Web Analytics RiceHigh's Pentax Blog: A HD 1.4X Unboxing and Test with Cropped/Comparison Samples

Sunday, June 29, 2014

A HD 1.4X Unboxing and Test with Cropped/Comparison Samples

http://www.pentaxfans.net/thread-146196-1-1.html

By a Taiwan Pentax user and the above post is in Traditional Chinese.

Most of the test pictures posted are self-explanatory, though. Just browse through the page and inspect yourself and find out all the differences, if you can see any!

Btw, I am impressed with the IQ of this converter, at least on a cropped sensor. This TC is rather expensive, anyway. If it is confirmed to be FF compatible, I would not hesitate to invest. But as all the other Pentax stuff nowadays, not to even mention about their rareness and the lack of new models (there are only a few each year), the problem to buy is only about the lack of faith, frankly. It is all because we cannot see the future nor the direction of the brand, which has been rather unclear for years now! >:-(
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Ying's avatar

Ying · 559 weeks ago

Looks really familiar, like the FA version. I have the FA 1.7x, not too happy with the result - maybe the 1.4x would been better.

BTW - botice the really old style lens cover they are using - that looks like th eone from 1980's
1 reply · active 559 weeks ago
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RiceHigh's avatar - Go to profile

RiceHigh 110p · 559 weeks ago

Yes, I have that original Pentax body cover, which was made in Japan and has a "lens" lock position:

http://ricehigh.blogspot.com/2013/07/colour-rendi...
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Ying's avatar

Ying · 559 weeks ago

Sorry, my 1.7x was F, not FA. I bought it NEW in Japan in 2011 - they were still making them back then..
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Dante's avatar

Dante · 559 weeks ago

Rice you are right, we cannot see the future nor the direction of the brand. This keeps me, and many others, from investing in more Pentax equipment. I like this new TC but I'm not spending another penny until Ricoh becomes less secretive about their plans.
3 replies · active 559 weeks ago
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Catchalive's avatar

Catchalive · 559 weeks ago

LOL!
Ricoh/Pentax has one of the best compact on the market: GR; one of the best cropped DSLR on the market: K3; one of the best MF on the market: 645Z (look at the comparative test on some other blog...)
It is not enough for you?
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Mike Kawasaki's avatar

Mike Kawasaki · 559 weeks ago

What Rice and most gentlemen think about "unclear direction" is the unclear state of the K-mount system.
- SDM state of affairs? Unclear.
- Is the future for Pentax lenses screw-drive or something else? Unclear.
- What about HD coating for other lenses? Unclear.
- What about the fate of FA limiteds? Unclear.
- And also very unclear statement about the product specs: is the new TC indeed FF ready? Unclear.
(Since Pentax has no digital FF cameras and old film cameras are not officially supported by the brand, it is unclear.)
- Will there be anything more than a K-3-type of shape and type of camera from Pentax? Anything different? Unclear.
Etc.
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zosX's avatar

zosX · 559 weeks ago

Which is why I do not concern myself with what the future may hold, but rather with what the present time brings to the table. I see no camera system out there that is any better really than what I have now, for my own needs. FF or larger would require more weight if I go to Canikon. m4/3 is too small in the sensor department. Fuji's cameras are nice, but I still prefer the SLR design overall. Sony's offerings are schizophrenic and seem more like market reactions than long term strategies. Sure Ricoh has a long term strategy. The question is what is it? The pentaprism is an integral part of the pentax name. To abandon it would be like turning away from everything that made them famous in the first place. That said, with the rest of the industry looking at mirrorless as the eventual future, it would almost seem suicidal for pentax to stick with only DSLRs and prisms. Once you take those two things away, is there really any reason to keep using K-mount? The K-01 was a good example of why k-mount makes zero sense for mirrorless. Ricoh is a very forward thinking company. Look at their own camera designs. I can't think of any better company that would have bought them really. I hope they do something smart and keep the brand competitive, whatever that takes. Or they could become like leica, a boutique brand that makes outdated camera designs with modern internals. I'd probably be just as happy with that choice as well. I think often about my choice in gear, and really cannot stand canon or nikon, so what does that leave me with? For as anti-consumer sony has been in the past, it will be a very cold day in hell when they ever see my money again.
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Catchalive's avatar - Go to profile

Catchalive · 559 weeks ago

SDM is clear: They told in an interview that they stop producing lenses with it. Future is DC motor. It was told too.

But before launching new lenses with it, they may wait and see how it works for the 20-40. Just to not make the same mistake as the SDM...

For your other points, I haven't read any official interview so I can't tell... Fot the TC, maybe asking to RICOH directly may be the solution? Or Rice could test with his Canon K-mount modified?
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xbox's avatar

xbox · 559 weeks ago

The HD 1.4x tele converter is officially capable of handling 35mm film or sensor.
1 reply · active 559 weeks ago
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Sln's avatar

Sln · 559 weeks ago

No it isn't. It has quite obvious vignetting on FF. There is visible loss of contrast also (A7r). There is no reason to mount it on A7r IMO. Results on K5 are quite good - small birds especially. Bigger objects at infinity - minimal improvement vs cropping.
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Surferdude's avatar

Surferdude · 559 weeks ago

My thoughts when the 1.4 converter was first announced was that it's main purpose would be to allow apsc lenses to be used on a future FF camera.
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Simon's avatar

Simon · 557 weeks ago

Been wanting to find out if this can do what the old 1.7 AF teleconverter do as in turning manual lens into autofocus ones? Thanks in advanced!
1 reply · active 557 weeks ago
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Jac's avatar

Jac · 557 weeks ago

This new 1.4 tele converter is optically much better than the old 1.7 AF adapter but the answer to your question is no. It doesn't convert a manual lens into an AF lens.

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