Reach is bought with light, and the arithmetic is published

The best teleconverters for 2026

A teleconverter sits between a lens and a body and multiplies the focal length, and the trade is arithmetic rather than opinion. A 1.4× converter costs one stop of light, a 2× converter costs two, and the maximum aperture of the combination moves accordingly — a lens that opens to f/4 behind a 2× behaves as an f/8 lens, which is the figure that then has to be judged against what the body can focus with. That is the second published fact worth reading: camera makers state the minimum aperture their autofocus systems are specified to work at, and the combination either clears it or does not. Compatibility is the next gate, and it is narrow. Converters protrude, so they physically fit only lenses whose rear element sits far enough forward, and makers publish an explicit list of supported lenses rather than a mount specification. Fitting one to an unlisted lens can mean contact with the rear element. Optically, a converter magnifies whatever the lens already does, including its softness at the edges, which is why the best results come from long primes designed alongside them. Then the ordinary things: added length, published weight, and whether weather sealing carries across the joint. We compare magnification, lenses named as compatible, light loss in stops, autofocus limits stated, added length, sealing and published weight.

The accessories that earn their place in the bag

1. 

   NEEWER For DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and 4, magnetic

   Sixty-four euros for a magnetic converter that clips to an Osmo Pocket 3 or 4 — and whose only published magnification is the 2× digital zoom already in the camera.

   Magnification

   NOT PUBLISHED for the converter itself. The second bullet says a higher magnification factor is reached by using the camera’s 2× DIGITAL zoom, which is a function of the camera and not of this glass. Every other page on this shelf leads with a factor — 1.4× or 2× — and this one leads with the camera’s crop

   Lenses named as compatible

   No lenses: two cameras. The first bullet says it is compatible only with the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 and Pocket 3, and the title says the same. This catalogue carries the Osmo Pocket 4 on its gimbal shelf, so the narrowest compatibility statement on this shelf is also the easiest to check

   Light loss in stops

   Not published. The intro above gives the arithmetic for converters that sit between a lens and a body — one stop for a 1.4×, two for a 2× — and this one attaches magnetically to the front of a fixed-lens camera, where that arithmetic does not apply. The page gives no figure either way

   Autofocus limits stated

   None. On a camera whose lens and body are one piece there is no aperture for the converter to reduce, and the page makes no claim about focus at all

   Added length

   Not published. The fourth bullet calls the lens light and slim and gives no millimetres — and on a pocket gimbal, length is exactly what decides whether it still fits in a pocket

   Sealing

   Not claimed as sealing. The third bullet describes multiple coatings that resist water, scratches and fingerprints, which protects the glass rather than the joint. Three converters on this shelf claim dust and splash protection; this is not one of them

   Published weight

   Not published — and not one of the six converters on this shelf publishes a weight, though the intro above asks for it

   Amazon reference

   B0G1RSMHRV (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   0191073127913

   • Four elements in three groups, multi-coated against water, scratches and fingerprints
   • A magnetic mount, so nothing is threaded onto a gimbal-mounted lens
   • No optical magnification figure anywhere on the page

   Best for: An Osmo Pocket 3 or 4 used for interviews and distant subjects, where a longer view is wanted without cropping into the sensor.

   ≈ $86 / £53 / 56 €

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2. 

   VILTROX 2× for Canon EF, exposure factor about 4

   A 2× converter for Canon EF that publishes both things this shelf asks for and rarely gets: the light it costs — two stops — and the five lenses it fits.

   Magnification

   2×, in the first bullet, doubling the focal length of Canon EF lenses. A 100-400 mm becomes a 200-800 mm, which is the reason anybody buys one

   Lenses named as compatible

   PUBLISHED, and published as a limit: the second bullet says it is compatible ONLY with L-series fixed focal lengths of 135 mm and above, plus the EF 70-200 mm f/2.8L, the f/2.8L IS, the f/4L and the EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L. The intro above explains why the list is the gate rather than the mount: a converter protrudes, and fitting one to an unlisted lens can mean contact with the rear element

   Light loss in stops

   PUBLISHED — an exposure factor of about 4, which the first bullet itself translates as the equivalent of 2 apertures. It is the only page on this shelf to state the cost, and it matches the arithmetic the intro above gives for every 2×: an f/2.8 lens behind it works at f/5.6, an f/4 at f/8

