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Are Teleconverters Dead?
Published January 24, 2023
Camera technology and accessories are constantly changing and evolving at an ever-increasing rate. Every now and then, I buy something photography related only to realize that it seems to be obsolete the following year.
This is the way of the world. Technology and electronics quickly become outdated and the desire to upgrade to the new, flashy alternative only grows. And I won’t even start to talk about planned obsolescence, because that’s a dark rabbit hole I could complain about for eternity! So, what can we, as consumers, do about this?
I think the best thing we can do is to educate ourselves and develop a better understanding of the technology present in today’s world. We can try to understand bigger picture trends that may affect the direction of things.
I recently experienced a conundrum with my own photography gear that relates to this topic. I have a great 100-400mm telephoto lens that I use frequently for wildlife photography. It works great with my full-frame body and usually does the trick but every now and then I want my subject to take up more of my image.
The way I see it I have 3 options: I can try to physically move closer to my subject (which is usually not a great idea), I can take the photo as is and digitally zoom in by cropping my image, or I can buy a teleconverter to increase the focal length of my lens. Initially, I thought that a teleconverter would be the ideal solution to my problem, so I began doing some research. After scouring the internet and gathering a plethora of information on the subject, I’m not so convinced. Which begs the question of the day: Are teleconverters dead?
This is the way of the world. Technology and electronics quickly become outdated and the desire to upgrade to the new, flashy alternative only grows. And I won’t even start to talk about planned obsolescence, because that’s a dark rabbit hole I could complain about for eternity! So, what can we, as consumers, do about this?
I think the best thing we can do is to educate ourselves and develop a better understanding of the technology present in today’s world. We can try to understand bigger picture trends that may affect the direction of things.
I recently experienced a conundrum with my own photography gear that relates to this topic. I have a great 100-400mm telephoto lens that I use frequently for wildlife photography. It works great with my full-frame body and usually does the trick but every now and then I want my subject to take up more of my image.
The way I see it I have 3 options: I can try to physically move closer to my subject (which is usually not a great idea), I can take the photo as is and digitally zoom in by cropping my image, or I can buy a teleconverter to increase the focal length of my lens. Initially, I thought that a teleconverter would be the ideal solution to my problem, so I began doing some research. After scouring the internet and gathering a plethora of information on the subject, I’m not so convinced. Which begs the question of the day: Are teleconverters dead?
So, Are Teleconverters Really Dead?
I want to reiterate that this is an opinion piece. I’m writing this article due to a personal experience I had, and these are simply my findings. Some photographers might disagree with me and that’s totally fine, we’re all entitled to our own opinions. So, let’s get into it.
Many of us are probably familiar with the concept of a teleconverter (or an extender) but for those who are not, it is quite simply a fancy magnifying glass that you put between your camera body and lens to increase your focal length.
Seems like the perfect solution, right? Why aren’t all photographers shooting with them all the time? Well, it’s actually quite a bit more complicated than that. Just like everything, teleconverters come with pros and cons and at the end of the day every photographer will have to weigh these for themselves to decide if this piece of gear is worth adding to their kit.
Teleconverters really seem like a no brainer. On paper, you can increase your focal length by 1.4x or 2x for a fraction of the price of buying a whole new telephoto lens. They give you more flexibility on the lens you currently have and you’re increasing your focal length with physical optics as opposed to digitally zooming in or cropping therefore not reducing the size of your file or the number of pixels in your image.
What I have come to find is that if something sounds too good to be true it probably is. Perhaps you’re increasing your magnification, but this comes at a cost. And with modern cameras containing massive sensors with tons of megapixels the need for a teleconverter seems to be shrinking. With that being said, let’s get into the pros and cons of using a teleconverter.
I want to reiterate that this is an opinion piece. I’m writing this article due to a personal experience I had, and these are simply my findings. Some photographers might disagree with me and that’s totally fine, we’re all entitled to our own opinions. So, let’s get into it.
