Tele Converter Lense For Canon G9

[OhShoot]

Hi,

I'm new here. I've had my Canon G9 for over a year and now I would like to get some accessories to go with it. I really want to get the tele converter lense. Does anyone have this and is it worth buying?

[CarloY]

It's nice. Although I would stay away from cheap ones.
Given that some folks have moved on from the G9 to the 10 or 11, you can get some good used accessories. I saw a Canon 2x Tele on craigslist for $80. You might find one even lower.

There are pros and cons.
It's more to carry. It takes a steady hand or tripod/monopod out at long zoom. But it does extend the reach of the G9 quite well. Pretty sharp results (at least for my amateur use). I also like the Wide lens adapter too.

Use the SEARCH feature of this forum... to find earlier posts on the subject.

Also read up on it here: http://www.lensmateonline.com/newsite/G7tele.html

[denncald]

I have both of the Canon tele and wide converters. They work well, but I've been using them less and less over time. They are larger than the camera, so they are cumbersome to bring along all the time.

I do like having the option of being able to stick one on the camera when needed, but that means I have to have them with me. This led me to purchase a DSLR sized bag to carry the lenses, as well as the Canon 430EX II flash and other accessories. Lately, I find I would prefer to only bring the camera and leave all the extras at home. Kind of like the complaints I read from DSLR owners who leave all their gear at home and want something like the new G11 or S90 for convenience and fun.

Here is a review of the tele and wide converters that may answer some of your questions;

http://www.photoaficionado.com/pimpmycam/g7g9converters.html

You might want to consider smaller sized lenses, as described in this G9 review;

http://www.outbackphoto.com/CONTENT_2007_01/section_gear_cameras/20080206_Canon_G9/index_pr.html

Raynox lenses are still available through various vendors, including Lensmate.

Don't overlook trying out the Safety Zoom feature on the G9, as well as the Digital Tele Conversion feature. They are not as high quality as these lenses, but they may suffice for the shot you need in a pinch, and no extra equipment is required, other than perhaps a small tripod or monopod.

Here's a shot I took using the Safety Zoom, 15x equivalent zoom at 2 MP setting;

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2371/2528538911_0cb9421187_b.jpg

Here's a tight crop of the above shot. It is fuzzy because the original is already a cropped image in-camera. So, don't count on cropping a safety zoom image.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2226/2535558622_1f2d423fe7_o.jpg

Here's a crop from the same time using the Canon 2x tele lens. It's not as fuzzy, because it does not start out as an in-camera cropped image, and you are shooting at full 12 MP.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3205/2535566126_fbd5654bf0_b.jpg


Here's an image using the 2x Digital Tele conversion feature;

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2323/2515496550_5426788f53_o.jpg

Dennis

[Mosca]

IMO they were the worst of both worlds; almost as big and just as cumbersome as a DSLR, without the image quality. I found myself taking them to events and not using them (but still having to carry and keep tabs on the accessory bag). It was easier to just work within the parameters of the G9.

[PicBug]

I have the G9 tele and wide converter lenses. I used the teleconverter quite a bit and it does a fair job of getting in closer for a good value price over a DSLR with a lens of the same reach. I actually enjoy using it.