[hinman]

Yes, after my try out with the famous Tamron 1.4x Pz-AF TC and the not-so-popular but my recommended AF 1.7x TC with Promaster Spectrum 7 1.7x AF TC, I am now onto my 3rd TC with Pentax F-1.7x AF TC. I heard a lot about this TC turning a manual focus lens into AF. I tried it this morning and I am somewhat speechless -- somewhat true and somewhat doubtful. Please clue me in what you know about this TC especially on its magic in turning a MF lens to AF

Test Shots with
Pentax F-1.7x AF TC &



Komine 200mm f/3.5 (MF in K)



#1
off focus




#2



#3



#4



#5


Test Shots in Flickr

I bought this copy from Tom in Canada for $370 shipped and I am going to sell this copy later in Marketplace. Please PM if you have interest, as I just bought the 2nd copy from Russ along with his Pentax K 300mm f/4.0 lens.

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Last edited by hinman; 12-15-2008 at 11:10 PM.

[Mike.P®]

I have been thinking of getting one of these Pentax teleconverters, could you take some shots with it and the SMC 300mm f4?

Thanks.

[Lowell Goudge]

I am not sure what you need to know.

I have had one since I bought my PZ-1 in 1991.

Although the documentation states that it can only be used with F2.8 and faster lenses, I had origonally contacted pentax in canada to try one out, They let me stand outside their service department and test several lenses to see if it would focus on something slower than F2.8. It did, so I thanked them and ordered one through a local store

Ultimately this TC got a lot of use on my Series 1 70-210 F3.5, as it made it a 105-350 F5.6 AF.

Later I saw a mint 300 F4 in a shop and again tried it out for AF before purchasing.

I still use mine and have posted shots with the 300F4 attached from both the K10D and *istD.

I find the best use is with flash, on the *istD taking advantage of the TTL metering. The results can be seen below

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/106132-post4.html

[hinman]

I have been thinking of getting one of these Pentax teleconverters, could you take some shots with it and the SMC 300mm f4?

Thanks.

Russ sent out the 300mm f/4.0 yesterday and I should have it by Saturday. I am very excited. The 300mm may be too heavy for me for hand holding, I need to find/build/research on the missing tripod mounting. I will post results with and without the TC.

Too bad, I already sold my Tamron 1.4x AF TC and Promaster 1.7x AF TC; otherwise, I can do some unscientific comparisons. From what I learned from TC guru retired Ron in dpreview who has the best Hummingbird pictures that I have ever seen, he roughly rates the Tamron 1.4x TC to be 6 while he rates the Pentax F 1.7x TC as 9. I already find the Tamron 1.4x TC to be extremely good, my expectation on the Pentax is high but so far my experience has been positive in the 1st day.

Thanks,
Hin

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Last edited by hinman; 10-16-2008 at 01:17 PM.

[hinman]

I am not sure what you need to know.

I have had one since I bought my PZ-1 in 1991.

Although the documentation states that it can only be used with F2.8 and faster lenses, I had origonally contacted pentax in canada to try one out, They let me stand outside their service department and test several lenses to see if it would focus on something slower than F2.8. It did, so I thanked them and ordered one through a local store

Ultimately this TC got a lot of use on my Series 1 70-210 F3.5, as it made it a 105-350 F5.6 AF.

Later I saw a mint 300 F4 in a shop and again tried it out for AF before purchasing.

I still use mine and have posted shots with the 300F4 attached from both the K10D and *istD.

I find the best use is with flash, on the *istD taking advantage of the TTL metering. The results can be seen below

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/106132-post4.html

Lowell, thanks for the comment, I wish I know how to get a tripod mount like the one you posted before for your 300mm. When I use the magic F-1.7x TC on my 200mm f/3.5 Komine MF lens, the AF does not always come into place, it works when the lens is MF to close proximity of the target. And I can't figure the pattern yet.

And I have 3 versions of the Vivitar Series 1 70-210 from Kiron, Tokina, and Komine, I will have a full house in testing my MF lens on this magic TC that turn them into AF with 1.7x multiplier crop factor. About the AF capability, is that your experience that the MF lens has to be in close proximity to shooting target in order for the TC to work the AF magic?

[Lowell Goudge]

Russ sent out the 300mm f/4.0 yesterday and I should have it by Saturday. I am very excited. The 300mm may be too heavy for me for hand holding, I need to find/build/research on the missing tripod mounting. I will post results without and without the TC.

Too bad, I already sold my Tamron 1.4x AF TC and Promaster 1.7x AF TC; otherwise, I can do some unscientific comparisons. From what I learned from TC guru retired Ron in dpreview who has the best Hummingbird pictures that I have ever seen, he roughly rates the Tamron 1.4x TC to be 6 while he rates the Pentax F 1.7x TC as 9. I already find the Tamron 1.4x TC to be extremely good, my expectation on the Pentax is high but so far my experience has been positive in the 1st day.

Thanks,
Hin

check out the 300mm F4 thread in this forum for different ideas on a tripod mount.

Here's mine

https://www.pentaxforums.com/gallery/images/1116/1_100_2666__2_.JPG

Lowell, thanks for the comment, I wish I know how to get a tripod mount like the one you posted before for your 300mm. When I use the magic F-1.7x TC on my 200mm f/3.5 Komine MF lens, the AF does not always come into place, it works when the lens is MF to close proximity of the target. And I can't figure the pattern yet.

