Nikon TC-1.4x Z series Teleconverter Review

tony
February 27, 2022
Bird Photography / opinion / reviews

NZ Dabchick family. Nikon TC-1.4x teleconverter with Nikkor Z 100-400 f4.5-5.6 VR S

I was lucky to have access to both the 1.4x and 2x Z series teleconverters to test with my Nikon Z9 and Nikkor Z 100-400 f4.5-5.6 VR S and first impressions were very positive. Image quality was well maintained and the only real issue was loss of aperture. The 1.4x hit the compromise sweet spot with the focal length gain worth the 1 stop loss. The 2 stop loss with the 2x just made it a combination that I would seldom use. As a result I ordered the Nikon TC-1.4x as it will give me a single camera, lens and TC setup to cover 100-560mm at f8 which is a very useful compact travel kit for birds and wildlife.

Photo of a Red-billed Gull with the Nikkor 100-400 f4.5-5.6 + TC-1.4x teleconverter — Red-billed Gull with the Nikkor 100-400 f4.5-5.6 + TC-1.4x teleconverter

I have written before about sharpness with zoom lenses and the trade-off between focal length versatility and supreme sharpness. With the 100-400 this is less of a tradeoff than in the past and the 1.4x has little impact on the sharpness. I have shot a series of test images with a variety of telephotos, zooms and teleconverters and am quite happy to use the 1.4x or 2x on the Z 100-400, 1.4x, 1.7x or 2x (TC20EIII) on the F mount 500mm f4 or 500mm f5.6PF, and the 1.4x on the 300mm f4 PF. The reason for avoiding the 1.7x or 2x on the 300 is that the 500PF is a better solution in that situation. I would not use any teleconverter on the AF-S Nikkor 80-400 f4.5-5.6 VR ED.

Photo of Detail cropped from the above image — Detail cropped from the above image

I may still share all the test shots I have done but have little inclination to spend the time on it for 2 reasons. Firstly my interest is to do a test to get the results I am interested in for myself then just get on and use the equipment. My conclusions are as outlined above and that is how I will use my gear. Secondly, when publishing to web the loss of detail is more significant than the loss due to teleconverters. While possible to upload full res files there are other sites that do this to cater for the dedicated pixel peepers that can then debate the relative merits of different copies of teleconverters and lenses. That is just not of interest to me as I want to know what does my gear do and then just work with it.

Photos with Nikon Z9 and Nikkor Z 100-400 f4.5-5.6 VR S and Nikon TC-1.4x teleconverter