| Author: | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: January, 2008 Location: Paris, TN Posts: 3,350
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 7, 2012 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Best available TC | | Cons: | It's become expensive | |
In addition to the fact that it's hard to fault the results obtained with this TC when used intelligently, in my opinion it's simply the best TC out there and warrants a top score.
Of particular note for users of the Tamron Adaptall lenses, this APPEARS to have the same optical formula as the 140F 1.4x converter and in any case it certainly produces results that are equal in IQ. Neither has the modern Dii coatings and being the glass surface closest to the digital sensor may occasionally exhibit flare from internal reflection.
More importantly, you don't have to disassemble the lens/adapter pair to use this TC as it attaches to the PK/PKA adapter as it would to any bayonet mount.
Used with discretion, I find no difference in images made with this TC compared to those cropped to the same magnification when used with these Adaptall SP lenses (52BB, 63B, 30A, 19AH and 360B) and many of the popular AD-2 lenses perform satisfactorily with it also.
I acquired a Pentax AF 1.7x converter to determine if it would add useful AF functionality to the Adaptalls and concluded that the Pz-AF and 140F offered noticeably better IQ for my purposes.
I have two of these and have used others and found them to be consistently excellent with no noticeable variation in IQ between lenses.
Both of my items were acquired some time ago before they became hard to find so I won't skew the current average price with unrealistic two-digit values. If I needed to replace mine for use with my Adaptall lenses I'd consider $200-240 a reasonable price and a good value today considering the versatility they add to both the tele- and macro capabilities of these lenses.
H2
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: June, 2012 Posts: 8 | | Review Date: June 2, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $285.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Doesn't lose sharpness at all, incredible! autofocus... | | Cons: | I s'pose it's starting to cost a bit much? | |
When I first bought this on eBay, a used copy, I thought 'Gee I just spent as much as a 35mm f2.4 on a teleconverter!' and was kicking myself until it arrived, and I tried it out. whoa.
It's not so much that this does anything incredible like say, the 16-50mm f2.8 (my favourite lens) - its just that it DOESN'T do anything to the image. Like, you are getting 1.4x zoom for basically no cost... Well the cost of a stop, but in good light that's fine, sharpness is what I mean, it simply isn't affected. If this was $500 I'd still buy it, because it's just an awesome bit of kit for wildlife or sports, and I don't know how I ever did without it.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: June, 2011 Location: Near Sydney, NSW Posts: 331
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 1, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $318.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Maintains AF (even with SDM!) and EXIF data, ridiculously sharp, a small, light way to add say, 120mm to your 300mm lens! | | Cons: | Hard to get these days, paid a lot for mine... But worth every penny. | |
Everyone has said it with this TC already - it is so sharp that when used well, I'd challenge anyone to tell the difference between it being used, or just the same lens but closer.
I've used this for cricket, where you can't get closer than about 70 metres from the action, and my team mates when I showed them the pics said "Gee that lens doesn't look that big or powerful!" Yep well, it's not... but this little baby is powerful alright!
I also used it with the Sigma 170-500 (which obviously IS a big lens) and MAN, can you get some good results considering you're at 700mm and f9.0! With enough light to stop the lens to f8.0 (which makes it f11 in reality), then results are incredible considering you can fill the frame with a crow that is 40 metres away.
These days it's rare to see it, and when it does come up for sale it's closer to $300 than it is to $200, but I didn't really mind paying just over $310 for mine because I wasn't sure when I'd see it come again. So if you're after a TC and this one comes up, don't worry if it's $250+, it's the best one out there and that's all there is to it.
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: January, 2011 Posts: 440
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 18, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | sharp, compact and unobstrusive | | Cons: | | |
When I picked this off eBay some years ago, I didn't know what I was getting.. i.e., it's really sharp, with a good lens in front, it's hard to notice much difference, and it works well without calling attention to itself.
As a bonus it has the "PZ" contacts (from the 90s), which Pentax later re-used for their SDM focusing, so it's worth quite a bit more mostly because of this "feature" (and as Pentax have not come out with their own SDM TC yet!)
If you can pick this up for a good price, you won't be dissapointed!
| | | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: November, 2010 Location: California Posts: 2,223 | | Review Date: April 22, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $250.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | The best 1.4x TC no doubt about it. Sharp and neat | | Cons: | None - hard to get and expensive | |
This is a great 1.4x TC. It does what it is designed to do.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: May, 2009 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Posts: 6,513 | | Review Date: October 28, 2010 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | overall IQ retention, SDM works (probably HSM as well), affordable | | Cons: | discontinued and hard to find, CA, slow AF, not good for mediocre lenses | |
finally got myself a copy after several attempts to get one for a good price. I use this primarily with my short tele and medium tele lenses and as well as macros. the Tamron is able to retain most of the essential IQ aspects of the lens, but it is only as good as your lens is. meaning, your lens need to have excellent IQ inorder to show very minimal loss in IQ. the Tamron is able to retain mostly the sharpness and contrast of the image and very minimal degradation. my complaint about it is the CA caused by the TC which is a minus for me. the AF is useful but is slow, so another minus here. all in all, I score it fairly an "8".
