The Canon EOS and Photography Forums

I am interested in a Front End Conversion lens, FEC, for use on my Ef 70-300mm 1:4-5.6 IS USN lens. I may also use it on a EF 35-135MM lens also. The camera body is a Rebel XS (1000D).

I am sure I am not the only one looking for a reasonably priced option and still get good quality photos. I am on a fixed budjet and things can get tight at times. :-[ So, who makes a good front end extender, say a 1.7X or 2.0X, for under lets say $200.00?

I have read a lot on the teleconverters that go between body & lenses & do not like the fact that you lose an F stop but would they be a better choice? ???

I wouldn't really recommend it. Nobody makes one specifically designed for Canon SLR lenses and even if you could find one it wouldn't be as good as a conventional TC that goes between the lens and camera body.

While it's not technically impossible to make a front mounted TC that matched an SLR lens, it would likely be more expensive than a rear mounted TC of equal quality because of the large size of the optics that would be required.

Most front mounting TC you'll be able to find in a 58mm filter size would be relatively cheap and relatively nasty.

Here's one for only $19.99 (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001PQ7BAK/bobatkinsphotogr) if you just want to experiment.

Here's one for Around $170 (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000Y9YFDA/bobatkinsphotogr), but note that it's really designed for use with camcorders, not SLR lenses. I really don't know how well it would work on a lens like the 70-300is. If you decide to try it, let me know what you think of it!

Here's a really expensive one (over $500) - http://www.schneideroptics.com/Ecommerce/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?CID=1070&IID=882 - but it's really intended for use on 35mm movie cameras.

Bob, I have decided to be brave, or its that stupid?.  I have ordered this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009OAFJ8/ref=oss_product

I am more than willing to give you my opinion of it after I try it.  I am an armature though so it really won't mean much.  How about this, after I have used it for a day or two I will put a couple of raw (CR2) files on my web site so you can download them and analyze them?  I don't have near your expertise so your opinion would mean a lot more.  I have unlimited space on my site and am willing do what ever you would want to compare and/or analyze the photos taken with this lens.

I really enjoy and have learned a great deal from your site so have no problem working with you on something like this.

I was curious after reading your post, so I attached my Canon TC-DC58N 1.75X (from Canon A720IS) to the front of my 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM lens.  Here is what I noticed after a few quick shots:

-The heavy weight of this metal barreled TC attached to the front causes zooming and focusing movements to bind -I think it could cause wear or damage.

-Auto-focus works about the same as a between the lens TC -That is, it sometimes works at wide angle, but not in telephoto.

-Image looks very soft.

-I lose about 2 f stops.

-There is a very severe color 'haze' around the objects in the photos -When I shot a white birdbath against a dark background the birdbath had a white glow around it, tree branches against the overcast sky have a bluish haze.  It is much more diffuse than typical chromatic abberation.

I didn't even download the photos, just looked on my LCD screen. This combination could be of some use for very diffuse portraiture. I would have done more experimenting, at different settings, etc, but didn't like the binding.

Thank you for the information.  I do know Canon says that lens is only to be used on certian PS cameras that they make but do not know why.  Here is a link on a different forum that shows a couple of photos taken with the lens I ordered.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1031&message=34411211

I hope I have better luck than you.

Hey, if you have good luck, I may have to order it too!

Well, if any front mounted TC is going to work OK it would likely be a low power one made by a company who does good optics, so the Sony 1.7x is probably a good choice.

I actually have a Sony VCL-DH2630 2.6x front mounting TC but it's much too small to use on a DSLR since it only has a 30mm thread and the aperture at the camera side of the lens is only 9mm in diameter. It works pretty well on my camcorder (though autofocus becomes a bit "iffy"). It also make as excellent low power telescope if you look through it!

Well, my toy came today.  I really do not have time to play too much today but did take a few shots.  The likns are below for the jpg's

http://photo-gallery.sjerseyglass.com/IMG_2005.jpg

http://photo-gallery.sjerseyglass.com/IMG_2006.jpg

http://photo-gallery.sjerseyglass.com/IMG_2013.jpg

http://photo-gallery.sjerseyglass.com/IMG_2012.jpg

One thing I have noticed is I have to set the ISO.  I had it in auto (don't know why?) & the one photo used 200, the rest jumped to 800 and those photos were much brighter.  Photos 2005 &2013 are at 300mm, 2006 & 2012 are with the FEC on.

If you want to look at the raw files use this links

http://photo-gallery.sjerseyglass.com/raw/ 

You can then download the CR2 files and look at them in your program.