Skip Leib wrote: > > ... > My main question really was, (and still is), is how well does this work as > far as maintaining the excellent qualities (ie: sharpness, low light usage, > lack of distortion), of the original 50mm 1.4? > ... OK, let try a shot at this. In my constant progression in the photo field I started with a camera and 50mm. Next thing I got a wide (28mm) and a 2X TC. It was a cheap 4 elements Kenko. I found it an easy and cheap solution to a problem and with a sufficient performance. Then I acquired a Vivitar series 1 70-210 zoom which kind of eliminated the use of the 50+2X solution. Being not able to spend much more money on equipment I kept using this lens for a long time with satisfaction. Then one day I stumbled on a guy selling a SMC-M 85/2 for about 100$ (used of course). Although some members of the list reputed this lens not really outstanding I was really satisfied with it and used it frequently. Then at last I got, a few days ago, a Pentax 100/2.8 FA macro. It was 199$ at KEH in BGN but as usual very good shape which I don't think is really big money. I still have to get back my first shots with it, but I'm sure it's a further step up on the quality ladder. Now I don't want to be (too) tiresome but what I mean is that the combo (50mm+2X TC) will work and the results will be fairly acceptable even though a certain decrease in quality will be visible, especially at bigger enlargements. You'll get close focus capability (almost 1:2, I think) and retain all functions. But, getting a fair 2X TC will cost you almost as much as a used macro 100mm lens which will surely deliver much higher performance at little more cost even as weight is concerned. Besides adding a TC is even slower than changing lens. Of course you'll work out your own solution but I'm sure you'll also get very different opinions on this, sometimes even contradictory. One last thing: there will be no advantage in speed using the TC as the resulting speed (2.8) will be the same as that of usual 100-135mm lenses. Hope it helps, Flavio This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, visit http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the PUG at http://pug.komkon.org