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: November, 2007 Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland Posts: 262
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 12, 2010 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Decent quality, works with SDM | | Cons: | Not currently available in UK | |
Cost £90
Not quite the same build/image quality as the Sigma 1.4, but better value as it is (was) considerably cheaper and is a'Universal' teleconverter - no list of lenses it will/won't work with/fit, unlike the Sigma, as the front element is deeply recessed. This includes Pentax SDM lenses (has the extra two electical contacts) and goes well with the DA* 50-135mm. Pity Pentax can't provide something similar... It you find one, snap it up - belongs in everyones kit bag.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: April, 2010 Posts: 68 | | Review Date: June 14, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $185.00
| Rating: 10 |
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Works very well with the new DA*200/2.8 and the new DA*300/4.
Hunts a little bit in AF on the DA*300 (act like a 630mm lens on FF).
Still fast autofocus.
T | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: July, 2007 Location: Florida Gulfer Posts: 3,054 | | Review Date: March 18, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $125.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | IQ, Very Sharp, Full AF, | | Cons: | Small decrease in contrast | |
I would definitely recomend this lens to anyone thats looking for a TC.
I use it on my Sigma 100-300 f4 and it is a little slow focusing but nothing I'm not used to with Pentax gear.
| | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: March, 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Posts: 23,920 | | Review Date: September 29, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $110.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, accurate, fast AF on most non-SDM/HSM lenses | | Cons: | Not as widely compatible with new SDM/HSM lenses | |
A brilliant performer.
Buddied with a Tamron 70-200/2.8, this TC provides fast and accurate AF with minimal loss in speed, both in locking AF as well as brightness in the viewfinder.
The SDM/HSM compatibility is there but is not cut out with the Sigma 70-200/2.8 II HSM for example due to focus hunting and inability to lock focus at longer FLs. This is a shame, as this would be where one would use such a TC. I have not tried it on any other SDM lens so I cannot comment on any other SDM/HSM lens compatibility issues (other than the DA* 16-50, on which it works perfectly, but why would one want to use the TC on that lens?!?).
Nevertheless, for the lens I use it with, this TC is excellent. Imperceptible IQ degradation, small, lightweight, good quality, decent AF - all big pluses for this TC compared to many others.
A highly regarded and recommended TC for screw-drive AF lenses.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: March, 2009 Location: Montana, USA Posts: 75 | | Review Date: March 16, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $74.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | VERY SHARP. Full auto focus, auto exposure compatability. | | Cons: | Very slight red shift. Very minor decrease in contrast. | |
Excellent test shot results. A+ performance. 
I purchased this tele-converter primarily for use on my SMC Pentax-F 1:4.5 300mm ED(IF) lens (one of Pentax's sharpest) and that is what I did most of the testing with. Using my K10D shooting DNG raw files at ISO 200, comparison shots of a highly detailed, multi-textured, relatively flat field subject were taken with lens tripod mounted, aperture wide open at F/4.5, with and without the Tamron tele-converter mounted, same field of view (tripod was moved forward from 300 + tele-converter position for same field of view with 300mm lens only). Shots, when compared side by side on Viewsonic Graphics Series G90fB CRT monitor at 1280 x 1024 screen resolution, at 100% and 200% image resolution, showed no discernible sharpness or detail degradation, on center or at the edges of the image. The only discernible difference was a VERY slight red shift, indicated by just a few points increase in the red channel, and a very minor decrease in contrast.
To see any degradation in detail and sharpness I had to shoot with my K20D (DNG raw, 4672 x 3104 pixels, ISO 200). Only then, at 100% side by side comparison viewing of the images could I begin to detect any difference, looking hard. It was only at 200% that an untrained eye, looking for differences, would likely see any, and those very minor. Without direct side by side comparison the incremental red shift and tiny decrease in contrast would not be apparent.
This is exceptional performance.
Lighting for these shots was indoor, primarily domestic tungsten, with some fluorescent and daylight mix. The 300mm lens, wide open at F/4.5, seemed to auto focus just as quickly with the TC on as without it. While there was some hunting, there was also hunting with the 300 lens without the TC, to be expected in relatively low domestic indoor lighting. Auto metering was just as accurate with the TC on as off. All available auto functions worked just as well with the TC on as off the lens. I also did some test shots with other lenses, including a fully auto, current Pentax DA zoom lens, manual Pentax-M series prime lens, a manual P/K mount non-Pentax prime macro lens, and a couple Vivitar Series 1 P/K-A mount macro zoom lenses. All functions available with each lens mounted by itself on the K20D were also available with the Tamron TC mounted. Optical performance comparable to the testing with the Pentax 300mm lens.
One cautionary note, if you like to depend on in-camera shake reduction for hand holding of telephoto lenses, with the Tamron tele-extender mounted the camera sees the lens focal length as the lens only length, not the combined lens with tele-extender length, i.e., it sees a 300mm lens with the 1.4X tele-extender as a 300mm lens, not the actual 420mm effective focal length, and it shake compensates commensurately. So, be sure to keep your shutter speed as close to the true effective lens focal length reciprocal as possible, for best handheld results. A good policy anyway. For what it is worth, I rarely shoot with a lens longer than 200mm handheld. That is what tripods are for.
Based on the performance of this one example (who knows, maybe I got an exceptionally good specimen), I highly recommend the Tamron-F 1.4X Pz-AF MC4 tele-converter, if you can find it. I was lucky. I stumbled on it at my local used camera store, and got it for just $74.00. A steal, given the quality and apparent scarcity of this tele-converter.
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