"JIM" <Firewagon1@prodigy.net> wrote in message news:VY8Kb.19463$ra7.16676@newssvr33.news.prodigy.com...

> "Fredrik Jonson" <pt97fjo@student.bth.se> wrote in message

> > > If the venue allows you to be close, then a 50mm f/1.8 with a 1.4x TC

> > > handy might be a cheaper, faster, sharper solution.

> > Is it? I have never heard of anyone recommending that combo before.

> > So I have just assumed that a teleconverter would be specifically

> > tailored for tele lenses and thus not very good for normal lenses.

> > I have a TC-16A and a 50/1.8. If that combo actually would be useful

> > as a 80/2.8 then I'd be a happy camper. =)

> > Anyone know, or actually use that combo?

> Don't think so. A 50mm + 1.4 only gets you to 70mm f2 - hardly noticeable

> and you could as easily crop and enlarge from the bare 50 as effectively as

> adding that converter. Canon's converters are not even designed to work on

> the shorter FL lenses. The name kinda gives the clue to the use intended for

> converters - i.e., "tele (as in telephoto) converter."

[...]

See my post, just above yours...

In addition, a crop this great with film will look tonally worse

than using a converter. Nikon does make short-lens converters

(and they work very well on short-FL lenses - for fisheyes,

macro-lenses, PC-lenses, etc.). While the obvious use is for

greater "reach" with teles, some of the best uses are on short

lenses. Also, putting a converter on a lens faster than about f2

will not give you any more "speed" than an f1.8-2 lens - converters

also have "speed", limiting the effective aperture size of the

combination (in addition to the expected speed losses).

--

David Ruether

d_ruether@hotmail.com

http://www.David-Ruether-Photography.com