   Autofocus limits stated

   Autofocus is claimed — the third bullet says the lens autofocus function is supported, with improved performance, fast focusing and reliable subject tracking — and NO minimum aperture is stated. The buying advice on this shelf asks for exactly that figure, because an f/4 lens becomes f/8 here and some bodies stop focusing there

   Added length

   Not published. Seven elements in four groups is the optical construction, given twice; how much further forward the lens sits is not

   Sealing

   Not claimed. The 323 € OM SYSTEM, the 349 € Sigma and the 479 € Canon on this shelf all claim dust and splash protection; this one claims coatings against ghosting and flare instead

   Published weight

   Not published, as on all six converters here

   Amazon reference

   B08GC59HV2 (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   0086291917067

   • Two stops of light loss published, and translated into apertures on the page itself
   • Five lenses named, with the word "only" in front of the list
   • No minimum aperture for autofocus, on a converter that turns f/4 into f/8

   Best for: One of the five Canon EF telephotos named on the page, when 400 mm has to become 800 and two stops can be spared.

   ≈ $115 / £133 / 169 €

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3. 

   Fujifilm 1.4×, to 50 mm equivalent, for four X100 bodies

   Two hundred and thirty-nine euros for a 1.4× converter that takes the X100 series to a 50 mm equivalent — five short bullets, four named cameras, and no element count.

   Magnification

   1.4×, in the first bullet, given as extending the focal length to 50 mm in full-frame equivalent. The arithmetic is visible: 1.4 times a 35 mm equivalent is 49, and the page rounds it to 50 — which also tells the reader what lens is underneath

   Lenses named as compatible

   FOUR CAMERAS, not lenses: the X100, X100S, X100T and X100F, in the second bullet. It is the only page on this shelf whose compatibility list is made of bodies, and that makes it the easiest to check and the narrowest to satisfy

   Light loss in stops

   NOT PUBLISHED. The intro above gives one stop as the price of a 1.4× sitting between a lens and a body; this converter is sold for four cameras whose lens does not come off, and the page states no figure at all. Nothing here confirms or denies a loss

   Autofocus limits stated

   None. No aperture, no focus claim, no caveat — in five bullets, two of which are "silver" and a contents list

   Added length

   Not published

   Sealing

   Not claimed. The 323 € OM SYSTEM, the 349 € Sigma and the 479 € Canon here all claim dust and splash protection

   Published weight

   Not published, as on all six converters here

   Amazon reference

   B01MUCB83B (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4547410339079

   • Four compatible cameras named outright, in a market where lists are usually absent
   • The result is published as a focal length — 50 mm equivalent — not only as a factor
   • Five bullets, of which one is the word "silver" and one a two-line contents list

   Best for: An X100, X100S, X100T or X100F used for portraits, where 35 mm is too wide and a second camera is not the answer.

   ≈ $239 / £211 / 239 €

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4. 

   OM SYSTEM 1.4×, 15 mm of housing height

   Fifteen millimetres thick, sealed on a metal bayonet, 1.4× for M.Zuiko PRO telephotos — the only converter on this shelf that publishes how much it adds.

   Magnification

   1.4×, in the first bullet, named for sport, nature and wildlife photography. The intro above gives the cost of a 1.4× as one stop; the page does not repeat it

   Lenses named as compatible

   In the TITLE only — the M.Zuiko ED 40-150 mm and 300 mm PRO — and in none of the five bullets, which say merely "your compatible lenses". The intro above explains why the list matters more than the mount: a converter protrudes, and an unlisted lens can meet it with its rear element

   Light loss in stops

   Not published. Only the 169 € Viltrox on this shelf states the figure, and it states two stops for a 2×. A 1.4× costs one, by the arithmetic in the intro above, and this page leaves the reader to apply it

   Autofocus limits stated

   No limit, and a claim: the fifth bullet promises fast autofocus and stable handheld telephoto shots, with clear images at longer shutter speeds without a tripod. The buying advice on this shelf asks for the minimum aperture the body’s autofocus is specified to, and no page here supplies it

   Added length

   PUBLISHED: 15 mm of housing height, in the third bullet, described as particularly slim and said to fit in any camera bag. It is the only dimension published anywhere on this shelf, and it is the figure that decides whether the converter lives in the bag or gets left at home

   Sealing

   Dust- and splash-protected with a high-grade METAL BAYONET, in the second bullet, named for use in any weather and for travel in the open. The intro above asks whether sealing carries across the joint, and a sealed converter between a sealed lens and a sealed body is what keeps the chain intact

   Published weight

   Not published, as on all six converters here — on the one page that publishes a thickness

   Amazon reference

   B0FS25M28G (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4545350054458

   • Fifteen millimetres of housing height, the only dimension published on this shelf
   • Dust and splash protection on a metal bayonet, so the sealed chain is not broken
   • The compatible lenses appear in the title and in none of the bullets

   Best for: An M.Zuiko PRO telephoto used outdoors in bad weather, where 15 mm in the bag and a sealed joint both matter.

