Nature and wildlife photographers often confront situations in which their longest lens simply isn’t powerful enough to get up close and personal on distant subjects. Super telephotos can be prohibitively expensive but there’s a reasonably affordable way to boost magnification without breaking the bank, and that’s taking advantage of a high-quality teleconverter—otherwise known as a “lens extender.”

Today’s tutorial from the Charles N Photography YouTube channel examines the advantages and disadvantages of using this accessory in the context of bird photography, but his tips are equally valuable for capturing tighter shots of other wildlife subjects, sporting events, and even landscape scenes that include a key element that’s far off in the distance.

The most popular lens extenders are those with a magnification of 1.4x or 2x, and while they can be very helpful tools, their versatility also comes with tradeoffs that are important to understand. Charles describes today’s 14-minute explainer like this: “We’ll cover how teleconverters affect image quality, aperture settings, autofocus performance, and more.”

Charles explains why “90% of the time” there’s a 1.4x teleconverter mounted between his long lens and mirrorless camera. Compatibility and optical quality are essential variables to consider, as are shooting techniques, exposure concerns, and the necessity of a sturdy tripod.

In simple terms, it works like this: “When I zoom out to 500mm, my 1.4x teleconverter provides a magnification equivalent to 700mm.” He adds that this additional reach typically makes cropping unnecessary when processing his work. And unlike with cropping that eliminates pixels, he’s able to take advantage of the full resolution of his camera.

One downside is this: Without the teleconverter Charles could maximize shutter speed by shooting wide open at f/5.6. With the teleconverter, however, he loses just over one stop of light—meaning he now has to compromise by shooting at f/8.

Charles discusses several other ramifications of relying upon teleconverters anda few tricks for minimizing the tradeoffs. He also provides sample images so that you’ll have a good idea of what to expect. Be sure to visit his instructional YouTube channel where there are many helpful lessons on all styles of outdoor photography.

Precise focus is especially critical when shooting at high magnification, so don’t miss the earlier tutorial we featured that reveals four situations that challenge the autofocus performance of even the best cameras—with straightforward solutions for sharp results.

Every new photographer is forced to confront a bewildering array of unfamiliar terminology from camera settings, features like exposure control, and physical buttons, to odd-sounding technical methods and post-processing nomenclature. So pull up a chair and let’s get you up to speed.

This tutorial from instructor Ed Verosky is designed to quickly expand your photographic vocabulary. He’s a professional portrait photographer who promises that “this is all good stuff that every shooter should know”—regardless of the type of images they shoot most. So if you think the acronym “HHS” refers to History of Science Society, this seven-minute video will set you straight.

Ed begins with the most common terms for controlling exposure; namely ISO, aperture, and shutter speed that are essential to understand for achieving photos with balanced tones. Put simply, ISO describes your camera’s sensitivity to light, and you’ll learn the nuances of raising or lowering this essential setting depending on your subject, prevailing conditions, and the specific effect you want to achieve.

Aperture refers to the opening of a lens that determines how much light hits the camera’s sensor. It’s measured in f/stops, with a lower f-number translating to a “wider” aperture. The setting you choose also enables you to “control depth of field”—another critical aspect of impactful images.

Shutter speed rounds out the components of the Exposure Triangle and simply describes the length of time the sensor is exposed to light while capturing a shot. This attribute is measured in seconds, or fractions of a second, and it’s a good indicator of whether your handheld photos will be sharp, or if a sturdy tripod is necessary to prevent camera shake.

Ed moves on to terminology that’s equally important but slightly more obscure. Once you understand all the nomenclature you’ll be well-equipped to tackle the creative aspects of photography with confidence.

And don’t miss the earlier primer we featured with another successful pro who explains four outdoor photography situations that will confuse even the best cameras and cause them to miss focus—with a simple solution for each.

I love extension tubes. Not just because they give you an alternative to a macro lens, but because they provide alternative perspectives and focal lengths for macro photography. What could be more fun than trying to get macro shots with a very wide lens or a random nifty fifty? In this article, I’ll be reviewing the autofocus-capable Vello Extension Tube set for Nikon Z system, also available for Sony E, Canon RF, Fuji X, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon F, and Canon EF.