Photos with Raynox 2.2X Telextender

[J. Stephen McDonald]

A few minutes ago, I mounted a Raynox DCR-2020PRO, a 2.2X telextender, on my Olympus C-2100UZ, to test their compatibility and see if the telex would give adequate resolution. The Olympus camera has 2.1 MegaPixel capability, has a 10X zoom lens and optical stabilization. I used two step-rings to mount the 62mm telex on the 49mm camera threads. The Raynox has a plastic body and despite being 5 inches (12.3 cm) long, it weighs only 9.7 oz. (275 gms.). This helps a lot when using it on a small camera, as it doesn't put a great strain on the mounting threads or make the camera too front-heavy. I shot these attached pictures using a simple, 16-inch long steadying rod with a foam chestpad, that goes onto the tripod jack. But, I could have easily shot them handheld, with the telex assisting in keeping it steady. Don't confuse this lens with the Raynox DCR-2020 or its new replacement, the DCR-2021, as they have 37mm mounting threads and less resolution than the PRO models.

Raynox also has two new lenses that might be of interest to HDV camcorder users. One is the 2.2X HD-2200PRO, that has a 37mm thread and a 200 line-per-mm resolution. It is recommended for the Sony HC3 and they claim it doesn't vignette above 50% of full zoom. A large HD telex lens that will be available in the near future, is the HDP-9000EX, which has 1.8X magnification, 72mm threads, a 280 lpmm resolution and is recommended for the Sony FX1 and the Z1 and also for the Canon XL series camcorders. They say it doesn't vignette above 80% of full zoom, which is a limited functional part of the range, but something that seems inevitable in these telexes.

On one of the pictures I've posted, I show a house that is .2 mile away. The lens is zoomed all the way to a 70mm focal length, the shutter is at 1/800 at F5.0 and it's on autofocus and auto-exposure. The green pickup truck was moving at about 40mph. The other picture shows a truck about .1 mile away with the same shutter and focal length, at F3.5. Both photos are 1600 X 1200. The high shutter speed and wider aperture for this shot has limited the depth of focus on the shrubs behind. Even the white truck about 15 feet farther away, shows a slight blur in its focus. I'd set it for a slower shutter and smaller aperture, if I wanted to bring everything into focus. In any case, using such a powerful telex will reduce the depth of focus. On this camera, this telex causes vignetting to begin when backed off to about 65% of full zoom, which is to be expected. This provides a greater functional part of the upper zoom range than when using this telex on my VX2100 camcorder, which is vignette-free only in the top 15% of its zoom range. Raynox lists the DCR-2020PRO as being suitable for the Sony FX1 and Z1, but some users have reported that it causes vignetting on them, throughout the entire zoom range. Since their mounting threads are 10mm larger than those of this lens, this seems predictable. The final word may not have been said on this specific issue, however.

I'm pleased with how well and quickly the autofocus worked with this long telex and the resolution of the pictures on my screen seems as good as shots made with only the basic lens. Raynox claims that the DCR-2020PRO has a resolution at lens center of 260 lines-per-mm. This is a specification I don't have for any other of my lenses, so I can't make a comparison on that basis. I have a hunch that 260 lpmm would be adequate for a 7 MegaPixel camera and for HD camcorders. If I have a chance to test this telex on higher-res cameras, I'll report it. Raynox also has a 52mm telex, the DCR-1540PRO, that is rated as having a very high 340 lpmm resolution and 1.54X magnification. This might be even better for many still cameras than the bigger DCR-2020PRO.