teleconverter

[T.S128]

do any of you use these? Are they a good investment? thanks for your input

[Steve Foss]

Tim, the best quality TCs can be excellent investments if used wisely. They don't do well with inexpensive zoom lenses because they can degrade image quality too much. Also, autofocus capability often is lost in those situations unless you're using a top of the line camera body, so you're left with manual focusing.

Used with fixed focal length lenses of good quality, a 1.4 TC generally works very well, with a 2 power TC showing a bit more noticeable image degradation.

The statements I've just made are very general. If you'd like more specific advice, tell us which lenses/camera you'd be using the TC with?

[MN Shutterbug]

I had one and sold it. With my camera and lens combo, I needed to focus manually. I'm too slow at manaul focusing. However, a couple of the pictures I did take with it, (a 1.4 Kenko TC), turned out very well.

[Dbl]

I use a 1.4 TC regularly on a 300/2.8 and a Mark IIN and occasionally on a 70-200/2.8 with very good results. Steve pretty much hit on the head for performance on cheaper glass. As he said it would help to know the camera and lens you will be using.

I've used some inexpensive Tamron extenders on high quality primes in my film days with good results but that was all manual focus so things are a bit different today. I used that very same Tamron on modern autofocus lenses with OK results at best.

Kenko Pro's and Nikon or Canon extenders are very good quality, you just need faster glass and good light to use them.

[T.S128]

thanks guys. i'm not so much as in the market to get one. someone just mentioned them to me and just wanted to learn a little bit more. by the looks of it a don't have good enough glass anyway. just the kit lenses that came with my rebel xt. one being the 75-300mm. It wouldn't be worth investing in a cheap TC to reach out a little farther? I'm not looking for professional quality photos, but don't want junk either haha. thanks again

[Steve Foss]

Tim, it really boils down to what you want for image quality. You'll definitely be able to reach out there farther with a TC, though you'd have to manual focus that combo.

As for image quality, it's a matter of satisfying you, not anyone else. I don't know if any camera store in Duluth stocks Canon gear, but if one does (or next time you're down in the Cities), I'd take the kit into the store and strap on the 1.4 take a few shots and see how the image quality suits you. If it's OK for you, then you're good to go.

[finnbay]

Camera One at the top of the hill, just past McDonald's, has Canon gear.

[Steve Foss]

Cool deal, Ken! I wasn't sure if they were still in business. They no longer were in the store where I shopped several years ago. Good to hear they've moved, not gone out of business!

[JohnK]

It wouldn't be worth investing in a cheap TC to reach out a little farther? I'm not looking for professional quality photos, but don't want junk either haha. thanks again

With the lenses you have now I think you'd just be wasting your money. Teleconverters work very well with pro glass, but poor to abysmal with less expensive lenses. In the tests I've done with the Nikon 70-300VR (a very good, but not pro lens) I get essentially the same results with a 1.4x TC as I do upresing the image 140% in any image editor.

[T.S128]

this is maybe a dumb question but, was is upresing? how is it done?

[JohnK]

I wouldn't call it a dumb question Tim. It's just resizing the image. On many image editors you'll have a 'resize' menu option under the 'Image' menu, usually it's used to decrease the size for the web, etc, but you can use it to increase the size of the image as well.

It's not exactly the same as zooming in the view, in the programs I've used actually resizing the image above 100% works better than zooming in the view beyond 100% (if that makes sense).

There are also programs like Genuine Fractals that are dedicated to increasing the size of the image, usually they're used when you need to make a really large print.

[Griggs]

My advise would be to worry more about how to get closer to your subjects. Even with a 1.4x teleconverter you'll still want more reach. Even when you get 500mm, you want more reach. The real trick is to figure out how to get close enough to your subjects with what you have.