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auxiliary lenses for xz-1

Started Jan 9, 2011 | Discussions
Kinkan1 Regular Member • Posts: 191
auxiliary lenses for xz-1

Savants,

I wonder if anyone knows (or guesses) whether there will be a telephoto add-on for this wonderful new camera? Or whether one could add, say the Nikkor 3x lens with some converter?
Hopefully,
Kinkan

Digirame Forum Pro • Posts: 41,835
Re: auxiliary lenses for xz-1

If the camera gains in popularity, there always seems to be some manufacturers that will offer extensions. I think the same thing happened with the Olympus E-10...people starting adding add-on lenses.

technic Veteran Member • Posts: 8,932
Re: auxiliary lenses for xz-1

there is no filter thread, but there seems to be an inner thread on the ring around the lens where one could mount a lens adapter (for mounting converter, lens hood, filters etc.).

With such a telescoping lens, converter design is not easy and my guess is that the required converters (especially for WA) would be relatively big and heavy compared to the camera itself. I don't think this idea fits well with the very compact design of the camera ...

Henry Falkner
Henry Falkner Forum Pro • Posts: 15,899
Adaptor tubes for xz-1 ?

There are already cameras in the Olympus line-up - past and present, that accept extension lenses via adaptor tubes that screw into a thread in the lens mount as shown in the photo illustration.

The question then becomes, is the thread the same as any of a variety of existing Olympus cameras.

With a 4x zoom lens the adaptor tube does not have to be very deep. Suppoise the thread had the same diameter as the old C-7** series, then all that needs to happens is for the CLA-4 adaptor tube to be resurrected.

Henry

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technic Veteran Member • Posts: 8,932
Re: Adaptor tubes for xz-1 ?

Henry Falkner wrote:

The question then becomes, is the thread the same as any of a variety of existing Olympus cameras.

judging from past experience it will have another thread and require a very expensive lens adapter (until third party devices become available many months later)

With a 4x zoom lens the adaptor tube does not have to be very deep. Suppoise the thread had the same diameter as the old C-7** series, then all that needs to happens is for the CLA-4 adaptor tube to be resurrected.

I don't have the specs of the older Olympus digicams, but you would need to compare with a camera with similar size chip and similar zoom range, I guess something between C-4040 and C-8080. That means pretty big adapter and converters compared to the camera.

Also, (S)WA adapters need to be very close to the front lens for best performance, and the WA position of the zoom is usually the least extended position. Judging from the images the ZX-1 has very significant lens extension. There are workarounds, but it usually means dedicated adapters (wide or tele) or a more expensive and bigger sliding construction like some third parties make.

I'm also interested to see how the camera performs in real life without a lens hood. A lens hood goes against the compact design, but it may be necessary for best image quality and can prevent mechanical damage to the lens while walking around (depending on the hood design).

dave gaines
dave gaines Veteran Member • Posts: 9,829
Auxiliary lenses for xz-1 possible

technic wrote:

there is no filter thread, but there seems to be an inner thread on the ring around the lens where one could mount a lens adapter (for mounting converter, lens hood, filters etc.).
...

From your description and the dpreview photo it looks like the camera will accept an adapter tube around the moving parts of the lens, attached to the camera body just inside the lens designation lettering. This is similar to many of the Camedia cameras of a few years ago, like the C-4040 and C-5050. The adapter tube is only slightly wider than the lens barrel. It protects the lens and allows you to attach filters and hoods.

This same adapter could be used to attach auxiliary lenses like the WCON and TCON lenses made for the C-5060, C-7070 and C-8080 that I've used.

A wide angle auxiliary lens would be really valuable for this camera since the wide end is 28 mm. The WCON-08D opens up all sorts of possibilities for the C-8080, producing about 22 mm equivalent focal length. The camera lens is kept at minimum zoom and the rear element of the wide converter lens is held just beyond the camera lens.

A teleconverter lens is also possible. With the C-8080 the TCON-14D has a recess in the back of the lens that allows the camera lens to zoom to full extension and just meet the rear element, using the same CLA-8 adapter ring.
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Dave

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OP Kinkan1 Regular Member • Posts: 191
Re: Auxiliary lenses for xz-1 possible

Thank you all; this is very useful.

Barry Carter Veteran Member • Posts: 4,372
Re: Auxiliary lenses for xz-1 possible

I go way back with Oly P&S (C2040 and C3030). Interested in XZ-1 to compliment my Panasonic LX3/LX5. Hoping there is an adapter tube to allow attaching auxially lenses and afocal coupling. http://www.barrie-tao.com/afocal.html

The XZ1 and Panasonic LX3 are in the same P&S category. Here is a photo of the LX3 with TCON17 (aka olympus B300) attached. And here is a photo of Orion I took with LX5 using same 1.7x TC, tracked image taken at ISO 400, 4 x 60 sec.