And I have 3 versions of the Vivitar Series 1 70-210 from Kiron, Tokina, and Komine, I will have a full house in testing my MF lens on this magic TC that turn them into AF with 1.7x multiplier crop factor. About the AF capability, is that your experience that the MF lens has to be in close proximity to shooting target in order for the TC to work the AF magic?

Hin the AF from the converter is only partial. You have to prefocus first. If your lens is a M42 mount make sure that you make the short out trick.

[hinman]

Hin the AF from the converter is only partial. You have to prefocus first. If your lens is a M42 mount make sure that you make the short out trick.

OMG, I sold all of my M42 lens except my Jupiter. I can never dream about my Jupiter with AF, I don't mind the partial turning. My adrenaline is high!!!! Thanks! And I will try out the short out trick as I heard so many times and yet I never try it as there are many documented tricks scattered among Pentaxian Knowledge. Be it myth or legend, the Pentax F-1.7x AF surely works.

I can believe why Pentax doesn't go forward on this magic TC, think of the myriad of MF lens competing with the latest and greatest.

[tybeck]

I've been using the Pentax 1.7x TC with my Vivitar 70-210 S1 v3 with pretty good results. It does knock the stops back so I've have the most successful shows during the day. Like has been said you need to get the manual focus close for it to work well. At full out on the zoom, /3.5 I think, I could take some pretty good pictures. The last time I used it was at the Tri-cities Water Follies. The response was quite quick on continuous auto focus and using Tv. ISO 400 and a 1/750 shutter speed seemed to work well.

[Lowell Goudge]

Lowell, thanks for the comment, I wish I know how to get a tripod mount like the one you posted before for your 300mm. When I use the magic F-1.7x TC on my 200mm f/3.5 Komine MF lens, the AF does not always come into place, it works when the lens is MF to close proximity of the target. And I can't figure the pattern yet.

And I have 3 versions of the Vivitar Series 1 70-210 from Kiron, Tokina, and Komine, I will have a full house in testing my MF lens on this magic TC that turn them into AF with 1.7x multiplier crop factor. About the AF capability, is that your experience that the MF lens has to be in close proximity to shooting target in order for the TC to work the AF magic?

Hin

I made mine out of aluminium bars and pop rivits. Actually made 2 one for K10D and one for *istD since camera base to center of lens distance is different on each camera.

with respect to MF youu need to be close to focus, the elements in the TC can't move all that far, and the longer the lens the closer to focus you need to be

[Mike.P®]

Can I ask if the teleconverter can be used on autofocus lenses and if so how?
When used with manual focus is the camera switched to mf or af?

Thanks again.

[tybeck]

Can I ask if the teleconverter can be used on autofocus lenses and if so how?
When used with manual focus is the camera switched to mf or af?

Thanks again.

The TC can be used with an AF lens. Basically it becomes a MF lens and you have to adjust it accordingly. All of the focusing is done in the TC. The only mechanical pass-through to the lens is for the aperture blades. I've used this TC on my FA 77mm Limited and it worked fine as a short telephoto prime. As for setting the focus mode on the camera with the TC attached it's just like it would be with a lens. AF = auto focus regardless of the lens attached to the TC. MF = adjust focus only at the lens.

[simonkit]

I was very kindly loaned a Tamron 1.4x Pz-AF TC recently to try with my new
DA 55-300 & to be honest found the results disappointing, I returned the TC. It will be interesting to see if the upcoming Pentax one proves any better

Simon

[hinman]

The TC can be used with an AF lens. Basically it becomes a MF lens and you have to adjust it accordingly. All of the focusing is done in the TC. The only mechanical pass-through to the lens is for the aperture blades. I've used this TC on my FA 77mm Limited and it worked fine as a short telephoto prime. As for setting the focus mode on the camera with the TC attached it's just like it would be with a lens. AF = auto focus regardless of the lens attached to the TC. MF = adjust focus only at the lens.

Your photos with the Vivitar Series 1 zoom make it a winner for me to pay the money for the AF magic TC. It is well worth the money. And thank you for the information on the TC on AF lens.

I will use it on a $65.00 dollar worth of Pentax A 50 f/1.7 lens to make it a p-FA 85 f/3.2, rough estimate on maximum aperture. I put in the "p-" for partial auto focus.

Thanks,
Hin

[hinman]

I was very kindly loaned a Tamron 1.4x Pz-AF TC recently to try with my new
DA 55-300 & to be honest found the results disappointing, I returned the TC. It will be interesting to see if the upcoming Pentax one proves any better

Simon

Simon, I kind of like the Tamron 1.4x TC when I test it. I have to lower my expectation as TC is still a TC with caveats of light loss and IQ loss. But with all things considered, the Tamron serves the purpose quite well. One thing that I can complain about the Tamron TC is on the more showing of PF when used on my purple monster with Tamron 70-300 Di LD even in f/8.0 apertures. And I also use the Tamron 1.4x on my DA 50-200 to some liking in my K10D.

I have to say that TC work better in K10D than K100D. When I try either the Tamron 1.4x or the Promaster 1.7x on K100D, the AF is noticeably slower.

Again, I have higher expectation on the Pentax magic 1.7x TC as conversation with Ron in dpreview in one thread that I can't find now, he seems to indicate his overall rating is much higher in the Pentax F-1.7x AF TC than the Tamron 1.4x TC, I forget the exact rating that Ron gives, it is roughly with 6 (for sure) in the Tamron TC versus 8/9 that he rated the Pentax magic TC.

Ron's amazing thread on hummingbirds with his Pentax A* 200mm f/2.8

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=28785766

Thanks,
Hin