Conversion Lens Adapter for Canon Powershot

[omdown]

I currently have a Canon Powershot S1 IS digital camera, and I'm looking to get a few different kind of filters for it, but I'm a bit new to professional-ish photography and I was curious if anyone could help me clear up something I'm a little confused about.

I was looking through the instruction book and it says that to be able to attach any lenses or anything on, I need to buy their special Conversion Lens Adapter LA-DC52E (link ), and then I can attach either a tele- or wide converter, however I can't attach any filters or lens hoods to the converters.

My first question (if anyone knows) is whether or not I should be able to attach a lens or filter to the Conversion Lens Adapter, or should I expect it to only attach the tele- and wide converters?

My second question is do you think any third party photo company might make any converters or adapters that would be compatible with my camera? I figure Madcatz makes video game controllers for X-Box, Playstation and Nintendo, so maybe somebody out there makes equipment that's compatible with cameras they don't make. If anyone has any knowledge of this kind of stuff I'd love to hear anything you might have to offer.

As always, thanks to all you guys for all that you do.

[nwyman]

The S1 needs the adapter in order to attach either filters or converters.
The filters cannot be placed on the front end of the converter - it has to go on the adapter.
I used to attach the adapter, add the filter and then screw the converter onto the filter.

Try:
www.lensmateonline.com
for compatible accessories.

Nancy

[omdown]

ohhhhhh . . . I didn't know I could attach a filter and then the converter on top of it! I thought it was either the converter OR the filter but that was my only options. I also saw this on lensmate, does anyone know if that is any good? It says it has a '38mm wide end,' I was a little confused as to what that meant though, because it says at the top that it's a 52mm lens adapter . . . now I'm kind of confused. :P Does it add any zoom at all? If I can add a lens/filter to the Canon conversion lens adapter and then connect the tele-converter to the end, would that make it about the same as the Lensmate adapter?

I think what I'm trying to get at is which is better, the Canon lens adapter or the lensmate adapter? What does the 'wide end' mean? Thanks again!

[nwyman]

Havng had both, I prefer the Lensmate adapter - it's aluminium and fits tighter - the Canon product had a very slight wiggle when screwed on.
Wide end means the camera isn't zoomed out at all - just as it is when you turn it on.

As for zooming with the adapter on, yes, it does.

To further confuse the issue - the camera, filter, converter thing works with the S1 and the A95, but doesn't with the S2, because of the design of the converters for that model.

Nancy

[omdown]

Ohhhh, so with that adapter it just zooms like the 10x zoom you usually get with the Powershot, no magnifications or limitations? On the area near the lens it says that the Powershot ranges between 5.8 - 58mm, does that mean that with the Lensmate adapter, the minimum zoom becomes 38mm?

Also the page shows a series of wide angle pictures taken with what I assume was the Lensmate adapter, but is that with a wide angle lens attached to the front of it?

Sorry for all the questions, like I said, I'm still pretty new at this.

[nwyman]

no problem with your questions -- I'm pretty new at it myself, hence the lack of technical terms in my explanations.
The pictures on the lensmateonline site usually state if a converter is attached. Usually the first pic is of the camera at wide angle in its natural state. If they put the converter on, they say so, and it's usually closer to the bottom of the page.

My understanding (which is admittedly limited) is that when you put the adapter on, the camera functions in its usual range. In fact, I just leave the adapter on all the time, and put the converters or filters on as needed. But I frequently just shoot in the normal range, but with the adapter attached.

Don't know about all this mm stuff. I think I was snoozing when the camera class covered that - everyone else seemed to understand it, but it sort of passed me by. <g>
Pretty sure it has to do with focal length, and I don't think that changes until you add the converter.

Nancy (waiting to be enlightened)

[sonnyJ]

Let me try to help. Must base this on the S2IS since that is what I have - the explanation should apply to any camera

You can not attach wide or tele lens or filters directly to the S2, you must put an adapter on to the body of the S2 and then attach the filter or converter lens to the adaptor.
The adaptor does nothing except supply a place to attach things.

