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G1X optical teleconverter 1.8x - first impressions -

Started Sep 27, 2012 | Discussions
LarsPolarBear
LarsPolarBear Contributing Member • Posts: 585
G1X optical teleconverter 1.8x - first impressions -

Just received the Sicore 1.8x HD teleconverter and would like to share some of my first impressions.

I took it around my house for some shots. However, since I just got the camera a few days ago and the converter today, I would like to ask you to bare with me and not to expect too much...

It comes in 2 parts an adapter tube and the lens:

Looks and feels heavy (about 1 kg with camera):

For comparison (shoots are handheld...):

Wide angel 28mm:

full camera zoom 112mm:

28mm with converter attached (slight vignetting )

112mm & 1.8x converter = 202mm

as comparison: 112mm & 1.5x digital zoom (no converter) = 168mm:

and with 1.9x digital zoom = 213mm

my old Canon G9 with full optical zoom 210mm:

and finally 112mm & 1.8x converter & 4x digital zoom = 806mm

a few snap shots:

converter & 2.4x digital:

converter & 1.9x digital tele

only optical zoom & converter

Your comments and suggestions are highly welcome!

Lars

Canon PowerShot G9
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FauxMho Forum Member • Posts: 50
Re: G1X optical teleconverter 1.8x - first impressions -

Thanks for posting these! Very interesting to see the results - certainly achieves the result of increasing the reach you see in the final JPG. On first glance, I am surprised at the level of detail in the 112mm & 1.8x converter & 4x digital zoom = 806mm shot. I have experience using the 2x TC-DC58C on my G7 and G9's and the performance here looks exceptional in comparison.

I do wish, though, that the full-res images were available - or better yet if you could post crops of the different situations at equivalent object size. That is, post the 806mm shot at 100% crop (say the window area) and crops of the other configs (112mm w/o digital zoom, 112mm w/ 4x digital zoom, 202mm (112 & 1.8x w/o digital zoom)). The point being to see if you're pulling any more detail.

On the G7, max aperture at full zoom I estimate as putting about 8 pixels in a diffraction limited Airy disk without the teleconverter, and 32 pixels with - I could not pull any more resolution as the G7 was pretty much oversampled to start with. For the G1X, I estimate that's more like 2.6 w/o the 1.8x and 8.3 with (again DL performance) - arguably room to pull a little more resolution from the sensor of the actual image plane IF the lens is performing well. DXOmark's measurements of the G1X lens suggest that at least in the center is should be performing well there.

 FauxMho's gear list:FauxMho's gear list
Fujifilm X-T1 Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS Canon PowerShot G1 X Rokinon 85mm F1.4 Fujifilm XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS +19 more
Dimitri Khoz Contributing Member • Posts: 943
Re: G1X optical teleconverter 1.8x - first impressions -

FauxMho wrote:

On the G7, max aperture at full zoom I estimate as putting about 8 pixels in a diffraction limited Airy disk without the teleconverter, and 32 pixels with - I could not pull any more resolution as the G7 was pretty much oversampled to start with. For the G1X, I estimate that's more like 2.6 w/o the 1.8x and 8.3 with (again DL performance) - arguably room to pull a little more resolution from the sensor of the actual image plane IF the lens is performing well. DXOmark's measurements of the G1X lens suggest that at least in the center is should be performing well there.

G1X lens resolves more details at 112mm/f5.8
than NEX7 at 85mm/f5.6 with a kit zoom (E 18-55mm (28-85 in 35mm equivalent))

Canon almost 2700center/2500corners vs Sony 2550center/2350corners

Because G1X digital zoom/digital TC uses only center portion of the image,
one can really enjoy full resolution advantage in this mode.

Adding an 1.8x optical teleconverter on a top of it

may make it possible to get nice looking small prints using 22X combined zoom/604mm

Ang huge mega thank you to LarsPolarBear for all the test and results posted.
I wish that convertor will be for sale in North America one day.
Results you posted look very promising.

LarsPolarBear
OP LarsPolarBear Contributing Member • Posts: 585
Re: G1X optical teleconverter 1.8x - first impressions -

Yes, I agree 100% crops would help. Only realized after posting that the difference was not so obvious with these pictures. I will try to post something within the next days.

Just as a short update, the 806mm picture looks not very impressive in 100%.

However, I was surprised to see that the performance of the G1X at full optical zoom (112mm) together with the converter (202mm) is substantially better than my old G9 at 210mm. Either the G1X lens is REALLY good or the converter is not as bad as I thought, having read so many negative reports regarding converters in general...

I will take a few more picture and will post it with the 100% crops.

Cheers
Lars

LarsPolarBear
OP LarsPolarBear Contributing Member • Posts: 585
This is why I got the G1X and the tele converter

Yesterday I went into the mountains and took for the first time my new G1X and also the 1.8x teleconverter with me (both had just arrived a few days ago).

After several hours of hiking we became aware of an ibex family descending on a gravel field - we had past that point about 20 min. before - so I ran up the mountain again to get close and took a couple of shots.

I was very happy since it showed me that carrying and using the teleconverter together with the already quite heavy G1X works also when under way with backpack in rugged terrain. It were exactly these situations that I had in mind when deciding on this combo. The results have still a lot of room for improvement, but at least I am happy that it works...

All shots taken with converter - the second also using 1.5x digital zoom. All hand held (keep in mind together 1kg to hold steady after running up the mountain ;)).

