Customer Reviews

Olympus EC14 1.4x Teleconverter Lens (for at f/2.8 on E-System lenses)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I wanted the EC14 1.4x teleconverter primarily to extend the range of my 70-300 mm lens for bird photography. I'd read all the reviews, critiques and forums beforehand, asked for advice and practical tips and knew what I was getting myself into: more zoom, one stop less of light, meaning 840 mm reach (the four thirds system used by Olympus automatically doubles the range of any lens because of sensor peculiarities) and f/8.0 with the lens fully extended.

There's no denying I had my qualms before closing the deal. For that price I could get a decent shorter lens instead, or save up towards another zoom lens. But what sold me on the EC14 was the prospect of getting closer to the birds without lugging a ton of equipment around. So I bought it...

...And waited for a week before a bright, sunny day came along. I attached it to the E-520 and the 70-300 mm (it couldn't be easier and more fool-proof) and set out to test it. The results were beyond my expectations. I got sharp, bright, close photos of birds and anything else at which I pointed my camera, the lens behaved exactly as it usually does, focus was as good as it is without the teleconverter and f/8.0 was just fine for the light conditions. In fact, the photo geeks always say that the 70-300 mm's "sweet spot" -- the setup in which this lens will produce its sharpest images -- is exactly f/8.0, and now I have to agree with them (at 300 mm I always used this lens at its minimum aperture, 5.6, to get faster shutter speeds).

I am really, really happy with the EC14, and having this range with a setup that is still light and easy to carry around the whole day is a dream come true.

I guess you sum up teleconverters as a way to get a little more out of your lens(es), but at a price. Olympus has not kept up on their "compatibility list" for this - it turns out it works on alot of lenses that are not on the "compatibility list" - even other (sigma) brands. So the five stars are for its compatibility in the system.

Before you buy it - look at all your options. I did finally buy it but first I looked at a "better" lens. They were all slower than my existing 50-200mm + 1 stop. It ends up being a 283 mm lens with the OLY teleconverter, so it was the best solution overall. It's not exactly 1.4 but pretty close

I did not like loosing the 1 stop, and I did notice the darker image in the viewfinder as the 1 stop loss is not removed while focusing like any dialed in stops are, but that's the real price you pay - you are just more aware of it. I use the converter on about 10% of my shooting with the 50-200 lens when I am outside and have a tripod or inside with a GN 50 flash. Remember it magnifies your movement too so a good tripod helps with the extra weight.

A last couple of notes - keep in mind your photo size is 4 x 5.33" and not 4x6 so be sure to zoom out just a bit and leave a boarder for post processing into 4x6 standard prints. Having the extra zoom tends to make you want to fill the frame but then you must cut something later. Your camera's weight and balance will change too. Pick a decent tripod that can handle the combined weight of your lens, body, teleconverter, along with flash and extra power systems. A flimsy tripod will show in your 1:1 pixel reviews of your shots. Finally, the 1.2 x magnifier for the eyepiece seems to work really well with this in your optics line to aid in focusing with the extra 1 stop you can not take out of your lens.

This is a quality product from Olympus and extends your flexibility on many lenses, but at a price. If you own a "favorite" lens, this is probably a great add-on but ask around about compatibility first as new lenses are showing up all the time.

I have taken about 500 shots with the EC14 1.4 paired with the Zuiko 50mm - 200mm zoom lens on my Olunpus Evolt E-500 DSLR and am quite pleased with the results to date. I have experienced no problems with operation of the lens or image quality. Images are bright and crisp. The 40% zoom gain really helps to fill the frame when shooting wildlife without having to move in so close as to disturb them.

I hesitated this purchase,because I dislike converters in general. Olympus has scored a winner in this one by cramming 6 elements into a disk that is less than one inch in depth and which mates with a water resistant seal to the better Zuiko ED lenses. I am using it almost exclusively with the 50mm f 2 (actually usable only to f 2.8 value for technical reasons). Reason: It adds some closeup capability by keeping the close focus distance of the prime and upping the magnification factor. For portrait use too,it keeps a bright finder image and gives the DOF of an equivalent 70mm lens (blurs backgrounds more, a problem with a true 50mm for some). I can see no barrel distortion w/ the prime lens. With the 14-54 the viewfinder gets a little dark,but not too much so. Conclusion: It takes a good prime and makes it an even better or at least more versatile prime. Shooting through a total of 16 or so glass elements becomes a triumph of good coating and optical alignment. Not inexpensive,but a handy gadget that I will use with future telephoto Zuikos to add that leetle beet extra...PS.I will never use the case,preferring Zing neoprene lens bags to hard or ultra soft cases...

I called Olympus and confirmed that this will work with their 18-180mm lens. I bought it and tried the two together and it is working great!! First photo took a while for everything to communicate with each other and since then it works like just having the 18-180mm lens alone on. And it's wonderful having that extra bit of zoom...

It naturally belongs with the 50-200mm lens.

The parts that impress me:
This thing is really compact. I have a hard time imaging anyone not have enough space for it.

The camera automically calculates the change in focal lenth. All the EXIF information is correct. A 50 - 200 becomes a 71 - 283.

It is way cheaper than a 90-250mm

Even with the converter in place, the camera, converter, and lens feel like one solid unit.

The parts I don't like:
With the 50-200mm lens, you can lock the tripod to either the camera or the lens (via the supplied ring). With the converter neither option works well PLUS since you now have more zoom, you need a more steady foundation

The 50-200mm is a top quality lens. With the converter (and lots of light), the quality is just average. You are NOT going to want it attached all the time.

While you can use it at f3.5, you really need to use it at 6 or higher.

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Bottom line: While it is a value leader, it performs as expect and gets an impressive reach out of the already impressive 50-200mm lens

Teleconverters I have purchased in the past (much cheaper) degraded the image to the point they were almost useless. I expected some image degradation and was surprised that the image was everybit as sharp as those taken by my 50-200 lens by itself. Well worth the price.

I leave this coupled to my 50-200 and I can take macro like photos from 15 feet away.

I am using this with my Olympus 510 and so far have been very happy with it. I have used this on both kit lenses with great sucess on both telephoto shots as well as macro shots. All pictures come out very clear.

The converter has done everything it is suppose to do. On the 40-150mm lens it can make a substancial difference in field of view. Which is important with nature and portrait work. However, it did make a difference in the camera's overall weight.