What does a "2.2x pro telephoto" lens mean?

Asked 12/1/2011

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I’m new to cameras and lenses and saw a package that includes a "2.2x pro telephoto." What is that in plain English, and how does it work? Is it a normal SLR lens or some kind of add-on?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

14y ago

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I'm assuming you mean this: Raynox DCR-2025, Pro 2.2x Telephoto Lens for Digital Still Cameras. In this case, beware of the word "pro", as it doesn't mean anything — Raynox just sticks that on all of their similar products to make them sound fancier. It's also disingenuous and confusing for Raynox to call this a "telephoto lens", because it isn't really.

This isn't a stand-alone lens, but is rather a "teleside converter" made to increase effective focal length of a "real" lens. It's made to give additional options for digicams and camcorders without interchangeable lenses, and it works by using lenses to increase the width of the incoming beam of light. You could conceivably use this on an SLR lens, but I don't think you want to.

In general, they're not really a good deal, since even when you can't change lenses, you can often get better image quality just by cropping. That's because the additional optics destroy detail, so you loose image quality. Might as well lose image quality for free by cropping the image to just the detail you're interested in.

If you really want to use a teleconverter, the kind which goes between your primary lens and the camera usually offers better image quality, although that kind also restricts the effective aperture. But I think probably what you actually want is a real telephoto lens.

Originally by user1943. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user1943

14y ago

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A "2.2x telephoto" usually means an add-on teleconverter-style attachment, not a normal interchangeable SLR lens. In simple terms, it makes the lens you already have appear about 2.2 times longer, so distant subjects look more magnified.

The key point: this type of product is often a front-mounted converter made for fixed-lens compact cameras or camcorders, not a standalone lens for an SLR/DSLR. It attaches to an existing lens and changes the incoming light so you get a narrower field of view.

"Pro" is mostly marketing language here and doesn’t guarantee professional quality.

Can it work on an SLR lens? Sometimes physically, but it’s usually not the best choice. These add-on converters are generally less desirable than using a proper interchangeable telephoto lens, because image quality and overall results may not be as good.

So in lay terms: it’s usually an accessory that magnifies your current lens, not a full telephoto lens by itself.

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