View Full Version here: : White light Sun; Brisbane 5th Oct; Canon 7D; Kenko x1.4; Vixen 102mm F9 refractor
Dennis
05-10-2012, 07:42 PM
Hello,
I recently acquired a Kenko Teleplus Pro 300 DGX 1.4 Converter (http://www.kenkoglobal.com/TP-PRO300AF-DGX1_4-2X.html)as some owners had reported that their pins did not require taping to allow these to be used with a telescope. I also read that some Canon 7D users had reported successful auto focus when using the Kenko Pro 300 DGX 1.4 with their 400mm F5.6 L lenses.
I found both reports to be true! Here is an example of the solar disc using a Vixen ED102S F9 refractor fitted with the Canon 7D and Kenko x1.4. I have included a full resolution crop which strongly hints at the solar granulation along with a full disc shot of the same (single) frame.
As an aside, I have found the 7D will autofocus with the 400mm F5.6L and Kenko 1.4 provided I have all the 19 AF points active. In the other AF modes, I was unsuccessful in getting the combo to autofocus.
Cheers
Dennis
Larryp
05-10-2012, 08:01 PM
Very sharp images-excellent!
lepton3
05-10-2012, 08:27 PM
Excellent full disc, especially for a single shot. The granulation at full resolution is nice. I reckon if you could stack about 30 shots, you could really bring down the noise.
That rig shows great promise!
-Ivan
Matt Wastell
06-10-2012, 03:59 PM
Looking good - yeah try stacking a bunch of images - sweet!
h0ughy
06-10-2012, 06:02 PM
very nice Dennis - getting ready for the 14 november?
Dennis
06-10-2012, 07:25 PM
Thanks guys, I’m using the Vixen 102mm F9 refractor and my old Vixen GPDX mount as my Tak EM-200 has developed a problem with the control box which I have shipped to AEC for them to return to Takahashi in Japan.
It is unlikely that I’ll see the repair before the Nov eclipse, so I thought I’d break the Vixen gear out of its mothballs!
@Dave – I’ll be in Brisbane for the eclipse and plan to do some observing and photography but I’ll rely on the posts of others for the exciting oooooh, ahhhhhh stuff. Good luck with the packing, trip and event and I look forward to the saturation coverage À laH0ughy!:)
Cheers
Dennis
Derek Klepp
06-10-2012, 09:26 PM
They turned out well Dennis. Thanks for this I was/am considering getting one of these for my 400mm.
Cheers Derek
Paul Haese
07-10-2012, 02:24 PM
Very nice work Dennis. Love the full disk.
As to TC's I just got rid of my old smegma (aka Sigma 2x) which I was using on my 300mm f.8 and D3. The Dang thing would never focus at all in autofocus. So with the dollar the way it is I bought a 2x Nikon and all is well at last. My opinion is genuine parts while expensive never fail to delivery.
Dennis
07-10-2012, 04:23 PM
Amen to that! I recently purchased an OEM Canon Angle Finder C.:)
I’ve looked at these Right Angle Viewfinder (RAVs) for a couple of years now, but the OEM Canon model, at some A$320-340 locally, has been just too expensive an investment to justify for the maybe half a dozen or so times a year I would use it. I still have my old Pentax RAV (from my 35mm film days) which fits nicely on the Canon 40D but the eyepiece frame on the 7D is larger, so the Pentax device won’t fit.:sadeyes:
I had a look at a 3rd party brand in a local shop and also browsed eBay, where they seemed to vary in price from $40-$150. The views through shop copy were not very impressive, with a hint of chromatic aberration at the edges, as well as appearing a little soft. They certainly lacked the crispness/clarity compared of my Pentax RAV on the 40D. In comparison to the plastic & metal construction of the Pentax unit, the unit I handled in the shop felt more like a plastic toy.:(
Anyhow, fast forward and a couple of weeks later, I was ordering some stuff from B&H in the USA and noted that the Canon unit was priced at US $179. With the Aussie $ being above parity at the time, I thought that I’d purchase the Canon unit at the same time, with a negligible effect on the overall postage and packaging costs. Well, the Canon RAV arrived and it was a beauty to behold when compared to the 3rd party unit. It was of plastic/metal construction and the views through it were quite stunning; really crisp and sharp right to the edges. In retrospective comparison, the 3rd party unit seemed to produce a vignetting effect, akin to looking down a tunnel.
In terms of handling, when I fitted the Canon unit it kind of disappeared when in use, whereas I struggled a little with fitting and using the 3rd party unit – it just didn’t seem to “feel” right or integrate seamlessly with the camera body.
However, if you only want to use it to compose the photo a few times each year, save your neck from cramping and are not too fussed with the overall user experience, the 3rd party units do seem adequate for the purpose and certainly fit the bill, not to mention the budget. In the final analysis, it is unlikely that I would have forked out the full $320-340 for the Canon OEM unit, but $179 brought it within reach in terms of my personal values.:)
Cheers
Dennis
Dennis
12-10-2012, 05:04 PM
UPDATE: 12th October 2012
My previous report was based on the Canon 7D with Firmware Version 1-2-3. I recently updated this to Firmware Version 2-0-3 and have now discovered that the auto focus is very unreliable. I was shooting (metaphorically) some Crested Pigeons in our back garden and the AF was intermittent with the Canon 400mm F5.6L and Kenko Pro 300 DGX 1.4.:sadeyes:
In Live View it seemed slightly more reliable but then when I switched to Movie Mode, I received an error message informing me that a lens was not attached?:shrug:
Either something has changed in the Firmware Update, or I have accidentally and unknowingly changed a camera setting? I’ll begin the investigation and trials…..:rolleyes:
Cheers
Dennis
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