Question on lens...

Rapala46

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Hey everyone. I have been looking at a certain lens, which I am not sure is quality or not. The Lens is a Phoenix 500mm lens. It is compatible with my EOS T2 (film), and it comes with a 2x teleconverter (this way, the lens is technically a 1000mm lens). Does anyone know if this is a good lens? Or if the company is reliable? I have never heard of phoenix before...

Here are the specs:

Brand: Phoenix
· Diameter: 2.8
· Length: 11.7 inches
· Weight: 22.6 oz.
· Filter Size:67 mm
· Maximum Aperture: F8.0
· Minimum Aperture: F:32
· Groups/Elements: 4/4
· Angle of View: 5°
· Macro Magnification: n/a
· Minimum Focus Distance: 33 ft
· Manual Focus

I plan on buying this off of ebay, so here is the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-EOS-Mount-500-1000mm-Lens-Digital-Rebel-XT-NEW_W0QQitemZ7563933728QQcategoryZ106844QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Thanks for the help everyone
 
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Stay a-w-a-y !!!! Do not buy!
 
I'm with them...stay away.

Some things to note;

maximum aperture is F8, that it really small for a maximum aperture. Your camera needs at least F5.6 for autofocus to work. At F8, it would even be hard to see enough to manual focus.

With a 2X teleconverter, you lose two stops of light. So if you put those two together, there would hardly be any light getting into the camera.

Unless you are shooting photos of the Sun (don't do that, b.t.w.), it would be very hard to get a usable shutter speed with that lens, next to impossible with the 2X on.
 
thank god for you guys. i was all set on buying it. Now, i am not buying it, but what about this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-EOS-Mt-420-1600mm-Lens-Elan-7-7e-7n-7ne-IIe-NEW_W0QQitemZ7563549016QQcategoryZ4687QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1] Zoom System:[/size][/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1] Linear Push - Pull with Zoom Lock[/size][/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Focal Length: [/size][/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1] 420-800mm or 840-1600mm with 2x Teleconverter[/size][/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Focus Mode:[/size][/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Manual Focus [/size][/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Minimum Focus:[/size][/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]5.25ft[/size][/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Exposure Mode:[/size][/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Aperture Priority Automatic and/or Manual Depending on Camera Model[/size][/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Aperture :[/size][/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]f/8.3 @ 420mm – f/16 @ 800mm[/size][/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Aperture with 2X Teleconverter : [/size][/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]f/16.6 @ 840mm – f/32 @ 1600mm[/size][/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Filter Size:[/size][/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]62mm [/size][/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Dimensions (diameter x length)

[/size][/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Zoom Lens: 2.7x 8.75 in.
2X Teleconverter: 1.9 x 2.0 in.[/size][/font]

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Weight:
[/size][/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Zoom Lens: 18.3 oz.
2X Teleconverter: 3.0 oz.



I also have the option of choosing just the lens, and no teleconverter


or.....i could buy this: http://cgi.ebay.com/Vivitar-500-1000mm-Lens-Canon-EOS-Rebel-Ti-2000-T2-NEW_W0QQitemZ7562922007QQcategoryZ4687QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

Or...i could just buy a Sigma Teleconverter for my existing Sigma Lenses.

Thank you so much for helping out a newb here. I would be have already bought that phoenix lens, and then i would have been in trouble!
[/size][/font]
 
As an eBay Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Sorry to burst your bubbles but neither Kenko nor Vivitar are something I would spend my money on. Very low quality glass.

Save some $$ and get a long tele (500mm) by Canon or get a 2x tele converter by Canon.
 
no no, not bursting my bubble at all, its just that I have no clue what I am doing. I am asking you guys for help, because i don't know what I am doing. Ok, so no go on the Kenko or vivitar. What about the Sigma 2x teleconverter? Or maybe i should just buy the canon teleconverter? I dont know if it matters, but both of my lenses are sigma now....

EDIT: also, what about bower...are thye any good?

http://cgi.ebay.com/500mm-Hi-Def-Te...7564011556QQcategoryZ4687QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I also found that.....is that an ok lens?


Maybe i should explain....i want to take pictures of wildlife (birds/deer/squirrels/chipmunks/etc) and my lenses just aren't getting close enough. I am not too far out, so a 600mm lens would be more than enough. Thats why a teleconverter works for me. The only thing is that I am a high school student, with no income, besides dog-sitting, leaf picking, and snow shoveling. So, thats why I am looking at stuff like this. My budget is anything under 150.


once again thanks a lot everyone...
 
