kenko & tamron 1.4x tele - are they exactly the same?

are these 2 teleconverters exactly the same?

Kenko 1.4X Teleplus PRO 300 DG Teleconverter for Nikon AF-D

Tamron SP 1.4X Pro Teleconverter for Nikon AF-D

the specs (weight, size, # elements) seem to be the same...

I can buy the tamron for a little less..

I read somewhere that they are the same, can anyone confirm this for sure?

thanks!
scott

I thought Kenko was the same as Tokina,but I'm not sure.

Scott: They are probably very similar designs but Kenko is allied with Tokina.

thanks for your replies

I know kenko is aligned with tokina, but I've read several places that the kenko pro and tamron SP AF pro teleconverters are *identical*, not just similar.

look at this article:
http://www.nikonlinks.com/articles_teleconverter_review.htm

I just wanted to see if anyone could confim or deny this with certainty

I bought one of the Tamron SP 1.4x. I actually called Tamron and talked to their customer service. While they wouldn't come out and say that Kenko makes their product, the hints were very, very strong.


Kent in SD

From my research - the Kenko Pro 300 1.4x is the same as the Tamron "SP" 1.4x. The Kenko Pro 300 DG has been compared to Canon's 1.4x except it is not weather proof. The glass for both is made by Hoya the Tamron is a rebranded version. There is a Kenko Pro 300 that is white in color and the DG version is black but apparently is more flare resistant than the non DG version. The DG version is designed for digital cameras. I am going with Kenko for two reasons - I can get it from my usual trusted on-line source for much less than I can get the Tamron SP locally (nothing wrong with the Tamron SP though). I hope this helps!
John

thanks everyone; usually I buy at B&H, but for this I put my order in at sigma4less, lets see what I get! they seem to have fairly good reviews compared to some of the other "low cost" NYC camera shops...

scott