   ≈ $222 / £228 / 278 €

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5. 

   Sigma 2×, SLD glass, sealed — no lens list

   Three hundred and forty-nine euros for a sealed 2× converter with Special Low Dispersion glass — and five bullets that name no lens, no stop and no gram.

   Magnification

   2.0×, in the second bullet. A 300 mm becomes a 600 mm, and the maximum aperture moves two stops with it

   Lenses named as compatible

   NONE — and on a 2× converter that is the gap that matters most. The title gives the Canon EF mount and the five bullets give nothing: no list, no range, not even a phrase like "L-series above 135 mm". The intro above is explicit that makers publish a list rather than a mount specification because a converter protrudes, and that fitting one to an unlisted lens can mean contact with the rear element. The 169 € Viltrox on this shelf names five lenses and puts "only" in front of them

   Light loss in stops

   Not published. Two stops, by the arithmetic the intro above gives for every 2×: an f/2.8 lens works at f/5.6, an f/4 at f/8. The page does not mention it, and at 349 € that is a considerable omission

   Autofocus limits stated

   Autofocus is not mentioned at all, in any bullet — neither claimed nor qualified. On a 2× that turns f/4 into f/8 this is the specification a buyer most needs, and the page is silent

   Added length

   Not published. The fifth bullet says compact and light and gives no millimetres, where the 323 € OM SYSTEM publishes 15 mm

   Sealing

   Dust- and splash-protected, in the fourth bullet. One of three converters on this shelf to claim it

   Published weight

   Not published — on a bullet that calls it light. As on all six converters here

   Amazon reference

   B00NIHBM9U (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   0085126870546

   • Special Low Dispersion elements, named as a material rather than as a coating
   • Dust and splash protection, at the price level where this shelf starts claiming it
   • Not one compatible lens named, in five bullets, on a converter that protrudes

   Best for: A buyer who has already confirmed elsewhere that their lens accepts this converter, and who wants Special Low Dispersion glass in the joint.

   ≈ $369 / £330 / 349 €

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6. 

   Canon 1.4× for RF, three-layer combination lens

   Four hundred and seventy-nine euros for a 1.4× extender sealed against dust, splashes and heat, with a three-layer combination lens — and six bullets that name no lens.

   Magnification

   1.4×, in the first bullet, named for press, nature and sports photographers. One stop, by the arithmetic in the intro above — which this page does not state

   Lenses named as compatible

   NONE. Six bullets, and the compatibility statement is that the lens design is optimised for the RF mount. The intro above insists that a converter is sold with an explicit list precisely because it protrudes, and the 169 € Viltrox on this shelf names five lenses with the word "only". At 479 €, this is the most expensive silence on the shelf

   Light loss in stops

   Not published. One stop for a 1.4×: an f/2.8 lens works at f/4, an f/4 at f/5.6. The page never mentions it

   Autofocus limits stated

   Not stated, and autofocus is not mentioned in any of the six bullets — on a device sold to press and sports photographers, for whom focus is the whole purchase

   Added length

   Not published, where the 323 € OM SYSTEM publishes 15 mm

   Sealing

   The fullest claim on this shelf: dust and splash protection AND a heat-repellent coating, in the third bullet, described as ready for extreme situations. Heat resistance appears on no other page here, and it belongs to a converter that will sit on a white telephoto in the sun

   Published weight

   Not published, as on all six converters here

   Amazon reference

   B08CNFXJR9 (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4549292168044

   • Dust and splash protection plus a heat-repellent coating, the only heat claim on this shelf
   • A three-layer combination lens and high-refractive low-dispersion glass, both named
   • Not one compatible RF lens named, in six bullets, at 479 €

   Best for: An RF telephoto already confirmed to accept it, used in heat and weather where the sealing and the coating earn their price.

   ≈ $553 / £519 / 479 €

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