14 TC II or III for 500 PF?

I just received my 500 PF and picked up a really good deal on a barely used D500 to try out Nikon specifically as a dedicated combo for BIF, possibly moving up to a D850 in the future if I like the system. I own a fair amount of Canon equipment including a 1DxII, 5DIV, 5DsR, 400 DO IS II, 1.4xIII 2xIII and various other lenses mainly for landscape, dance, events, etc so at this point I am just testing the waters with Nikon to improve my falcon photography.

I will mainly be using the 500 PF for peregrine falcons in flight so using it bare to maximize speed and accuracy most of the time. However, there will be times when I expect to need to extend my reach with slower distant subjects including perched birds, mammals, slower BIF etc. I don't expect any TC combo to maintain adequate speed for an erratic bird moving in excess of 200 mph.

So, I am curious if anybody has used the 500 PF with both the 14 TC II and III and noticed a justifiable improvement on the III. Or can I accomplish my task with the II version? I've seen mixed reviews on line and its depended on the lenses in question. Since the 500 PF is so new, I'm not finding any information on the combination.

Thank you!

I have the 500 PF also, I shoot with the D500 and D850. I have both the 1.4 and 2x III. I never use the 2x and the 1.4 only on a tripod with great light. Thats just me. The bare lens is awesome.

The 500PF doesn't do well with any TC for flight shots unless you use it with the D5. for peregrine falcons you have to use the lens bare if you want to get action shots.

see my review here

http://arihazeghiphotography.com/blog/nikkor-af-s-500mm-f-5-6-pf-vr-review/

Thanks Arash for the reply and excellent review. Your review was actually one of the reasons I first discovered the 500 pf and ended up testing and later ordering it. As I mentioned in my original post, I don't expect to use any TC with the lens when photographing falcons in flight. I am only contemplating adding the TC for the occasional reach needed for distant perched birds, mammals, or slower BIF, such as a soaring hawk, condors, etc. Since I won't be chasing anything really fast with a TC connected and not expecting stellar results from either a II or III version of the TC in combination, I'm wondering if I can save some money by picking up a used II. I've read reviews that the II is very sharp, so expecting that the main difference between the II and III will be how well the lens is driven with the camera and lens combo. If I'm not expecting great results at f8 even with the III, then should I bother with the extra expense?

hi James, I would get the new one. it's a fraction of the cost of the 500 PF