Rear Converter 2X-S + DA*300mm

Riv · 11-04-2012, 10:41 AM

I got one the 2X-S converters this weekend, price was great so I thought I'd give it go. Public lens tests isn't something I normally do. I hope (not with this tread) is to provide visual evidence to the which is better, using a teleconverter or cropping, but for that I need a better day outside so I can do the shots at a range that you'd likely be using it at.

This was inside at about 20ft, shot with a K5 at f5.6/ISO100/Using mirror lock up and a wired release. I let the setup to stabilize for about 5 seconds after activating mlup. My first impressions are good, I was expecting even softer results. With a eqiv fov of 900mm, hand holding will be very challenging. DOF is so thin that it is hard to focus. 900mm is longer than anything I've shot before, so I'm sure there will be a learning curve in both handling and focusing. It's a cold grey day out, I tried to shoot from inside the house at a tree trunk on other side of the river, about 300ft away. But the warm house air hitting the cold outside air caused issues, in liveview the screen looked like jello. I've already learned that my tripod head (if not legs also) need upgrading to use this combo.

First shot is a full frame image, processed in LR4.2. The 2nd is a 100% crop with no processing beyond the crop and save. I'm guessing there may be some K5IIs owners grabbing one of these, or at least I'd be interested in seeing. Edit: a for what it's worth post I guess, I forgot about taking a bare 300mm shot...

Last edited by Riv; 11-04-2012 at 02:25 PM.

rawr · 11-04-2012, 04:18 PM

Useful test.

Is that TC the genuine Pentax Rear Converter 2X-S?

If it is the Pentax one, my experience is that it is indeed quite good. I haven't tried it on my DA* 300, just a K 300, and the results were better than expected.

A full test outside on a bright day with some contrasty objects with nice defined edges will reveal a lot more of the performance personality of the TC.

Riv · 11-04-2012, 06:20 PM

Yes it's the real deal, not sure how many they made but it's serial# is in the low 43k range. I'm expecting some color fringing in brighter light just because of the era of it. But hey.. for $50 I couldn't say no even if in the end the processed images are only good for small prints or downsized for on screen use.

LennyBloke · 11-06-2012, 02:04 AM

IMO the Pentax A 2X-S converter is about the best you can get from that era - the only converter I use more is the 1.7 AF Adapter

11-04-2012, 10:41 AM	#1
Riv Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Michigan Photos: Albums Posts: 142	*Rear Converter 2X-S + DA300mm** I got one the 2X-S converters this weekend, price was great so I thought I'd give it go. Public lens tests isn't something I normally do. I hope (not with this tread) is to provide visual evidence to the which is better, using a teleconverter or cropping, but for that I need a better day outside so I can do the shots at a range that you'd likely be using it at. This was inside at about 20ft, shot with a K5 at f5.6/ISO100/Using mirror lock up and a wired release. I let the setup to stabilize for about 5 seconds after activating mlup. My first impressions are good, I was expecting even softer results. With a eqiv fov of 900mm, hand holding will be very challenging. DOF is so thin that it is hard to focus. 900mm is longer than anything I've shot before, so I'm sure there will be a learning curve in both handling and focusing. It's a cold grey day out, I tried to shoot from inside the house at a tree trunk on other side of the river, about 300ft away. But the warm house air hitting the cold outside air caused issues, in liveview the screen looked like jello. I've already learned that my tripod head (if not legs also) need upgrading to use this combo. First shot is a full frame image, processed in LR4.2. The 2nd is a 100% crop with no processing beyond the crop and save. I'm guessing there may be some K5IIs owners grabbing one of these, or at least I'd be interested in seeing. Edit: a for what it's worth post I guess, I forgot about taking a bare 300mm shot... Last edited by Riv; 11-04-2012 at 02:25 PM.

11-04-2012, 06:20 PM	#3
Riv Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Michigan Photos: Albums Posts: 142 Original Poster	Yes it's the real deal, not sure how many they made but it's serial# is in the low 43k range. I'm expecting some color fringing in brighter light just because of the era of it. But hey.. for $50 I couldn't say no even if in the end the processed images are only good for small prints or downsized for on screen use. Last edited by Riv; 11-04-2012 at 06:30 PM.

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11-04-2012, 04:18 PM	#2
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Useful test. Is that TC the genuine Pentax Rear Converter 2X-S? If it is the Pentax one, my experience is that it is indeed quite good. I haven't tried it on my DA* 300, just a K 300, and the results were better than expected. A full test outside on a bright day with some contrasty objects with nice defined edges will reveal a lot more of the performance personality of the TC.

11-06-2012, 02:04 AM	#4
LennyBloke Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Worcestershire, UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 677	IMO the Pentax A 2X-S converter is about the best you can get from that era - the only converter I use more is the 1.7 AF Adapter