Many of us are probably familiar with the concept of a teleconverter (or an extender) but for those who are not, it is quite simply a fancy magnifying glass that you put between your camera body and lens to increase your focal length.
Seems like the perfect solution, right? Why aren’t all photographers shooting with them all the time? Well, it’s actually quite a bit more complicated than that. Just like everything, teleconverters come with pros and cons and at the end of the day every photographer will have to weigh these for themselves to decide if this piece of gear is worth adding to their kit.
Teleconverters really seem like a no brainer. On paper, you can increase your focal length by 1.4x or 2x for a fraction of the price of buying a whole new telephoto lens. They give you more flexibility on the lens you currently have and you’re increasing your focal length with physical optics as opposed to digitally zooming in or cropping therefore not reducing the size of your file or the number of pixels in your image.
What I have come to find is that if something sounds too good to be true it probably is. Perhaps you’re increasing your magnification, but this comes at a cost. And with modern cameras containing massive sensors with tons of megapixels the need for a teleconverter seems to be shrinking. With that being said, let’s get into the pros and cons of using a teleconverter.
Pros:
Increased Focal Length
Let’s start with the most obvious benefit of teleconverters, increased focal length. The whole reason anyone would purchase one of these is to increase how much their lens can zoom. Most companies offer either 1.4x or 2x options. If you have a 500mm lens this means you could either increase your focal length to 700mm(1.4x) or 1,000mm(2x) which is awesome! However, this increased zoom comes at a price, which we will get into later.
Teleconverters are Compact and Lightweight
Another great benefit of teleconverters is that they are very lightweight when compared to an additional telephoto lens. Large lenses are often quite heavy and if you already have multiple lenses and accessories in your pack, you may not want the added weight of a massive lens. You also might have room for a very large 600 or 800mm lens but you will most definitely be able to fit a relatively small teleconverter.
Cost-Effective and Affordable
One of the other very obvious benefits of teleconverters is their price. Most teleconverters produced by well-known camera manufacturers can cost anywhere from roughly $100-$500 which is pennies on the dollar compared to a brand-new telephoto lens. Teleconverters are without a doubt a very cost-effective way to increase your focal length.
No Loss in Minimum Focus Distance
Another benefit to teleconverters is that there is no less to your minimum focusing distance. Perhaps you are doubling your focal length, but you can still focus on objects closer to you as if you were using the lens by itself. This is great if you want very zoomed in, highly detailed shots of subjects that really aren’t that far away.
Optical Zoom Instead of Digital Zoom (No Loss in Image Quality)
And finally, another great benefit is that you are zooming in with physical optics or lenses instead of digitally zooming in or cropping your image which leads to a loss in quality or reduced pixels. This is particularly nice if you have an older camera or a camera with a smaller sensor or fewer megapixels. If you crop an image taken on a camera with 16 megapixels you will start to notice a loss in image quality much more than on a camera with 50 megapixels. More pixels allow you to crop more of your image and maintain a high resolution.
So it’s obvious that there definitely are some benefits to teleconverters but there are also some significant drawbacks as well.
Increased Focal Length
Let’s start with the most obvious benefit of teleconverters, increased focal length. The whole reason anyone would purchase one of these is to increase how much their lens can zoom. Most companies offer either 1.4x or 2x options. If you have a 500mm lens this means you could either increase your focal length to 700mm(1.4x) or 1,000mm(2x) which is awesome! However, this increased zoom comes at a price, which we will get into later.
Teleconverters are Compact and Lightweight
Another great benefit of teleconverters is that they are very lightweight when compared to an additional telephoto lens. Large lenses are often quite heavy and if you already have multiple lenses and accessories in your pack, you may not want the added weight of a massive lens. You also might have room for a very large 600 or 800mm lens but you will most definitely be able to fit a relatively small teleconverter.