As an eBay Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
It's all crap under 150 bucks. Neither canon nor sigma converters will work with your 70-300.

And 2x converter cuts the light off by two stops. At F/11 a wildlife lens is useless.

If you want anything decent for wildlife, you need at least a grand. You'd be able to get 300 f/4 or 400/5.6

Then there's the 100-400 which is also slow and short.

But it's usually not enough if your subject is in shadow, so you're looking at 400/2.8 and 600/4 which are HUGE and cost 6-7 grand just for the lens.

If you get THOSE lenses, you also need a GOOD tripod and a good AF camera to go with them, which are also a grand.

So, as much as you want - buy a postcard of some eagle to satisfy your wildlife desire.

Then get 50/1.8 canon lens for 70 bucks and a vivitar 283/285 flash. Those flashes for about 20-25 bucks each.

Happy shooting.
 
Seeing that you use the 70-300 Sigma lens, why not just get some ultra fine grain film, a good tripod and then cropping will do the rest?

BTW, Opteka is also a very poor choice of a lens. Generally speaking, $150.00 will not buy you quality. If you're after mediocre shots then go ahead but if you want quality you need to spend more $$. A lot more.
 
DocFrankenstein said:
Then get 50/1.8 canon lens for 70 bucks and a vivitar 283/285 flash. Those flashes for about 20-25 bucks each.

What would be the point of of buying a 50/1.8 canon lens? That serves no help to me. I already have a lens that covers that. And the flash? I don't need a flash. I don't take indoor pictures, and a flash serves no point in taking pictures in the daylight (besides fill...which i have the pop up flash for) So then basically...you are telling me to waste my money...thanks for the help



Mitica100 said:
Seeing that you use the 70-300 Sigma lens, why not just get some ultra fine grain film, a good tripod and then cropping will do the rest?

BTW, Opteka is also a very poor choice of a lens. Generally speaking, $150.00 will not buy you quality. If you're after mediocre shots then go ahead but if you want quality you need to spend more $$. A lot more.

Ok thanks Mitica. I never thought of doing that. What kind of film would you recommend? I already have a nice tripod, so I guess I will try out that. Also, thanks for steering me away from Opteka. I don't want to waste money on mediocre shots, so I will stick to bringing my camera hunting with me, and getting shots close up that way.

Thanks a lot everyone.
 
If you already have a 70-300 lens, just get a teleconverter (sigma brand). You will lose autofocus but it should still be easy enough to manual focus. The Canon teleconverter is probably better, but only works with a few Canon lenses.

It's not the best solution but it's much cheaper than a lens that will do the best job.

I have a Vivitar 100-300 lens. It's not great, but it's got me some shots that I wouldn't have got otherwise. I recently found a used Sigma 2X teleconverter. I use it with the Vivitar...autofocus does not work but I can manual focus just fine.
 
I'm with Mike here. I have a cheap Sigma 70-300mm that I pair up with a cheap 2X teleconverter. It's way too dark to use it in auto, but it works fine if I manual focus. And no, they aren't National Geographic quality, but they're shots I never would have got any other way.
 
Rapala46 said:
What would be the point of of buying a 50/1.8 canon lens? That serves no help to me. I already have a lens that covers that. And the flash? I don't need a flash. I don't take indoor pictures, and a flash serves no point in taking pictures in the daylight (besides fill...which i have the pop up flash for) So then basically...you are telling me to waste my money...thanks for the help
Sorry, brain fart. ;)





Ok thanks Mitica. I never thought of doing that. What kind of film would you recommend? I already have a nice tripod, so I guess I will try out that. Also, thanks for steering me away from Opteka. I don't want to waste money on mediocre shots, so I will stick to bringing my camera hunting with me, and getting shots close up that way.

Thanks a lot everyone.
Ok, so let me get this summed up:
1) Get low grain low ISO film
2) Put a cheap teleconverter on 70-300
3) Crop after!

Can't wait to see the shots! :lol:
 
Depending on the situation, here is another tip...

If you have a good accessory flash, use it. They even make snoots that go onto the flash head to extend the distance that it will cover. It won't work for a deer at 200 yards but it works for monkeys (especially black monkeys) & sloths in a shaded rain forest canopy. It gives a nice catch light to an animals eyes as well.

This was taken with my Vivitar lens at 300mm, 2X teleconverter & flash.

CR-077-web.jpg
 
ok, so it is OK to put a Sigma teleconverter on? I am OK using manual so, I guess I now know what I am looking for. A Sigma 2x teleconverter? thanks guys, youve been a HUGE help

Also, is Phoenix crap stuff, or is it ok to buy?
 

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