Teleconverter recommendations?

[Puplet]

Finally got a chance for a bit of non-Ricoh GX100, non-AF photography today while I was in the garden watching some birds build a nest in the roof. Shot with my Yashma 300mm f2.8 and a cheap Nikon-mount Vivitar 2x Matchmate teleconverter. The lens is sharp enough for me, but the teleconverter is not great: anyone recommend a good one?

[LucisPictor]

I have never used a good manual TC.
A friend of mine has got a Nikkor-AF teleconverter and this is a really nice one.

[Screamin Scott]

The best teleconverters are ones that are specifically made to be used with certain lenses....The Vivitar 2x Match mates (there are more than one) were meant to be used in conjuction with certain Vivitar zooms. It usually says on the Match mate which one it is designed for (I have one to be used with a Vivitar 70-150mm lens). That said, doesn't mean they can't be used with any other lens, just that the results will be more hit or miss....I don't care much for 2x converters though...The 1.4x/1.5x give better results with more lenses...

[Attila]

MF lenses price are low, take a double focal lenght lens instead of waste time with TC.

[Himself]

Try a Mutar.

[Screamin Scott]

[Farside]

Opinions are divided on TCs, but I often carry one as it's a fraction of the weight of a 400mm lens. For M42 I'd recommend getting a Tamron TC, for Tamron lenses get the Tamron SP TC, and for all others get the camera maker's own if available. Many, if not most, of the cheaply available third party ones aren't really very good, although from personal experience the Komura Telemore 95 is an exception.

Thing to bear in mind with TCs is that while you might not get the sharpest shot, it's better than getting no shot at all.

[Puplet]

I have changed my mind about my cheap Vivitar 2x teleconverter. Yes, it is still a bit soft, but I am using it on a 300mm, on an Olympus camera with a 2x crop factor. So it's giving me 1200mm! I think the shutter speed on my earlier attempts was too slow. Here's a faster shutter picture - the depth-of-field is very difficult to work with!

[Laurence]

Puplet, that is a sweeeeet image from your pumped up lens! I see what you mean about depth of field! However, the focal point is very sharp, considering the factoring in of the teleconverter.

I have the Telemore95 Komura, and it is adequate enough for the 35mm lenses. I also have the Zeiss Rollei 2X converter that I'm using a LOT with the Planar 80, and it is simply gorgeous. However, it is made explicitly for the Planar 80, and can be used on other Rollei lenses as well.

I would think that if you can continue to be careful like you obviously were in the last image of the birds nesting, you'll have a lot of gratification.

By the way, how about that JUMPING BIRD in the first image!

[Puplet]

Thanks for all your advice everybody! I shall look out for a Telemore95. Is there a difference in quality between the Telemore95 KMC and the Telemore 95 II 7KMC? I am assuming the second one has 7 elements instead of...3?

Meanwhile, maybe sharpness isn't always everything. This picture was a very soft and a bit blurred but, like all soft and blurred pictures, it has converted into black and white very nicely



The Yashma 300mm f2.8 itself is very sharp. It is very big and heavy though! I originally bought to have a play, and maybe sell it again and make some money for more lenses ... but I think I have to keep it now ...

[themoleman342]

B&W picture is wonderful! Comp is excellent, certainly has a characteristic appeal

~Marc

[Attila]

[Puplet]

Very true, Atilla. Still, the combination makes very small things very far away a lot bigger

[Puplet]

Ok, I picked up another teleconverter this today (shopping during lunch). It's a Kiron MC7 which I'm assuming is similar to the Telemore 95 II that people have been recommending. It's very good, anyway, and I've just paired it with a Nikkor 105mm f2.5 in the garden, just to test:


http://tinyurl.com/6rqvvb


http://tinyurl.com/5l2phu

Still soft if you look closely, but sharper than my three element Vivitar. The trouble is, though, that I can only use the first two or three stops of my aperture ring, then the converter blocks it. Am I using it wrong, or do I need to take the aperture coupling lever out?

[ChrisLilley]

I have been wondering about a teleconverter too, primarily to use with my Telear 200mm. Grizzly33 sells a MC K-2N Converter 2x (Nikon, Kiev 19) for 30 quid/ 59 USD.

Although, it turns out he only posted my lens four days after I sent a follow up mail asking where it had got to, so I am not sure about that seller...

[Farside]

[Helios]

I use a Foca (Kenko ?) HR-7 macro tc , . Mounted with a Pentax-A 1,4/50 , it can focuses from 1:1 ratio to infinity . Good combination , but my smc-takumar 4/100 macro is more sharper.
I never found a better tc . However , the same model in Minolta mount , coupled with the md rokkor 1,4/50 give poor results.


SMC-A 1,4/50 + Hr7 : ferrania 200 asa film , scanned by polaroid.

[poilu]

wow superb quality scan for 200asa helios

[Orio]

WOW!!!

[ChrisLilley]

Gosh, sometimes film can be as good as digital! (ducks)

Seriously though, nice image. Very clear metallic sheens and wing veining.

[Helios]

I got several years ago a lot of about twenty Ferrania films for nothing (10 euros ) which was surprisingly more than good , with no grain, saturated colors . Cewe-color did the lab job. Yet , the smc takumar-a contributed largely to the result ...
I got this kind of results with fuji superia 100 and Konica 100 too.
However , the ferrania film didn't accept any underexposure !
Body was my preferred : Pentax MX ...