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Category: Traditional Film Photography

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Teleconverter combined with zoom lenses


How would the Vivitar 2X macro focusing teleconverter work in a Pentax superprogram with either a Tamron 24-135 SP or Pentax 35-80 zoom lenses?


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September 24, 2007

 

W.
 
On the upside:
you will double the zoom range.

On the downside:
you will also get increased risk of flare, glare, and chromatic abberation (purple fringeing), 2 stops of light drop-off, more to schlepp around, and of course the price.

So, in short: a teleconverter increases your versatility at the cost of image quality.

Good luck!


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October 02, 2007

 

Christopher A. Walrath
  I did some extensive self testing with my Minolta XG-M, a prime 50mm rokkor lens, a 70-210 Quantaray zoom and a Vivitar 2x with both. The teleconverter, as W. S. states dropped off 2 stops, in some instances THREE stops of light. I could meter a scene with my 70-210 set to 100mm at say EV14. I then used the 50 and the teleconverter to equal 100mm and the on camera meter then read the scene between EV11 and EV12. My suggestion, 2 covering zooms like 28-80 and 75-300. Or for prime (purests) lens users, a 28, a 50, a 150 and a 300. Steer clear of the teleconverters.


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October 23, 2007

 
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