Panda_
enthusiast
Reged: 17/06/2008
Posts: 379
Loc: South Wales
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I'm looking for an extra bit of focal length on my Tamron 55-200mm lens (which is a great lens btw!)
I'm not sure what to be looking for here, it'll be used on a 40D if I can find one!
Also, can someone give me a quick definition between a teleconverter and an extension tube, and what would be the 'best' results for macro shots or stuff like butterflies/dragonflies!
Thankyou
-P
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My Flickr account.
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beejaybee
Marvin
Reged: 18/07/2007
Posts: 4980
Loc: Really Here In Name Only
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Quote:
Also, can someone give me a quick definition between a teleconverter and an extension tube, and what would be the 'best' results for macro shots or stuff like butterflies/dragonflies!
A teleconverter (or tele-extender) contains glass elements and increases the effective focal length of the lens, retaining infinity focus. An extension tube contains no glass, it just moves the lens further from the film/sensor making the lens focus closer.
Either will work fine for close-ups, but the extension tube will probably work a bit better. Teleconverters always compromise image quality to some extent, though the loss of quality may be imperceptible. The big downer with teleconverters is that the speed of the lens is reduced, by 1 stop with a 1.4x TC or 2 stops with a 2x TC, this can make autofocus work slowly and/or make the viewfinder hard to focus manually with as well as needing a slower shutter speed or a higher ISO setting.
TCs that are matched to the lens perform best, so you should be looking for Tamron's EOS fitting TC. If they don't make one, the lens may be unsuitable for using with a TC.
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Dorset_Mike
Gadget Man
Reged: 11/05/2006
Posts: 1848
Loc: Poole, Dorset.
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I've used a Tamron 55-200 with a Kenko 300Pro 1.4X on a Minolta 5D, reasonable results in good light, but as light levels fall so the AF ability gets worse at longer focal lengths. The Tammy 55-200 does have a bit of an advantage in that it retains f4 max out to 120mm, f4.5 from 120-140 ish so AF with a TC out to about 140 (= about 195mm with 1.4X) is usually OK until light gets really bad.
I have used the 1.4X on the Tamron 90/2.8 macro to increase working distance a bit.
I have found the Tamron 70-300 to be good for close ups of butterflies and dragon flies etc using its 1:2 macro facility which you can switch in between 180 and 300mm. So much so that I used it most of the time at both Brownsea and BWC meets and on a couple of other days out with Andy, I also used it for some grasshopper and cricket shots which needed very little cropping.
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Cheers, MIKE 
 
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Panda_
enthusiast
Reged: 17/06/2008
Posts: 379
Loc: South Wales
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Thanks for the clarifications!
Mike, do you have any examples of your work with said lens you use/d?
I'm guessing this is the kind of thing I'll be looking at getting?
Was damn gutted I got laid off work this week, was hoping next weeks pay would get me one step closer to the MP-E 
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My Flickr account.
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KeithGee
enthusiast
Reged: 26/08/2008
Posts: 242
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Quote:
Thanks for the clarifications!
Mike, do you have any examples of your work with said lens you use/d?
I'm guessing this is the kind of thing I'll be looking at getting?
Was damn gutted I got laid off work this week, was hoping next weeks pay would get me one step closer to the MP-E
Whaaaat!!!?? £115 for a set of choobs? 
Streuth! You don't need to be paying that sort of money ('specially if you are going to be remuneratively challenged for the immediate future - I bailed out on a set of 3 (Nikon fit) on eBay when they hit 17 quid!!
There's a set of 'EOS' tubes (any good?) going in a few hours for 4.99 UKP!! - see auction No. 220290098738
(And if not those, there'll be summat else along in a few hours!  )
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Benchista
Wich Tyler
Reged: 11/08/2000
Posts: 37887
Loc: Everywhere and nowhere, baby
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I certainly wouldn't get those ones at any price - they're not meter coupled, nor will they actuate the aperture motor. Equally, no way would I pay £115 for a set. Ebay sale 120313205137 has a much better set (I've got the same) - worth paying a bit more for, as they make life a LOT easier.
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Nick
www.nbrphoto.com
Light and Shade II - the new blog
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Panda_
enthusiast
Reged: 17/06/2008
Posts: 379
Loc: South Wales
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Quote:
Whaaaat!!!?? £115 for a set of choobs?
Streuth! You don't need to be paying that sort of money ('specially if you are going to be remuneratively challenged for the immediate future - I bailed out on a set of 3 (Nikon fit) on eBay when they hit 17 quid!!
There's a set of 'EOS' tubes (any good?) going in a few hours for 4.99 UKP!! - see auction No. 220290098738
(And if not those, there'll be summat else along in a few hours! )
Funnily enough, I bought a set of those the other day from Amazon for not much more than that. For what I paid I was impressed anyway, and can now focus on the subjects a lot closer. Granted they're not as good as the other stuff mentioned, but they'll do the trick for now 
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My Flickr account.
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