The S2 has a cover ring over the connection for the adapter - you must remove that ring then attach the canon or lensmate adapter. Either adapter is machined to fit the connection on the S2 body.

It is the other end of the adapter that accepts auxillary items. filters, converter lenses have "male" threads that screw into the "female" thread on the adapter. Here size, in mm, matters. Wide angle and tele converter lenses for the S2 come in a variety of thread size (diameter of screw in end) Seems that most common are 52mm and 58mm
so you MUST get the adapter with the receiving threads the same size as the lens threads.

When you look at a converter lense the specs will give you the mm size of the base - some lens also have threads "lens" (glass) end that will accept filters, etc. Often this mm is different than the base end - especially for wide angle converter - May have 52mm base thread and 62mm lens thread - you can see the extra diameter just looking at the lens. Many converter lens' specs say "not threaded" on lens end so you can't easily attach filter, etc.

Figure out what the specs are for the items you plan to purchase and get the matching adapters.

I bought 2 -52mm lensmate adapters - put 52 mm UV filter on one and keep it on camera "all the time" The adapter offers some protection to the camera lens and give you something to hold, the zoom mechanism works inside it.

My tele converter has 52mm thread. It is attached to the 2nd lensmate. Push the release button - remove my "base' adapter and snap in the one with the tele. real quick and easy.

If my tele had 58 mm threads I would have purchased a 52 and 58mm lensmate. UV polarizer, etc filters are available in many sizes The 58mm filters are more expensive than the 52mm. From what I have seen the adapters for the S2 only come in 52mm and 58mm

You can use step up or step down rings to get other sizes to fit - but that is a different topic

Regarding the examples given on the lensmate site - Remember the tele or wide angle converters are fixed - not zoom lenses. The camera zoom is what control the image

For example - lets say a camera has a 10 zoom - 40mm to 400mm (these mm's are different from those used for thread size). You add a tele converter with strength of 1.5. That means is magnifies the zoom by 150 %.( With the adapter in place your zoom is now 60mm to 600mm. (The wide angle does the opposite - so a .6 converters makes your camera function as a 24mm to 240mm lens)The lensmate site gives examples of image at various zoom settings with and without the converter. You are really interested in the "extra" range obtained via the converter - the extra wide angle 24-40 and the tele 400-600 - every thing between 40 and 400 is already there

The 5.8 to 58 (10x) zoom you mention is in digital terms - the 40-400 I mentioned are in 35mm film terms (example - the S2 shows 6 to 72 zoom (12x)- digital but 36 to 432 in 35 mm film equivalent)

Hope this helps

[omdown]

Wow, thanks for that! That was really helpful . . . do you mind if I ask you one thing about the S2? I've noticed that on the S1 the highest ISO I can do is 400, is there any difference between digitial ISO and film? I'd love to be able to do ALOT faster than that because my friend's band does alot of shows in dark areas and it's really difficult to capture a good picture without an extremely fast ISO, I think the guy that was at one of his shows was using 3200 film which captured absolutely incredible shots in extremely low light situations. I know that the S2 can't do anything quite that good but can it get over 400? Thanks again

[nwyman]

unfortunately, the S2 only does up to 400 ISO as well.
Nancy (also thanking SunnyJ for explanation)

[sonnyJ]

Film was rates by ASA now both film and digital seem to use ISO
I was told - ASA is American "something" Association. ISO is International "something " Organization. Change was to make rating more universal - International rather than American. Otherwise no change

[PDA Bach]

Originally Posted by sonnyJ

Film was rates by ASA now both film and digital seem to use ISO
I was told - ASA is American "something" Association. ISO is International "something " Organization. Change was to make rating more universal - International rather than American. Otherwise no change

I believe that in both cases the "S" is for "Standards," as in an overseeing body to try to keep some consistency.