Ibex with young ones

Male Ibex showing off

Later we ran into a large family of Chamoise, it was short before sunset (ISO 1000) demonstrating quite nice the low light ability of the G1X, which is so important for taking wild life shots:

FauxMho Forum Member • Posts: 50
Re: This is why I got the G1X and the tele converter

Impressive!

 FauxMho's gear list:FauxMho's gear list
Fujifilm X-T1 Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS Canon PowerShot G1 X Rokinon 85mm F1.4 Fujifilm XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS +19 more
André BARELIER
André BARELIER Forum Pro • Posts: 11,455
Re: This is why I got the G1X and the tele converter

Imressive, indeed,
Did you use the viewfinder for these shots?

André
http://a.barelier.free.fr/

 André BARELIER's gear list:André BARELIER's gear list
Nikon Coolpix P7800 Nikon D7200 Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 16-80mm F2.8-4E ED VR Nikon 1 V1 Nikon D3300 +10 more
LarsPolarBear
OP LarsPolarBear Contributing Member • Posts: 585
Re: This is why I got the G1X and the tele converter

No, I don't like the OVF in the first place due to its inaccuracy, but with the teleconverter it is mostly covered by the lens and therefore totally useless.

LarsPolarBear
OP LarsPolarBear Contributing Member • Posts: 585
Re: G1X optical teleconverter 1.8x - first impressions -

Ok, here are the promised 100% crops. Have not done this before, so hope it works out and is helpful...

The crops show that the optical teleconverter does help significantly. However, I am a little confused about the results, as the 806mm photo shows almost the best result... am I missing something here...

It would be nice to be able to compare with other converters, I would be especially interested in a comparison with the Raynox DCR-2025PRO 2.2x. So, if there is anybody out there who has used on (preferable on a G1X), I would love to hear from you.

112mm @ 100%

202mm @100% (112mm & 1.8x optical converter)

168mm @ 100% (112mm & 1.5x digital zoom)

213mm @ 100% (112mm & 1.9x digital zoom)

383mm @ 100% (112mm & 1.8x Optical converter & 1.9x digital zoom)

806mm (4x optical zoom & 1.8x optical converter & 4x digital zoom)

jcmarfilph Veteran Member • Posts: 7,592
Re: G1X optical teleconverter 1.8x - first impressions -

A bad@ss setup. Interesting results and interesting TC.

Care to share any info and where did you get the TC?

TIA

-=[ Joms ]=-

 jcmarfilph's gear list:jcmarfilph's gear list
Fujifilm X20 Fujifilm FinePix HS50 EXR +1 more
FauxMho Forum Member • Posts: 50
Re: G1X optical teleconverter 1.8x - first impressions -

Thanks for the crops. I think it clear that this TC on the G1X can pull out greater detail from the scene than is recorded by the sensor at 112mm without it.

Interesting that the 806mm case looks best - I wonder if a different amount of sharpening is applied in digital zoom than in digital teleconverter.

 FauxMho's gear list:FauxMho's gear list
Fujifilm X-T1 Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS Canon PowerShot G1 X Rokinon 85mm F1.4 Fujifilm XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS +19 more
LarsPolarBear
OP LarsPolarBear Contributing Member • Posts: 585
Re: G1X optical teleconverter 1.8x - first impressions -

@ FauxMoh,

yes, I am a little puzzled here... ...just for your information, these pictures were shot as JPEG and not processed at all.

@ jcmarfilph

I bought it on the web in Germany:

http://www.siolex.de/konverter/fuer-digitalkameras/tele-konverter/siocore-1-8x-hd-telekonverter-fuer-canon-powershot-g1-x-bzw-g1x/a-87988413/

I don't think that they are producing it actually, it might be only a trading company. However, there is no indication on the packaging where it is from. So, you just have to look for something similar in the US or try get get them to send it to you.

FauxMho Forum Member • Posts: 50
Re: G1X optical teleconverter 1.8x - first impressions -

Understood - I meant in-camera sharpening within the jpg engine.

 FauxMho's gear list:FauxMho's gear list
Fujifilm X-T1 Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS Canon PowerShot G1 X Rokinon 85mm F1.4 Fujifilm XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS +19 more
PowerG9atBlackForest
PowerG9atBlackForest Junior Member • Posts: 39
Re: G1X optical teleconverter 1.8x - first impressions -

LarsPolarBear wrote:

.. However, I was surprised to see that the performance of the G1X at full optical zoom (112mm) together with the converter (202mm) is substantially better than my old G9 at 210mm. Either the G1X lens is REALLY good or the converter is not as bad as I thought, having read so many negative reports regarding converters in general...

This is a G9-with-Canon-2xConverter shot that I took of an object about 400 yards away: Original photo (f=420mm) and the 2x? 3x? crop (f=840/1260?), only very, very moderately sharpened.

How would you rate the quality?

Regards, Hermann

 PowerG9atBlackForest's gear list:PowerG9atBlackForest's gear list
Panasonic Lumix G Vario 7-14mm F4 ASPH Samyang 7.5mm F3.5 Fisheye Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm F2.8 Macro Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm F1.8 Panasonic 12-35mm F2.8 +5 more
Tidechaser New Member • Posts: 4
Re: G1X optical teleconverter 1.8x - first impressions -

Hi

Is this Teleconverter suitable for a Canon G1X Mark II ?

Thanks

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