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In Search of Reach: Tele Converters


JDMvW

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<p>JDM, as long as you're in an accumulating frame of mind you should try to get one of these: https://www.cameraquest.com/viv45045.htm. To get back on this thread's topic, try to find the matched multiplier (2x TC) that goes with it. T-mount lens, T-mount TC.</p>

<p>I have the TC, not the lens. It isn't all that wonderful on my Questar 700, but at 1400 mm the problem may be unsteadiness more than optical performace.</p>

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<p>Unfortunately, I seem to always be in an "accumulating frame of mind". :|</p>

<p>At the end of the article on the Vivitar 450mm f4.5 (<a href="https://www.cameraquest.com/viv45045.htm">link</a>) it says:</p>

<blockquote>

<p><strong>Unfortunately Vivitar's once great lens designs are pretty much a mystery to today's Vivitar. Repeated emails and phone calls on company history are usually unreturned. Occasionally I was told "we don't have those records." Sad, for a once leading Photo Optical Company not to have a clue about itself.</strong></p>

</blockquote>

<p>The reason for this is that only the NAME of the company was purchased by the <em>new owners</em> - nothing else. They apparently just wanted to exploit what was once a recognized and honored brand.</p>

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<p>Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe the teleconverter can trace its origins back to Peter Barlow, a mathematician and physicist developed such a lens for telescopes during the 1800’s. In general Barlow lenses are not as well corrected as teleconverters, but only have to work over a limited field of view. Although originally intended for visual use, some Barlow lenses have T-threads for attaching photographic T-rings. Edmund Scientific used to sell unmounted Barlow elements so one could custom design one’s own system to multiply focal length.<br>

Sorry, JDM, I hope I didn't hijack your thread.</p>

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<blockquote>

<p>Way back in 1959, a few people had <strong><em>re-discovered</em></strong> that in addition to close-up plus-lenses, there were also minus-lenses. [emphasis, JDM]</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Of course in the broader sense, the teleconverter <em>is</em> a form of Barlow lens, which is and was a combination of minus lenses, etc. However, I still think that the modern history of the camera lens teleconverter, as such, is as outlined above.</p>

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  • 1 year later...

An addition to the post, will both re-animate this post and provide a tiny bit more background for the early days.

 

First, the original article had a pdf from Modern Photography 1959-11

these are jpgs of that article and some additional bits:

 

 

443471712_Telephotos-NeedThem1959-11MP_Page_1.thumb.jpg.e6a4348688c6fe81d6cdcfeaa877f83f.jpg 884575996_Telephotos-NeedThem1959-11MP_Page_2.thumb.jpg.b27069b1f5bd7467ce66be7f2f1cc316.jpg 1806459769_Telephotos-NeedThem1959-11MP_Page_3.thumb.jpg.fbf42d5824f58927f78583f1fffd4a66.jpg 1699976456_Telephotos-NeedThem1959-11MP_Page_4.thumb.jpg.b42e2368dc3eb28179b912e99661402f.jpg 1153559381_Telephotos-NeedThem1959-11MP_Page_5.thumb.jpg.75cc2c0e335ef521854e7ba07fd0c05f.jpg

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  • 3 months later...
  • 8 months later...

I've got that little Duo-Tamron shown in the ad and listed as "famous make" 135mm f4.5 tele that has a little 1.66X included. It was introduced in 1958, don't know how long it was sold. It is not a "T" mount but about 37mm or so. Mine came with a M42 adapter otherwise you would never find adapters for it. The front filter thread is also a very strange size, somewhere between 38 and 39mm. It came with an adapter for series 6 but that was gone from my sample. The teleconverter has a single element, or more likely a cemented doublet. When attached it is a tiny package for a 225mm lens, but of course that is at f7.7 maximum aperture and that makes for a fairly dim viewfinder.

With the teleconverter attached it is 107mm long and 8.5oz or 245gm.

Edited by john_robison|4
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Great writeup, JDM! As soon as I saw this, I was going to post about the 2x Vivitar macro teleconverter, but others have beaten me to it! That thing really was a fantastic device, combining a 2x teleconverter with a variable extension tube. I had one not branded Vivitar, but almost certain to have come from the same factory, for the Minolta MD system. I mostly used it with an MD 50mm 1.4, which turned this lens into a 100mm macro lens that could go down to 1:1 without the need to fidget around with extension tubes. The quality might not have been quite that of a genuine 100mm macro lens, but close enough for me - and at a fraction of the cost!

 

xdtc.jpg.df404be874e30d3247ea56af643a4826.jpg tc.jpg.a6561798a42927c647cf0826bc12e8a0.jpg

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A couple of years back in thread I mentioned the Soligor Multipurpose Teleconverter. I found some images of it. Again, the 2x element (4 elements) can be removed to allow it to serve as an automatic extension tube.

upload_2018-5-28_7-24-30.jpeg.c3d3168e7713b653f7b27caceca80b2e.jpeg

Teleconverter by camera

upload_2018-5-28_7-25-36.jpeg.da645f29fd38daeff682ee8a86820848.jpeg

with converter elements removed

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A couple of years back in thread I mentioned the Soligor Multipurpose Teleconverter. I found some images of it. Again, the 2x element (4 elements) can be removed to allow it to serve as an automatic extension tube.

[ATTACH=full]1247564[/ATTACH]

Teleconverter by camera

[ATTACH=full]1247565[/ATTACH]

with converter elements removed

Well, that's an interesting design! Never seen anything like it.

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