Cost-Effective and Affordable
One of the other very obvious benefits of teleconverters is their price. Most teleconverters produced by well-known camera manufacturers can cost anywhere from roughly $100-$500 which is pennies on the dollar compared to a brand-new telephoto lens. Teleconverters are without a doubt a very cost-effective way to increase your focal length.
No Loss in Minimum Focus Distance
Another benefit to teleconverters is that there is no less to your minimum focusing distance. Perhaps you are doubling your focal length, but you can still focus on objects closer to you as if you were using the lens by itself. This is great if you want very zoomed in, highly detailed shots of subjects that really aren’t that far away.
Optical Zoom Instead of Digital Zoom (No Loss in Image Quality)
And finally, another great benefit is that you are zooming in with physical optics or lenses instead of digitally zooming in or cropping your image which leads to a loss in quality or reduced pixels. This is particularly nice if you have an older camera or a camera with a smaller sensor or fewer megapixels. If you crop an image taken on a camera with 16 megapixels you will start to notice a loss in image quality much more than on a camera with 50 megapixels. More pixels allow you to crop more of your image and maintain a high resolution.
So it’s obvious that there definitely are some benefits to teleconverters but there are also some significant drawbacks as well.
Cons:
Less Light Reaching your Sensor (by up to 3 Stops)
One of the most obvious drawbacks right off the bat, is that by increasing your focal length you are therefore letting less light into your sensor. There is simply no way around this unless you know how to alter the physics of our reality. A 1.4x teleconverter takes away one stop of light and a 2x takes away 2 stops of light. This ultimately means you must compensate for that loss of light in one way or another. You will most likely already be using your widest possible aperture and a fast shutter speed due to the increased zoom. Which leaves us with an increase in ISO and therefore added noise to your image. If you’re using a high-end telephoto lens that can go down to f/4 this is less of an issue, but this is an obstacle that is unavoidable when using teleconverters.
Wider Depth of Field
This isn’t necessarily a drawback as some photographers will like the aesthetic, but when using a teleconverter, a wider depth of field is created in your images.
The f-stop adjustment will not only affect how much light hits the sensor, but also what's in focus. Naturally, stopping down, i.e. going from f/4 to say, f/6.3, will result in 'more scene' in focus.
Sure, you'll still get nice bokeh with a 1.4x on a f/4 lens, but depending on the speed of your lens, you may be dealing with narrower apertures from f/6.3-f/8. Those narrower apertures will render a much different image than f/2.8 or f/4.
Decrease in AF Speed and Ability
It’s not uncommon to notice a reduction in your cameras autofocusing abilities when using teleconverters. With modern mirrorless cameras this isn’t as much of a concern but with older cameras and lenses it’s very common to have a reduced number of functioning autofocus points and with really old gear autofocus might not work at all. In addition, your autofocus will also be slower or it will take longer for your camera to focus on subjects. If you’re shooting birds or other quickly moving subjects this can definitely be annoying.
You’re Likely to Lose Image Quality or Sharpness
Another drawback when it comes to teleconverters is that they can often lead to a loss in image quality or sharpness. This is due to the fact that the image now has to travel through more layers of glass and more lenses that are modifying the image before it reaches your sensor. If you’re using a really high quality prime lens with the best glass this is definitely not as much of an issue but if you’re using a zoom lens or something that’s not top notch you will definitely notice this.
Camera Shake and Motion Blur are magnified
In addition to optics reducing the quality and sharpness of your image, you also have to take into account the fact that you’re zooming in further which will inevitably magnify any shaking or motion when taking pictures. You’re already at a disadvantage with reduced light so you often can’t shoot at incredibly fast shutter speeds and if you’re doubling your zoom any motion blur will therefore be doubled as well. This can definitely be avoided to an extent with the right techniques and good gear such as a sturdy tripod but this is one reason why it might be better to crop an image (if you have enough megapixels) instead of using a teleconverter. You can also reduce these effects by using an electronic shutter if your camera has that capability.