Ciao...Barry

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Richard Butler
Richard Butler dpreview Admin • Posts: 2,911
Funny you should mention the TCON-17...

There's a menu option on the XZ-1 for additional lenses.

The options are: Off and TCON-17

Richard - dpreview.com

gucky17 New Member • Posts: 15
If the TCON-17 works, is there a chance that the WCON...

...will work.

I would like to have the option to shoot wider but I like to small frame of the xz-1.

Might there be an option to use the WCON line of adapters or any of the LX adapters?

best regards
gucky

Geir Ove Veteran Member • Posts: 3,115
Extremely sweet of Olympus :-)

Hello,

I have my bulky Canon 50D and and bulky lenses, and like them, BUT as quite a few other "advanced" amateurs, I DO miss an option !

The XZ-1 really sems to be IT, at least for me

Thanks for the heads up Richard !

Geir Ove

R Butler wrote:

There's a menu option on the XZ-1 for additional lenses.

The options are: Off and TCON-17

Richard - dpreview.com

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technic Veteran Member • Posts: 8,932
Re: If the TCON-17 works, is there a chance that the WCON...

gucky17 wrote:

I would like to have the option to shoot wider but I like to small frame of the xz-1.

Might there be an option to use the WCON line of adapters or any of the LX adapters?

My guess is that for the ZX-1 lens with its 28mm effective focal length and large aperture, only the big and heavy WCON-08(B/D) converter would be an option. Most other wide converters would cause vignetting and/or blurred corners. The WCON-08 is heavier than the whole camera, so I don't think this is an attractive option.

Mounting would require a special menu option to prevent the ZX-1 lens from touching the rear element of the wide converter during operation. Apparently Olympus is not planning such a wide converter.

OP Kinkan1 Regular Member • Posts: 191
Re: If the TCON-17 works, is there a chance that the WCON...

Again, many thanks; this is fascinating, particularly the menu note--this might be just the thing for classical concerts, with a teleconverter attached.

dave gaines
dave gaines Veteran Member • Posts: 9,829
There is a chance that the WCON could fit

G,

As I said in my post above, the WCON 08D works great with the C-8080. It's probably heavier than the C-8080 and may be wider in front than the camera, at 105 mm across. The back element of the lens is wider than the camera lens, The adapter tube flares out from the base around the lens barrel to adapt the 2 auxiliary lenses. The camera must be zoomed all the way in to wide. There's a 2 or 3 mm gap from the camera lens to the back of the WCON which the camera uses on start up to extend the lens before retracting a tad back to wide zoom. If it's zoomed out the camera gliches and shuts down, if I recall. It could work. The menu option mentioned here doesn't sound promising but it may not need a special setting to work.

The WCON 08D has a double cam, bayonet mount to the adapter ring. The other end of the tube is female threads to fit the outside of the larger diameter lens barrel on the C-8080. The lens adapter will have to be smaller with male threads to fit the new XZ-1. Then a step ring could be used to match the threads of one of the threaded WCON lenses.
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Dave

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Steve Rosenblum Junior Member • Posts: 49
Re: auxiliary lenses for xz-1

I own a Canon S95 and use a very well designed adapter from Lensmate to mount filters on it. The adapter is not mounted at the base of the lens barrel, but rather on the front of the lens. It works very well, though it is designed for mounting filters rather than lens converters. Perhaps Lensmate will design one for the xz-1.

http://www.lensmateonline.com/store/s90v2.php

technic Veteran Member • Posts: 8,932
Re: auxiliary lenses for xz-1

this is a nice product for filters (primarily polariser I guess) and other light add-ons, but NOT suitable for wide/tele converters (the TCON that the OP mentions weighs 0.3 kg).

fiorano2 Regular Member • Posts: 270
Re: auxiliary lenses for xz-1

Does anyone also have an idea about the lens size in front of the camera where you might be able to put a filter?
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frdvdv Regular Member • Posts: 250
Re: auxiliary lenses for xz-1

The manual lists TCON-17 (teleconverter) as a conversion lens, combined with CLA-12 (conversion lens adapter)

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Barry Carter Veteran Member • Posts: 4,372
Re: auxiliary lenses for xz-1

Where did you find the XZ-1 manual; been looking for one?

frdvdv wrote:

The manual lists TCON-17 (teleconverter) as a conversion lens, combined with CLA-12 (conversion lens adapter)

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frdvdv Regular Member • Posts: 250
Re: auxiliary lenses for xz-1

Barry Carter wrote:

Where did you find the XZ-1 manual; been looking for one?

On the CD that came with my XZ-1

I've uploaded it to my webspace, here's a link

http://members.casema.nl/tedv/ENU.pdf

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