Vivitar Auto 2x Teleconverter Konica A-R

Vivitar Konica 2x

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Overview

Decent old-school 2x converter for Konica bayonet, fits all Autoreflex Konica SLRs. Not the high end model but certainly lightweight and easy to use, with a convenient scale on the side to tell you what effective aperture you’re using vs what your lens says.

Say wha???

A 2x converter doubles your focal length, and does so at a price: a loss of two stops.

What a 2x is good for: lightening your walking kit for close pics in a pinch. What a 2x is not good for: getting the best out of your best prime lenses. That’s it in a nutshell. I do think every SLR kit should have one. If your lens is good and your 2x is clean, your 8×10 print is not likely to have any noticeable difference.

This lightweight travel companion is of simple construction, with a lever for releasing the lens and the option of manual or EE (AE) metering.

Usage

Attach the converter to the camera, then the lens to the converter. To remove, do the reverse. It’s more difficult to take the 2x off the lens than to take the lens off the 2x. Besides the loss of two whole f-stops, the other thing to consider is that the handholding rule of thumb is to shoot at 1/focal-length as the slowest shutter speed, eg 1/60 if you’re handholding and shooting a normal 50mm lens. Add a 2x and your focal length becomes 100mm, suddenly you should be shooting at 1/125 or faster to avoid camera shake. Add the 2x to your 200mm and… get your travel tripod out!

Special Notes

None.

Related Links

  • None.
  • Oh wait – my Konica Autoreflexes: T, T3, and TC