Lens converters - are they any good?

Question

Hi all,

I would like to buy a wide angle lens for my Canon 400D. I already have an 18-55mm but would like to go down to about 10mm. Buying a converter (such as x0.5) is an inexpensive way of doing this but I was wondering if the picture quality is still as good as buying an actual lens? Can anyone also tell me if there is any distortion at 10mm? And does a converter distort more or less than a lens?

Thanks for any feedback.

Answer 1

If you want the best quality, you'll need an actual lens, like a Sigma 10-20mm.

Putting a converter on the front of you lens will produce poor picture quality with plenty of distortion, much more so than a real dedicated lens. You're also far more likely to run into chromatic aberration, reduced contrast and lens flare.

Essentially, it's like taking a sports car and putting cheap tires on it. Yeah, the car will still run, but don't expect it to perform as if you put the best tires on it.

Answer 2

Great question.

I have a bunch of converters. They always lower the quality. The converter will ensure that you always get a darker and less resolved image than with a proper lens.

The only way to know if you can stomach the quality loss is to take your camera and lens to the place where they sell the lens, and actually take some pictures. Even better, compare the converter to pictures taken with a proper lens in the same shop.

Most people use extreme lenses very seldom, so a cheap alternative like a converter might be just what you need for that odd shot.

I love playing around with my converters, but I seldom use them for serious pictures. In fact, I find myself using one lens (a very fast and high quality prime normal lens) for most shots, despite owning several excellent zooms and various other primes.

Hope that helps...

Answer 3

I think you may be confused as to what a "converter" actually is. A converter is usually used to increase focal length but a .5x would make your 18mm focal length an equivalent 9mm. A 1.5x would make the 18mm a 27mm.

Although you can expect some loss of image quality it can be minimized with a good quality converter.

At 10mm you can expect some "barrel' distortion - vertical lines at the edges of the frame will look like this: ( ) as will the horizon unless its perfectly centered (except horizontal).

For the absolute best results buy the Canon 10-22mm and enjoy.

Answer 4

even if in case you are going to be able to desire to mount a fisheye adaptor, it nevertheless does not artwork. this digicam has a set place lens, which potential it won't be able to concentration. the fisheye demands a mushy concentration exchange from the production unit pre-set in the different case each little thing would be blurry. all the pocket cameras of this variety have an identical subject. if the digicam does not have an adjusting lens, then you certainly won't be in a position to apply a fisheye adaptor lens.

Answer 5

The 0.5X converter you're talking about is for a point-and-shoot, not a DSLR.

To get 10mm on your 400D you'll have to get a 10mm lens.

Hope this helps.