TC or WA???

[Edwin]

Planning to get one of these and only one of them due to cost issue. Like to seek some opinion from fellow Sony owners. Which one would you get? I mean how often do you use a WA or TC?

I know the TC would boost the optical zoom to 300mm but that would require the use of a tripod rite? :dunno:

On the other hand, the WA is onli significant at the widest zoom meaning cutting the focal to 25mm? If I push the zoom beyond 50mm, it would render the WA useless rite? :dunno:

Haiz... Why would Sony charge such a high price for these two accessories... How I wish can just get both and experiment... ;p

 

[f55user]

Originally posted by Edwin
Planning to get one of these and only one of them due to cost issue. Like to seek some opinion from fellow Sony owners. Which one would you get? I mean how often do you use a WA or TC?

They are "nice" things to have, but how many times have you wished you really had either one of them?
Really depends on what you want... both cost $700..

I know the TC would boost the optical zoom to 300mm but that would require the use of a tripod rite? :dunno:

If using low shutter speeds, yes..

On the other hand, the WA is onli significant at the widest zoom meaning cutting the focal to 25mm? If I push the zoom beyond 50mm, it would render the WA useless rite? :dunno:

Sometimes you don't want just 26mm, you want something between 26 and 38mm...

Haiz... Why would Sony charge such a high price for these two accessories... How I wish can just get both and experiment... ;p

Because they are (probably) the best TC and WA for 58mm you will find anywhere...

 

[Fella]

For myself, I'll get the VCL-HGD1758, 1.7x TC first. Then get the VCL-MHG07A 0.7x WA.

 

[mpenza]

Originally posted by f55user
They are "nice" things to have, but how many times have you wished you really had either one of them?
Really depends on what you want... both cost $700..

think you meant both together cost $700....

anyway for the WA converter, you could consider the the one (VCL-MHG07A) meant for 707. It should work fine and is much cheaper (~$185). For the teleconverter, I think the Olympus TCON17 would be a good match too. It's also much cheaper than Sony's big tele.

 

[Edwin]

Thanks for all the replies and opinons... :gbounce:

mpenza: I think f55user is referring to both the VCL-HGD0758
and VCL-HGD1758 lenses... Was quoted slightly less than $700 by CP yesterday...

Anyone using the VCL-MHG07A? How's the quality of the picture turn out? I noticed that it is suitable for three different thread size... If I using it with my 717, do I need a step-down/step-down adapter??? :dunno: Will there be any vignetting or softness as compared to the VCL-HGD0758?

 

[Fella]

Originally posted by Edwin
Thanks for all the replies and opinons... :gbounce:

mpenza: I think f55user is referring to both the VCL-HGD0758
and VCL-HGD1758 lenses... Was quoted slightly less than $700 by CP yesterday...

Anyone using the VCL-MHG07A? How's the quality of the picture turn out? I noticed that it is suitable for three different thread size... If I using it with my 717, do I need a step-down/step-down adapter??? :dunno: Will there be any vignetting or softness as compared to the VCL-HGD0758?

Personally, I feel that the quality is reasonably good.
The necessary stepping ring is inclusive. You will need a step down if I remember correctly... 58->55. There's also another step-up ring 52-55.
Definitely no vignetting.

 

[mpenza]

Originally posted by Edwin
Thanks for all the replies and opinons... :gbounce:

mpenza: I think f55user is referring to both the VCL-HGD0758
and VCL-HGD1758 lenses... Was quoted slightly less than $700 by CP yesterday...

oops. it's a typo ;p I corrected my post. I've used the MHG07A with my Fujifilm S602Z and the resulting image quality is pretty good.

