Teleconverter (1 Viewer)

[PaulCountyDurham]

'Any advice appreciated.

I have an FZ330 but I'm guessing this will apply to most other cameras.

The adaptor came yesterday to use with the teleconverter/camera, but it was far too windy to use today. I did a bit of testing this morning, however, on a road sign and the pictures suggested the TC is working no problem, but the camera display screen, when fitted with the TC; shows a range of 352mm-600mm whereas without the TC the range is 25mm-600mm.

'Getting to the point: why does the maximum zoom on the display screen show 600mm with and without the TC fitted? I'd assumed the maximum zoom with a 1.7 TC would display at approx. 1.7 times 600mm.

I've looked all over the internet for an answer and I'm still looking, but it seems no one on any forum has asked this question.

Thanks in advance,
Paul

 

[MikeInPA]

'Any advice appreciated.

I have an FZ330 but I'm guessing this will apply to most other cameras.

The adaptor came yesterday to use with the teleconverter/camera, but it was far too windy to use today. I did a bit of testing this morning, however, on a road sign and the pictures suggested the TC is working no problem, but the camera display screen, when fitted with the TC; shows a range of 352mm-600mm whereas without the TC the range is 25mm-600mm.

'Getting to the point: why does the maximum zoom on the display screen show 600mm with and without the TC fitted? I'd assumed the maximum zoom with a 1.7 TC would display at approx. 1.7 times 600mm.

I've looked all over the internet for an answer and I'm still looking, but it seems no one on any forum has asked this question.

Thanks in advance,
Paul

Sounds like a software bug to me.

 

[PaulCountyDurham]

Sounds like a software bug to me.

Why is that?

 

[PaulCountyDurham]

Sounds like a software bug to me.

I've just tested again on a road-sign: without the TC and the TC setting set to off; without the TC and the TC setting set to on; TC setting set to on and TC attached.

Quite clearly the TC is working.

I think the answer is my misreading of what I should see on my screen and how a TC works. On reflection, I think what happens is that the maximum zoom doesn't actually change when a TC is attached and instead the image is simply magnified, which means I shouldn't expect to see the maximum zoom change on my display screen.

Anyway, the definitive answer is a simple phone call away.

Thanks,
Paul

 

[Timbirder3]

Paul,
Your second paragraph is correct. The camera only reads what is going on internally. The TC is a bolted on extra with no electronics so the camera software doesn't read it. It's the same if you add a macro-lens. All the TC setting does is change where the zoom range starts, so you don't end up with vignetting. I have a much earlier Panasonic bridge camera, but it seems they haven't changed the basic system.
Tim

 

[MikeInPA]

Ah! So on this camera the Teleconverter is screwed to the front of lens I take it. Most Teleconverters fit between the lens and the camera thus magnifying the focal length and to maintain autofocusing they have the electronics to report back the actual focal length to the camera and the associated image EXIF data.

I still don't understand why with Pauls 1.7X teleconverter fitted it reads 352-600 why not 42.5-1020?

No worries.

 

[PaulCountyDurham]

Paul,
Your second paragraph is correct. The camera only reads what is going on internally. The TC is a bolted on extra with no electronics so the camera software doesn't read it. It's the same if you add a macro-lens. All the TC setting does is change where the zoom range starts, so you don't end up with vignetting. I have a much earlier Panasonic bridge camera, but it seems they haven't changed the basic system.
Tim

Cheers, Tim. And, a very useful, and now obvious, explanation as to why, i.e. the camera software doesn't read the fact a TC is attached (in terms of zoom).

Very helpful, thanks.

Edited to add: although I forgot that without the TC attached the camera does display something like 3m and with it attached that that changes to 5m.

The main thing is that I know it is working fine and there's not something I'm missing.

 

[njlarsen]

Ah! So on this camera the Teleconverter is screwed to the front of lens I take it. Most Teleconverters fit between the lens and the camera thus magnifying the focal length and to maintain autofocusing they have the electronics to report back the actual focal length to the camera and the associated image EXIF data.

I still don't understand why with Pauls 1.7X teleconverter fitted it reads 352-600 why not 42.5-1020?

No worries.

Mike, what you are missing is that Paul's camera is a Bridge camera with built-in zoom lens, not a camera with exchangeable lenses. TC in that context is very different, it is an extra lens screwed on at the end of the built-in lens.

With such a setup, if you zoom out too much there will be severe vignetting, and depending on the exact construction, might be a danger of damaging the zoom mechanism. Therefore, when Paul tells the camera that he added the TC, it limits the zoom range. I guess there might be different TCs with different magnification and therefore, the software in the camera does not guess what the equivalent zoom range becomes. If the TC is exactly 1.7x, it should have reported 598-1020 for this TC.

Niels

 

[MikeInPA]

Mike, what you are missing is that Paul's camera is a Bridge camera with built-in zoom lens, not a camera with exchangeable lenses. TC in that context is very different, it is an extra lens screwed on at the end of the built-in lens.

With such a setup, if you zoom out too much there will be severe vignetting, and depending on the exact construction, might be a danger of damaging the zoom mechanism. Therefore, when Paul tells the camera that he added the TC, it limits the zoom range. I guess there might be different TCs with different magnification and therefore, the software in the camera does not guess what the equivalent zoom range becomes. If the TC is exactly 1.7x, it should have reported 598-1020 for this TC.

Niels

Thanks for the explanation.

 

[PaulCountyDurham]

This seems about right, Niels.

For clarity's sake, I've had no problem whatsoever with this camera, apart from my lack of understanding; and this is another example.

I'm pretty happy with what I have for what I paid. I've seen pictures of what this camera can achieve, and I'm confident the only barrier to me replicating that is my technique.

I'd read horror stories about focusing with a teleconverter attached, particularly anything over 1x4, and yesterday I noticed no focusing issues whatsoever with the TC attached. I've also spent a few hours today trying to get it as steady as I can with a TC attached and I've found a method which is not particularly any less steady than without a TC attached: a marginal difference at the worst.

And, with a bit of reading, I have a handle on what settings will yield good results; and so it's now just a case of going out and putting that into practice: when the weather turns for the better!