Am I right in thinking?

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bobismad

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Bob
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Hi, I'm new to this photography lark, so sorry if this is an obvious one, I've found that my 'biggest' lens isnt really upto landscapes wherethe point of interest is far away, I've tried cropping and resizing, but to get it the size I want I'm, losing definition, and getting pixelization, its not a fancy camera I have,(sony Alpha a200 10mp ) the larger lens I've been using is a sony 70-300. My question is, am I right in the assumption that one of these (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sony-SAL-1...item2c6b12b464 ) in a 2x converter will in effect double the zoom, and if using it, will I lose frame size or picture quality?

Like I say I'm a newbie so please be gentle...lol

Bob
 
Hello Bob


Welcome to TP and the photography lark ;)

A 2x teleconverter will turn your 70-300 into a 140-600 but do remember that it will also cut down the light entering the lens. As you extend the FL of your lens any camera shake will become that much more noticeable as well so you may need to use a faster shutter speed or support your equipment. Focusing may be slower and you should also check that the teleconverter can be used on your lens.

Image quality may also be affected as TCs multiply not only the focal length of a lens but additionally any aberrations of the lens itself. This is particularly true with longer x2 TCs where sharpness and contrast will be affected. Flare and ghosting could also be a problem. I don't know about the quality of the 70-300 which you mentioned either so this too has to be considered.

Another thing to bear in mind as well with your current setup is that 10MP does not offer much resolution ( detail ) especially if you are cropping and resizing a distant object.

Hope the above is of some use. :)
 
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Clicking the link you've put up leads to an ebay page where it just says "This listing () has been removed, or this item is not available" so that's of no help.

Yes! a 2x converter will effectively double the focal length of any lens but you usually lose at least one full stop of aperture as punishment. Picture quality may also suffer a little but, again, that's the price you pay for doubling your focal length.

Just out of curiosity, Bob. What are you trying to shoot?
 
theres a local landmark, ( pinel heugh) which I'm trying to get from top of next hill, to try and get some of the woodland below it...

I understand about the mega pixels bit, will the 'auto' functions still work correctly regarding the F stops?

BTW, thanks for the prompt responses

Bob
 
Hi Bob. Welcome to the world of an ever thinning wallet.

No your wrong in thinking. Some of the best shots I remember were took by people who knew nothing about photography, just clicked at what they liked the look of. Some times you can think too much. Shoot first , think last.

Other than that, yes your right in your thinking.
 
Thanks for the responses folks, looks like I'll be ordering one of them then...lol, I dont really see the point @ the moment buying a big lens, as I can barely work the ones I have...lol

Bob
 
Chances are the 70-300 will not autofocus with a 2x attached as it will be an f/9 lens max... Also, with a lens of that quality, the IQ loss will probably be pretty bad.
 
If it's just a one off shot, why not hire a lens capable of said shot I'm assuming that the top of the hill is a fair distance from what you want to do go and hire a big lens
 
a x2 TC on that lens and you'll loose 2 STOPS and your camera wil not auto focus either :shrug: worth thinking about and as said the Image Quality will suffer big time

May I suggest a longer lens such as the 150-500mm - failing that use your legs and get closer to the subject

Tele photo lenses are not normally considered as Landscape lenses, Normally they are of the wide angle variety,I use a Sigma 10-20mm on my Sony a65can I ask what subject youre trying to shoot?


Les ;)
 
Thanks for the responses, Houston1863, I usually shoot saving in both jpeg and raw, as the I have options, if image is ok in jpeg, I'll use that, or use the raw image to try and 'fettle' it, the reason for the long shot is the subject is on a hill top, so can not get any background, I'm trying to get it from the next hill, so I'm at a similar height or higher..

Bob
 
By the sounds of the members above your going to lose quite a lot IQ and other restrictions, but even if you have to shoot fully manual a good shot its doable, especially if you get all the other aspects just right, like a firm tripod, no wind, timed shutter fire, good balancing back light with high contrasts or some other wonder of lighting that aids contrast and minimises highlights, if the lights suitable, you can push your exposure to the bright side a tad which will aid any losses in rescuing IQ losses in raw, like definition and sharpening for instance.

Excuse me if im yapping about stuff you know well. :)
 
I am an absolute novice, but I have a 'minds eye' image of the picture I want, but the only place available to take it is on the next hill, I've tried from the base of the monument, but its not what I want, and from various areas around, I never realised you could hire lenses, andwouldnt know where to start, so I've been looking into that, but my thinking on the 2x converter was its fairly cheap in the big scheme of things, small, so I could keep it in my cambag all the time, and could be used with other lenses.....I'm already wishing I'd bought a 'better' body, but I thought that it was a good starter....lol, we live and learn.

Bob
 
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