 |
GADGET BAG |
 |
Teleconverters
Here’s a selection of the many teleconverters on the market today that will give you an idea of what’s available.
Some manufacturers, such as Nikon, offer both manual-focus and autofocus teleconverters. The Nikon TC-14E II
is the autofocus version of the TC-14B, both of which work with a wide variety of telephoto and fast telephoto zoom lenses. The TC-14E II, however, maintains autofocus, even with lenses
incorporating Silent Wave Motors and metering functions with Nikon autofocus film and digital SLRs. The five-element teleconverter includes Nikon Integrated Coating to maintain good contrast and color accuracy. Estimated Street Price: $399.
Tips For Using A Teleconverter
1. Check compatibility with lenses before using.
2. Maintain a relatively fast shutter speed, especially when shooting action and wildlife.
3. Increase the camera ISO or use faster film when shooting under low-light conditions.
4. Take advantage of the lens’ close-focusing ability for framing small subjects.
5. Shoot with a tripod to eliminate camera shake. |
The Canon Extender EF 2x II doubles the focal length of compatible Canon EF-series lenses, including those lenses with built-in AF motors, with a loss of two stops. The seven-element converter includes anti-reflective coatings and a water-resistant design. In addition to maintaining AF functions, the extender is compatible with the Image Stabilizer feature provided with some lenses. Estimated Street Price: $285.
The Konica Minolta 1.4x Teleconverter APO (D) is apochromatic, which results in improved color accuracy, especially toward the edges of the frame. This teleconverter, along with its 2x sibling, supports Supersonic Wave lenses, which provide smooth and quiet autofocus. Estimated Street Price: $289.
The Olympus EC-14 1.4x teleconverter is designed for the E series of digital SLRs, such as the E-1 and EVOLT E-500. The converter works with super-telephoto lenses and several fast zooms. Estimated Street Price: $439.
The Kenko Pro 300 AF 3X teleconverter offers an exceptional 3x magnification. Though its use results in a three-stop light loss, the in-creased magnification may be ideal for photographers who desire an extra-long focal length with little additional size, at an affordable cost. This accessory is designed with multicoated optics, and its Gate Array Integrated Circuitry, which maintains communication between the lens and camera, allows the converter to be used with cameras from various manufacturers. Estimated Street Price: $210.
The Tamron SP AF 1.4x teleconverter is made of four elements whose surfaces include multilayer coatings for quality contrast and color. It’s only 0.7 inches in length and supports the auto-focus function of cameras from Nikon and Canon. Estimated Street Price: $189.
The latest teleconverters from Sigma feature new coatings that reduce ghosting and flaring. The optics of the Sigma EX APO 1.4x reduce chromatic aberrations, which can be a problem with digital SLRs. The coatings also ensure a consistent color balance when the teleconverter is used with zoom lenses. Estimated Street Price: $169.
Available in a variety of camera mounts, the Phoenix AF C/D 7 2X Converter doubles the focal length of numerous compatible lenses. It maintains autofocus function with lenses of a maximum aperture of ƒ/4 or faster. With slower lenses, however, you may still be able to use the AF confirmation light in the viewfinder when manually focusing. Estimated Street Price: $149.
Digital Magnification
Photographers using digital SLRs are quite familiar with the magnification of a lens’ focal length. With magnification factors commonly ranging between 1.3x and 1.6x, today’s digital SLRs are already increasing the effective focal length of lenses that were originally designed for 35mm cameras. This has been beneficial to sports and nature photographers, who commonly use telephoto lenses. A photographer who, for years, has been using a 300mm lens suddenly enjoys the equivalent of a 450mm lens with a digital SLR with a 1.5x magnification factor.
Teleconverters, when combined with a digital SLR, can extend the focal length of the lenses even further, allowing that same 300mm lens to perform as a 630mm lens using a 1.4x teleconverter, or a 900mm lens using a 2x teleconverter.
Because there’s no light loss as a result of the digital SLR’s lens magnification factor, the only loss of light will come from the use of the teleconverter. So a photographer shooting with a digital SLR with a magnification factor of 1.5x using a 300mm ƒ/4 with a 1.4x teleconverter is shooting with the equivalent of a 630mm ƒ/5.6 lens. Considering that a 600mm ƒ/4 lens can cost a minimum of $4,000, the use of a teleconverter becomes both cost-effective and practical.
|
PAST GADGETS
|
|
|
Gadget Bag: The Long View
May 2007
Compact super-zoom cameras offer tremendous telephotos in portable packages
By William Sawalich
|
|
Gadget Bag: Multimedia Storage Viewers
April 2007
Back up and review your images in the field with handheld media devices
By Jon Sienkiewicz
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gadget Bag: Have A Ballhead!
August 2006
Prized for solid construction and ease of use, ballheads are the choice of professional landscape photographers the world over
By Ted Alan Stedman |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gadget Bag: Sharpness Is Easy
May 2006
Tripods are indispensable, and new, exotic materials and construction make them better, lighter and stronger than ever
By Jon Sienkiewicz
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gadget Bag: Power Hungry
July 2005
Today's batteries help satisfy our insatiable electronic gear
By Ibarionex R. Perello
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
