On Sun, 01 Dec 2002 17:07:07 +0000, TP wrote:
>d_ruether@hotmail.com (Neuman - Ruether) wrote:

[...]
>>BTW, 1.4X converters generally perform better,
>>with 1-stop light loss instead of two - these are more
>>practical for most uses.

>Not in this case David! A 70mm lens is of very little practical use
>for portraiture, which is what the original poster asked about.

Yes, but if the result of combining a 50mm f1.4 lens and
a 2X converter is unacceptable performance at 100mm at the
apertures of interest, then this is of little practical use,
also... Heck, one can make a 100mm lens with a stop of
f1, cheaply, using magnifying glasses - but the results
would be worthless due to the low image quality...;-)
Better to have at least a 70mm of good speed and performance
instead - it still may be preferable for the intended use
than a 50mm... (and, BTW, 35mm down to even 20mm FLs can
be useful for portraiture...;-).