Telephoto Lens 2x

BobBCN

BobBCN

Messages
3,518
Name
Bob
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi all,

I have my new Canon 1100D which I got as a kit with an 18-55mm, and a 75-300mm - More than enough for a beginner methinks.

However, I have just seen on a well-known internet auction site a
'2x telephoto lens' which sells at 11 quid (in fact the postage is almost the same price from UK to Spain anyway).

Two questions:

1. I'm assuming that it would 'convert' my 18-55 into a '36-110'? Or is that just a daft assumption based on my total ignorance?

2. Is it worth it? At first I thought it couldn't be that good as the price is so low, but then again the ad announces that more than 800 have been bought?
I thought about ordering one anyway, just to see what it's like, but then maybe a few pieces of advice on here wouldn't come amiss.

Thanks

Bob
 
BobBCN said:
Hi all,

I have my new Canon 1100D which I got as a kit with an 18-55mm, and a 75-300mm - More than enough for a beginner methinks.

However, I have just seen on a well-known internet auction site a
'2x telephoto lens' which sells at 11 quid (in fact the postage is almost the same price from UK to Spain anyway).

Two questions:

1. I'm assuming that it would 'convert' my 18-55 into a '36-110'? Or is that just a daft assumption based on my total ignorance?

2. Is it worth it? At first I thought it couldn't be that good as the price is so low, but then again the ad announces that more than 800 have been bought?
I thought about ordering one anyway, just to see what it's like, but then maybe a few pieces of advice on here wouldn't come amiss.

Thanks

Bob
Click to expand...

No. Well actually, the price tells you how good it is!
If you want to mess about with different lenses then fine, but don't take it too seriously and don't expect much from not much, then you wont be disappointed. Tried one on (a friends) and it was garbage.
 
Last edited:
BobBCN said:
Two questions:

1. I'm assuming that it would 'convert' my 18-55 into a '36-110'? Or is that just a daft assumption based on my total ignorance?

2. Is it worth it? At first I thought it couldn't be that good as the price is so low, but then again the ad announces that more than 800 have been bought?
I thought about ordering one anyway, just to see what it's like, but then maybe a few pieces of advice on here wouldn't come amiss.

Thanks

Bob
Click to expand...

Sorry to be the barer of bad tidings, but don't waste your money. It won't work with either of your lenses. The Teleconverters are really designed for specific lenses primarily the primes (fixed focal length, eg 300mm) and these cheap knock off's ain't worth %$%. If this one did work, I don't think it will, it will be manual focus only.

Canon have 2 TCs a 1.4x and 2x and are designed to work well with canon's prime lenses like the 300mm f2.8

The 1.4x TC would make the 300mm f2.8 a 420mm f4 and the 2x TC would make it a 600mm f5.6 because depending on which TC you get you lose 1 or 2 f-stops of light and a serious amount of autofocus speed. As you also have a 1100D, this will only autofocus up to f5.6 with a lens and TC combined.

example canon's 300mm f4 with a 2x TC would become a 600mm f8 manual focus lens on your camera.

A Canon TC would set you back between £200 - 400 depending on which MK you bought. Even offerings from Tenko and Sigma are over £200, so £11 you can guess what your getting. :thumbsdown:
 
pete.rush said:
Sorry to be the barer of bad tidings, but don't waste your money. It won't work with either of your lenses. The Teleconverters are really designed for specific lenses primarily the primes (fixed focal length, eg 300mm) and these cheap knock off's ain't worth %$%. If this one did work, I don't think it will, it will be manual focus only.

Canon have 2 TCs a 1.4x and 2x and are designed to work well with canon's prime lenses like the 300mm f2.8

The 1.4x TC would make the 300mm f2.8 a 420mm f4 and the 2x TC would make it a 600mm f5.6 because depending on which TC you get you lose 1 or 2 f-stops of light and a serious amount of autofocus speed. As you also have a 1100D, this will only autofocus up to f5.6 with a lens and TC combined.

example canon's 300mm f4 with a 2x TC would become a 600mm f8 manual focus lens on your camera.

A Canon TC would set you back between £200 - 400 depending on which MK you bought. Even offerings from Tenko and Sigma are over £200, so £11 you can guess what your getting. :thumbsdown:
Click to expand...

