Extender 2x pros and cons

[Dominik Bauch]

Just wanted to get some feedback from people who use these regularly.

I am interested in getting the Angenieux 2x extender for my Optimo Styles.

 

Obviously 2 stops of light loss is the main Con, but if I were to compare an Optimo Style at 76mm with a 2x extender, T5.6 (Effectively now 152mm), with a 150mm zoom or prime, also at T5.6, would both images have similar depth of field / AOV?

Any other major downsides? In daylight situations I regularly use a .6ND on a mini anyway so the 2 stops of lightloss isn't a big deal vs the flexibility of having a decent long lens option without the footprint...

Also if it softens the image a touch, that could be a bonus in some situations. How noticeable, if at all, is the softening?

 

Thanks in advance for any advice or experiences.

[Dom Jaeger]

The light loss is an actual reduction in geometric aperture (f stop), due to the focal length increasing while the entrance pupil size remains the same (not a transmission loss due to the extra glass elements), so the depth of field should be similar to an equivalent focal length at the same f stop.

 

From my testing on a lens projector, the Angenieux extenders are of very high quality and produce minimal softening. Hard to say if it's noticeable, since that depends on the individual scene, how you're viewing it and how hard you look!

 

Apart from the light loss the only other small con I can think of is that an extender shifts the back focal plane of the original lens, so focus marks will be about an inch and a half out, if taping distances from the sensor plane. Not a big deal, but something to be aware of and compensated for if need be.

 

Others might have more practical opinions from using them in the field.