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Home → Reviews → Cameras and Lenses → Nikon TC-20E III Review

Nikon TC-20E III Review

By Nasim Mansurov 116 Comments
Last Updated On July 3, 2020

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Table of Contents

  • Overview and Specifications
  • Optical Features
  • Summary
  • More Image Samples
  • Reader Comments
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116 Comments
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Kurt Schwabe
Kurt Schwabe
December 15, 2023 4:49 pm

As Otto mentioned below, the compatibility table needs to be updated. It doesn’t list the AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4E PF ED VR (just the f/4D). The autofocus does function at F8 with the AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4E and has no limitations if used with D850 and a few other models. Here’s the compatibility table as of the date of this comment:
www.nikonusa.com/Asset…chart.html

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Otto
Otto
December 24, 2022 2:33 am

The compatibility table needs to be updated for the Z bodies, as they will focus at f/8 (and probably smaller but I’ve never tried that). I’ve used the 500mm f/4 VR with the TC_20EIII on a Z9 with AF fully functional.

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Eddie motors
Eddie motors
January 4, 2022 7:16 am

I have heard the readout on the lens aperture ring does not match what you see in the view finder, is this normal? For example; If I set F8 physically on the lens the camera readout display tells me F16. Is this normal if so which do I go for? This happens with a variety of 2.8 Nikon Tele lenses and a variety of pro Nikon bodies. Faulty 2x Nikon TC 20EIII converter or normal?

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mechfix
mechfix
Reply to  Eddie motors
September 15, 2022 9:11 am

Newer teleconverters (such as the TC 20EIII) report the corrected focal length and aperture to the camera. So for example a 300 f/2.8 will appear as a 600 f/5.6 to the camera and in the exif data, with a 2x converter. Lens a f/4, camera sees f/8; lens at f/5.6, camera sees f/11; etc.

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Eddie motors
Eddie motors
Reply to  mechfix
November 8, 2023 7:04 am

That’s fine I know this. It must be faulty. It focusses but does not lock on. Read out is wrong I can choose 2.8 and it will display where it shouldn’t. Tried it with all my Nikon bodies and AFI Nikon 300 .2.8 lens.it don’t work. Take the converter off and then back to lens and body and its back to normal. And for the record 2xconverter, d3 and AFI 300 2.8 did work altogether prior to faults developing.

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Vic
Vic
May 29, 2019 1:45 am

Thank You Nasim , for Your Outstanding reviews , which have been of a Great Help in my making some Tough decisions, this review is No exeption ,however, it is about making Long Lenses longer, what about making Short lenses a tad longer, as I am looking Hard at this Converter to place on a PC-E Micro Nikkor 85 f 2.8 , so I would have a PC-E 170 f 5.6,…….a Traveling photog on Long Haul like me ,staying in Cheap/Sleazy hotels , I would Not Dare leaving anything in the room while roaming the great outdoors…and therefor cannot carry ,nor need Big Telephoto`s as Hot weather causing air movement would negate that anyway,..so what is your take on Pairing that TC 20EIII with the PC-E 85 f2.8 Micro Nikkor ?…thanks.

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mxbianco
mxbianco
December 28, 2018 5:10 pm

I would like to point out that in the lens compatibility chart near the top of the article, the first line is incorrect:
for the AF-S Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED VR the effective focal length and f:stop are marked 210mm f/4.0
Should be 210mm f/5.6
Because there is a 2 f:stop reduction. Maybe that’s the reason why sometimes it hunts when focussing (should not occur if aperture were f/4)

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Kurt Schwabe
Kurt Schwabe
Reply to  mxbianco
December 15, 2023 4:58 pm

Here’s the latest compatibility chart: www.nikonusa.com/Asset…chart.html

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Nikos Charpantidis
Nikos Charpantidis
July 3, 2018 5:44 pm

Hello i would like to ask about bokeh.
I have an idea: How about to combine 70-200E with TC-20 III on a portrait for more bokeh?
but the loss of sharpness is about 26% (as u said on other article), is that too much loss for portrait?
Because the 105mm 1.4E is too much expensive maybe the 200-500 gives same bokeh?
Shoot with d750 and d850.

Thank you a lot

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LH S
LH S
Reply to  Nikos Charpantidis
June 30, 2025 4:34 pm

I don’t think you get more bokeh. B/c of lost of a two stops of light. You can think of it as one step forward one step back.

I bought and tested my TC-14 II that Nasim highly recommended on the 70-200 VR II and I experienced that.

The 70-200mm VR II’s focus breathing is so epic, some say it’s like only 135mm f/2.8 worth of bokeh when you are using it like a 200mm f/2.8 at the closest focusing distance.

So you actually get more bokeh with a 85mm f/1.4 G. Like that.

So mebbe watch eBay like a hawk and see if you can find a lightly-used 105E deal. Especially here in 2025 you’ll find a deal for sure. Famous users of 85/1.4G like Danny Diamond confess that they often stop it down to f/1.6 just to get a lil more sharpness for better files for post processing, so you might want to just go for the 105E, which has the reputation for being pretty sharp–so w/ a lil luck you don’t have to throw away bokeh by stopping it down.

You can also try to score a good deal on the swan song of F mount 70-200mm–the E editions came out pretty pricy but it’s now 2025. That way you don’t have to stress over epic focus breathing and 200mm f/2.8 would look like 200mm f/2.8, b/c if you go the f/1.4 prime routes it’s more lenses in your bag to haul around on travels and f/1.4 primes don’t have the fast AF that 70-200mm has a history of having that’s fast enough for small court sports.

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Pavol
Pavol
April 29, 2018 12:24 pm

Hallo ,
That is super recenzion.
Will it work TC 20E III on my nikon D500? With 70-200 f2.8 VRIi?

Thanks Pavol

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Steve
Steve
Reply to  Pavol
April 29, 2018 4:25 pm

Yes.

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Krishna Prasad Kotti
Krishna Prasad Kotti
April 24, 2017 7:09 am

Can we use latest Nikon d500/D5 bodies with Nikon 500mm /f4 VR with Nikon 2xTC III Teleconverters.

How is the image quality and is this combination viable ?

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Royal Winchester
Royal Winchester
August 11, 2016 11:41 am

Dear Nasim,
I was wondering if you have found any differences retesting TC sharpness (for example on the 200-400mm) using the new methods you had to develop to test the 800mm f5.6. I would imagine that the combo of a long heavy lens with an effective focal length of 800 (1200 on a DX) would be as susceptible to micro vibrations.

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Steve Mundy
Steve Mundy
April 19, 2016 6:37 pm

I just got the Nikon 200-500 lens and took my first shots with it with the TC-20EIII:

www.mundy.ca/Space…016-04-18/

I also shot with the TC-20E-III coupled with my Nikon 300/2.8 here:

www.mundy.ca/Misce…C-20E-III/

I also use this TC with my 105VR for most of my macro shots.
The VR really helps when shooting handheld macros with a TC.

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Kevin207
Kevin207
Reply to  Steve Mundy
March 4, 2019 3:25 pm

Thanks Steve for posting the photos from your 200-500 lens with the TC-20EIII. I have the converter and was looking at the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR Lens for moon shots like yours in place of my non-DSLR superzoom cameras which I have reached the quality limits of. I look forward to purchasing the 200-500 lens now after seeing your photos!

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Steve
Steve
Reply to  Kevin207
March 4, 2019 7:41 pm

Thanks, I have another page here where I compare the 200-500 against the 300/2.8 …

www.mundy.ca/Lands…utterflies

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