You are right in what you say, but these are the ones that screw into the front of the lens, into the filter thread! They look like a bit like a lens hood with a lens in them.
 
BobBCN said:
Right! Then, that's settled! I won't bother, but I will start saving!

Thanks for the replies.
Click to expand...

What are you saving for? A teleconvertor? It wont fit your 18-55mm as it is an EF-S lens, it will fit on your 75-300mm, but as you will loose stops, two I think, it won't do you much good.
Better to put the money towards a good L lens, THEN you can save up for a TC!
Sorry to dent your enthusiasm, but hopefully it will save you from expensive mistakes. :thumbs:
 
wontolla said:
You are right in what you say, but these are the ones that screw into the front of the lens, into the filter thread! They look like a bit like a lens hood with a lens in them.
Click to expand...

Ah so 2x Filter type, agree definitely avoid. The filter type accessories might work as a cheap option for macro photography, extension tubes would be better, but these 2x Filter type optics for increasing the focal length of your lens are rubbish.

BobBCN what do you actually want? A longer lens? There several longer zooms like the sigma 50-500mm OS especially for wildlife is around £1100 or canon 100-400mm, cheaper alternative is the sigma 120-400mm or more expensive option, the sigma 120-300mm + TCs twice the price and then the canon primes. 400mm f5.6 a great bird lens, 300mm f4 another great lens and works well with the 1.4x TC then you go to the mega $$$$ 300mm, 400mm 500mm etc lenses
 
What am I saving for? Oooph, that's a tough 'un......
But as I have 18-55 and 75-300 I suppose there are only two ways to go!

On my shopping list there's a 10-20mm for a start, and I suppose something longer than the 300mm - a fixed 400mm perhaps.

For me that's a lot of dough, so I really do need to start saving up.
 
I had a 2x Telephoto and a 0.45x Wide Angle lens that screwed onto the front of my 18-55 IS and the 75-300 MkIII that I got with my 550D. The 2x wasn't too bad on the 18-55 IS but on the 75-300 is was a total fog out. It looked like you were shooting in a pea souper, so definitely no for that. The 0.45x worked OK with the 18-55 and really was poor again on the 75-300. Needless to say I soon decided to sell off the 75-300 and 2 screw on adapters.
I've recently bought a Kenko Pro 300 DGX 1.4x Teleconverter, which works really well on most of my lenses. The only lens it wont work is my Sigma 150-500 OS which is f6.3 at the long end already so goes to an f9 with the converter and so loses AF. It retains AF with my 100-400 L however, even though it registers as f8 but works perfectly well with all the rest.
 
modchild said:
I've recently bought a Kenko Pro 300 DGX 1.4x Teleconverter.
Click to expand...

As a noob here, I spotted this tc on amazon, but the model number ( 1.4x) seems to say its a :bonk: x1.4, but the amazon blurb seems to say its a times 3 tc, :thinking:

As you have one can you clarify what mag factor it actually has?

Sorry for the stupid question:bonk:
 
Forget 3x TCs. They're useless. Also, ANY 2x TC is a total waste of time on anything but the very best glass. This usually means a prime, i.e. 200mm fixed focal length or longer, or very occasionally a top-of-the-range zoom such as the highly regarded 70-200 F2.8 version 2 Canon. It also means a top-of-the-range teleconverter as well. You might just about get some benefit on your 75-300mm zoom with a decent quality 1.4x, such as the Kenko Pro300, assuming it fits, which is by no means a certainty, but even here you'll most likely do just as well by cropping your final image. Stick with what you have and enjoy it for what it is, then think about where your photography is going later when you've saved more.
 
Last edited:
vizzair said:
As a noob here, I spotted this tc on amazon, but the model number ( 1.4x) seems to say its a :bonk: x1.4, but the amazon blurb seems to say its a times 3 tc, :thinking:

As you have one can you clarify what mag factor it actually has?

Sorry for the stupid question:bonk:
Click to expand...

OK a x 1.4 adaptor on a 100mm lens adds 40mm so makes it a 140mm
thus a 1.4 on a 70-300 say ,would make it into a 98-420 .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top