You Will Need Advanced Techniques and Knowledge for Best Performance
To get the most out of a teleconverter you will not only need the right gear to make it worthwhile you will also need to take time to master your techniques and have a really solid understanding of your camera settings and the exposure triangle. You will need to know how to reduce motion blur or shake as much as humanly possible and you will also need to know how to compensate for the lack of light in a wide variety of situations.
You Will Need High-Quality Optics for Best Performance
I’ve touched on this a bit already but the best way to get the most out of a teleconverter is to use really high-quality lenses to begin with. And if the whole reason you’re using a teleconverter in the first place is to save money then this doesn’t make too much sense. You really need the best prime lenses out there to maintain image quality and these are often tens of thousands of dollars. Prime lenses will always have higher quality optics and glass as opposed to zoom lenses. You might be able to get away with using a 1.4x teleconverter on fast lenses that have wide apertures from f/2.8 to f5.6 but apart from that, it’s probably not worth it.
Less Light Reaching your Sensor (by up to 3 Stops)
One of the most obvious drawbacks right off the bat, is that by increasing your focal length you are therefore letting less light into your sensor. There is simply no way around this unless you know how to alter the physics of our reality. A 1.4x teleconverter takes away one stop of light and a 2x takes away 2 stops of light. This ultimately means you must compensate for that loss of light in one way or another. You will most likely already be using your widest possible aperture and a fast shutter speed due to the increased zoom. Which leaves us with an increase in ISO and therefore added noise to your image. If you’re using a high-end telephoto lens that can go down to f/4 this is less of an issue, but this is an obstacle that is unavoidable when using teleconverters.
Wider Depth of Field
This isn’t necessarily a drawback as some photographers will like the aesthetic, but when using a teleconverter, a wider depth of field is created in your images.
The f-stop adjustment will not only affect how much light hits the sensor, but also what's in focus. Naturally, stopping down, i.e. going from f/4 to say, f/6.3, will result in 'more scene' in focus.
Sure, you'll still get nice bokeh with a 1.4x on a f/4 lens, but depending on the speed of your lens, you may be dealing with narrower apertures from f/6.3-f/8. Those narrower apertures will render a much different image than f/2.8 or f/4.
Decrease in AF Speed and Ability
It’s not uncommon to notice a reduction in your cameras autofocusing abilities when using teleconverters. With modern mirrorless cameras this isn’t as much of a concern but with older cameras and lenses it’s very common to have a reduced number of functioning autofocus points and with really old gear autofocus might not work at all. In addition, your autofocus will also be slower or it will take longer for your camera to focus on subjects. If you’re shooting birds or other quickly moving subjects this can definitely be annoying.
You’re Likely to Lose Image Quality or Sharpness
Another drawback when it comes to teleconverters is that they can often lead to a loss in image quality or sharpness. This is due to the fact that the image now has to travel through more layers of glass and more lenses that are modifying the image before it reaches your sensor. If you’re using a really high quality prime lens with the best glass this is definitely not as much of an issue but if you’re using a zoom lens or something that’s not top notch you will definitely notice this.
Camera Shake and Motion Blur are magnified
In addition to optics reducing the quality and sharpness of your image, you also have to take into account the fact that you’re zooming in further which will inevitably magnify any shaking or motion when taking pictures. You’re already at a disadvantage with reduced light so you often can’t shoot at incredibly fast shutter speeds and if you’re doubling your zoom any motion blur will therefore be doubled as well. This can definitely be avoided to an extent with the right techniques and good gear such as a sturdy tripod but this is one reason why it might be better to crop an image (if you have enough megapixels) instead of using a teleconverter. You can also reduce these effects by using an electronic shutter if your camera has that capability.
