teleconverter

Has anyone used a 2x teleconverter on a tamron 200-500mm lens.

I assume i would have to manually focus but what about light and other conditions?

Wally, I don't have either the Tamron lens or a 2x converter, but I have read a lot about using 2x converters and long lenses. Your widest aperture would be f13 with this combo, and you would lose a lot of light and image quality, to the point where freezing any wildlife action would be almost impossible, that is, if you could even see what you were shooting at in the viewfinder. I personally think you need a fast long lens (2.8) to get any use out of a 2x converter, such as a 300mm 2.8 or a 400mm 2.8 for a 2x converter to be an asset. I wouldn't even use a 1.4 converter with the Tamron. Your best bet is sticking with your current lens and getting the best crop body you can, one that rates high in the noise department at high ISO's, or better yet, spend more time and less money by using blinds and waders to get closer to your subjects. You can't work around physics, but you can lay in the brush long enough for subjects to come to you.

Wally
I have a Quantaray 2X Teleconverter that I purchased quite a few years ago and have used it with my Tamron 200-500mm lens. I don’t use it a lot because; as Brian said the image quality is not the best. I’ve used mainly to shoot stationary birds and even then the quality is not the best. I hope to get out to do some bird shooting this next weekend. If I have a chance I’ll take some shots with and without the teleconverter and put them on my web site so you can see what you would get. I would agree with Brian on this one.

You are correct it is manual focus at least with the Quantaray.

thanks guys,,, the blind sounds the best