Tele and Macro adapters question

[Swimmer]

Just got the Canon 30D and Tamron lense today and am psyched to start shooting. Hope I don't sound too stupido, but as a newby to this DSLR stuff, could somebody explain what the representations in the lense title signify: "TAMRON SP AF (auto focus) ASPHERICAL (type of glass) XR Di LD (IF)28-75mm (I know that one) 1:2.8 MACRO phi67". Phew.

Also, if I want to get more macro, can anyone suggest an "converter" that would increase this lenses macro ability.

Same question for a teleconverter. Just get a 1.4x from Tamron?

[Steve Foss]

Swimmer, I don't know what the phi67 stuff means, but the 1:2.8 macro indicates you have a lens with close-focus capability, though not the 1:1 macro ratio so prized among macro specialists.

There are two ways to boost your lens's capabilities. One, as you mentioned is with a teleconverter. The 1.4 TC shouldn't degrade image quality too much, while the 2.0 TC almost always do to a noticeable extent. You'll also lose one stop using the 1.4 TC, and that can be an issue when you're trying to isolate a subject from its close background with the widest aperature you can get.

Another option, one that involves no added glass at all, is to buy a set of extension tubes. Kenko makes the most affordable good quality ones. They come in three lengths, and you can use only one or two or all in tandem. They simply twist onto the camera like a lens or TC and then you put the lens on the tubes. This pushes the lens out farther from the sensor, thus giving it more apparent magnification. I think the Kenko set is around $150, which is far less than Canon's 1.4 TC. Also, not all consumer grade non-Canon lenses will mount on Canon TCs, and Tamron's TCs are not as sharp as Canon's. Any lens that uses a Canon mount should mount on the extension tubes.

Aside from price, nicest thing about those tubes is they don't degrade the image by introducing another layer of glass. That's especially important because, while your Tamron is a good lens, it's not top sharp glass.

[Swimmer]

Thanks Steve. The tubes seem like they would be worth a try. By the way the "phi" in "phi67" was depicted as the Greek symbol.