Bower Auxiliary Wide and Tele lenses- any good?

lectrolink · 08-07-2010, 01:04 PM

I spotted a kit on *bay for a wide (.5) and a tele (2x) auxiliary lens kit for $56 that was being marketed to fit the DA40mm. Includes a 49mm adapter. Has anyone used these? Are they any good?

**Lowell Goudge** · 08-07-2010, 04:29 PM

I have tried a wide angle adaptor in the past, and while they work in a pinch they are treally not that good opticvally,

they work OK for low resolution stuff like video cameras and on a P&S but not on larger lenses that use more of the extreme edge of the lens.

SpecialK · 08-07-2010, 07:14 PM

Originally posted by lectrolink

I spotted a kit on *bay for a wide (.5) and a tele (2x) auxiliary lens kit for $56 that was being marketed to fit the DA40mm. Includes a 49mm adapter. Has anyone used these? Are they any good?

They make excellent paperweights.

RioRico · 08-08-2010, 05:10 PM

1) US$56 is an insanely bloated price for what are really just cheap distorting adapters.
2) Shooting video of moving stuff, you won't notice the crappiness. Shooting stills, you will.
3) Such adapters are fine if you are interested in something other than image quality.
4) They aren't really so great as paperweights, either. But as slingshot loads...

My experience: I inherited a set of good-quality Ambico V-0385 Wide & Tele adapters from my dad, used on his Sony videocam. I mounted them on my 5mpx Sony DSC-P10 p&s. I quickly stopped using the Tele adapter, as it couldn't beat the reach of my Sony DSC-V1, which is much sharper. I kept on using the Wide adapter. I knew that image edges would be crappy, with the centers losing much sharpness and contrast too. I shooped the hell out of pics from that Wide adapter, to make them minimally tolerable. I like to capture and torture images; that Wide adapter was a torture device. Are you sadistic enough for it?

08-07-2010, 01:04 PM	#1
lectrolink Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Los Angeles Photos: Gallery Posts: 189	Bower Auxiliary Wide and Tele lenses- any good? I spotted a kit on *bay for a wide (.5) and a tele (2x) auxiliary lens kit for $56 that was being marketed to fit the DA40mm. Includes a 49mm adapter. Has anyone used these? Are they any good?

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08-07-2010, 04:29 PM	#2
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,887	I have tried a wide angle adaptor in the past, and while they work in a pinch they are treally not that good opticvally, they work OK for low resolution stuff like video cameras and on a P&S but not on larger lenses that use more of the extreme edge of the lens.

08-07-2010, 07:14 PM	#3
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,480	Originally posted by lectrolink I spotted a kit on *bay for a wide (.5) and a tele (2x) auxiliary lens kit for $56 that was being marketed to fit the DA40mm. Includes a 49mm adapter. Has anyone used these? Are they any good? They make excellent paperweights.

08-08-2010, 05:10 PM	#4
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	1) US$56 is an insanely bloated price for what are really just cheap distorting adapters. 2) Shooting video of moving stuff, you won't notice the crappiness. Shooting stills, you will. 3) Such adapters are fine if you are interested in something other than image quality. 4) They aren't really so great as paperweights, either. But as slingshot loads... My experience: I inherited a set of good-quality Ambico V-0385 Wide & Tele adapters from my dad, used on his Sony videocam. I mounted them on my 5mpx Sony DSC-P10 p&s. I quickly stopped using the Tele adapter, as it couldn't beat the reach of my Sony DSC-V1, which is much sharper. I kept on using the Wide adapter. I knew that image edges would be crappy, with the centers losing much sharpness and contrast too. I shooped the hell out of pics from that Wide adapter, to make them minimally tolerable. I like to capture and torture images; that Wide adapter was a torture device. Are you sadistic enough for it?