You Will Need Advanced Techniques and Knowledge for Best Performance
To get the most out of a teleconverter you will not only need the right gear to make it worthwhile you will also need to take time to master your techniques and have a really solid understanding of your camera settings and the exposure triangle. You will need to know how to reduce motion blur or shake as much as humanly possible and you will also need to know how to compensate for the lack of light in a wide variety of situations.
You Will Need High-Quality Optics for Best Performance
I’ve touched on this a bit already but the best way to get the most out of a teleconverter is to use really high-quality lenses to begin with. And if the whole reason you’re using a teleconverter in the first place is to save money then this doesn’t make too much sense. You really need the best prime lenses out there to maintain image quality and these are often tens of thousands of dollars. Prime lenses will always have higher quality optics and glass as opposed to zoom lenses. You might be able to get away with using a 1.4x teleconverter on fast lenses that have wide apertures from f/2.8 to f5.6 but apart from that, it’s probably not worth it.
Conclusion:
In conclusion I’ll say this: If you’re an experienced photographer who has mastered your gear and understands camera settings very well, and additionally you have a high quality, prime lens then sure, get a teleconverter and you will definitely be able to get some great results and maintain high levels of detail and sharpness.
If you’re not a super experienced or knowledgeable photographer and you have a relatively new, high megapixel camera or perhaps a zoom lens then you’re probably better off cropping your images. You can always use modern editing software to enhance your images and add pixels if you need to.
In my personal opinion, I would say that for the average photographer today, teleconverters aren’t worth spending an extra couple hundred bucks. Professional photographers that are using super expensive, high-quality lenses and have mastered their technique can get away with teleconverters, but I believe that most photographers are better off without them. At the end of the day, teleconverters are not an easy way to affordably increase your focal length, you’re probably better off saving up for a nice zoom lens if you can.
So, are teleconverters dead? No, not really, they just don’t make sense for most photographers in my opinion. I sincerely hope that readers have found this article to be helpful and let me know your thoughts or if you disagree. I’m always happy to start a dialogue with readers.
As always, enjoy your photography journeys! Until next time.
In conclusion I’ll say this: If you’re an experienced photographer who has mastered your gear and understands camera settings very well, and additionally you have a high quality, prime lens then sure, get a teleconverter and you will definitely be able to get some great results and maintain high levels of detail and sharpness.
If you’re not a super experienced or knowledgeable photographer and you have a relatively new, high megapixel camera or perhaps a zoom lens then you’re probably better off cropping your images. You can always use modern editing software to enhance your images and add pixels if you need to.
In my personal opinion, I would say that for the average photographer today, teleconverters aren’t worth spending an extra couple hundred bucks. Professional photographers that are using super expensive, high-quality lenses and have mastered their technique can get away with teleconverters, but I believe that most photographers are better off without them. At the end of the day, teleconverters are not an easy way to affordably increase your focal length, you’re probably better off saving up for a nice zoom lens if you can.
So, are teleconverters dead? No, not really, they just don’t make sense for most photographers in my opinion. I sincerely hope that readers have found this article to be helpful and let me know your thoughts or if you disagree. I’m always happy to start a dialogue with readers.
As always, enjoy your photography journeys! Until next time.
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experiences around the world.
Each tour is bundled with lodging, meals, and transportation between workshops included, allowing you to focus on photography instead of the stress of traveling.
experiences around the world.
Each tour is bundled with lodging, meals, and transportation between workshops included, allowing you to focus on photography instead of the stress of traveling.
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BACKCOUNTRY JOURNEYS
"Backcountry Journeys offers guests the unique opportunity to explore our natural world from behind their own lens. We run a selection of hand-crafted Photo Tours, Workshops & Safaris connecting passionate people to exceptional experiences. Locations worldwide.
All Images & Content are property of Backcountry Journeys Photography Tours, Workshops & Safaris LLC - Copyright 2025
TRIP CATALOG
Download our Trip Catalog for detailed information on our many destinations for photography tours, workshops, and safaris.