Tiffen MegaPlus 2x Telephoto Lens Review
- Product:
- Tiffen MegaPlus 2x Telephoto Converter (company site)
- What's Good:
- Increases your camera's optical zoom by 2 times.
- What's Bad:
- Too big to carry around and must be used at max zoom.
I often feel the need for more zoom with my digital camera and the ability to get closer to the subject from any distance. My current camera (4 year old Toshiba PDR-M70, now discontinued) came with 3x optical. Last August I decided I would try Tiffen's 2X Telephoto Converter. This product would allow for 6x optical zoom (4x digital for what its worth).
What's wrong with it?
With the lens attached, photos must be taken zoomed into the max. This is very frustrating to take the time for the camera to turn on, and zoom completely in before being ready to shoot. If you want anything other then 6x, you must unscrew the lens and carry it.
If your camera is like mine, the auto standby/shutdown is on a short timer and resets the zoom to 0. You'll need to take the time to zoom in again.
As expected, the lens increases the size and weight of the camera.
UV Protector
Since I was already required to buy the mount¹, I also picked up a clear protective lens designed to protect the lens from dust, moisture, scratches, and breakage. If you plan on taking a large number of photos, this avoids the hassle of dealing with the lens cover.
Photo Samples for you to judge
Summary
I have not used the lens as much as I anticipated and only take it with me when planning for the need of close ups. One area that this lens excelled in was sporting events. 6x zoom is very nice when sitting back away from the action but I question the value of its price tag at approx $95 USD.
I do recommend the protective lens for cameras like mine with a large lens. For $20 USD, this will take the abuse and help extend the life of your more expensive camera lens.
¹ A mount is required to attach the lens to a specific camera model.
