Does a 70-200mm f/2.8 with a 2x Teleconverter Sufficient for Wildlife Photography on an APS-C Nikon D5500?

When it comes to wildlife photography, the choice of lens is crucial. This article aims to explore whether a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens with a 2x teleconverter on an APS-C camera, specifically the Nikon D5500, can provide enough reach for wildlife photography. We will delve into the calculations, discuss the factors involved, and provide insights based on practical experience.

Understanding the Lens and Teleconverter

The 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is a popular choice for wildlife photography due to its fast aperture. However, to achieve even greater reach, photographers often use teleconverters. A teleconverter is a lens that multiplies the focal length of the original lens. In this case, we are using a 2x teleconverter, which will double the focal length of the 70-200mm lens.

Calculating the Effective Focal Length

To determine the effective focal length for wildlife photography, we need to consider two main factors: the original lens focal length and the crop factor of the camera. Here’s how we calculate it step by step:

Step 1: Focal Length with Teleconverter

When using a 2x teleconverter:

Minimum: 70mm × 2 140mm Maximum: 200mm × 2 400mm Step 2: Crop Factor for APS-C Sensor

The Nikon D5500 has an APS-C sensor with a crop factor of approximately 1.5.

Step 3: Effective Focal Length

Applying the crop factor to the focal lengths obtained with the teleconverter:

Minimum effective focal length: 140mm × 1.5 210mm Maximum effective focal length: 400mm × 1.5 600mm

Conclusion

With a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens and a 2x teleconverter on a Nikon D5500, you will have an effective focal length range of 210mm to 600mm. This range is generally suitable for wildlife photography, allowing you to capture a variety of subjects from a distance.

However, the success of your wildlife photography will also depend on factors such as your ability to get close to the subject, lighting conditions, and the specific behaviors of the animals you are photographing.

Examples and Considerations

Here are a few images shot at around 400mm on a full-frame camera:

Note that these are crops within the full frame. Decide how close you can get to the wildlife. If you’re new to wildlife photography, Todd Gardiner’s suggestion to rent a lens is something to consider.

As a general rule of thumb, the answer is “yes.” This particular setup will give you about 700mm of reach in 35mm equivalent format. However, you can never have enough “reach” in wildlife photography.

On the flip side, there are other considerations besides reach. The size of the lens can be very burdensome to all but very few hardcore wildlife photographers.

Personally, I opted for a Russian mirror lens at f/8 for this purpose. While I sacrifice autofocus, which can be very painful at 500mm, I consciously made such a choice because I don’t do wildlife photography often and I want to be able to carry this 500mm lens with me for every trip in case I need it. I can actually carry this lens with me throughout a day of hiking.

I want to emphasize that the size and weight of the lens will become a real issue very quickly. Don’t ever underestimate that. This is the reason why I am sticking with a 20-year-old 70–210mm f/4 instead of an f/2.8 equivalent. It is much lighter, and with modern DSLRs, you can really get away with ridiculously high ISOs.

The best lens is always the one that happens to be with you, remember that!