you are using a 2x TC, etc. I believe there are physical pin/extrusion that prevent you from mounting inappropriate TC/lens combination.

Try Google... ;)

Regards,
Jonathan

[Harv]

Thanks again for clarifying this, Jonathan. Sounds much like Canon.

[Mao]

Do I get a dollar for predicting who would come up with an answer for you? I'm sure other Nikon shooters would but Jonathan jumped in first.

A Timmie will do. Thank you very much.

[Rudi]

Thanks again for clarifying this, Jonathan. Sounds much like Canon.

Yup, except for the EOS 1 series, which will AF at a stop slower than that. I am not sure if the Nikon Pro bodies do that or not, but Jonathan does not seem to think so.

But the question is, Harv... why did you want to know??? :D

[Mao]

But the question is, Harv... why did you want to know??? :D

Do you hear what I hear Rudi? :biglaugh::biglaugh::biglaugh:

[Rudi]

Not going near this one... someone might get hurt! :D

P.S. Dear Mr. Gold, Sir... may I please have your 500mm f/4 L IS when you're finished with it???

[Harv]

Boy, there sure is a lot of idle speculation in this thread. Mao, you win a Timmie as once again, you were correct. Rudi, how much $$$ do you have? The 500 doesn't come cheap. :biggrin:

[Wulff]

Do I smell a fire sale coming?
/starts to pack the pennies away :)

Can someone clarify something for me?
Like Harv stated I've always understood and taken at face value Canons AF limitations. F8 for the 1D series and f5.6 for non 1D's.

No problem, understood.

What I dont understand is why then would a non 1D series still AF when using say a Tamron 200-500 f5/6.3 or the Bigma which at the long end is F8.

Also, one more noob like question.
When slapping a 1.4 TC on say the 400 f5.6 your f/stop is considered to be f8. Ok, to me on the surface thats meant that the light reaching the sensor would equate to what would reach the sensor if you were using the bare lens at f8.

but what does it do to the DoF?
Your "aperature" is still wide open (f5.6), but less light is reaching the sensor.

[Rudi]

What I dont understand is why then would a non 1D series still AF when using say a Tamron 200-500 f5/6.3 or the Bigma which at the long end is F8.
The lenses "lie" to the camera, reporting f/5.6, so AF is still possible. This is intentionally designed into the lenses.


Also, one more noob like question.
When slapping a 1.4 TC on say the 400 f5.6 your f/stop is considered to be f8. Ok, to me on the surface thats meant that the light reaching the sensor would equate to what would reach the sensor if you were using the bare lens at f8.

but what does it do to the DoF?
Your "aperature" is still wide open (f5.6), but less light is reaching the sensor.
Your lens BECOMES an f/8 lens. There is no confusion - the converters do reduce the maximum aperture of your lens - less light is reaching the sensor. AFAIK, the DOF is similar to a 560mm f/8 lens (not sure if it is identical, since I do not know how each converter magnifies the image- there might even be differences between converters, I'm not sure).

[Wulff]

Thanks Rudi.
Not sure that answers all of it. I guess theres 2 parts to the question.
1) What impact is there on DoF
2) Actual aperature.

Worded another. Say Im using a 100-400L whos "sweet" spot is F8. I slap on the TC. For all intents and purposes Im at F8 but am I "actually" at F8.....aka the lenses sweet spot and subsequently for DoF purposes shooting 520mm/f8? My understanding was that, no the lens is at 5.6 and if I want the sweet spot I need to stop down to F8 which means Im effectively shooting at f11.

:) :)

[Harv]

Not going near this one... someone might get hurt! :D

P.S. Dear Mr. Gold, Sir... may I please have your 500mm f/4 L IS when you're finished with it???

Anything else you want to add to your shopping list, Rudi. One never knows for sure. Some of this new Nikkor glass is looking pretty good right now. :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

[Harv]

Do you hear what I hear Rudi? :biglaugh::biglaugh::biglaugh:

I'd offer to let you do some advanced shopping, buddy, but you probably have everything that I have in my bag so don't really need anything. Well, a 70-200 2.8L IS perhaps.

[Rudi]

Worded another. Say Im using a 100-400L whos "sweet" spot is F8. I slap on the TC. For all intents and purposes Im at F8 but am I "actually" at F8.....aka the lenses sweet spot and subsequently for DoF purposes shooting 520mm/f8? My understanding was that, no the lens is at 5.6 and if I want the sweet spot I need to stop down to F8 which means Im effectively shooting at f11.

:) :)

The lens still gets better when you stop down one stop or more, so you will have to do that whether you are using converters or not. If you want to get to the sweet spot, that is. :)

[viewfinder]

Ken Rockwell has a nice chart for Nikon lens compatibility:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm

Bjørn Rørslett has the best reference Nikon lens reviews:
http://www.naturfotograf.com/index2.html

Between these two, you should be able to find most of the answers for Nikon lenses.


Regards,
Jonathan

[Harv]

Ken Rockwell has a nice chart for Nikon lens compatibility:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm

Bjørn Rørslett has the best reference Nikon lens reviews:
http://www.naturfotograf.com/index2.html

Between these two, you should be able to find most of the answers for Nikon lenses.


Regards,
Jonathan

Thanks a lot, Jonathan