 

[sequitur]

basically with the cheaper wide angle converter... the largest aperture you can reach is f/4 and cannot go below that. (that means f/2-2.4, 2.8, 3.2 all rendered useless).. you can NOT, i repeat, CANNOT zoom when you put the cheaper wide angle converter on because you have to set "conversion lens" in the setup to "on".. and after that your f-stop is limited at f/4 and your focal length at 28mm. (correct me if i'm wrong, i read this off a taiwanese website)

basically the gain in focal length is minimal i.e. 28-35 which you only gain very little. could try 3rd party ones that give you more length like the raynox fisheye which costs a bomb but hey, it's a 0.24x wideangle/fisheye converter that really works well with 717.

yes you didn't read wrongly it's 0.24x.

anyway i recommend the tcon coz more value for money ahaha.. you gain 100++mm !! and you can easily not use the digital zoom that magnifies the noise along with the photographs..

seriously even at 300mm you can not have camera shake even if using a shutter speed of 1/30 or 1/50 in low light. it's all up to how stable you're holding it.

i ever tried full optical zoom and handheld the camera 1/15. no visible camera shake as long as you hold it steady enough (it actually managed to keep steady because i had my heavy metz flash mounted on it..)

i believe at 300mm it's still possible to shoot at 1/50. or be like me, get external flash so you can shoot at 1/125 in low light and the subject will still be visible.

 

[Fella]

Originally posted by sequitur
...because you have to set "conversion lens" in the setup to "on"...

I don't think it work that way for the 717. If I remember correctly, you need to set to macro mode to be able to use the WA.

 

[sequitur]

oh yah
set conversion lens to on and turn on macro mode..

that's supposed the "optimum" operation of the WA.. no ?

as in for that cheap WA only
the more expensive with the larger barrel one don't need to change anything
but also just gain 10 mm..

 

[Edwin]

Thanks sequitur and Fella for the info... :gbounce:

Really need to think twice again now...
Was thinking of getting the TC and the 55mm WA... :cry:

Looks like there is a different between the two WA... need to consider the pros and cons... :dunno:

 

[alvin]

Hi!
I recently have been using my camera for indoor shots, and find the wide end quite limiting; difficult to get group shots, especially when the room i'm in is small. Thankfully I've got this "vitacon" 0.5x. No vignetting even at F2.0 but quite bad barrel distortion at full wide. This though, can be corrected via software.

Hence, decide what you need and go for it. I knew that I would be using my 717 only at events that need fast shot to shot time in low light, and usually in enclosed areas (like inside a flat or house). Hence I went for the 3rd party WA. Else usually, the camera I use the most often is my P9 =)

my 2 cents.

~Alvin

 

[alvin]

Do we need to set the conversion lens to "on" in the setup? What's the bad points to note if I did not?

I shot a quite large number of pictures using manual mode, F2, 1/160s, + external flash with my 3rd party WA, the pictures turned out reasonably well and the organizer is quite pleased with the results. I even used it whilst zooming (it's a nigh time bungalow-bbq event) and didn't have much problems...

 

[sequitur]

Originally posted by alvin
Do we need to set the conversion lens to "on" in the setup? What's the bad points to note if I did not?

apparently the camera would not be able to focus properly if you didn't.. as in using the sony cheaper WA..

must set to macro mode also

 

[Fella]

Originally posted by sequitur
oh yah
set conversion lens to on and turn on macro mode..

that's supposed the "optimum" operation of the WA.. no ?

as in for that cheap WA only
the more expensive with the larger barrel one don't need to change anything
but also just gain 10 mm..

2 comments.
There's no need to set conv lens to on.
The WA isn't cheap @ ±S$190.

 

[Edwin]

Huh??? :dunno:

Fella, does that mean that the zoom and aperature can be adjusted even with the 55mm WA on??? Can anyone who used it with the F717 please verify??? :dunno:

 

[Fella]

Originally posted by Edwin
Huh??? :dunno:

Fella, does that mean that the zoom and aperature can be adjusted even with the 55mm WA on??? Can anyone who used it with the F717 please verify??? :dunno:

I've sold away my Sony equipment months ago, but I think the answer is a "yes".
Best way to verify, just bring your cam to CP/3:16/MS/AP and ask to try the WA yourself.

 

[mpenza]

yes. There shouldn't be a limit to F4.0. With a Vitacon WA converter, you lose light as well.

 

[sequitur]

either way by attaching a converter or filter or whatever.. as long as it's another piece of glass, you're bound to lose light, just that how much light you lose is in question.

if i'm not wrong a WA and TCON will both lose you at least 1 stop of light. i read this in some photography book.

 

[Edwin]

If I remember correctly, with a 1.7x TC will lose about 1.5 stop of light...