Photo retouching, photo montage, photo restoration

The Nikon TC-17E is an expensive (about $400) 1.7x teleconverter. You lose 1.5 stops of light and get 70% more (1.7x) the focal length.

1.7x sounds stupid, but it's actually wonderful because I find performance is much better than I've gotten with the TC-20E. Since you lose 1-1/2 stops, an f/2.8 lens becomes an f/4.8 lens.

Its front elements poke out, so they are shrouded in rubber. After about ten years, this rubber develops a little bit of a gray haze on it, which wipes right off.